A NASA satellite caught this image of Hurricane Frances as it trundled across the Caribbean on Aug. 31, 2004. Four days later, it smashed into the Treasure Coast, the most violent storm to hit the area in 71 years.
The year 2004 was a kind of local 9/11 for the Treasure Coast. On September 4, for the first time since 1933, a major hurricane struck the coastline occupied by Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties. Three weeks later, it was followed by a second, equally devastating storm, a double whammy almost unprecedented in the history of hurricanes in the United States.
In the three years since, our area has slowly recovered, but the fear of another, similar event lingers. And now, to make matters more confusing, we have a fierce debate among respected scientists over global warming. In one corner, former vice president Al Gore and his meteorological backers tell us that global warming will result in more and even fiercer storms. In the other corner, an equally impressive group assures us that any increase in the warmth of our climate will have little or no effect on hurricanes. Just outside the ring, but still vociferous, is another, dwindling group who insist that there is no such thing as global warming.
Read the entire article in the September 2007 issue
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