Noyack Bay, eastern end of Long Island

When Carol swept across the east end of Long Island, I was 10, we were at
our summer cottage on Noyack Bay, between Shelter Island, and the south
fork. The first half of the storm was relatively peaceful, as the winds were
from the east, and the hills blocked much of their force. When the eye of
the storm moved overhead, the winds were gone, and the sky, swept clean of
any and all forms of dust, moisture,haze, was dark blue at the horizon, and
approached black at the zenith. The brighter of the stars could be seen even
with the sun shining brightly. There were 4-5 foot waves on Noyack Bay! I
went swimming. Having learned to swim in the Long Island surf, at
Bridgehampton beach, the waves on the bay were small, and non threatening to
me. Hey, ten year olds are immortal!

Then, the Eastern eyewall arrived. No longer in the shelter of the hills,
the wind came full across the bay, and the waves began to break, up and
behind the concrete block wall that protected the cottage. All the sand,
held in place by that wall, became too heavy, and the wall collapsed. When
the storm ended, there was a seven foot drop where there had once been a
"front yard". There was only two feet of real estate left in front of the
building, we had survived!

I have never been in the eye of another hurricane. The trip in, was
nervous. The trip out?............ The moments in the eye were overpowering
in the beauty, peace, and splendor of it all.