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...Anybody that stupid couldn't have had much to lose. Sorry, but I can no longer tolerate these bastards who insist on finding someone to blame for everything and anything."

You don't get it. I live in the area where all we heard for 2 days that we were going to get a direct hit. Yes, there was a variance in each forecast, hour after hour. BUT, this storm turned at the last minute and went into a direction towards "these bastards" who did not have reason to prepare because NOAA was so certain that it would strike St. Pete/Tampa. My wife's sister managers a manufactured home park in Port Orange, ON THE OTHER COAST, and was told at 4:00PM Friday to have the park evacuated. Nobody over there was prepared ...there was no time. Liken this to 911; incompetent intelligence agency, incompetent weather bureau. At our house in the St Pete area, we were ready with everything secured, extra water, a safe area in the house, all family members ready to work as a team to protect themselves and each other. Nothing happened and we are very thankful for that. Unfortunately, some of "these bastards" are unable to give their opinion on FR. They are dead! Why? Because "these bastards" were at the mercy of bad, bad, very bad forecasting from NOAA. You disgust me ...my opinion!

You said it yourself, at the last minute the storm changed course.
Now how can NOAA or any other weather Forecaster predict that?? That is akin to trying to predict tomorrow's weather or global warming.
You can have all of the most sophisticated weather models, computers, etc. and yet Mother nature can still throw in a monkey wretch and all of that data is suddenly worthless.
I think of the primitive weather gear and forecasting we had at D-Day and the gutsy call that Group Captain Stagg made to Eisenhower for the D-Day forecast which thank god turned out to right.
All of weather forecasting is at best a great educated guess and to try and blame the Bush brothers, NOOA and the National Weather Service for what this hurricane did is absolutely without cause.
If you live in Florida then every time there is a hurricane forecast take precautionary measures don't assume. like Punta Gorda, that just because you haven't had a hurricane hit in 45 years you won't be hit.