What was the first hurricane you experienced?

Andrew is the first I can say I remember

Andrew is the first I vividly remember. A few minors before then.

Andrew. Watched a tree pull up out the ground.

Georges, as a small kid I had a blast. As an adult now, frick Ida.

Georges in 1998 was the first major one I can recall being a big deal

Andrew

I remember Edith in 1971 because lightning distintegrated a 60 ft pine tree in our backyard. There was about 15 feet of trunk still standing afterwards, and it looked like a burnt match.

I freely admit it scared the mother frick out of me.

My wife took my first born daughter up to my in laws' in Orlando a couple days before it hit Miami. I stayed behind at the house. We just bought it and I wasn't sure about leaving it unattended. In hindsight, 30 year old me was a moron for letting my young wife and infant child hit the road alone in the wake of a storm, and I was even dumber for staying behind without anyone I knew nearby. But it was the early 90s, I was a naïve country kid from north Mississippi, and I didn't know any better. All I really knew was my side of Florida wouldn't get hit as bad as the Atlantic side.

Man, I was terrified. Power went out just a couple hours after the first bands brushed over the house, and I realized how dark and alone I was with no way to contact my wife to see how she was doing. The winds slowly tore off bits of the roof, and for a good bit of time I was hunkered down on the bottom floor unsure if our house was going to collapse on me. That combined with the possibility of storm surge added to my fear, but thankfully there was no issue with surge since I was far enough inland.

hurricane elena 1985

Betsy was 1965. She pretty much followed the Mississippi up from the coast. I was 14. It was the only hurricane we ever left home to avoid. We didn't leave for Hilda in, I think, 1964. Drank my first bitter cup of black coffee in that old warehouse during Betsy, too, but I was glad to get it, lol.