Hurricane hype, lies, censorship – and reality

Hurricane Ian is in the history books, having unleashed its Category 4 fury on southwestern Florida. Even as the area slowly digs out and rebuilds, the devastation and tragedies will linger in reality and memories.   Ian was the latest of 123 hurricanes to hit the Sunshine State since official recordkeeping began in 1851. But not surprisingly, some wasted no time trying to link Ian to the most dominant issue of our time. Climate change is "rapidly fueling super hurricanes," a Washington Post headline proclaimed. "I grew up [in Florida] and these storms are intensifying," CNN's Don Lemon insisted. Rising temperatures in the atmosphere and ocean are making hurricanes "stronger, slower and wetter," reporter Morgan McFall-Johnsen asserted. They're becoming more frequent and intense, multiple commentators pronounced.