It was easy not to take Hurricane Irene too seriously. At first we thought Charleston was directly in the storm's path, but then it became clear that that she-devil had New York City in her sights instead. Still, the tropical-storm force winds and waves did serious harm to Folly Beach County Park, eroding the shore and causing enough structural damage to close the park for the rest of 2011. Any hope for a speedy recovery was crushed last December, when the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission announced the park would remain closed through 2012 as well. Let's hope this year's hurricane season will be kind to our coast.