In 1997, high winds pushed the Cat in the Hat balloon into a lamppost.

In the accident on Nov. 27, a six-story Cat in the Hat balloon caught a gust of wind and bumped into a lamppost at 72d Street and Central Park West.

During the parade, the Cat in the Hat balloon struck the horizontal metal arm of a lamppost and rained debris on spectators, including Mrs. Caronna, then 33, who sustained a severe head injury.

Volunteers, some from as far away as Michigan and Australia, were helping his staff of 20 pack boxes and load trucks with such wonders as his grinning new Cat in the Hat balloon.

City and parade officials have adhered to strict standards for the balloons since 1997, when fierce winds swept the Cat in the Hat balloon into a lamppost.

Seconds before the Cat in the Hat balloon arrived, a little after 10 A.M., Massimo took the baby back.

In 1997, heavy winds nearly halted the parade when the Cat in the Hat balloon crashed into a lamppost, injuring several people.

During the parade, a six-story-tall Cat in the Hat balloon, caught in strong winds, struck the horizontal metal arm of a lamppost and rained debris on spectators, including Mrs. Caronna.

In 1997, four spectators were injured, one seriously, when a gust of wind blew the Cat in the Hat balloon into a lamppost, which crashed into the crowd below.

In 1997, strong gusts swept the giant Cat in the Hat balloon into a corner lamppost.