Much Ado About Frances

Every few years a hurricane like Frances comes along. I’m not talking about the strength or look, because other storms have looked more menacing and posted more impressive stats. I’m talking about the projected path, which at this early stage, brings the storm to South Florida late this week.

Watching a hurricane is like watching a car accident in slow motion. There’s really nothing you can do but get out of the way. Even if we knew exactly where it would strike, there’s little that could be done to change the outcome. Hopefully, people will heed warnings. Inanimate objects stand little chance.

Hurricanes can be so powerful that their strength is beyond our ability to comprehend.

I’ve spoken with a few people who decided to ‘ride out’ hurricanes at home. To a person, after the fact, they all said they made the wrong decision. In each case the person speaking felt that they would surely die, their home would certainly be ripped apart.

My parents live in Palm Beach County, Florida, so this storm gets even more attention from me. Yesterday I told my mom to go out and buy batteries and bottled water. It is very early. There is no immediate threat. Still, if things get worse, I wanted them to already have what they need and not worry about the stores running out – as they surely will.

Tonight, on the air, one of our anchors asked if this storm could blow itself out or dissipate? I suppose anything’s possible, but that is quite an unlikely scenario. Most likely Frances has a good week to ten days ahead of her as a named storm. She’ll either slam into the East Coast or curve into the Atlantic, meeting her demise over colder water.

At the moment, slamming into the East Coast is the odds on favorite.