I haven’t been writing anything on Ivan because it’s a crazy storm, all over the board. Jeneane’s been covering it more thoroughly, especially the storm’s impact in Jamaica, a favorite spot for her family.
This was a nasty storm in the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and Grenada, but luckily slipped right between Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula. As horrid as a hurricane is for us in the states, it’s many times more dangerous for other countries that could get hit.
(As a side note, I noticed that Castro said he wouldn’t accept a penny from us in aid if it did hit. We have had opportunities in the past to extend a hand of friendship to Cuba and have disdained to do so. It is past time that our countries healed the wounds between us. We are too close, in many ways, to continue this old cold war anger.)
The computer models for Ivan differ, but it keeps drifting to the west. Whether it stays this course or not, is anyone’s guess. Florida looks spared this time, but if it hits full strength in New Orleans, this is going to be a nightmare. There’s no sugar coating of this – New Orleans cannot protect itself against anything higher than a category 1 or 2, as this older storm surge simulation demonstrates.
And due to the rather interesting way that politics works in Florida, it’s because of Ivan that Ralph Nader will be on the ballot this fall. I guess the prediction that Nader will become president when hell freezes over is closer to reality than originally assumed if he can muster a hurricane to get him on the ballot.
Politics aside, my positive thoughts go out to Missouri’s brothers and sisters in Louisiana, fellow children of the Mississippi river.