This is a shoutout to millwx and weatherdude for the excellent diaries both have written during this hurricane season.
Living on the North Carolina coast means it's not a matter of if but when a hurricane will affect you and disregarding the predictions is a sure way to find yourself in a hell of a fix. The problem is finding a good solid source of information to help you plan for whatever is or isn't coming your way.
I have given up on The Weather Channel... the strident over the top guy blowing around two days before a storm hits doesn't provide the kind of information I need to make an action plan. Accuweather continually shows local weather forecasts with little blurbs about hurricane possibilities. NOAA and the National Hurricane Center give very specific data which is difficult for we mere mortals to interpret in terms of what it all means in our area.
Millwx does an exemplary job of predicting and tracking storms as well as thoroughly documenting those findings. In addition the diarist's willingness to stay with the diary, even if it falls off the page, and answer questions shows a dedication to being sure folks are as informed as possible. Millwx answered a question for me yesterday that put my mind at ease, an answer that I couldn't find anywhere else.
Weatherdude's passion for being sure we know what to do and when to do it in order to prepare is invaluable. People often take for granted that everyone knows what to do in the event of a killer storm heading their way but that isn't always the case and having a source available as a checklist could mean the difference between being safe and being sorry.
So, I thank you both and plan to continue making you my main source of information regarding weather events and encourage all Kossacks to do the same and spread the word.