ATLANTIC: TS BONNIE (2010)

[cdcollura]

Good day all,

...I recall driving from Homestead to Ft. Lauderdale in the middle of (minor) Hurricane Irene in 1999. The eye had just passed west of us, moving NNE, and we were booking north to catch the back side. It was late afternoon "rush hour"; but despite the fact we were on the edge of the wall cloud and a hurricane warning was in effect, we also had to buck bumper to bumper traffic all along Interstate 95...

Ahhh, good ole Irene ... The storm who's name was never retired despite about a dozen people in FL getting KILLED.

I took off work that day to chase Irene, and I was actually written up a week later for "unauthorized time off" ... The last thing I told my boss (while being written up) was "Had NHC had a the proper forecasting skills, EVERYONE would have been off that day" ... The funny thing, was one of the people I worked with got into an accident and was in the hospital for a week, but she did NOT get written up!

I am sure if "Irene" came to town again, hopefully, many would be far less complacent because a minimal hurricane can also kill you ;-(