My last surviving uncle lives in Florida, just north of Melbourne. With Irma bearing down, I decided to check up on him yesterday. He is 85 years young, and while his three kids live close all his nieces and nephews still worry about him.
He sat out last year's near miss, so I was expecting the same this year. I was not disappointed. I got the lecture, and a little history lesson.
My Uncle joined the Navy fresh out of high school and was sent to Pensacola for training. While he was there, according to him, a powerful hurricane pounded them. According to him, it was the most powerful hurricane up til then, and is only now being surpassed by Irma. Baker, look it up. Not saying he embellishes or any thing.
After that, he was sent to Corpus Christi. It wasn't long though and they got hit with a whopper, dumped tons of water on Texas, his description.
The nit was off to join a ship in the south Pacific, a carrier. At some point they got nailed by a typhoon. He said that even in a ship that size, they were not fun to ride through, and again, it was a beauty.
At this point I injected that it would appear he was a hurricane magnet.
he replied that he could go to the west coast, but Irma might track that way, or sit tight and it might track over the cape.
I suggested that he could visit his sister in Minnesota to which he replied that Minnesota wasn't ready for it's first hurricane.
My uncle may be a story teller, but he is no fool. Fools don't generally work in the space program except as astronauts. If you are inclined to pray, add him to your list this week end, and all the folks who call that region home.
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