In 1950, author Philip Wylie shared his story, “How to Live Through a Hurricane.”
Wylie was a regular contributor to The Saturday Evening Post. He was well known for his series of saltwater-fishing stories featuring Captain Crunch (no relation) and Des.
In our December 30 issue that year, he narrated the passage of a hurricane over his house in Miami. He describes how small matters, like violations of building codes, could mean the destruction of a house. Of particular interest are the preparations he made at his house before the storm: hanging heavy shutters on the window, cooking all food that would spoil if they lost power, cutting back foliage on trees, determining what to bring inside or to tie down outside.
This particular hurricane was quite different from Harvey: The major concern was wind, not flooding. And he fared much better than many residents of Houston because he had luck, time, and money on his side. What he did share with Houstonians was experience: He’d been through five hurricanes before.
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