Not a hurricane

Soldiers Magazine, March, 2004

WE'VE received a number of letters and e-mails regarding a photo that appeared in our December article "Battling Isabel." The photo, which we and apparently quite a few other publications used to support stories about Hurricane Isabel, shows a cargo vessel sailing toward a massive wall of storm clouds.

However, as many of our readers pointed out, several weather-related Web sites have questioned the authenticity of the photo. Most authorities agree that not only does the photo not depict Hurricane Isabel, the weather phenomenon it depicts is not a hurricane at all.

While we agree with the old adage that it doesn't take a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, we're now convinced it does take one to know what a hurricane looks like at sea.