Both Andrew and Charley were fast moving. Andrew was close to a level
5. If Charley had been moving 5 mph rather than 20 to 25 mph the damage
would have been a lot worse. In Andrew they couldn't get the top wind
speeds since the instruments were broken from the wind.
As far as hurricane apathy, it's still here. The Tampa bay area has
been eveacuated 4 times since I've lived here. Every time the storm has
gone somewhere else. After George about 5 years ago - people were
irrate over leaving their homes just to watch it pass by Tampa 200
miles out and roll on up to the panhandle. The emergency planners
begin worrying about the "cry wolf" syndrome and people just farting
off the warnings at that point and revived their planning. They were
pertty certain that this one was going to hit in or near Tampa bay when
they called the evacuations. Mother nature fooled them again - and in
some people's opinion as expressed on he news last night - the planners
lost more credibity and Tampa is "never going to get hit."
On the other hand it looks like they spent too much time worrying about
Tampa and not enough worrying about Charlott and Ft. Meyers. I guess
they'll sort this out and fine tune the planning process.
Camille was a level 5 hurricane. Wind gusts over 200 miles an hour.
Can't say exactly because the weather service couldn't clock those top
speeds. The worst part of Camille was that it came on land slowly and
did more damage that way. People were a little too cocky (hurricane
parties at motels on the beach) and that's why over 200 people died
riding it out. So was my dad, that's why we spent it in a van 3 blocks
from our house, which was untouched. Horses in barns died while more
of them out in fields survived, boat rammed into our friends house,
etc. I wouldn't wish a hurricane on my best enemies.
I was worried about all of you people and critters so I sent up
prayers. Hoping to hear everyone check in on RideCamp as safe and
sound.
Catherine
-- "It is necessary to be noble, and yet take humility as a basis
"It
is necessary to be noble, and yet
take humility as a basis.
It is necessary
to be exalted, and yet take modesty as a foundation."
