UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

So, for a TROPICAL STORM packing MAXIMUM winds of 45 mph, which will make landfall on the SOUTHERN TIP OF FLORIDA, the Seminole County School Board is closing tomorrow "for the storm."

I shake my feathered little head in stunned, annoyed disbelief. For those of you who do NOT know the geography of Florida, here is what the NIMROD FEAR MONGERS of local weather are telling us is going to happen:

A Tropical Storm which MAY get as strong as 60mph will impact the southern tip of Florida (probably the SE corner - Miami). This Evil Horrid Gigantic Leviathan of Wind and Rain will NOT LOSE ANY STRENGTH OR SPEED while it travels through: Monroe County, Dade County, Charlotte County, Broward County, Palm Beach County, St. Lucie County, Indian River County, Osceola, Orange County (a distance of 263 miles) and HIT US with the SAME 60 mph at which it came on shore.

This. Is. Not. Physically. POSSIBLE. THIS storm doesn't even have a well defined center of circulation, didn't when it hit Cuba, still doesn't.

Even Hurricane Charlie, which devastated Port Charlotte as a Cat 4 and ZOOMED through the state at HIGH SPEED and WAS very well organized, had downgraded to a Cat 2 by the time to flew RIGHT OVER MY HOUSE.

So, the local weather fear mongers owe me $165.00 for a day's lost work (I am OUT of leave time) and an apology when a BAD storm, with GUSTS of up to MAYBE 40 mph rattle some of my trees.

Darling Man is equally appalled that you can live in Florida for more than one year and NOT KNOW the FIRST RULE of circulating storms and NOT get sued for SCARING THE HELL out of people for no reason.

This backfires, because when Ernesto does not "devastate" us, and when the local fools keep preparing us for "devastation" over TROPICAL STORMS THAT DON'T LAND RIGHT ON TOP OF US AT FULL SPEED, residents stop listening to valid, real warnings for really bad storms.

This happened in 1992. For nearly 30 years, the local media in Miami went into Apocalypse Mode for EVERY tropical storm/hurricane that reared its head, INCLUDING ones where the FAR WESTERN EDGE of the storm was projected at 50 miles EAST of the mainland.

NONE of these storms, from 1966 through 8/24/1992 hit. So, when ANDREW came around, a really dangerous, catastrophic Cat 5 that took the ROOF OFF OVER MY HEAD, no one paid attention. They had been scared silly for no real reason for SO long, that no weather forecast of doom had any credibility.

SOMEONE needs to get on camera and tell local residents the TRUTH:
1) Hi! A tropical storm is going to make landfall in South Florida sometime later tonight. It will hit the SOUTH with est. winds of at least 45 - up to 60 mph. Now, since tropical storms and hurricanes lose strength as SOON as they make landfall, we here in central Florida, who are hundreds of miles NORTH of the estimated landfall, can expect:

2) Sustained winds of 20-30 mph with occasional gusts up to 40 mph, on the southwest edge of the system.

3) Rain. Lots of it.

4) Most residents of the broadcast area will experience NO power outtages, although there may be fluctuations during the stronger gusts.

5) make popcorn, turn on HBO....



Shame on them for NOT doing so.

Still waiting for common sense to rear its head somewhere.

hugs & grrs,
Alysoun