From the Inn Above Tide, an understated gem of a boutique hotel tucked into a corner of downtown Sausalito, Calif.

FORBES: On The Waterfront

Coastal storm surge flooding of 3 to 5 feet above normal tide levels and rainfall of 6 to 12 inches were possible in Cuba, the hurricane center said.

CNN: Nervous Texas braces for Ike

Ernesto will cause a surge when it reaches the coast, increasing water levels by as much as 2 to 4 feet above normal tide levels in the area near and north of where the storm makes landfall, the hurricane center said.

CNN: Hurricane Ernesto nears Yucatan Peninsula

Ernesto will cause a surge when it reaches the coast, increasing water levels by as much as 1 to 3 feet above normal tide levels in the area near and north of where the storm makes landfall, the hurricane center said.

CNN: Ernesto weakens, but new strength forecast

It was hard to imagine that they could get their heads far enough above the daily tide of disasters to worry about the minutiae on some checklist.

NEWYORKER: The Checklist

Strolling along Blackpool's seafront, a high tide lashing up the steps and huge seagulls hovering above on the look-out for discarded chips, you will encounter a few foreign tourists, but they are a small minority.

BBC: Blackpool: Why isn't it marketed to foreign tourists?

But in 2011 the tide swept back in and I'm only now just getting my head above water, if you'll excuse me using the holiday metaphor again.

BBC: Bipolar holiday