Was That a Hurricane?!

I grew up in Florida and am very familiar with the process of a hurricane. You watch the Weather Channel for a few days while they watch a storm, then as it grows they give it a name and attempt to predict which way it is going. If it is possible to hit anywhere near you you watch this named storm for days as it approaches, "LISA IS COMIN". You have time to prepare, buy supplies, get out if you have to. So imagine my surprise when I stepped outside to hurricane forced winds the other day-NO warning, no preparation, no name. We were lucky enough to avoid the severe weather associated with hurricanes, but the winds were certainly not anything I have experienced in a long time. I got Ryan out onto the balcony and her hair was EVERYWHERE! The sustained winds were around 30 mph with gusts up to 45-50. Ryan was all fun and games until one of those gusts came along-then I couldn't get this child inside fast enough. I never thought about how scary that would be for a kid-something invisible, out of nowhere, blowing you over. A strange weather occurrence indeed!