Our View: Erin Go Back

Out to sea, that is. Hurricane Erin is forecast to make its closest pass to Cape Cod Thursday and Friday, bringing gusty winds, heavy ocean swells to south-facing beaches and the risk of rip currents. Big deal, right?

 Actually, Erin was a big deal. Early on Friday, Aug. 15, it was a tropical storm, with wind speeds under 74 mph. By early the following day, it was a Category 5 hurricane — the highest number on the Saffir-Simpson scale. That’s the kind of intensification that generally takes hurricanes at least a few days to reach. At its peak, Erin had sustained winds of 160 mph. That’s the kind of storm capable of causing devastating damage.

 The phenomenon is called rapid intensification, and thanks to warming surface water temperatures, it’s happening more frequently than ever before, often catching forecasters by surprise. And it matters because, someday, it might happen with a storm that doesn’t follow Erin’s benevolent path over the open ocean between Bermuda and New England.

 It all boils down to this: when the long-overdue Big One eventually visits Cape Cod, it might come with less warning than we’ve traditionally counted on. 

 Before she heads across the pond to Ireland, Erin’s left us with an important reminder: have a family disaster plan and a disaster supplies kit. Learn how to prepare one at www.ready.gov, and keep a weather eye during these weeks of peak hurricane season. That’s a lesson worth more than a pot of gold.