Dear Hurricane, You are Such a …
I Saw What You Did and I Know Who You Are
by Carol McClain Craver
Dear Hurricane A-Z,
I don’t love you. I never did. I used to be awed by your power, but the thrill is gone. You broke my heart. It’s over. Get out of my life for good.
You do this every year. You hang out around the equator where clusters of the most life affirming people on planet Earth live and, deviously, deeply, cunningly, you gather steam. You pump your salt watery engines until they’re so full of warm, wet air you can’t suck up any more.
And then — oh, this is the beauty part — And Then You Sit and Spin.
Is that fun? Do you get a kick out of making us wonder who you’re going to hit this time? Will it be states and countries along the Gulf Coast? How about the metropolises in the Northeast? Oh, but the vulnerable state of Florida is just so tempting, right? I mean hanging out there where you can just plow through it like a …well… like a dick.
Harvey, Irma, Whoever. A hurricane by any other name is still a hurricane
Finally you pick your path. You rise up from near the ocean’s surface, hover over it, and set a course. Sucking air out of the place is foreplay. Pressure drops. People scramble. Your attack has begun.
But, Hurricane Whoever, have you seen the dead eyes of your victims? Held the cold hands of a child? Touched the clammy skin of those who were vital, living a worthy life?
Do you care that you leave empty lives, empty wallets, empty homes, in your path? I’ll answer that: No. You have no heart.
You’re calculating, cold, and sure. And you stick to your own silly rules of war. When you form north of the equator, you spin counterclockwise. South of the equator and it’s clockwise for you. But for us it’s all chaos.
While we run willy-nilly, clambering to get out of your way, you go out to rape us and our land. That’s PEOPLE you’re treating so cruelly. That’s their livelihoods you’re blowing away. That’s their dreams of a better tomorrow and a fine and healthy today.
P.S. I don’t love you. I’m a lady, so I have trouble saying this. Good thing my mother’s not here to hear me. But, Hurricane, F*** You. You deserve it. You are such a …!
Information Please: Hurricanes, or tropical cyclones, are also called typhoons, depending on their location. They are severe tropical storms with heavy rains and intense winds which blow in a circle around the center, known as the eye.
Category 1: Have winds of 74 to 95 MPH and a storm surge of 4–5 feet above the mean high tide
Category 2: has winds of 96 to 110 MPH and has a storm surge of 6–8 feet above the mean high tide.
Category 3: has winds of 111 to 130 MPH and has a storm surge of 9–12 feet above the mean high tide.
Category 4: has winds of 131 to 155 MPH and has a storm surge of 13–18 feet above the mean high tide.
Category 5: Have winds in excess of 156 MPH and a storm surge over 19 feet above the mean high tide.
Hugs to those who want to clap. It feels like a pat on the back to me.
