A hurricane is a very large weather system. It has no emotions, it has no personality, it is just a very large, dangerous, weather system. Some journalists need to get a grip.
According to the American Heritage Dictionary:
taunt
1 (tônt) tr.v. taunt·ed, taunt·ing, taunts. 1. To reproach in a mocking, insulting, or contemptuous manner. 2. To drive or incite (a person) by taunting. --taunt n. A scornful remark or tirade; a jeer. --taunt"er n. --taunt"ing·ly adv.
So Ophelia can't taunt anyone. Maybe the reporter got caught up in the name game; people stick names on things to make it easier to fix those items in their minds. Unfortunately, then people humanize parts of nature that can't ever be humanized. Nature just is; we do not control it.
The editor probably thought the writing was pithy. Instead, it is painful to read this kind of tripe. The Weather Channel reporters have done much better with the storms this year than any of the other media reports. At least, they don't treat named storms as the neighborhood bully.
