![]() My gas tank is on empty. That’s OK, isn’t it? I’m driving along S.R. 44 on Monday in Crystal River and notice orange cones in the road. “Why’s the sandbag site open?” I asked no one. Later at home, I glanced at the weather and saw that we may have some, you know, weather. But geez, it’s hundreds of miles away. Must we start thinking about it now? I was having a nice, quiet Monday evening. Just finished a blog, a serious piece of nonfiction that would astound you. Let’s put it this way: One of those blogs that I REALLY liked.
You’re not reading that today. A potential hurricane is on its way. I know this because Monday night, while relaxing on the porch, Deb very casually asked if I took a hurricane angle for the Tuesday blog. I immediately ruffled up. “Of course not! It’s too far away.” She then began to offer up some ideas. The most important being that this is what’s on people’s minds. I mean…that mysterious blog that I yanked would have zero interest on a day when people are watching weather apps. There are certain realities in life. One is that I can’t compete against the weather. Anything with a name on it means the suspension of our normal programming. (Tropical Storm) Helene is, at least for now, headline news. (Crickets) Here’s the thing. I never know what to say about the weather. Other than the obvious stuff — be prepared, have your supplies, fill the tank (unlike me), pay attention to updates. These day before the day before storm days always send me down Memory Lane. They're the biggest pains in the you-know-what to cover in a newspaper newsroom. Forget the digital age and challenges that come with that. (Remember, I’m a LOT older than the internet.) It absolutely killed me to put the paper to bed at 11 p.m. (back then) with a satellite image or the cone map, knowing it would be SEVEN HOURS before many readers would even get the paper. By then, the dang thing could be anywhere. It’s the weather. Hurricanes and tropical storms are extremely unpredictable, especially around these parts. That’s why the emergency experts always prepare us for anything. No one should be caught off guard by a coming tropical system, not in this day. Yet, I know it happens. Helene could be a monster, or it could be a mouse. Way too early to even guess. Not at 11 p.m. Monday, when I’m writing about a tropical storm, I just found out about five hours ago. Weather is absolutely the ultimate online story. Hurricanes are built for instant info. I mean…the weather radar on my phone shows not only an approaching storm, but also what I should expect an hour later. I can avoid trouble. (Fun memory: Mowing the grass at the old headquarters in a big, wide-open area I used to call the Serengeti, earplugs jamming to some sweet music when there’s a sudden bright flash of lightning from out of nowhere, followed by an immediate sharp crack of thunder. I feel God’s mighty power, but I hope not to feel it like that again.) So, it looks like the blog will place politics on the shelf for a couple days to see what happens. I mean, this is a total guessing game. But I know what I’ll be doing all day Tuesday. I’m sure most people will. We'll all play it by ear. As always with any approaching storm, I pray for my community and all of Florida. Geez, especially Crystal River and Cedar Key. I had planned a Friday blog about this, and I’m not going to post the photo now, but Dock Street in Cedar Key had a devastating fire Thursday morning. Our hearts go out to a fellow coastal community we all know and enjoy so much. And Crystal River, my gosh. That’s a resilient town, especially with Mayor Joe Meek leading the way. But, man, can’t this one just pass by without so much as a damp carpet? It would be nice for our coastal communities to not be sweating the high tide. I’m fairly well prepared at the World Headquarters. The gas tank’s another story. Enjoy your Tuesday, friends. Join the discussion on our Facebook page. Enjoying the blog? Please consider supporting it at Venmo, PayPal, or Patreon. Comments are closed.
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AuthorMike Wright has written about Citrus County government and politics for 36 years. Archives
February 2025
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