Slow Prelude to a Subsidized Storm

Hurricane Sandy is evolving very slowly in Princeton. This morning, the wind speed and light drizzle were unchanged from last night. All the light rain will contribute to the eventual flooding by saturating the soil, leaving little room for more water to filter in. By the time the predicted deluge begins, the soil will behave much like streets and parking lots, shedding vast amounts of water directly into local streams.

If the extended prelude is any indication, this storm appears operatic in scale, a Wagnerian Ring Cycle when compared to the pop song of a thunderstorm that moves in quickly, does its business and moves on. The Channel 2 weatherman last night said this storm has all five elements that contribute to a storm's power. Removing any one of these elements will lessen that power, but none appear to be dropping out. He spoke of unprecedented events, of the jet stream turning westward, drawing Hurricane Sandy into shore. The Gulf Stream waters are five degrees warmer than usual, feeding the hurricane's power. This has been the long-kept promise of a warmer planet, that our exploitation of ancient energy will in turn energize the atmosphere, creating ever more dramatic and extended works of drought and flood.   

As I write, at 2pm, the wind is starting to kick up. This must be the second act. On the radio, news of mass evacuations, Atlantic City covered in water, New York subways threatened by salt water intrusion. We've long been told of climate change's compositional potential, long been forced to support it's artistic development, with any alternatives to our daily, collective donations stymied by climate change's stubbornly loyal friends in the political realm. Now climate change has the chutzpah to insert itself into the last week of a presidential campaign that may even so not dare speak its name.  

I'm hoping against hope that this particular work of nature, recipient of our economy's dubious contributions, will be a flop, for the sake of the general welfare but also because we didn't stock up as well as we should have. I am remembering the semester at college when the cafeteria workers went on strike. We responded by harvesting violet leaves from the grounds around the dorm, and steaming them like spinach. The flavor and bright green color were a pleasant surprise. At times like this, it's good to have a weedy yard, with a healthy complement of violet and dandelion leaves ready for the picking. The wild animals--mostly squirrels--ate most everything we intentionally plant for food this year, leaving us with the weeds, some of which are pretty tasty. It's also useful to remember, as I just did, that our gas oven uses electricity to light the flames, and will be useless once the electricity goes out. Time to bake the last frozen pizza and see how this latest composition plays itself out.