In Charley's wake, two storms churn tropical waters
BY BO PETERSEN
Of The Post and Courier Staff
When Charleston County Emergency Preparedness deputy director Cathy Haynes left the command center Saturday afternoon, a few hours after Hurricane Charley blew by, she quipped, "Let's just not make a habit of this, OK?"
She might not get her wish.
Almost as soon as Charley brushed by, eyes turned to Tropical Storm Earl, which was blowing 40 mph winds along the same path, 2,000 miles away.
Another 2,000 miles behind Earl, Hurricane Danielle had formed earlier and was whirling stronger in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. Earl is expected to become a hurricane, said Richard Pasch, National Hurricane Center hurricane specialist.
While its possible neither storm will pose a threat to the Lowcountry, Danielle's existence, at least, underscores that the Cape Verde season is under way.
During this period, which peaks from August to October, African monsoons spin off storms that turn into tropical cyclones curling toward the Southeastern coast. Hurricane researchers expect a busier than normal season.
On Saturday, Earl, which formed off the northern coast of South America, was moving toward the Lesser Antilles. A five-day forecast track takes it across Jamaica and below Cuba, much like Charley. The current weather in the Caribbean will continue to steer it west northwest, Pasch said. After that, it's just too soon to say.
Charley's sudden turn and slam into Florida on Friday defied the computer model predictions, and weather service meteorologists who spent the day scrambling were in no mood to speculate about Earl.
"There's always uncertainties" predicting track or strength, Pasch said.
"That's still a long way out," said National Weather Service meteorologist Hal Austin in Charleston. When asked about the prospect of having to deal with a new storm in the wake of Charley, he took a long breath. "I'm not anxious to do another one any time soon."
Danielle, meanwhile, had already begun to curl into the open Atlantic Ocean, on a track to continue to move north and in no position to threaten any land for at least the next several days, Pasch said. "Danielle is not a concern for us at all," Austin said.
But there will be other storms. Charleston County Administrator Roland Windham said Saturday the downside of Charley's close call is that it could tempt local residents not to take future storms, warnings and evacuation advisories as seriously.
"That's becoming a major concern of mine," he said. "Maybe we're getting lulled into a false sense of security."
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