Yesterday Jeff Masters had some amusing comments about previous tropical cyclones that have been named Chris:
There were storms named Chris in 1982, 1988, 1994, and 2000. Each time, Chris has been an insignificant storm that either never made it to hurricane strength, or in one case, barely made it to hurricane strength but stayed out to sea and never had a nice photogenic appearance. However, the 2000 incarnation of Chris did set a record--shortest amount of time as a tropical storm. Chris in 2000 lasted just one advisory before wind shear tore it apart. I've happily needled my friend Dr. Chris Landsea, Science and Operations Officer at the National Hurricane Center, every six years about this "curse" of Chris. He's always pretty cheerful about it, saying it was a good curse to have. Well, I'm hoping that the "curse" of storms named Chris continues this year, and I can happily tell Chris he'll have to wait until 2012 to get that nice-looking eye that a storm named Chris has never had!
Now it appears that the "curse" of Chris may be continuing. This storm has weakened considerably, so much so that forecaster Lixion Avila now writes, "THE INITIAL INTENSITY IS ADJUSTED TO 40 KNOTS... AND THIS IS VERY GENEROUS." The storm has also taken a more westward course which may kill it off. We were all spooked yesterday; now, at least for the time being, it seems Florida and the Gulf Coast can relax a little more...
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