On Aug. 28, she pounded the doors and windows with vigor unknown to man. She shook the trees until the roots lost control of the dirt. She left a trail of destruction like a woman scorned. Irene brought chaos to Virginia in a nicely packaged Category 1 hurricane.
Days before Hurricane Irene struck, Governor Bob McDonnell issued a state of emergency over Virginia. Despite the warning, some students took no heed to his advice.
“I had my assumption of the hurricane not being that bad,” sophomore Ian Disesa said. “I thought it would be like a tropical storm.”
 Disesa, along with many Hanover residents, awoke with the shock of seeing the damage. Flooding surrounded cities. Trees had been uprooted. Power lines were down for days.  Sophomore April Lankford experienced the rough side of living without power.
“It was out for eight days,” Lankford said. “It was terrible.”
With only a week left until school began, sophomore Emma Palya’s summer vacation was cut short at the expense of Irene. She was staying in Outer Banks, North Carolina, when she and her family were told to evacuate.
“It evacuated me from Nags Head,” Palya said. “Outer Banks was going to get hit really hard.”
Nevertheless, not everyone was dissatisfied with the results. The prospect of one last great summer storm brought joy to one student. His vision of fun included fully embracing the ire of Hurricane Irene.
“I thought it was awesome because we don’t have hurricanes that often,” freshman Kodie Gulaskw said. “You expect it to be terrifying, but it was awesome.”
Devoid of internet, television, and phone service, families were forced to find other forms of entertainment. Board games came out of the closet. The lack of electricity gave students the opportunity to spend time with their loved ones.
“The best part was getting to sit down and play board games with my family because we don’t get to do that a lot,” freshman Sam Russo said.
Family bonding was not the only thing to pass the time. The chance to catch up on sleep grabbed hold of deprived students.
“I got to sleep for three days,” freshman Cheyanne Howell said.
Though students endured the vengeful winds of Irene, there was still a positive hope. A certain faith radiated around Hanover, bringing light to a seemingly deteriorated situation.
“I guess suffering brings people together,” senior Marigold Miller said. “I guess that’s sort of an ironic upside to it.”
Although the hurricane halted the lives of people across the East Coast, some students say they were not overwhelmed by the outcomes. From the survival of Hurricane Isabel or a steady trust in their homes, a nonchalance toward Irene’s rage sent students into a lethargic state.
“Every time it rains, we usually lose power,” junior Elizabeth Swearengin said.
However, the excitement when Irene passed could not be contained by all. As families surveyed the wreckage, Palya jumped at the chance to take a walk around her neighborhood with a friend.
“I was happy that it was over because the next day was sunny,” she said. “I love the sun.”
While Palya celebrated the end, Gulaskw was not as thrilled. The hurricane he said was an interesting once in a while event.
Despite the feelings left over, students needed to regroup with only a few days before the beginning of school. The thought of being safe and prepared ran through many students’ minds. The image of batteries and flashlights are sure to continue circling through their heads.