Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

Andrea, Barry, Chantal, Dean, Erin, Felix, Gabrielle, Humberto, Ingrid, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Noel, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van and Wendy. That’s this year’s list of hurricane names. There are six lists that rotate and they do not change unless there is a hurricane that is so devastating that the name is retired, then another name replaces it. The official beginning of the 2007 Hurricane Season began June 1. A couple of weeks ago we had an early arrival with the formation of Tropical Storm Andrea. Unless you live on the East or Gulf Coast, Hurricane Season probably doesn’t mean sh*t to you until we are knee deep in it and CNN is into full sprint with their 24 hour coverage.

Truth is, it doesn’t mean sh*t to us, either, which is why when a place actually does get hit there are so many issues. Evacuate? Naw, that thing will turn before it hits us. I have actually evacuated twice, and both times the storm turned. So here is to another year of panicked weathermen, price gouging, gas runs, cones of confusion and hurricane parties. Tonight the wife and I are gathering with some friends for a kick-off party. We got the glasses, the mix and plenty of rum.

So here’s to hurricane season. May it be a quiet one, and here are some hurricane songs to go along with the drinks:

Jimmy Buffett - Tryin’ To Reason With Hurricane Season
Bob Dylan - Shelter From The Storm
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising
John Fogerty - Walking In A Hurricane
The Shiners - Hurricane Blues (awesome song)
Catherine Feeny - Hurricane Glass
Levon Helm - Hurricane
Neil Young - Like A Hurricane

I really didn’t wanna include this one but I figured if I didn’t I’d get 10 emails and/or comments telling me I forgot it:

Scorpions - Rock You Like A Hurricane

What’s the term everyone who finds themselves inside the cone of confusion gets to hear ad-nauseum? Hunker freakin’ Down. Seriously, what hurricane songs post would be complete without a hunker down song?

Th’ Legendary ShackShakers - Hunkerdown

And this seems like as good a time as any to post my favorite Buffett song ever: The Ballad of Spider John

As a side note: This is my favorite and most lasting picture from Hurricane Katrina:

I don’t know what it is about this picture but for some reason it seems to capture everything about the event for me. Like everyone else, I watched the events in New Orleans from the comfort of my dry living room. I judged the NOLA government, I judged FEMA, I judged Washington, I judged the rioters and I judged what went down in the Superdome. I judged it all… over dinner, from the comfort of my dry, air conditioned living room. For the Southeast and Gulf coasts, it really isn’t a matter of if so much as when will we get hit. The Tampa/St. Pete area has been really fortunate. So far. Watching the Katrina events unfold, it was scary knowing that your town could be next. FEMA still sucks and will fall short again in 2007. If nothing else, that is guaranteed.

Written on June 1 and crossposted from Tampa/St. Pete’s own ninebullets.net

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