Greetings, my fellow port swillers!
Well, Port Swiller Manor is about as locked down as can be reasonably expected now: drain-clogging leaves raked away, small projectile-potential objects taken in, the larder well stocked with adult beverages and things that can be cooked on a gas range during the inevitable power outage, fireplace primed. Bring. It. On.
As a matter of fact, from the change in tone in some of the coverage in the past 24 hours, I’ve a sneaking suspicion ol’ Sandy is wandering farther north after all, and all we’re going to get round here is enough wind and rain to make the Monday/Tuesday commute extremely unpleasant but not cancel-worthy. Oh, well.
Interestingly, at least among the meteorologickal sites that I read it would seem that the prognosticators are aware that some of the steam is starting to leak from their hoopla balloons and are getting a tad defensive about it. In fact, I quote: DO NOT BE FOOLED!
.I suppose they have to do that. I used to assume cynically that it was just about ratings and prestige, but after those Italian geophysicists got handed criminal liability for failing to predict an earthquake, I can’t help wondering if at the back of its collective mind the forecasting community doesn’t want to give some ambulance-chasing vampire any funny ideas in case it accidentally lowballs things.
UPDATE: DOOOOOM back on track! Best case scenario for us now is sustained winds 25-45 mph Monday afternoon and Tuesday with gusts up to 60 mph and 3-6 inches of rain. Frankly, that’s enough excitement for me.
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October 27, 2012 at 7:38 pm
JB in Florida
Living in the Sunshine State, we go through this cycle a lot. Ever since a weather satellite “went down” several years ago, we have not had very accurate weather forecasts.
The hoopla is necessary for ratings and those who are so narcissistic that they don’t believe a hurricane would actually affect them. We take precautions at the beginning of the season, tighten up some when a ‘cane threatens, and batten down when it’s imminent. We live in the middle of the state, so there’s really nowhere to run.
So, I had to laugh when I saw a picture on FB after TS Isaac went by us after it being “imminent” for days on its way to NOLA. One lawn chair blown over of a set of four at a table with the words: Tropical Storm Isaac 8/26/2012 … Never Forget. It’s sick humor, but sums up your post nicely. It does not lessen the threat and effects for others, just gives those of us who dodged the bullet a sigh of relief.