Incomprehensible Hurricane Force and the Sadder Sides of Politics and Human Nature

Icy Temperatures at top of Hurricane Irma Over Cuba in Fahrenheit - Orange & Red Coldest - image NASA MODIS. 

As individual humans, we are incapable of truly imagining the energy, destructive power and the vast area covered by Hurricane Irma. Within a matter of hours, such a storm can cause more damage than that seen during an entire war on a region. There is a short window as a depression can be seen to be growing into a tropical storm or a hurricane - this can be as short as a day or two. Then there is the unpredictability of the path of the hurricane. 

By the time the danger is apparent, most action has to be taken locally - evacuation or retreat to a specialised shelter (see here for construction recommendations https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1604-20490-1479/ra2_storm_shelters.pdf). Then it's a case of waiting for the damage to pass and places being inaccessible for  a day or two. You don't want to be out in hurricane winds. Its not the wind that gets you - its the horizontally flying missiles it creates that kill and damage buildings - and the storm surge that drowns the unwary who stay behind. When the storm has passed, at last relief teams can get in for immediate aid. But it will take years to recover, whether as an individual or a region.

What is unpredictable and often a cause for further suffering - humanity itself. Some people simply do not follow advice, hope they can stick it out. It is also remarkable how soon civilisation breaks down in the immediate aftermath and the looting starts until the military inevitably has to come in to return order, with security, and fresh supplies of food, water and shelter.

Perhaps the disappointing aspect is also how petty bureaucracy and nationalist sentiment comes to the fore. The example of a British couple on the devastated and by then lawless island of St Martin is telling. When they saw Dutch troops coming to rescue people their hopes rose, only to be dashed when told that, despite there being space in the evacuation vehicles, they could not be evacuated "as they were not US citizens and there was no arrangement with the British Government.”

This petty mindedness and increase in obstruction is something that we can expect to return with Brexit, both for EU citizens and others coming to the UK and for British citizens wanting to travel and do business across borders.

It is therefore disturbing to see Nigel Farage being invited and talking at an event by the far right AfD party in Germany and proposing his divisive mantra of breaking away from Europe. With a strong anti-immigration, nationalistic stance, and some leaders believing in a “180-degree turn” in Germany’s current consensus of commemorating and atoning for the horrors of the second world war.

A much larger demonstration of up to 50,000 marched to parliament today protesting against Brexit. This prior to next weeks parliamentary debate and vote on the EU Repeal Bill.

Tried making aerated chocolate again, this time by whipping 40 g egg white with 60 g sugar, and when the meringue mix was stiff, mixing in a further 10 g of icing sugar. The thinking being that the high sugar would lock up any water. Melted 60 g chocolate nibs and 40 g cocoa butter, cooled to 30 degC and then gently mixed into the meringue mix. The stiff mixture was then spread out in a foil lined square tin and placed in the fridge to cool. I'd made a nice chocolate mousse.