Gosh, that’s what a life-threatening experience feels like, then? I didn’t like it – not one bit.
After more than six decades on the planet and some scrapes through the years, last Thursday was the first time I felt my days might be numbered. And it all happened on a simple journey home from Aberdeen to Stonehaven.
It was just unfortunate that I made the journey in the howling teeth of Storm Gerrit.
I knew it was going to be a tricky drive, mainly because of the gale force winds and rain howling through the edifice of the College Street car park. But nothing prepared me for the torrential downpour that hit as soon as I turned out on to College Street itself.
The real nightmare started as soon as I was on the Stonehaven Road.
Flooding was everywhere, the wind was sending spray all across the road and, even worse, making my car twitch like a mad thing. I knew it was bad because even though I was down to less than 50mph, no one was overtaking me. Not even Audis.
Crawling along, I got to Portlethen with the wind screaming around car, then saw brake lights ahead. Which is just as well, or I could have ploughed into the tree that had fallen over the inside lane of the dualler.
At this point, I seriously thought I was in danger, and considered just pulling into Portlethen to ride it out. But I only wanted to be home and safe, so pressed on, near aquaplaning on the Bridge of Muchalls bend, and navigating a river of brown water running down the last stretch of road into Stonehaven, then avoiding fallen masonry on the main street.
My heart was pounding by the time I walked through my front door. It had been a properly white-knuckle scary experience. One that left me with a few questions.
Where were all the weather warnings? I have seen balmier conditions than Storm Gerrit slapped with red alerts and warnings not to travel because of the risk to life and limb.
Then there’s the small matter of why our roads and rail infrastructure can’t cope with bad weather. Flooded roads and cancelled trains seem to happen almost every second week now. Why?
And let’s not forget that “once-in-100-year storms” are arriving every 100 days because of our broken weather.
There is, at least, a silver lining to this rather dark storm cloud. While Mother Nature was at her worst, people were at their best.
Offers to help stranded motorists from strangers, restaurants and businesses opening their doors to refugees of the weather, ordinary folk doing food runs for passengers stranded for hours at Stonehaven train station. That is an affirmation of the goodness in people’s hearts here in the north-east.
Who knows what the future holds in terms of our changing climate and the dangers it brings? But at least if we can all stretch out a helping hand of kindness and compassion, we can weather the storms together.
Scott Begbie is a journalist and editor, as well as PR and comms manager for Aberdeen Inspired
Conversation