Holly LaMontagne

Seems that the latest discourse about @juststormchasin's experience has reignited this debate. First and foremost, she was really brave and I'm proud she conquered her first hurricane, a near major and a wonky one too. Insanely braver than most. But if she ended up with a scary experience, and needs some time for herself to process what she experienced, that's perfectly fine for her to work out herself. This doesn't mean she did anything wrong, sometimes it just gets rough. Chasing a hurricane is tough stuff and you are just along for the ride. One can believe they are prepared for something and come out of it completely scared and changed. Hurricane chasing ain't for everyone, and that's fine. It's not for anyone else to decide for them though. Many people chase a hurricane and then never again. Experiencing a hurricane is not like tornado chasing. You are guaranteed to see things go down. Unlike tornado chasing where it can remain relatively harmless and/or not even happen. Hurricanes are destructive forces of nature, and not much can prepare you for them until you just do it. It's also perfectly okay to want to chase them more after your first experience. I love chasing hurricanes and I can't wait to do it again in the future. But it's very, very easy to be in the right place at the wrong time or the wrong place at the right time. The worst comes from wrong place, wrong time. Only 1 of 4 options leads to you being as safe as can be. The weather we seek to chase spares no quarter, and at various times, we are reminded of that. We all have that one experience, if you do this long enough, that will humble you and remind you how fragile life is and we are at the mercy of our planet. Unfortunately in the weather world, there are people that dive head first way out of their depth and use the trauma for clout or fame. You know who they are. This all being said, there's a growth experience to be had here, for everyone. On to the next 'cane, ladies and gentlemen.