Miami is one very lucky city tonight. As I look out my apartment window into the steamy South Florida evening light, I see palm trees swaying in the stiff breeze...and not much else. No rain, no property damage, no loss of life. This city missed the terror and devastation by the slimmest of margins- this time, at least. There is still the slim chance that one of Charley's feeder bands could skim through Dade County, but it's becoming less likely as time goes by.
When I drove back to my apartment from my office, I had to drive around a lot of palm fronds that had blown down onto the city streets, but that was the worst of it. I don't think anyone here will be complaining if that's as bad as things get.
Being home as I have been most of the day with a migraine, I've watched a lot of the coverage of Hurricane Charley. It's difficult not to feel as if Miami has dodged a bullet, which given the force with which Charley hit the west coast of Florida, is an apt analogy. Punta Gorda, where the eye passed over and onto the Florida Peninsula, is maybe a 3-4 hour drive away from where I am in Doral. There but for the grace of God.... No, we didn't miss things by much, but before we become too comfortable, we should keep this in mind: there are not one, but two new storm systems out in the Atlantic. Perhaps they're headed this way, perhaps not. That is apparently part of the fun of living here during hurricane season.
Stay tuned, y'all. The fun may just be starting.
