The day before Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, I wrote this column for Forbes.com. (It never ran.) Unforgettable were the local New Orleans politicians and citizens bravely facing historic destruction on camera. WWL-TV broadcasters were subdued and responsible. It was authentic media coverage like I had never seen.
On this, The Day before Irene, you might want to search the Internet for local TV stations along the Eastern Seaboard and watch their live streams. If you live in the storm's path, tune in directly. As Irene weakens, that's where you'll hear the truth. Just say no to the hysteria-peddling Weather Channel. As winds diminish and pressure rises, TWC will not rejoice. It is not happy for us. Its announcers warn us not to be fooled: this remains "a monster storm." It never was. Stephanie Abrams tells us that a Category 1 storm in the North is more dangerous than a Cat 1 in the south. Huh? It's because of "the vegetation and other factors." Really?
Trust local stations. They'll be here tomorrow. The TWC carpetbaggers will not.
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