Sep 19, 2018 3 min read

We’re at the peak of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season and even though we don’t live near the ocean, we are still experiencing the effects of tropical systems thanks to moisture from both Hurricanes Gordon and Florence making its way inland across our area.

Inches of rain on top of what has already been a very soggy year has led to misery for many folks, including those such as landscapers, contractors, road crews and golf courses. Those who depend on fair weather for their livelihoods have been delayed and frustrated with the damp weather and I would not want to be in their shoes (or rain boots in this case.)

One of those folks is the nice fellow who just installed my brand new driveway. We started planning for it in late winter and had originally thought he could do the job in late spring or summer. When the rain just wouldn’t stop, the timeline got pushed back again and again. Eventually, I resigned myself to waiting until next spring. Then the phone rang and he said he could do it in late August/early September.

The crew showed up and start tearing out my ancient, cracked driveway. I won’t miss the crumbling concrete, cracks or the weeds that grew in them perpetually despite my best efforts. Why is it that you can sprinkle grass seed on the lawn, water it and nurture it to no avail but yet a weed can somehow spring up over and over again from a crack in the cement?

The crew got half of the driveway torn out before the weekend and before the deluge from the remnants of Hurricane Gordon. They left the back half of the driveway intact and focused on filling the open half with gravel so it wouldn’t become a mud pit during the rain. I was out of town for the day and got home after dark planning to park on the street and walk over the gravel into the garage.

As I approached in the dark, I saw the gravel area had morphed into a swimming pool filled with a foot of water. I headed up the sidewalk to the front door worrying about all of their hard work being washed away and whether the pool would overflow into my garage. Thankfully, the rain ended, the crew pumped out the water and the gravel had prevented a quagmire.

They finished the driveway, which is now crack-free and beautiful and is now draining rain from the remnants of Florence away from the garage. The dirt fill and grass seed along the sides is also staying in place thanks to straw fiber mats we rolled out and pinned into place ahead of this latest rain. My fingers are crossed that in a few days I will have a beautiful driveway edged by lush green grass and that the rest of September may remain hurricane remnant-free.

Kristin Emery can be reached at kristinemery1@yahoo.com.