RICHARD 2010
When the Planets Refuse to Align
| Location | BELIZE |
|---|---|
| Date | 24-25 Oct 2010 |
| Intensity | Cat 2 (85 kt) (missed) |
| Partner | Solo |
Richard was an exercise in frustration. October Caribbean hurricanes are my favorite, but this system gave me mixed signals for days. When it finally cleared Honduras and started to look like good chase material, I frantically jumped on a flight for Belize City, connecting through San Salvador. Well, the connecting flight was delayed due to mechanical problems. And as I sat in the San Salvador Airport waiting for the crew to fix the problem, Richard approached Belize and the flight was eventually canceled—just a couple of hours before landfall. Traveling that far only to miss the storm is a chaser's worst fear. Needless to say, I flew back to L.A. in a mood. What a bust!
The private comfort zone I created for myself in a quiet corner of the San Salvador Airport—a perfect setup for obsessing minute-by-minute over a storm that I would end up missing!
