Night at the Beach - Canvas

Night at the Beach - For a year, I had looked forward to a beach vacation on Nantucket. The setting was magnificent — a little house situated a few yards from the bay and a couple hundred steps from the Atlantic Ocean. A few days into the trip, we got word that Hurricane Henri was headed directly for Nantucket. The last direct hit was 30 years ago. The islanders panicked as hundreds of boats were ordered to evacuate, the ferries and planes were halted, and we awaited instructions. Our tiny house could easily wash away if the ocean and the bay ever came together. Twelve hours before Henri was to arrive, the storm veered to the west and made landfall in Rhode Island. We still spent a tense night as the hurricane created huge ocean waves, and our house was pelted with fierce rain and high winds. The next evening, we sat in these chairs on the beach and enjoyed a serene sunset, as if nothing ever happened.

— Diana Madaras