| I wrote this article last year when hurricanes after | | | | Florida but was not of great intensity. Then came Ivan. |
| hurricanes pounded Florida. It is the hurricane season. | | | | Ivan was supposed to be very fierce and dangerous. |
| This year the season has turned ugly for the state of | | | | But 'Ivan the terrible' drifted westward and finally struct |
| Florida. "There are no seasons in Florida", they say. But | | | | the coast of Alabama. This also happened when I was |
| we can now say there are two distinct seasons in | | | | still travelling to Omaha.I can understand the panic |
| Florida: Hurricane season and Non-hurricane | | | | faced by my hapless wife or my friend and his family. |
| season.We moved to this state last year from texas. | | | | But I do not get why people have to panic and have |
| When I joined the VA hospital as software engineer I | | | | any trouble at all to get out of harm's way. In today's |
| was very surprised to hear that we had to attend | | | | technology, they get warning far in advance.It is also |
| two mandatory hurricane safety class. It had us | | | | ironical that all tourist are welcome in Florida except |
| worried for a while. But all we got last year was sunny | | | | hurricanes? Why can't they not visit florida? After all, |
| skies all the time and some rain. We did not find any | | | | they do a superb job of cleaning up debris. If people |
| reason to worry. We almost took to the words that | | | | are careful and have some respect to the mother |
| dogs that barks does not bite.But this year! Oh boy! | | | | nature, the human toll can be almost non-existent. We |
| What a difference a year make? It was further | | | | can not emphasize enough that there is no need to be |
| complicated by the fact that hurricanes tended to | | | | hero, no need to stay in front of a running train unless |
| come our way whenever I am out of town. It was bad | | | | you work for CNN! Difference between with them and |
| enough to get downsized from a government project. | | | | you is simple. They are in front of a camera and you |
| After six weeks of searching, I was able land a job in | | | | are not! So nobody will come to know if something |
| Omaha, NE. I was excited to have this job because it | | | | strikes you and you fall or die until it is too late!This also |
| involved travelling and that meant frequent flyer miles. It | | | | got me thinking. Can we not make use of the huge |
| was beginning to be fun. But within a few weeks, | | | | source of energy in some way? The way oil prices |
| came the news of hurricane Charlie | | | | are going upward and the prospect of global energy |
| which headed directly toward where I live. I felt very | | | | crisis looming, one can not understand how this huge |
| worried for my wife. I | | | | source of energy be ignored. We can place many |
| started frantically calling my friends asking for help. But | | | | windmills along Florida coastline. When the hurricane |
| fortunately, when the dust settled, there was no | | | | comes ashore, the windmills starts churning and |
| problem at all for us, because Charlie changed path | | | | produce electricity. One can either store the electricity |
| drastically and headed toward Disneyland. It was a | | | | or simply sell it hapless countries like Cuba.But what will |
| great sigh of relief for me. However, it was not so for | | | | happen the no hurricane comes this way. Like 'Ivan' |
| some people in Punte Gorde. It was also not good | | | | decided to dodge Florida altogether and headed for |
| experience for one of my friends who was also | | | | the boring state of Alabama. I think hurricanes can be |
| downsized along with me and took a job in Fort | | | | lured as well just as humans can be. They can put |
| Myeres. He had sister living there.They decided to | | | | signs of Disneyland and numerous other places of |
| pack | | | | entertainment on the sea (using the electricity |
| and move to a hotel between their houses so when | | | | generated by those windmills). This may help wayward |
| the storm was gone they can move to whichever | | | | ships or the desparate cubans who are trying to come |
| house will be in better shape. But Charley decided to | | | | to USA on a boat or sometimes just a log.I am deeply |
| ignore both their houses and headed straight to the | | | | saddened by the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. My |
| hotel they took shelter in.The hotel was badly | | | | thoughts and prayers are with the victims. I hope they |
| damaged, but they were fine as they huddled all of | | | | come out |
| them together in the closet. When they came out and | | | | of their misery soon. If you want to donate please go |
| learned what had happened they could not be | | | | to |
| overjoyed. Each of their houses were left in tact. No | | | | Redcross |
| scratch, no dent.Hurricane Charley was followed by | | | | or call 1-800-HELP-NOW.If you would like, you can |
| Frances whose spreadth covered the entire state of | | | | view my free stock picks at my home page. |