Hurricane Irma Is Bearing Down on Loved Ones

Caption: On left, Jesse Conzemius; on right, Rachel Hileman, formerly of Iowa City, Iowa, now living in Charlotte, North Carolina.

When our son Jesse and his girlfriend Rachel moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, I thought of hurricanes, but that wasn’t my first thought. I thought of better economic opportunities out of state. I knew I’d miss them, but they’ve really prospered in Charlotte. I had a good feeling about the move. Jesse made me promise not to share his success with anyone, and I know I can’t or he won’t tell me anything, but oh, I could burst!

Rachel has been recognized, too! She’d already been promoted before she left Iowa. Both were transferred by their companies in Iowa to Charlotte.

However, category 5 Hurricane Irma is giving them pause. Of course, Irma won’t hit North Carolina with anything like the fury that it has hit Antigua and the Lesser Antilles, but it could easily cause serious problems. At least nine people in Irma's path have died already. Irma is projected to be worse than Hurricane Andrew, which struck Florida in 1992.

I was in the remnants of a hurricane once when I was 22 months old. I know you’ll think I couldn’t possibly remember, but it was different enough from the weather I was used to that I remember the rain and the strong winds, the strange trees blowing around. I know how old I was because I had major surgery at Johns Hopkins University at the time, unnecessary exploratory surgery, as it turned out.

Be that as it may, I have some idea of what Irma might be like on the fringes. Of course, hurricanes are different now than they were in 1950. They’re worse. Now Rush Limbaugh won’t admit that. He’s calling Hurricane Irma fake news invented by the media to grow revenue (last-minute plane tickets out of Florida cost 10 times what they used to with one exception, Jet Blue).

Limbaugh is based in Palm Beach, Florida. I just knew Rush wouldn’t listen till the waters closed over his head. We’re about to find out.

Fortunately, North Carolina isn’t nearly in as much danger, or so I thought until I started researching this story. Now I fear for everyone in Irma's path, but I'm especially worried about those who listen to Rush Limbaugh and for those who can’t afford to get out of Irma’s way.