Our passion; our anger; our fear...

[azskyman]

I have always loved watching the weather. I have immense respect for nature's power.

It is that very independence about weather...its unpredictabile outcomes, that became something more than a passing interest for me as a young man back in the 60's.

Witnessing its power, and watching it take the lives of 24 people before my very eyes nearly 40 years ago, I find it to have become THE most passionate of all my interests. And yet, in these moments, as Rita churns at sea with winds to 175 mph, I am angry and fearful at what I see and what others must do to get out of harms way.

All the emotion of these years of watching, and teaching, and sharing weather with others...it all seems so angry, so wrong, and so painful.

And I can only watch and wait.

For all that we talk about it, we have so little power to do anything but yield. That's the appeal, but at times like these, it feels as though a curse.

We are awestruck and amazed by its power, yet we must give in to it and somehow recognize the line between our passionate curiosity and the insanity that storms like Katrina and Rita flail upon the lives of real people.

Perhaps more than most on these pages, weather defines me as a person. You cannot talk about me or my personality without talking about my relationship with the sky. People I have known for my entire life look at Katrina and Rita and connect the dots. They call me. They write me. They want something more from me. Perhaps they want to understand. As though somehow I can make sense of it all.

At times like these I can not.

It is hard not to be angry...as too are the seas.

And yet I know that beyond this storm, beyond the next storms, there will be new opportunities born and the warming sun will feel good once again.

But not just now.

Not right now.

The sky is angry...and my connection to it seems angry as well.

And it hurts.

[Skywatch_NC]

David, Shawn, Kelly, Lyle, and scores of other TX residents our prayers, thoughts and hearts are with you all in the coming days, weeks and months.
And for the evacuees in TX who are there from LA and MS. And continued prayers and thoughts to all those still trying to find their ways from nature's chaotic wake in LA, MS, etc.

God Bless You,

Eric

[Miss Mary]

I have three close female friends here at S2K that have all been or about to severely impacted by hurricanes this season: Lindaloo, sunny and Duckie. I just don't know what to make of it. Now to male wx friends - David in Houston! OMG......

Add to that Sandi from last summer and I'm starting to wonder......

Am I jinxing them? Suggesting they move north? Come to Cincinnati! You'll love it up here.....if they did, I fear we'd have several back to back severe winters as we did in the late 70s. Most in this region thought the next ice age was coming back then. And I'm sure made plans to move south - very far away! And many say we are so long overdue for the return of severe winters......we prepare each winter but other than 1994 I believe (when I 75 was shut down for sevearl inches of ice for ~4~ days in Kentucky), our winters have chugged along. Some measurable snow, but nothing like I remember in the 70s.

I don't know what to think anymore. My interest in wx has been tested as well Steve. And I'm upset too!

Mary

[azsnowman]

David, Shawn, Kelly, Lyle, and scores of other TX residents our prayers, thoughts and hearts are with you all in the coming days, weeks and months.
And for the evacuees in TX who are there from LA and MS. And continued prayers and thoughts to all those still trying to find their ways from nature's chaotic wake in LA, MS, etc.

God Bless You,

Eric

Ditto......

Steve, it's funny how weather affects us isn't it? I've been called a "nerd" ever since I can remember because of my fasanation with the weather. When you really stop and think about it, it affects EVERY single aspect of our lives, how we dress, how we plan our days off, how we plan our vacations.....the list goes on and on and to see such a monster brewing in the Gulf, just makes me SICK

Dennis

[chicagopizza]

I feel for everyone in Rita's path and wish them safety and all the best of luck. It's a wierd feeling when you watch these things. It's like a hurricane is cursed and blessed at the same time. I think that is why for me personally, hurricanes are, in a way, a reminder of my faith - of life. Cursed and blessed at the same time. Does that make any sense?

On a lighter note, I love Cincinatti, Mary. I can highly reccommend it to anyone who would rather have snow than hurricanes. But, I can't say I miss that black ice when it forms. I can also recommend a town called Stow, which is outside of Akron. My husband and I loved living there and if I had to deal with Midwest weather, it would be my top choice!! Beatiful place with great people. Plus, snow innertubing at the ski resort near there!! An undiscovered treasure in my opinion!!

[Miss Mary]

I've never heard of Stow, Ohio before! I'll have to check it out sometime. We love the Hocking HIlls/Athens, Ohio region. My husband is a grad of OU, in Athens. We've been to that area a lot, mostly in Fall and once in Winter, to hike. I would love to go back in the Winter again, when the waterfalls freeze - it's so quiet and peaceful to hike the gorge when it's just snowed....

I am also heart sick over our wx extremes - Katrina and Rita - this year.

I've started so many days this summer praying for those caught up in the aftermath of Katrina and I fear what is coming with Rita.

Mary

[chicagopizza]

It is just so hard to believe this kind of storm could happen twice in one season and only weeks apart. I sure hope this is the last one of it's kind for a very long time to come.

[Skywatch_NC]

Stow, OH is where Floydbuster (Mike) is from...he often gives reports and video update forecasts there at Talkin' Tropics.

Eric

[chicagopizza]

I've seen his reports. He's pretty talented. I knew someone was from there on the boards, but couldn't remember who. Lucky guy!!

[Storm Chaser]

Weather knows no demographics.

[Pburgh]

It is heartwrenching when so many of the people we know and love are affected by these horrendous storms. All of those ambivalent feelings -------- Loving the weather and hating the chaos, pain and destruction that it is causing.
((Hugs)) and prayers to all of our friends
Karan

[arkess7]

Well being born and raised in Florida im so used to hearing about ANOTHER tropical system developing...its like a normal part of life down here , like clock work..but lord do we get sick of it.....i mean we had 4 hurricanes hit us last year...Charley,frances, Ivan ,Jeanne.......and i could not fathom what would happen to the gulf coast this year.....UNBELIEVABLE....i thought last year was some freak thing with hurricanes.....but LOOK AT IT NOW....geez.... ..i mean i feel like WE (fl) have a had break this year...with the exception of Dennis in the panhandle and Katrina and Rita skirting over south florida.....but man oh man how much more can we take???? but ya know theres nothing you can do......like i always said you cant screw with mother nature.....she is an awesome force.......

[breeze]

People look at me like I'm mad when I admit to a love of
extreme weather. It doesn't, in any way, mean that I wish
horrible storms to cause death and destruction, or, destroy
people's lives. It's just, the storm that is happening NOW, in
it's stages and changes it's just SO fascinating. It's nature -
it's an act of God, if you will - sometimes, we get so caught
up in the mechanics of the storm, we have to break and see
the reality of the human effects of it.

Lately, those effects have truly been heartbreaking, indeed.

[coriolis]

Thanks, Steve.