The Fab Five

It's official!
A new world record even!
Five, count 'em, five named tropical cyclones for 2005. According to the National Hurricane Center, the formation of Tropical Storm Emily late last night marked the earliest that five named tropical systems have been recorded. It does not bode well for those of us here in the sunshine state.
Check that.
It doesn't bode well for anyone in the Carribbean, East Coast, Gulf Coast and Central America. I was looking at the predicted track of our little Emily and wouldn't you just know it, it looks like it's going to cut right across Haiti. Every year it seems like two or three thousand people get killed by a Hurricane or two as it batters that side of Hispanola. Is it any wonder that they are in such dire straights? Cuba also seems to get a few visits from these tropical monstrosities every year, though they suffer less loss of life.
Must be all those Cold War era bomb shelter Fidel had the Soviets build for him.
Anyhoo.
I am not going to complain too much. It would seem that Florida's turn in the gauntlet has come as it inevitably must. I watched for years as storm after storm battered it's way into the Carolinas after making that famous right hand turn at Melbourne. These things come in cycles and so we are forced to deal with it. I won't complain. Being an American affords me the luxury of knowing that our nation is better prepared to deal with the catastrophic damage these storms create. I won't complain if the power goes out for a day or two (or in the case of my Buddy Steve and his neighbors, seven days). Loss of life in the US is usually attributed to someone that made the mistake of going out in the storm or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
For the people of Haiti and the smaller nations of the Carribbean, they just don't have anywhere else to go. Nowhere to hide. My firend Jose and I were discussing people praying for Dennis to miss the Central Florida area last week. We both thought it was a little selfish. I mean seriously. Asking God to pass the buck to someone else?
Not that he would mind you.
No. I'll stick to praying that if we get hit again, that my family and friends are able to stay safe.
And if he's not too busy, give Haiti a break or two. They can use it.
I'm going to get some info on the Red Cross and see what I can do to help.