Those of you who’ve been coming to this Web site for years know I experienced the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina personally. My reporter’s instinct kicked in at that time, and, for days, I reported firsthand about the situation. For a long time afterward, I couldn’t escape the urge to commiserate with the victims of hurricanes that came after Katrina and “report” on their plight. Every time a significant hurricane struck, I’d write something about it. Eventually, I ceased to do so, because this isn’t a weather site, and I’m not a weatherman. I decided if all I had to add were “tsk tsk” and second-hand information, I wasn’t adding much. Today, however, I do feel compelled to mention the peril of the Florida Panhandle, an area I’ve known and frequented all my life. Much of it is about to be destroyed, and I am sick at heart about it. I have wonderful memories of specific places, old places, that probably aren’t going to be there when the sun goes down today.
