Tempestas Roman Goddess of storms.

Dear Goddess Tempestas,

I realize that this is the 1st time we have conversed together. For that I am sorry. I have a rather unique request of you. With Irene on the way, my basement is sure to flood dangerously high. It always does at such times. I have two sump pumps standing guard just ready and waiting to pump out the onslaught of water. The last time the heavy snows of winter melted and we had a long hard driving rain, I woke up to a foot of water in the basement. It almost killed my furnace and it did snuff out the pilot on my hot water heater. Luckily my plumber was able to save the hot water heater.

My worry this time is that if we lose power, my sump pumps will not be able to do their jobs. Thereby killing my hot water heater, furnace, and quite possibly my artesian well pump. This would in turn cost me thousands of dollars which I do not currently have. I have home owners insurance but I believe they like to call these mishaps an act of God, which God I'm not quite sure, but in any event they don't care and they just refuse to replace these much needed items in my home.

So now that Hurricane Irene is barreling up the coast it looks like I am in perfect alignment with her path. I pray that you can either give her a little nudge out to sea or somehow let my little house please not lose it's power. I do have one particularly huge tree in my front yard that I also asked be spared. It is a beautiful old maple that has supplied years of protection to the house. Should that get uprooted, it surely will take out all of the power lines leading into my house. So as you can see, I certainly am in quite a predicament here. I promise to leave the light on for you, I pray that you will leave them on as well. Hail Tempestas!

Your humble servant,
Dusio