After enduring a dud of a season in 2009, the hurricane stuntmen from the Weather Channel and other major networks were looking forward to this summer; after all, the annual guess from Colorado State and the slightly more reliable forecast from the National Hurricane Center predicted a busy tropical season. So, when Alex threatened the southern Texas coast last month, hordes of these celebrities descended on the region, taking up positions in Brownsville and on South Padre Island. Alas, almost all of the impact was felt in the highlands of Mexico and across the Rio Grande Valley.
This weekend, with Tropical Storm Bonnie pushing across Florida and heading for the oil slick off Louisiana's Coast, the Weather Channel had its fleet of daredevils spaced along the beaches of the Gulf Coast, ready to document a potential disaster. Their timing was perfect but, unfortunately, their location was off by hundreds of miles; today's true weather disaster occurred in Metro Chicago, where 10-12 inches of rain triggered catastrophic flooding. Of course, tropical storms are more exciting than urban floods and any celebrity worth his salt would rather report from a barrier island than from the edge of an Interstate. But, in the end, Bonnie fizzled and the weather celebrities were forced to comment on breezy conditions and scattered showers.
As one who also practices an inexact science, I have sympathy for meteorologists who, despite satellites and advanced ground technology, still have trouble with forecasts beyond 12-24 hours. But I must admit to being entertained by their efforts to embellish the effects of weakening storms; had they been in Chicago, they would have had plenty of rain to stand in. I'm sure, for them, Tropical Storm Colin can't develop soon enough!
