The photo at the right shows Hurricane Earl as seen from outer space by astronauts aboard the Space Station. It is massive, already churning up to over 135 mile per hour winds and moving at a rapid 12 miles per hour toward the East Coast. There is a possibility that we may see Earl on our doorstep in Rhode Island on Saturday morning.
That raises the whole question about the terminology used by the US Weather Service in posting the liklihood of being in the path of a hurricane.
- A Hurricane WATCH means there is a possibility that the hurricane could appear in our area. It is a cautionary statement, meaning that residents should stay alert, listen to regular reports, and be prepared to take action if it becomes more likely that the storm is heading our way.
- A Hurrican WARNING is an upgrade, meaning that it is more than likely that the storm is heading toward us. It calls for a more active role in taking steps to secure property and being prepared to evacuate the area.
At this point the hurricane watchers are tracking the potential route of the Level 4 (high) storm and see it coming near land at Cape Hatteras off the North Carolina coast. Then it is expected to track up the coast, hopefully staying out to sea. If so, we will get a lot of rain and wind, but the damaging part of the storm will miss us.
If, however, the storm “makes landfall” and the core (eye) of the storm is over land, the danger level is much, much higher, and it will be necessary to evacuate.
All this is language that we in New England hear every few years, as opposed to the people in the Gulf Coast area who see multiple hurricanes every year. The last major Hurricane to hit New England was in 1938 *when huge amounts of death, injury and property damage occurred. Since then barriers have been constructed in Providence at the head of the Bay. They will be lowered into place, hopefully preventing the huge waves that could destroy our low-lying city. Our home is on top of Smith Hill, where the Capital is located, so we like to think that we are out of harm’s way. But the reality is that a Category Four storm would treat Smith Hill as a road bump if it came ashore.
There is always hope that the storm (and the one following it) will go out to sea before heading toward New England. There is no way of knowing until the storm “makes up its mind” where it is going to travel. That sounds strange, but there are human qualities to a storm; maybe that’s why they give them names instead of numbers.
This year Rhode Island has already experienced severe floods (April) … a phenomenon not common to this part of the country, either. The devastation was horrendous. Last summer was uncharacteristically cold and wet. This summer was unbelievably hot, sometimes exceeding temperatures in the deep South.
It makes me smile, therefore, when I hear that there are some who believe that there is no such thing as global climate change taking place. That which was uncommon has become common. I understand that some in the conversation understand that climate change is occurring, but they reject the idea that human error is the cause. From my perspective, when you add all the increased chemicals in the environment and the massive increase in population of the earth, I find it hard to deny human implication in the matter. But the debate goes on.
In the meantime, I’m watching the weather reports, thinking about the alternatives to being here, and wrapping my head around the possibility that this Labor Day Weekend could be a memorable one.
Photo Credit: Fox News
(*There have been several storms of a lesser strength since 1938, some doing some serious damage. But 1938 remains the monster storm in people’s minds.)
