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Florida islanders burn storm flags to end season

Posted on: Wednesday, 30 November 2005, 21:17 CST

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.

Source: REUTERS

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