My observations on this site

[wlfpack81]

Ah I know the Outer Banks well as I went to school in NC and I'm from Se-ern VA. I will say this will the OBX has had some bad hits lately the big one still hasn't occured. My worst fear is a strong cat 3 (125-130mph) or weak cat 4 (131-135mph range) storm moving nnw-ward just to the west of the OBX. The ocean side flooding and then sound side flooding as the storm moves nnw-ward would be deadly and probably would change the landscape of the OBX and even wash some parts away. Let's hope we never see that day but as we know life isn't perfect and doesn't always go as we want it to.

[Anonymous]

I rarely post, but I must say one thing. This is an interesting site, but I can tell from the various comments that a lot of people who visit and post here are "arm-chair" meteorologists. Here's my observations: 1) A PROFESSIONAL would NEVER say, "It's definately going here or there" when a hurricane is 5-7 days away from making landfall. Or even 2-3 days for that matter. Hurricane Charley reminded all of us of that. 2) I think some people treat this site as their "ego" room, where they post their prediction (which is OK if you can do it humbly and respectful of Mother Nature), then brag if their "guess" (which is related to luck only) is somewhere near correct. Then, the poor soul whose "guess" is wrong is critized. Sad. Again, a PROFESSIONAL would NEVER critize a another for making a wrong estimate.

I like this site, but I'm not sure I will be here for the next hurricane. While shopping for my hurricane supplies today, I had to pick up a bottle of Mylanta because my nerves were shattered from reading posts like "It's definately going here" or "It's definately going there," or "look out South Florida." I should have picked up my Clairol #29 because I've got a whole new batch of grays, too!

Remember everyone, like Kramer of Seinfeld said, "Mother Nature is a Mad Scientist." She does what she wants.

Be kind to one another. Bye.

You make some very valid points & I agree with your main thought, but you are very incorrect about Charley. The storm was called correctly and where you folks get the idea it wasn't is beyond all reasoning, unless you were hyped into the Tampa based (BASED) media.
For Charley had the same Hurricane warnings to the south of Tampa Bay that Tampa Bay had. The south central inland counties had inland hurricnae wind warnings, what more can the NHC/NOAA issue????????
Still the mis-information regarding Charley exist. Charley was always in a model to cut in around Cape Coral to Punta Gorda, if you can't find the model tracks I will be glad to send them to you - these were much prior to landfall.
The forecast tracks for Hurricanes isn't exact, much as we wish it to be. Nature doesn't follow any rule of exacts, much as we wish it to be. If a Hurricane warning is issued for your area that means to expect Hurricane conditions within 24 hrs. A landfall point is predicted but the same warning is issued for a area where the landfall could also occur, & it did in Charley.
Before you take any more tums for the tummy I suggest you read the information on the different warning/watch meanings. Because something is missing with your view on Charley, most likely its because of the media interviewing so many people in Punta Gorda stating it was a Tampa Storm and they had no warning. This is wrong, they chose not to heed the warnings and the local goverments evacation orders or local weather statments. Looking for a scapegoat is something we as humans are good at, but the fact is the problem was with the residents not paying enough attention to what could happen. It did happen and thats that. Warnings were in place,..it is that simple there is nothing hiding in this fact.
Outside of a flood prone area there are no evacuations made mandatory outside of mobile homes. There is little that would have changed what happened to the folks inland, other than the fact they were stunned by the power of the storm on some of the highest ground in the state.
As a Florida resident you should always know that hurricanes are a part of life and though abscent for a long period they are rather common. Our history on tracking storms is very juvenile, really less than 200 yrs on a much older planet where even Florida a new part of North America is very young.
After Frances there will likely be at least another threat to the state via the tropics in Sept or Oct, these seasons produce most of the storms that hit the west coast in our short time of record keeping we can see this. But why should this surprise anyone living exposed as Florida residents do???
If you put your hand in a bees nest you will get stung, maybe a few times at once. Would you call this strange? Nope you would call someone who did this a idiot, but isn't that what we all are for being in denial that tropical weather systems hit the SE USA? Its not a freak of nature that typhoons hit the same repeated areas often, sometimes less time between than we see with Charley and Frances.

take care,
Mike