The worst is yet to come, of course, but because a full-blown Cape Verde hurricane has not tracked directly over Long Island in 123 years, nobody suspects the lull is temporary. People who pay attention to barometers know something is up, though. From a high of 29.78 earlier in the day, their instruments are now measuring 27.43 inches, the lowest reading anyone has ever seen on Long Island. The hurricane's eye passes in maybe 20 minutes. The wind shifts to the south.
Danger returns to the sky.
Soon the fury is blowing steady at 90 mph, gusting to 150 or more. The ocean rises up like an angry cobra and is driven into the shore by the wind. Mountains of water from the initial surge level the dunes and wash through the beachfront homes like so many sand castles. Then, spewing froth, wreckage and a total disregard for anything but forward movement, it makes straight for the Greene residence. The entire eastern half of Long Island along the south shore is now being rocked by waves so huge and so powerful that as they pound the beach, there are people in Connecticut running into the streets shouting earthquake.