Hurricane approaches North Carolina 03 August 04

In 1992, the first hurricane didn’t show up until September, I believe. A little superstorm named Andrew (name now retired; last year declared to be at Cat 5 when it hit South Florida). So no hurricane until August may make this year exceptional (SO FAR), but it’s no cause for relief. And North Carolinans can tell you how battered their watersheds and barrier islands are from other hurricanes in recent years. I’m sure they’re thrilled about this—NOT.

By the way, don’t forget this isn’t the first ATLANTIC hurricane this year—the first-ever recorded hurricane in the SOUTH Atlantic took Brazil shores by surprise back in April (the South American autumn!). Maybe the first of a trend…we’ll see what warmer oceans and current alterations have to say about that in years to come.

Have to correct my own post here-Andrew arrived in AUGUST 1992, not September. But my point-agreeing that late hurricane season starts don’t mean less danger from these storms—stands. The good news, of course, is that Hurricane Alex just swiped at North Carolina’s outer banks. As they are still recovering from last year’s Isabel over there, I’m relieved. Yet the story began by mentioning that Alex was a STRONGER THAN EXPECTED hurricane. One of the clearer “symptoms” of climate change is that weather conditions become more intense; thus, the words “stronger than expected” can BE expected to show up in more and more stories about natural disasters. The words “never seen anything like this” are already regulars in a lot of disaster stories these past few years.