Unless you're a seagull, the wind didn't do you any favors Wednesday. Folks all over the Grand Strand and the Pee Dee zipped up their overcoats and pulled their hats down a little tighter - not that it did much good in gusts nearing 50 miles an hour.

You couldn't escape it, except by staying inside, but many folks couldn't avoid going out in the wind. People travel to the Grand Strand this time of year to get away from the wind chill factor. "Your expectations are high, you expected it to be warmer," said New Yorker Mike Branning.

Then again, compared to what others are putting up with, wind gusts don't seem quite so bad. "Up north, they got a blizzard and my granddaughter said it was 17 yesterday, and the children couldn't go to school," said Ohio resident Wilma Thompson.

Flags and trees take the brunt of it, along with anything on your back porch that isn't nailed down. You can forget trying to keep your hair in place, and just getting from point A to point B can be a struggle.

Only a few courageous souls are willing to brave the windswept beach. And you know it's bad when even the birds avoid the blustery weather.

If you have to go out, to walk your dog, for instance, the best thing you can do is bundle up and find the closest wall. "If you get up next to the buildings here at Market Commons, it's not bad. As soon as you step out to the road, to the lake here, the wind has an affect," said Jerry Smith. Smith's dog Sheba is half Collie, half German Shepard and has no problem with the wind. "This kind of weather she's made for," Jerry said.

We humans, on the other hand, have some issues with gusts topping 40 miles an hour and wind chills in the 20's. We can only keep telling ourselves, it's much worse up north.

Wind chill factors are expected to dip into the low 30's tonight in Palm Beach, Florida. Yes, south Florida. So if it's any consolation, at least we're not alone.

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