‘We dodged a bullet,’
says Hawaii expatriate
after home is spared

"It was truly a miracle," says a Hawaii expatriate who rode out Hurricane Ivan Wednesday night in her 107-year-old historic home near Mobile Bay in Alabama.

Wendy James, who with her husband -- Bill -- own and operate The Kate Shepard House Bed and Breakfast, said the most "scary moments" came just after 2 Wednesday morning.

"We had put a mattress in the hallway," Wendy James said in a cell phone interview from Mobile Wednesday morning.

"The house started shaking," she added. "Our dog started to whine and cry. He was truly frightened and he jumped into bed and snuggled between Bill and I. He's never done that before. He could tell something was happening."

The James and Koa, their 2-year-old Chow, were among the residents in Mobile who decided to ride out the category 3 storm which slammed into the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Florida panhandle killing 12 people and causing millions of dollars worth of damage.

"There were short bursts of rumbling and thunder and then short gusts of wind...and the thunder and noise sounded like a train going by. We felt so helpless," Wendy James said.

"I felt like we would need a miracle to get through this."

She said the shaking of her bed reminded her of a minor earthquake she experienced while living in Kaneohe for 15 years before moving to Alabama.

"It was like someone got hold of the mattress box spring and shook it."

James said she is fully aware that damage to Mobile could have been much worst had Ivan stayed on track, but at the last moment the eye moved slightly eastward with Pensacola, Fla., getting the brunt of it.

After reviewing Ivan's damage yesterday James' assessment was simple: "It's a miracle. We dodged a bullet."

The James bought the Queen Anne-style home nearly two years ago and rent out two of its eight bedrooms as a bed and breakfast operation. The house features an original fireplace built in 1897, mantles, and stained glass windows.

It is partly surrounded by 100-year-old Magnolia trees and is located in the historic downtown district of Mobile just two miles from the bay. Almost all of the trees survived the hurricane. James said.

After examining the exterior of her home Wednesday morning, James said "we didn't have one piece of broken glass and as far as we can determine there isn't even a leak."

Water is available, although James said city officials were cautioning residents to boil before drinking it. There was no electricity, but James was using a cell phone recharged by her car battery to keep in touch with friends and family.

James said city officials have asked area residents to stay away for a few days until road work crews have completed their job.

"I've talked to a few neighbors and they don't plan to come home until Sunday," James said.

Her husband, Bill, was an architect in the islands for 15 years involved in the construction of Harbor Court, One Archer Lane, Honolulu Park Place and Chinatown Gateway Park.