This is not a headline yet, I was saving it for the right moment. In about a week from now, east coast America may well be trying to cope with the impact of yet another hurricane, this time going by the friendly unthreatening name of Julia. This name amused me because I know a Julia and while I’ve never known her to be threatening or unfriendly she always makes an impact. You know when Julia has been around, the day’s a bit brighter, the future looks good and you feel things are looking up.
I hope hurricane Julia doesn’t leave the Julia’s of the world with the same tag as Katrina. The curious habit of naming TC’s or tropical cyclones started in the 1953 Atlantic season when the American National Hurricane Centre began naming storms which reach tropical storm intensity with human names. This replaced a 3-year plan (involving the 1950, 1951, and 1952 hurricane seasons) to name storms using the spelling alphabet. Initially, storms only had female names, but after some protest, male and female names were alternated beginning in the1979 season. The World Meteorological Organization now creates and maintains the annual lists. Names are used on a six-year rotation, with the deadliest or most notable storms having their names retired from the rotation. (Wikipedia)
What may come as a surprise to many Americans is the fact that many Europeans will not be aware of this whole hurricane season, the risk of bad weather in the North Atlantic Basin, the Caribbean to me and you, is rarely mentioned in the media. For sure, as a hurricane strikes a resort and dramatic footage can be syndicated from the agencies, a certain relish is enjoyed as the name of the culprit is pronounced an enunciated for the first time. The story dies as fast as the wind speeds after landfall; follow ups are rare with the occasional exception of an estimate of the insurance costs months later.
So why am I bothering to write about this? Well the clue is in the title, you now know there is a possibility of a serious hurricane in Miami in a week’s time. You can decide to go or not, since you are aware of the risk. Was it a secret? No. Is it important? If I was going to Miami next week it might change some of my plans, return options and so on.
The point is that other people are still managing the information flow, as you would with children, so as not to alarm them. I will not enter into the motives as to why they would want to control the flow, you do the Math. I don’t want to try and explain to an old man in a Georgia Courtroom why I think it’s time think again about anything, anytime.
It’s now possible to collate stories on a mobile device and find out what’s important to you. You don’t have to leave the timing to major News networks. I don’t know what’s important to you, but you’re probably not alone, I bet there’ll be an APP somewhere, somewhen.
The Mexicans remember Julia I’m sure, she breezed in an out spreading fun and joy, missing hurricanes as a lucky girl in Europe might miss showers between garden parties, blissfully unaware of her father and I blowing out our cheeks in relief.
I hope hurricane Julia just brings joy to extreme surfers as did Earl this season.
But if lady luck runs out. It wasn’t an unknown unknown was it Rumsfeld?
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