Well it appears Tropical Storm Alberto got ripped apart by the trade winds and was unable to get to or maintain it Hurricane Wind Speed Status. Luckily the Floridians under the leadership of Jeb Bush were able to get a test run and FEMA was ready for action and only a few small communities suffered any real damage. But it is so early in the season that it is anyone's ball game. Water Spouts have been spotted and come a shore on the West Coast of Florida at Port Charlotte. As long as the trade winds remain strong we are good for now, but Summer is now here and the Gulf of Mexico surface temps are warming up so it will be harder for us to hold back the biggie Hurricanes. Recently this conversation came up between two think tank folks and one had stated: "I was happy to see Tropical Storm Alberto did not cause as much damage as expected, but it is still on the move and headed North thru Georgia and the Carolinas" Me too that would have been all we needed the first named storm of the season becoming a full-fledged hurricane. The trade winds kept it at bay, but the Grand Cayman Islands got hammered with 25 inches of rain. If that happened in Florida, it would have been devastating indeed. But nevertheless NC and SC took some 5 plus inches in places and the Hurricane Season is still young. Consider all this in 2005. |
