He wasn't supposed to be this strong a storm. That's what everyone thought and so the lack of preparation, and so the major destruction. Having no power during the storm we couldn't watch the news or Weather Channel but after-the-fact we learned from local folks that we experienced 40-45 mph NNE winds with 60-65 mph gusts, and a 5-6 foot storm surge - not as strong as Hurricane Isabel but no wonder the damage with no preparation!