cyclones and wondering
Annapolis during a minor storm
As we boarded the water taxi yesterday afternoon, the coxswain announced the water taxis planned to suspend service at 6 pm. That is weird on an Annapolis Friday in late September, even though the forecast did indicate rain this weekend. I was disappointed as we had planned to dine on Main Street after the conference we were heading to but so it goes if they were indeed shutting down early. We could have walked back from town but I doubted we would want to later in the day. My hair was blowing around a lot on our short sea voyage across Spa Creek into City Dock but it didn’t seem extraordinary to me.
Captain Scott corrected my understanding of the weekend. Winds, he told us, were increasing at 2 knots hourly. The water taxi would not operate Saturday at all, recommencing after the storm passed.
We caught our return ride with Captain Scott who proved correct. I should have realised that the weather forecast I heard at 5.30 yesterday morning would be subject to revision since it was a hurricane passing miles off the coast. I had just hoped we would get some rain as you all know we are missing around here. Just this week the local authorities began using the ‘d’ word so I knew the 11 inches off normal recorded amount was real.
The wind was definitely stronger three hours after we had boarded the first time but we arrived home with only some nice waves on our trip. The harbour didn’t seem much emptier later in the afternoon though I wondered if people would depart earlier this weekend with the storm’s arrival.
Today this rain is frequently driving, the wind is howling, the seat cushions we foolishly forgot are soaked and I had seen nary a vessel moving on Spa Creek until I stepped out to capture a photograph for you. These souls, obviously prepared and seasoned sailors, were departing for town. Perhaps they chose this moment as we appear between bands of rain but maybe they enjoy the full sea effect.
My Commodore tells me the winds are about 40 knots which is nowhere near hurricane level but attention-grabbing. The radar I find online says the weather forecast yesterday was woefully off: the storm came ashore in North Carolina and is moving north with us not far from the remaining center of low pressure. As usual with cyclones, the rain comes in bands but we have not had any surprising patches of blue sky. i do love nature being in charge rather than us demanding things to our exacting standards!
I have to wonder how those living here, whether the Native American population or the colonials, adjusted to storms like this. They lacked the newfangled stuff we live for but they clearly survived as humans have been here for centuries. Then again, people in centuries past appear to have been less entitled, less demanding, more patient, and able to adjust to adversity on day-to-day. I won’t say I wish I had lived through that though I would have loved seeing Annapolis or Great Bend, Kansas for that matter, before the cars, the pollution, and the distractions.
Fantasies are fascinating. We can always wonder but it’s mental satisfaction as we can’t, regardless what we try, travel through time, can we?
Wishing you a safe, satisfying, and dry weekend. Thank you for reading Actions Create Consequences. I appreciate your time and I appreciate you as curious readers. Please send me your thoughts and even what your weekend looks like!
Be well and be safe. FIN
To the best of my knowledge high heat will divert a cyclone or tornado, e.g., air planes safely in their hanger running their engines which vet outdoors. This should be true, regardless of whether it is a water spout or a land based air elemental. The potential energy for a tornado builds and builds as heat accumulates; however, once the cyclone is developed the potential energy has shifted to kinetic energy. With the manifested shift from potential energy to kinetic, the atmosphere attempts to return to a balance, i.e., to "process" the kinetic back into its usual benign potential energy form. Since heat facilitated the cyclone will "seek" colder regions to accomplish just shift. This is one of the reasons why hail often accompanies tornadoes. In summary, when the tornado alarms sound here where I live, I race up and turn my home's heat on high--and when the alarms cease, I turn the heat to whatever setting I had prior to the first alarm. The slight increase in my utility costs are well worth avoiding any possible insurance nightmare should the air elemental decide to hit my home. Thanks once again for all you do!