Irene was a hurricane, simple enough.
The problem I have right now, is that dismissing it in the media and on the internet will lead to future problems and loss of life.
The next hurricane that comes along, where people are asked to evacuate...will be met with skepticism. There WILL be people who stay behind because there were told that Irene was not a hurricane after the fact. This is a dangerous scenario.
So instead of everyone either downplaying Irene or sticking to the official story...we instead need to raise awareness for the next one, keep everyone toeing the line.
Do people in Oklahoma ignore a tornado because it’s just an F1?
(Survived Hugo and numerous others, so I know what I’m talking about)