Why do you like/dislike hurricanes?

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

And for those who have experienced a serious
hurricane, it is a life-altering tragic event.

I hope and pray a hurricane NEVER hits Tampa Bay,
because the suffering would be extreme.

[CrazyC83]

And for those who have experienced a serious
hurricane, it is a life-altering tragic event.

I hope and pray a hurricane NEVER hits Tampa Bay,
because the suffering would be extreme.

It will happen one day.

[storms in NC]

Huummmm Well I guess cause there is nothing you can do about them but watch them. If they are there you might as will follow them to make sure you are ready if they come someones way

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

And for those who have experienced a serious
hurricane, it is a life-altering tragic event.

I hope and pray a hurricane NEVER hits Tampa Bay,
because the suffering would be extreme.

It will happen one day.

I know, but when it happens i run for the hills
in inland tampa where the elevation is higher.

There was a time when I wanted to experience a hurricane
very badly, but all that thinking was wiped out over the
past 3-4 years...seeing what people had to go through in
suffering.

Granted, hurricanes are very fascinating to watch and track,
and a Category 5 hurricane at sea away from any land is
fascinating to track...

That's what was great about 2006, the majors stayed out
to sea, we got to track them and be fascinated, and nobody
got hurt.

[Cookiely]

I love the wind, but I hate any type of damage. I'll settle for the occasional thunderstorm like tonight, but I could do without the lightning. One of the bolts came too close for comfort tonight.

[flashflood]

The challenge of trying to figure out what the Hurricane is going to do, where it's going to go and how strong will it get are what I like most about them. Every Hurricane is different, and that keeps my interests going.

Going for a walk "SAFELY" in the strong winds and rain gives me a feeling of how powerful nature is and that there is nothing I can do to change it. I learned over the years it's better for me to accept Hurricanes in a more positive manner. I choose to live by the coast at quite a premium, so I am going to enjoy all that I can while I am still here.

[hurricanetrack]

These responses are excellent.

My passion for hurricanes began when I was in middle school. I had an excellent 8th grade science teacher who taught the class how to track hurricanes on a map. Ever since, I was hooked. Listening to NOAA weather radio back then was the best way for me to get the latest data. Oh, if only I had the Internet back then!

Now, I have a rare but rewarding job. I get to study hurricanes, report on them, collect data when they hit and most importantly, educate people about their effects. I also tell stories of my hurricane encounters through DVD movies.

The best part is the people I meet and those that I work with. Jesse and Mike both share the same passion and get it that it's about the science and not who has the biggest, baddest SUV out there. The other guys on our crew who help out are awesome and we have accomplished a lot over the years.

The people I get to meet on my readiness tours are incredible. Some have lost everything in recent hurricanes. Others have no clue what to do and I try to help fill in the blanks for them so they can at least know what they're up against.

But my favorite task really is getting out in a hurricane to gather data and document what happens. Blending the science with the reporting is the best way, in my opinion, to give people a true look at what is going on at the coast. Nothing beats using technology these days to accomplish more than I could ever do in person. By that, I mean using remote sensing equipment and video transmission units we can see and learn more than we could by sitting in our SUVs like hurricane bait. We lived those days not too long ago and are better for it. Now, technology leads us to where we want to go and allows us a front row seat to the experience like none other on Earth.

[canetracker]

I have mixed feelings towards hurricanes.
I like hurricanes because they are one of natures most fascinating events to me. I track them out of mainly pure awe and some fear.
I dislike them because of the damage and destruction they cause to the lives of people they affect. I lived through Hurricane Betsy in La. as a 2 1/2 year old child but remember it unlike anything. I remember the whole front door frame trying to blow in while my dad and 12 yr old brother used all their strength to hold it back. At the same time windows were shattering with debris and the ceiling caved in.
Then came Katrina. After going through Betsy, I was smart enough to evacuate but for those who were too poor and could not, hearing the cries of those trapped in attics and trapped in the path of destruction left permanent scars on me.
It's definitely a love/hate affair with me regarding canes. However, I am hooked and will never stop watching the tropics.

[Typhoon Hunter]

I'm fascinated with typhoons in so many different ways but what makes me choose to travel around the world's most storm ravaged region in pursuit of these deadly marvels of nature?

I feel there is a story to tell which is largely ignored by western media. China gets hit by more tropical cyclones on average than any other country but the news never really makes it outside of Asia. I don't have the technological resources that many of the American chasers do so I substitute my lack of contributions to the scientific world by trying to tell the stories and take the pictures and film which would otherwise not be recorded or presented to a western audience.

This is what I find most fascinating about intercepting typhoons in Asia:

1. The anticipation that accompanies the first issued warning on a system, where will it go, how intense will it be etc?

2. The turmoil of deciding if and when to go....I've had many sleepless nights wondering if I'm going to be making the right decision.

3. I love the challenge of getting into location. Having to negociate visas, flight cancellations, customs agents, corrupt police and the suspicious and paranoid officials in countries such as Vietnam and China. It took me 4 days to get to Vietnam and I arrived in Danang 3 hours before the airport closed....I love the tension and adventure of travelling to the impact zone.

4. I love the atmosphere in Asian countries before a typhoon impacts and comparing how different regions deal with these annual monsters. Life goes on as normal. Restaurants are open, bikes whizz around the streets. Everything is more or less as it is every other day until the eyewall hit, a very surreal sight to say the least. Even in the eyewall you get the odd crazy person on a motorbike or taxi out and about! I even went to Starbucks for a coffee once in the eye of a cat 3 typhoon!!

5. Nothing on earth comes close to the awesome power of a typhoon. The first squalls of the outerbands, the steady build up of wind and rain until all hell breaks loose. A humbling experience to say the least.

What I don't like. The misery, disease, death....the list goes on. Some of the poorest and overcrowded regions on earth are in the typhoon belt. These people don't care about gas prices, insurance policies or their holiday homes because they have none of them in the first place. These are the people who's stories the world should be able to hear about!

[Meso]

I pretty much like all severe weather,actually all interesting weather/clouds in general.And since I don't get any severe weather where I stay,this is the closest thing I guess.. I would probably like them less if I had to worry about one ruining my house,but luckily I don't. I also enjoy witnessing moments that will be remembered.

[Brent]

Huummmm Well I guess cause there is nothing you can do about them but watch them. If they are there you might as will follow them to make sure you are ready if they come someones way

Yep.

For me it's just the rush that comes with them... I mean, come on. When Katrina became a Cat 5, when Rita went sub-900, when Wilma went down to 882 etc., those were incredible exciting moments, and yet scary at the same time.

To me, there is nothing more exciting than tracking a major hurricane, that doesn't mean I want to see cities and people destroyed, but that's just the way it is. It's going to happen whether we want it to or not.

[cpdaman]

GREAT THREAD

i like the excitement that a storm causes. it is everywhere on the news it is something to behold. people everywhere take note of the weather, and they ask me what to expect (for some reason) something real and unpredictable, it is not political, it is not full of lies, it is a power worth respect and an awe to behold. and at the same time if i knew it could do irrepairable damage to my house i would hate them as well , but i would surely not buy a house down here (even if i was raised here) unless i had the money to build another one after a disaster-too much risk but that is easier said than done and most homeowners regardless hate hurriances .

i would like to end by saying i love the ocean the pure power of the ocean is truly something that i am drawn to, i'm not sure if my passion for strorm is related to the fury it causes in the ocean. I was at AIA in palm beach at 12 mid nite with my g/f during ANDREA because the waves were bigger than in most hurricanes (12 feet Jrod, 12 feet!)

i love thunderstorms as well i like driving out into them and then parking and watching the lightning and seeing the winds (usuall at nite)

[hial2]

Going for "a walk safely" during a hurricane or any tropical system is an oxymoron...A flying roof tile or piece of plywood,as examples,are good instruments to separate your head from your body...

[DanKellFla]

What do I like? Usually, I get a day or two off of work. Of course, I spend those days repairing my house and cleaning up. I will admit that is a nice change of pace. But, I could do without that. I would rather go to some hotel for a weekend. More fun and cheaper. Also, there is a block party atmosphere after a storm around here. We all get to know the neighbors and help one another.
What I dislike. No power, insurance companies, fixing the same stuff over and over, flying debris, post storm traffic, scared children, scared wifes, eye that are overcast (I have been in three eyes, and have yet to see an eyewall), melting refrigerators, mold, mildew and don't forget.... helping stupid drunk people durring a storm.

[Aric Dunn]

These responses are excellent.

My passion for hurricanes began when I was in middle school. I had an excellent 8th grade science teacher who taught the class how to track hurricanes on a map. Ever since, I was hooked. Listening to NOAA weather radio back then was the best way for me to get the latest data. Oh, if only I had the Internet back then!

Now, I have a rare but rewarding job. I get to study hurricanes, report on them, collect data when they hit and most importantly, educate people about their effects. I also tell stories of my hurricane encounters through DVD movies.

The best part is the people I meet and those that I work with. Jesse and Mike both share the same passion and get it that it's about the science and not who has the biggest, baddest SUV out there. The other guys on our crew who help out are awesome and we have accomplished a lot over the years.

The people I get to meet on my readiness tours are incredible. Some have lost everything in recent hurricanes. Others have no clue what to do and I try to help fill in the blanks for them so they can at least know what they're up against.

But my favorite task really is getting out in a hurricane to gather data and document what happens. Blending the science with the reporting is the best way, in my opinion, to give people a true look at what is going on at the coast. Nothing beats using technology these days to accomplish more than I could ever do in person. By that, I mean using remote sensing equipment and video transmission units we can see and learn more than we could by sitting in our SUVs like hurricane bait. We lived those days not too long ago and are better for it. Now, technology leads us to where we want to go and allows us a front row seat to the experience like none other on Earth.

that sounds so familiar ... the school teacher.. the weather radio...

[flashflood]

Going for "a walk safely" during a hurricane or any tropical system is an oxymoron...A flying roof tile or piece of plywood,as examples,are good instruments to separate your head from your body...

I said "Going for a walk "SAFELY" in the strong winds" (not hurricane). To expand beyond that with more detail, by mentioning "SAFELY" it means to me, any strong winds that are obviously not strong enough to cause debris to fly and decapitate ones head, or any life threatening debris for that matter.

When Hurricane Katrina was heading our way, several of my neighbors came out, even ones that I have never talked to. A bunch of us walked down the block in the strong winds that preceded the CDO portion of the 'cane. We have had fronts that brought similar winds before as what we were in. It was great finally meeting some neighbors that I've never talked to before, and we still wave when driving past one another.

[baygirl_1]

Well, I had a reply to this all typed out last night, but DH asked to use the computer "for one second to check something." I stepped into the kitchen and when I returned, it was gone because he'd closed the internet. He didn't realize I was through. Oh well, such is life. So, here's my respose, again. It'll probably be more succint this time.
I like hurricanes because my father was a weather nut. He wanted to be a meteorologist, but didn't have the opportunity to go to college. So, as a meteorologist wannabe, he really followed the tropics. Actually, our family and friends probably trusted Dad's take on a storm more so than the TV mets and National Weather Service folks! He showed me how to track storms. He, also, taught me to have a healthy respect for them. I miss him very much. He nurtured my curiosity and fascination about how these storms form and gain strength. I mean, they almost seem human! We give them names and refer to them as he/she, at times. The personification is quite fascinating.
I dislike hurricanes because of personal experiences with them. One of my earliest memories-- and I was just a baby-- is of Camille. I remember not being able to have my nightlight since there was no power. My most vivid hurricane memory is of Frederic. That storm was very scary and taxing. We were fortunate that our home, though damaged, was habitable after the storm. Some of our neighbors weren't as fortunate. Subsequent storms have only solidified this dislike.
I guess you can say I like them from a distance but can't stand them up close.

[Dionne]

My love for the weather comes from my father.....he was a meteorologist for 43 years........23 yrs USAF and 20 yrs NOAA. I enjoy tracking storms and viewing doppler during events. We foolishly rode out Katrina. In the hours immediately following Katrinas landfall, we found it necessary to travel even further into the disaster zone. Once is enough. Why in the world anyone would want to experience this level of devastation again? I dislike hurricanes. Although, I understand that they are a necessary part of our worldwide weather patterns.

[HurricaneRobert]

I like them when they are way out to sea. 2006 was a pretty good year for storms in the Atlantic. I find it disturbing that anyone would want to go through this:

[hurricanetrack]

No one wants to go through that. THAT is the bad, bad, bad side of hurricanes that no one wants to see. But, when they DO see it, we can't help but be in awe. How could we not be? It does not mean we enjoy it. Sure there are some people who like seeing Nature takes its course on us mere mortal humans, but by and large, we are just spectators to some pretty wild weather and it is, by its very existence and definition, exciting. I would be quite fearful for my life during a mission if something were coming at me that could cause that photo to be realized again.

I think that most people wouldn't mind the excitement if it weren't for the misery that so often comes with these things. But you can't have one without the other....