On this 20th Anniversary of Hurricane Andrew's landfall in Greater Miami, all eyes are on Tropical Storm Isaac as it spins in the Caribbean. As of this morning, the storm seems to be losing its structure and now threatens the regional islands primarily with torrential rain. This could be a devastating development in the tent cities of Haiti, where deforestation poses a major risk of mudslides and flooding.
According to their latest forecast, the Hurricane Center still expects Isaac to pass over Cuba and then enter the Gulf of Mexico. If the storm does not fizzle over Cuba, the warm waters of the Gulf, combined with favorable upper level winds, may cause Isaac to strengthen into a hurricane along or near the west coast of Florida. Whether it moves NNW along the Gulf beaches of Florida or heads more northwesterly toward the north-central Gulf Coast remains uncertain.
Of course, those of us with property along the Gulf Coast hope that the storm remains offshore and does not strengthen. On the other hand, those of us in the drought-plagued Midwest hope that it comes ashore as a Tropical Storm and parks over our region for a week or so, bringing much needed moisture to the Heartland. Meanwhile, the Weather Channel has dispatched its fearless hurricane stuntmen along Isaac's projected path and is doing its best to keep us all informed, prepared and anxious.
