And so it begins, after a record drought in northeast Florida and southeast Georgia, the hurricane season rears its ugly head a few weeks early. Just this morning the National Weather Service has issued what they are calling it Special Tropical Disturbance Advisory. Here’s the text:
A NON-TROPICAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...CENTERED ABOUT 175 MILES EAST
OF JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA AND ABOUT 160 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF
CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA...HAS BEEN MOVING SLOWLY WESTWARD AT 5
TO 10 MPH. THE LOW IS PRODUCING GALE-FORCE WINDS NEAR THE COASTS
OF NORTH CAROLINA...SOUTH CAROLINA...GEORGIA AND NORTHEASTERN
FLORIDA. THIS SYSTEM HAS CHANGED LITTLE SINCE THIS EVENING...AND
NO SIGNIFICANT STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED. THE LOW IS BEING
MONITORED FOR SIGNS OF TROPICAL OR SUBTROPICAL CYCLONE
DEVELOPMENT...AND AN AIR FORCE RESERVE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT
IS SCHEDULE TO INVESTIGATE THE SYSTEM TOMORROW MORNING.
Don’t get me wrong, we REALLY need the rain around here. It has been so long since
we have had a meaningful rainfall that few can remember the last time an umbrella was needed. The local weathermen may soon start resorting to rain dances. I woke up this morning to let the dogs out and the smell of Georgia burning greeted me. The air is thick with wood smoke to the point of making one’s eyes burn. It seems that the entire southeastern portion of Georgia is ablaze.What can we do about it? Well, in reality, the average Joe can do very little to fight an already burning wildfire. But, we can help prevent them by being aware of what could spark a fire. Something that never fails to irk me is smokers who flick their butts out their window. During times when there is little or no fire threat the practice is disgusting and leaves our streets littered with nasty cigarette butts. But, with the grass along roadways browned by lack of rain, flicking a butt can lead to deadly consequences. While the cause of the largest wildfire in Georgia is unknown, it is known that several of the wildfires of the past have been started by careless smokers. Read more about preventing wildfires from Smoky the Bear at this site.
Back to the storm, surely there will be some idiot who will say that the hurricane season is starting early due to global warming. Again, I must reiterate, global warming is a myth. Top scientists, climatologists, and meteorologists agree. I quoted Michael Crichton in a previous blog, here is an even better website that really dissects Crichton’s State of Fear and provides references to Crichton’s research materials.
I’m sure we’ll talk more on this subject. But, for now, everyone remember to control their toilet tissues usage. NOT!!!!
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