Florida islanders burn storm flags to end season

By Laura L. Myers

KEY WEST, Florida (Reuters) – Storm-weary residents on the
Florida island of Key West celebrated the end of the busiest
Atlantic hurricane season on record on Wednesday by
ceremonially burning red and black hurricane warning flags.

Stiff breezes thwarted repeated efforts to set the flags
ablaze with a blowtorch until an emergency management official
doused the flags with rum.

Hurricane Wilma flooded about 3,700 of the island’s 15,000
residences with a foot or more of water in October and the
resort island off the southern tip of Florida was also brushed
by Hurricanes Dennis, Rita and Katrina.

Islanders gathered at the official end of the six-month
Atlantic hurricane season for a beach party and flag-torching
ceremony. Renowned local storyteller Finbar Gittelman, clad in
a pirate’s costume, blew a honking tribute on a conch shell to
commemorate lives lost during the season that produced a record
26 tropical storms, 13 of which strengthened into hurricanes.

A band dubbed “The Barometrics” sang, “It’s gonna be a
bright, bright sunshiny day,” lyrics from the song “I Can See
Clearly Now.”

Some islanders were sober despite the merrymaking, mindful
that meteorologists expect several more years of above-average
hurricane activity.

“I don’t see any reason why next season will an easy
season,” said Matt Strahan, top meteorologist for Key West’s
National Weather Service. “This historic season was the
strongest ever on record.”

“It’s been traumatic. It’s been hard,” added Police Chief
Bill Mauldin.