Our Torn Souls

[B-Bear]

As I've been sitting and reading this board for the past few weeks, I find myself watching storms develop--then hoping, with my fingers crossed, that the conditions for strenghtening fall into place, giving birth to a hurricane. Once the hurricane forms, I find myself wishing for it to feed and grow. I want it to become the biggest hurricane it can, and the biggest hurricane we've ever seen. I want to see a hurricane become so powerful that it boggles the mind. I want to see just what mother nature is capable of doing when she wants to.

Then the guilt sets in--because I know that mother nature's display of her brute force will come at a cost of human lives, and I beat myself up a little for wishing for something so destructive.

Surely I'm not the only person on these boards with such conflicted feelings.

[x-y-no]

As I was growing up I used to wish for hurricanes. Then in '85, I moved aboard a sailboat and I stopped wishing for them. And then holding down the fort at my parent's house through Andrew (they had the good sense to be on Cape Cod) cured me of any residual wish I might have.

I have to admit I'm still obsessed with them - but I don't wish about it any more. I'm content to observe whatever nature decides to do.

[opera ghost]

Soemthing I've been thinking aobut for a couple of days.

I love storms- always have, probably always will. When other people talk about someday having a special place of thier own for thier favorite hobby- my place would be a glass room with AC and a cozy armchair where I could hear and watch the strom blowing all around me.

Earlier this summer we were looking to buy our first house but nothing quite fit well. We put the searhc on the backburner and I got involved with the tropical season as usual.

Then Charley hit and although he didn't affect me directly (I'm a long long way away) I can't stop thinking about the destruction and all those people without a home. I got an email about a house we might like to buy and my first thought was- but what if it gets destroyed by a hurricane later this season... we'd lose everything.

It sobered me up. I've lived in apartments for so long and have so few things that I'd miss if they were destroyed... I could just pick up and move somewhere else if my apartment were destroyed- but you can't just walk away from a demolished house. I still want to see the storms- I still love to watch them spin- but I dread them too. I'm scared of them. I've loved them so long... but now I'm scared too. I've known for years that I want to move away from the coast- but this season is just a bit too much.

I still can't help little thrill when I see a track leading to my doorstep... but I'd much rather watch them spin in the ocean without ever coming near land now.

[B-Bear]

My fascination started AFTER one landed on my door step. And I know I must be a morbid person, but after Alicia hit Houston I found myself wishing they would come in right on top of me so I could watch it.

I live in Nebraska now, so that's not such an issue any more. Now I find myself wishing for tornados.

[alicia-w]

When I was a little girl about 30 years ago, my parents had a summer house on Sanibel. We spent every summer there and I remember wishing for a hurricane so the causeway would disappear and we would be stuck there forever. I was sure it would be like Gilligan's Island and that we would all live happily ever after. There was one year (I dont remember which) that we did indeed get stuck there. I thought it was such a great adventure. But in retrospect, my mom's death grip on her brandy bottle should have given me a clue of how dangerous it really was.

Whew! Funny how perceptions change!

[Fire in the Sky]

I understand the fascination with storms each of you have. I have a healthy respect for Mother Nature though, and prefer to stay out of harms way in such events as much as possible. I certainly don't wish such storms as Charley to reek havoc on people. It would be great to figure out a way to get up close & personal with such storms without getting hurt or destroying everything in their paths. I love watching storms too.. it is addictive and amazing each and every time they come. From growing up in Colorado and being on the receiving end of several huge snows 24-36" in 24 hours, to Connecticut and winter Nor'easters, to Chicago and the amazing cold and ice caps that envelope your car and leave you no way to get in and of course tornados, to Houston and the Gulf Coast Storms (TS Allison comes to mind). All we need to really make things interesting is another huge volcanic eruption.

Mark

[Wainfleeter]

Yes, I feel like what Mark said. Healthy respect for Mother Nature and all.

We had a horrible ice storm with high damaging winds 2 yrs. ago in January. Before this storm, I was always transfixed with the beauty of trees lined with ice etc. We were up all night, watching and listening to the branches, limbs cracking every 3 seconds and just hoping none of them fell onto the roof. Huge maples and pines were falling, ripped from their roots. We are surrounded by trees here. When these trees hit the ground the whole house shook sounding and feeling like a small bomb went off.

Never slept all that night waiting for the daylight. No power for 4 days. What a destructive mess of trees and power lines all over the place.

I still think the trees lined with the ice is beautiful but am much more weary of any kind of wind coming up off the lake. High wind's anytime actually.

So, there is no way in hell this girl would stick around anywhere in the vicinity of a hurricane's path.

[vbhoutex]

All we need to really make things interesting is another huge volcanic eruption.

SSSSSSHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!They'll hear you!!!!!

[bevgo]

They are now saying that New Orleans should evac if a cat 2 storm heads our way. I think I will listen. After seeing the destruction from Charley I was vividly reminded how difficult life could be after a hurricane. My house and contents are insured but insurance cannot replace all the precious things that have been collected over the years as gifts or momentos of your children. You cannot possible take everything that has meaning to you. I am not sure how I would be able to deal with all the loss. Of course there is the discomfort and inconvenience and danger.

[cinlfla]

I'm with you on this, I have also watched with anticipation in hopes that a major hurricane would form. I also watch for Tornado's not thinking of loss of life or property at the time, after Charley came our way I am feeling guilty for wishing for such a thing after watching my 7 year old cry in fear how could I. My husband says I have a sick fascination with weather mostly storms but it has always been there, I have always been fascinated by volatile weather and the Science used to predict its coming.

[PTrackerLA]

I've pretty much stopped wanting to experience storms after Lili in 2002. Now seeing the all the damage Charley did and knowing that that's what my city would look like had Lili not weakened I will never wish for a storm again.

Edit: And no I wasn't wishing for Lili either lol.

[windwatcher]

My neighbors brother was shot and killed in a paint store robbery in Miami, which was on the news. If the hurricane had hit the Miami area instead, he would be alive today, as he would not have been at the store at that time he was killed. But then on the other hand, it would be someone else getting hurt or worse instead due to the hurricane.

Also, we all drive our cars although we know we can be killed or kill someone at anytime. That seems to make wanting to drive kind of morbid as wanting to experience a hurricane in your area, or is that off base here, just a thought.

I am not defending wishing for a disaster as that is irrational, however it's like you have to take the good with the bad in everything.

[SeaBrz_FL]

As a lifelong (48 yr old) Floridian, I am still mesmerized with hurricanes. I've lived through the centers of a few up to Cat 2-1/2 and on the outskirts or 3/4's. However, after those experiences, I'd take a boat to Bimini or race early elsewhere if a direct 3 or greater was forecast.

How I look at it is every state has their own weather or earthquake dilemma to deal with, and I much prefer living where I get a five day notice.

[soonertwister]

It's sheer folly to think that any human thoughts about weather play any role in what happens. There is zero guilt if a storm comes your way or wreaks havoc elsewhere.

We may be smart and powerful, but our opinions or wishes regarding weather really are not any factor in what occurs. It's senseless to feel bad about a storm that causes death and destruction, because you have no input on what has happened.

Considering human nature, this may be one of the most difficult things to accept, the fact that you have no bearing on what is about to occur. Mother Nature answers to nothing that breathes and has a beating heart.

If you wishcast a storm to come your way, you have not made the storm change course. If you will it away from you you have made no difference. Don't carry satisfaction or guilt over weather, but do pay attention to it, and understand that if you disrespect what the consequences can be of underestimating what weather can do, you may have dealt yourself a hand you cannot fathom.

[B-Bear]

Yes, I realize that "wishing" for storms doesn't make them happen. The guilt that I feel is not because I believe I am bringing about destruction, but that I would wish for something that is capable of bringing such destruction. I also know that I am surely not the only one who has struggled with such emotions. We all do, and more frequently than we'd probably like to admit. Like a morbid car accident that we drive by--we want to see it and don't want to see it at the same time. It's just human nature, I think.

[mobilebay]

I'm a person that loves Tropical activity. Ever since Fredrick hit Mobile in 1979, I have watched the Tropics regularly. I was only six years old but remember every detail of that night.
I find myself getting really excited when a BLOB begins to show organization. I find myself watching the clock for the next TWO,Model runs, ect. Then I'm watching the clock for next advisory time, to see where the TPC puts the Storm in the next few days. I have actually not been able to sleep at night because I was wondering was the system getting stronger, or did the latest Model run have the storm closer to my location, did recon find a huge pressure drop, ect.
Then a Hurricane like Charley hits, and peoples lives are destroyed. I feel so guilty now. I have to stop and think that people lost their lives in a storm that I was actually excited developed. I understand that me getting excited or hoping it would intensify had nothing to do with these peoples eventual fate. However, that is someones family that is dead because of the storm. I feel so bad one minute, and the next I'm watching for the next system.

[Patrick99]

I am not torn. I saw all of Andrew's destruction - and I still wish for them. Can't help it - nature's fury is a beautiful and exciting thing. There's nothing quite like it.

[Roxy]

I know exactly what you mean, and feel the same way.

[wolffeeder]

I usually wish for storms to come my way, unless they look especially nasty. Those storms I wish away because I don't personally want to die. So far no guilt. I am pretty sure if one did come this way and one of the few people around here that I know and love in this city of millions were hurt, or if I saw a small child crying in the rubble, I would feel bad about wishing for such a horrible thing, even though I know on a rational level my wishing didn't cause it. But strangers die in droves every day on the TV and in the newspapers for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes if it's from a war or some other needless human caused disaster I might feel angry for a while. But, I think like so many raised on a constant stream of media mayhem I have become kind of callous as far as the suffering of strangers goes. It was either that or spend all my time crying. I remember I used to cry over stuff like that as a small child. That I don't anymore is sad in a way.

[crazycajuncane]

I love nature as well. I get really excited when they talk about record floods, record high temperatures.... tropical storms and hurricanes.

I know that we were spared from a great deal of destruction from Hurricane Lili and I think we'd all probably pack up if a Cat. 4 headed directly for us. I still enjoy tracking storms and I just love weather in general. I don't wish for anyone to die or deal with destruction from any sort of weather. It's just a part of life that is a mystery.... Mother Nature!