We were warned this would be another unusually active hurricane season. Just like last year. Last year was a dud. So far this year, we’re already into the J’s. We got there this last week with Ivo and Jerry. Now, this is what Ivo has done:
And now, this is what Jerry’s doing:
Ivo topped out as a tropical despression, Jerry as a tropical storm. Other than those hunting Jerry out intentionally, no man probably would have known Jerry ever existed. Other than those experiencing a little rain in Cabo San Lucas, no one would have known Ivo was a “named storm” either.
I’ve said it before, and I’m sticking with it. Giving meaningless storms “names” just for the sake of scientific “accuracy” belittles the danger of hurricanes. Sure, it’s important to keep an eye on these despressions, but giving Jerry a name is ludicrous. Because technology has changed so much in the last thirty years, the intent of naming a storm has changed as well. In the old days, they got names to denote how powerful they were, not to document specific types of storms. And, for that matter, we didn’t even start naming them until about fifty years ago. When NOAA and others predict “more named storms” in a season, people assume there is more danger involved. What they never assume is there will be more meaningless storms spinning around in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with forty-five mph winds and a little rain. When nothing pans out because of that non-event, the next “named storm” is given the same relevance. Often until it’s too late. Improving technology in this case I think is making things more dangerous than it was before. That certainly is not the intent of improving technology I would think.
Bottom line, quit the name calling. If it’s a serious storm that lasts a week or so, then it merits a name. A 48 hour cloud burst in the middle of the Atlantic certainly does not.
I haven’t even harped on the fact that people like Al Gore abuse this improved technology as evidence something big is happening as well.
