Many call the hurricane that struck the Florida Panhandle July 10, 2005 Dennis the Menace; I call him Déjà vu Dennis. Our area was still recovering from last September's Hurricane Ivan when the nightmare of Hurricane Dennis arrived in the Gulf of Mexico. We all watched with horror as Pensacola became the center of the strike zone.

Disbelief was our initial reaction, but quickly the Panhandle residents surged into action. Overwhelmed by last year's Ivan, residents were determined to be as prepared as possible for Dennis. Three days before he swept onto our shores, fuel became difficult to find; ATM machines spun their wheels only to reveal they were empty of the cash so desperately needed; food fled off of the shelves of grocery stores; and hardware stores hardly had any supplies at all.

We had decided to stay in Pensacola for this storm. Without a camera crew at the Dome of a Home, there was no educational purpose to staying on the beach. Pointless danger was an unnecessary risk that we decided to forego. I was relieved. I stocked our hurricane refuge in town and prepared to hunker down for Dennis. At 4:30 am, Mark woke us up and said the storm was predicted to have 180 mile an hour gusts --- wind that would literally knock down our refuge home as it huffed and puffed. We all had full tanks of gas, took 30 minutes to gather our belongings and fled to Georgia. Thank you so much to the angels, Tommy and Dana, that took our family in; fed us; and let us use their hot showers and comfortable beds.

Fortunately, Déjà vu Dennis lost some of its punch before landing on the Panhandle. Many said we got off lucky. Definitely an odd perspective when you are hoping the storm is only a Category 3. I learned that perspective is just about attitude. There was a time when we would cower at a Category 3 raging toward our shores. But, when the storm has been almost a Category 5, a Category 3 seems a welcome relief. Bizarre this process of anxiety and relief literally washing over us in undulating waves.

Some of us were not as affected by Dennis, yes, that is true. But, when I read or hear how we "dodged a bullet", I don't think they have seen my neighbors' homes. Many of my neighbors received even more damage from Dennis. Some that had completed their repairs from Ivan were now looking at starting over, yet again. Hurricane Ivan hit us from the east and south; Dennis blasted through from the north and west. Unexpectedly, many houses that survived Ivan were severely damaged by Dennis.

From the looks of things, Dennis must have had several very intense wind bursts or tornadoes. Although the surge was minimal compared to Ivan, the wind with Dennis was significant enough to literally rip off new roofs, collapse homes into themselves; topple construction cranes; and fling debris projectiles into the side of buildings.

I hurt when I look around our island. We seem to be caught in a horrible vortex that streamlines storms from the tropics to the Panhandle. The fear as yet another storm becomes named is palpable. Despair dims the light in my neighbors' eyes. It's difficult to maintain one's optimism when it feels like we have become a target. My neighbors and I wished each other luck as I rode my bicycle by their homes before evacuating the island. Many of them returned home to a dreaded sense of Déjà vu: another mess to clean up; more insurance to fight for; FEMA and SBA lines to wait in; and the elusive search for the blue tarps begins again.

Because Dennis was more of a wind storm on Pensacola Beach, the Dome of a Home was minimally affected. We lost our temporary back stairs and some of the screens in the back porch in the wind, but the storm surge was not significant enough to remove the garbage cans out of the garage. Nor, strong enough to transform the dumpsters into floating battering rams.
So….the stairs made it fine!!!

Our new island manager, Buck Lee, had the residents back on the island to view their homes in less than 24 hours. GREAT JOB, Buck! The unknown is the absolute worst. And thanks to the Pensacola News Journal, for placing a comprehensive picture gallery on their website. It certainly was a relief to be able to scan the pictures to see how the area fared.

I had numerous phone calls from those who through various means had seen that the Dome's stairs were still in place. Their excitement for the Dome and their sympathy for less fortunate residents was relayed with heartfelt sincerity. I was overwhelmed at the kind words I received from so many. Thanks to all that contacted me with your concern and words of encouragement.

I hope that the Panhandle is noticeably absent from any more strike cones this season. Post traumatic stress has become a constant neighbor over the last 10 months, I am ready to have my old neighbors back.

NOAA aerial photos show how well the home survived Dennis. It appears virtually undamaged compared to the rest of the neighborhood. The photo can be seen here and the home sits just to the right of the center of the photo. Be warned that the photo is 4077x4092 pixels and over 1.4M, so it will take a while to download.



Special thanks to Brian Turk for finding this image and posting it in our guestbook for all to see.

PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Mark Sigler slept soundly through Hurricane Ivan in his dome-shaped, steel-reinforced house built to withstand 200-mph winds, but even he was scared of what Hurricane Dennis could do to his fortress on the sand.

"The house is hurricane-resistant, not hurricane-proof," he said by cell phone as he was leaving town.

The home is made of a single slab of steel-reinforced concrete and is covered by waterproof foam. It weighs about 850 tons, compared with about 25 tons for a normal house, and looks like the cross section of an egg.

My Dear Sweet Serenity,

As we once again prepare you to face Mother Nature's fury, I want to share a moment with you. So we can sit quietly together, I filled you with a beautiful sounds of peaceful music instead of fearful rhetoric



I feel your Spirit of strength give me the courage to leave you alone to face the storm.
When people assume I want to stay only to protect my investment, they underestimate my love for you. You're my child. Such intense labor pains, but such a beautiful creation. I really feel like we were only midwives assisting the birth of a home destined to be.

Ironically, or maybe not so ironically, today is the memorial service for Jonathan Zimmerman, the architect that designed you. Last month, he succumbed to cancer. We were scheduled to be in San Francisco today to pay our respects. Instead, we're preparing you, his creation, to do what you were designed to do: not to compete with Mother Nature, but to work with her.

I have asked Jonathan to stand guard to protect you. Yes, I believe you have a guardian angel now. So, you really won't be weathering the storm alone. Jonathan will be there with you. I asked Granny and Grandpa to show up, too. So, I think you will not be quite so lonely. No partying. I do worry about that, you know. I mean, the lonely part, not the partying.

Serenity, I want you to know how deeply you're loved. Hundreds and hundreds of people tell us how much they love you, how you are their favorite house, how they drove miles and miles just to see you, how much fun they had vacationing with you. You even had guests from the UK fly all the way to Florida just to play the guitar and to resonate with your music.

You are a celebrity. How many people can boast of your media success in less than two years' time. The media from Saudi Arabia, the UK, Canada, Germany, and the United States has placed your picture across the globe, quite literally. You made your debut in so many venues: the Weather Channel, the Travel Channel, National Geographic, MSNBC news, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Scarborough Country, Discovery Channel, Good Morning America, ABC news, Fox news, and the list goes on.

Your fame and reputation baqua square according to Feng Shui is the screened in porch that protrudes on the north side. It's definitely been working overtime. I need to place more emphasis in the wealth and prosperity area. What good is all that fame, if we can't afford to keep you?

Anyway, I just want to tell you that we and a lot of other people love you dearly. I love you dearly. We are all with you in Spirit. You have been an inspiration to be many, including us.

Love,
Valerie

Hurricane Week Ushers in Tropical Storm Arlene

When Mark and I began our optimistic planning strategy for building the Dome of a Home, I often repeated this mantra: "Jim Cantore at our home. Jim Cantore at the Dome. Jim Cantore needs to see this house." Because Jim is the mascot of the "tropical weather" that affects beach residents so deeply, it seemed appropriate for him to see a home that was built in response to severe weather.
I had a focused goal to manifest the King of Tropical Weather in the Dome of a Home.



The Weather Channel and Jim Cantore have a massive audience that grows even larger as severe weather stalks its imminent victims. When Jim begins reporting on a tropical system, residents pay attention and heed the warnings to begin preparations. An effective way of disseminating information is to reach the largest audience in the shortest amount of time. If we had the opportunity to share with Jim Cantore the concepts of the Dome of a Home concerning hurricanes and the beach environment, the information could be widely dispersed quickly.

So, in my naive dream world, I knew without a doubt that I would give Jim Cantore a personal tour of the Dome of a Home. So vividly I visualized Jim standing on our front deck, that I assumed it was a reality --- I just didn't know when it would be.



Hurricane Ivan takes aim at Pensacola Beach in September 2004. Mark and I are vacationing in Montana and begin to receive numerous phone calls from various media outlets. Good Morning America, Discovery Channel – Canada, Canadian public radio, ABC news, NBC news, etc. all wanted to know about the Dome of a Home's structure and the impending monster storm's possible effect on the home. They wanted to interview Mark in the home as the storm approached. Well…. Mark was in Montana and the Discovery Channel wanted to film the next morning in Pensacola Beach.

What could we do? Our primary goal in building the home was educational. How could we not seize these opportunities? Obviously, we immediately bought a ticket for Mark to leave for Pensacola. After numerous security searches (a last minute one way ticket), Mark boarded the plane during its last call for passengers. He would be arriving in the wee hours of the morning and have to immediately prepare for broadcast. And a storm was literally on the horizon.



Taking advantage of the extensive media coverage on Pensacola Beach, Mark, armed with business cards and informational text about the Dome of a Home, contacted several media personnel about touring the Dome. MSNBC went so far as to actually stay in the Dome with Mark during Hurricane Ivan's assault on September 16, 2005. For several days, the MSNBC crew stayed at the Dome before, during, and after the storm's spanking of Panhandle.

But, no Weather Channel? What!? Mark said he wasn't able to communicate with anyone from that network and they had not contacted him. What?! I really was incredulous. How could they be on Pensacola Beach and not know about the Hurricane House? I couldn't believe it. Here was this immense monster of a storm and it was putting the Hurricane House to the test and we couldn't garner the Weather Channel's attention. I just couldn't believe it. How could this be?



Remember my mantra? "Jim Cantore in my home…" Not "the Weather Channel in my home", but very specifically "Jim Cantore in my home."
Jim was not in Pensacola Beach during Hurricane Ivan. Hence, he could not be in the Dome of a Home during this perfect opportunity. Oh, and there was the minor detail that I was still in Montana and unable to conduct a personal tour of the home.
Sometimes we get exactly what we ask for with all its specific details. I feel certain if I had been general in my request for the Weather Channel, its crews would have found their way to the Dome during Hurricane Ivan. But, then I would have missed all of the fun.

Things have a way of working out perfectly if we are patient and just trust the process. Admittedly, I was disappointed and confused that the Dome of a Home did not garner air time on the Weather Channel during Ivan's wrath. But, little did I know then that events would unfold in such a miraculous manner. The manifestation of my mantra would exceed my greatest expectations.

On Saturday, June 4, 2005 Mark and I read that Jim Cantore and the Weather Channel were scheduled to kick off Hurricane Season on Pensacola Beach the next day. Determined to speak with someone from the Weather Channel, Mark and I set our alarm on Sunday for 6 am. As Mark stumbles out of bed, he glances out the window at the beach. What does he see? Yep, the Weather Channel is setting up their equipment right across from the Dome on the beach. Hallelujah! It wouldn't be necessary to hunt them down. Jim Cantore was standing on the beach across from my house!!!
Since they had a visual of the home, Mark could succinctly relate the storm resistant features of the Dome of a Home and offer a tour when their schedule permitted.

Intrigued and interested, the Weather Channel crew agreed to a tour on one of their breaks.
Barely able to absorb the immensity of my dream manifesting before my very eyes, I shared with Jim Cantore the various features of the Dome as we walked through. And then there he was, standing on our front deck, exactly how I had envisioned him! Ecstatic, excited, humbled, and completely in awe, I was empowered by the abundance of synchronicity and coincidences that had led to this moment in time. There is a Zen saying, "Life is a mystery to be explored, not a business to be managed." Never have I felt the mystery more evident as I stood witness to, quite literally, a dream come true.

After the tour, Jim and his crew asked if Mark would do an interview and would we mind if they did some of their broadcasts off the front deck. Would we mind??? Are you kidding??? Icing on the cake; not only did Jim allow me to show him the Dome, he was going to broadcast live from the Dome!!! I could watch him on my TV and see him on my deck simultaneously. Wow!!! I was beside myself. The magic just continued to blossom. Sunday, June 5, 2005 renewed me, reinvigorated our zest for the Dome (tired of hurricane repairs), and reassured me that all was going according to plan.

Late Sunday night, we said goodbye to our new friends. I missed them already – even as we joked on the doorstep about their staying in the Dome of a Home during the next storm headed this direction. Little did we know how prophetic that scenario would be.

Four days later, we received a phone call from Jim Cantore. Tropical Storm Arlene was headed to the Panhandle. Jim wanted to know if we would be willing to let him and his crew use the Dome of a Home as their base of operations. Hmmm…let me think about it– NOT!
Mark asked when they would be there and was told about 7 hours. Okay, I needed to manifest some cleaning fairies, and fast. Lo, and behold, a cleaning crew shows up a few hours later for the regularly scheduled two week clean. I had forgotten that they were scheduled to clean. I was very happy about that bit of luck! So, it was off to the grocery store to secure some grub…and all those hurricane preparation necessities.

Overwhelmed by the events of the last week, I became emotional as I pushed my grocery cart among the walking wounded. The masks of my fellow shoppers reflected the horror we felt inside. Hurricane Ivan haunted each of us as we remembered all we had lost, all we had tried diligently to repair. The material loss is devastating, but the damaged spirits require more than blue tarps to stop the leaking fear. Yes, Arlene was only a tropical storm --- Ivan's baby nine months later. Yes, we know, Arlene is minor compared to Ivan. But, it doesn't feel minor. Arlene is the first storm of the season and we were already a target. Already! so early in the season on June 10, 2005. For those who had been optimistically declaring there was no way we could be hit twice so quickly, Mother Nature proved she definitely does what she wants. And what about 1995, Hurricane Erin in August and Hurricane Opal in October? And Florida's plethora of storms in the 2004 season? As I determinedly gathered my supplies, I felt the despair of my fellow Floridians. We bought our supplies, not to prepare for Arlene, but to exorcise the demons of Hurricane Ivan. We over-prepared as if we could retro-prepare for Hurricane Ivan. By the conclusion of my shopping trip, I wished for Lucy, the corner therapist in Charles Schultz's cartoon strip Charlie Brown.



Heavily laden with food, I planned the meals for the next few days. Would we lose electricity? Water? Geez, I hoped not. I prepared for Weather Channel's arrival as they prepared for Tropical Storm Arlene's arrival.

I have a whole new level of respect for the news and weather media. Never have I seen such diligence under such intense pressure. The Weather Channel's crew was up before the sun and worked until 10:30 pm, with only a few breaks in the afternoon. Just enough time to eat quickly and re-group for the next segment. In the background, I observed with complete awe the competence and team work exhibited by Jim, Eddie, and Michelle. The timing and attention to details requires a focused unit that trusts each other immensely. This group works like precision machinery.



Fortunately, Tropical Storm Arlene was a minor blip on the radar. With all of the debris still on the beach from Hurricane Ivan last year, a storm surge or heavy winds could have a devastating effect. A storm surge would create surfing concrete slabs and floating dumpsters. When these crash into buildings that had survived or been repaired, many would have to start over at square one, yet again. Substantial winds would pick up lumber and demolition debris and hurl the projectiles through the air. Even a minor storm has the potential for major damage.

A lot can happen in a week! When the miraculous comes knocking at your door, open your heart and mind to the infinite possibilities; observe in awe as synchronicity cascades into your life; and be very grateful. I am most grateful for the lives that have been touched and the friendships made. I will treasure always the memories of Jim Cantore standing on our front deck, just like I envisioned five years before.