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| Isaac, You'd Better Behave, Or Else! |
Anyway, back to the mad rush. Some famous and not-so-famous meteorologists have been racing each other to the Gulf Coast to report on the threat that Isaac ("he who will laugh") poses to our beautiful beaches and laid-back way of life. SAM watched The Weather Channel today and heard one of those brilliant prognosticators say that he was reporting live from Mobile Bay in Mississippi. What??!! Maybe that weatherman is lost in the Cone of Uncertainty--at least he is about geography. Mobile Bay is some distance from Mississippi, buddy. Try Alabama.
Even the Windy City's famous newspaper wants to get in on the action, providing us with a great article about the immediate political response to yet another crisis. Throw some money at it, and maybe some of it will stick this time. Who knows what happened to the billions spent in the aftermath of Katrina? Not I, said the politician asking for money before this storm even makes landfall on the Gulf Coast.
I was talking to someone at work today, and he was fairly disgusted with all of the frenzied activity taking place around here in NW Florida. Many schools and public offices were already closed on Monday. Medical clinics are shuttered, leaving some patients without critical treatment. Isn't it better to be safe than sorry? I remember what a mess Ivan left us with back in 2004. He (the guy at work) seems to think it's a big, fat, wet blanket response. One size does not fit all here. Our fate is (or should be) determined by choices we make on our own. Imagine that! Live in a flood-prone area or move to higher ground? You mean we're not all in the same boat, all of us in this together? Nope. You mean we should strive to make rational choices and take responsibility for our own actions, not expecting Uncle Sam to pick up the tab or decide things for us when we make stupid choices? Wow, what a novel idea! Seriously, a novel idea. It sounds too much like fiction to me.
I don't live on the water anymore because of Ivan but I have permanent hurricane anxiety because we lost our home. What I don't have is panic. I filled up the tank on Friday. Grocery shopped on Sunday. Napped due to the low pressure for most of yesterday (they're free and they're soothing) and through it all I'm watching a minimum of TV reports because, let's face it, it's a ratings opportunity at best. The only thing that's certain is that somehow we will all get through this together. And your co-worker sounds like a bit of a wet blanket/someone born and raised in Santa Rosa County?
ReplyDeleteStorms are always difficult. I find them funny, but afterwards if people are hurt or lose their homes, it's hard to laugh.
ReplyDeleteI'm a "wait and see" kind of person. I feel panic buying is a little undignified!
Hi
ReplyDeleteAre you all right at present? I wonder where the hurricane is now. We have many typhoons every year and this year a very strong one is going through near Miyakojima island(near Okinawa) now.
I also buy some food, water, batteries, and so on before expected typhoons arrive. Take care!!
So what happened to Issac? I hope it caused nothing serious.
ReplyDeleteWell, we finally had blue sky today down here in Palm Beach area! We got drenched for two days and schools closed for two due to flooding. My husband even had a day off today as all county offices were closed. Sadly it is moving to Louisiana where all our other children and grands live!!! Oh good grief!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't panicked either, Paula. I just had to become part of the madness. It wasn't much fun this weekend trying to pick up a few things at the store and fill up the gas tank when there were a bunch of inconsiderate, maniacal drivers on the road. No, the co-worker isn't a wet blanket, just a realist who's tired of picking up the tab (in higher insurance premiums/taxes) for people with unrealistic expectations. You're right. We are all in this together, whether we like it or not.
ReplyDeleteI agree, IG, that panic buying is undignified. I had no choice, though, about joining the fray this weekend. It was either that or be the wet blanket for not hosting the birthday party. Shopping is certainly no picnic when there's a hurricane frenzy.
Sapphire, thanks for asking. We are fine, just a little rain right here and some nice sea breezes. Not much different from the normal summer weather pattern. People living right on the coast are having to deal with flooding, as expected.
Cosmos, the storm is still churning off the coast of Louisiana near New Orleans. It's not a big one, but it doesn't have to be to cause damage. Most of the city is below sea level and relies on man-made levees and pumps to keep the sea water back. Not a whole lot of hope for that when the wind is pushing it.
Julie, I hope your kids and grands are safe. Every time hurricane season rolls around, we think about moving to the mountains, maybe in Tennessee? There you deal with snow and ice in the winter and chance of forest fires when it's dry. No perfect place, I guess.
Sorry, I couldn't tell where you were going with that. As for insurance, we don't set the rates. Mine has gone steadily up despite the lack of hurricane damage in this region since Dennis 7 years ago and I feel gouged every time I make a payment especially since I know that making a significant claim would be a headache of epic proportions. It almost seems reasonable to self-insure, or it soon will be.
ReplyDeleteI hope Isaac is gentler than predicted. I don't mind it messing up the Republican Convention but I worry about those people, especially in New Orleans, who have only just rebuilt. Nature can be cruel and our role in global warming doesn't help.
ReplyDeleteThe weathermen here have done nothing but talk about the aftermath of Isaac hitting us this weekend, you would think we're in for a hurricane, too. Yes, it's raining this morning and is expected to all weekend, but other than a few flooded basements perhaps, it's not like we're in the path of destruction. Of course, we've seen so little rain this summer that it is quite a novelty.
ReplyDeleteAmen to your last comments! I often think that when I read about homes built on a steep hillside that are then destroyed by mudslides or even around here people who complain about their homes being flooded when they've built in a low spot in the floodplain. Seems so many people think Uncle Sam should bail us out...in so many situations.
Paula, I'm not sure why insurance companies continue to insure people living in flood-prone areas or why building permits are still issued for them. Everyone around the country pays for catastrophes in increased premiums and higher deductibles. How can you self-insure if you have a mortgage?
ReplyDeleteSarah, it was painful to watch those images on TV. People having to be rescued again. Homes being covered by water. I'm not sure what our role if any is in climate change, but one thing is certain. We can't expect to outsmart Nature for long. The sea is just too powerful for our pitiful barriers.
Rose, I'm glad you're finally getting some rain! I just wish it could have been sent there by different circumstances. I know hurricanes are necessary and inevitable, but boy are they ever stinkers!
For us in India, the whole exercise of naming cyclones and being prepared for the worst is amusing. We have errant weather which passes, leaves destuction and homeless behind, all part of a cycle. govt. gives some relief to affected, some get it others don't...that's all
ReplyDeleteDear Walk2Write,
ReplyDeletehow did it work out for you? I hope you all are safe.
Here the weather chaps sometimes speak as if they are reporting from war. In our society everything gets dramatized - though in contrast to your country the storms etc are smaller (though they got wilder in the last years).
So: I hope you are well!
PS: I quit 'You are witty and pretty' and have a new blog, Berlinletters.blogspot.com.
Hope to see you over there!
Hello W2W,
ReplyDeleteThe Issac is in news nowadays. Hope it wont make more damage. I like the pose that you strike to warn the hurricane. Hope all the b'day celebrations went well amidst the calamities brought by Issac.
And I posted 100th post. You have been mentioned as part of it with a thank you note.
Tomz
Well at these here in the Far North hurricanes are one thing we don't have to worry about, as to the rest... well.
ReplyDeleteRE whirling disease the trout spin endless around in circles then die. Rainbow population in some of Montanas stream have been decimated. The cause? I'm not sure perhaps a parasite, It came originally from stocked trout raised in hatcheries in the east. No control yet but Montana and other western states no longer use stocking as a tool...
I have to agree with you. The silly frenzy leading up to this storm was so weird. (Says the gulf coast resident who weathered Ivan & Katrina.)
ReplyDeleteI did hear about that Mobile, Mississippi report. I think everybody got a kick out of that one! Glad you guys are doing well~ <3
You look great! I hope Isaac did not cause any damage to your area. I actually think it is good things close down so everyone can get ready. I remember Hurricane Opal and how much I hated having to work when I had things to clean at the house plus we had no power for several day. I think hurricanes is one reason I leave way far inland now but I have to watch for tornadoes now. It is always something I tell you but such is life.
ReplyDeleteTHL, you've hit the nail on the head. It's all part of a cycle, natural and normal, and has been since time began. If a few years pass by without a major storm, people get lulled into a false sense of security. I guess that's why the authorities were so energetic this time with the warnings.
ReplyDeleteBritta, so I guess the U.S. doesn't have a monopoly on dramatic weather reports. It's become a thriving industry here with all sorts of weather-related shows on TV. I like your new blog and plan to visit again soon. I caught a glimpse of your latest post on my blog reader. Fitness: a superb topic and one in which I'm keenly interested.
Tomz, I guess even the smaller storms are big news around the world. This one did create a lot of damage, but much of it was not directly the fault of the storm. There are reports that work done in the last few years by the Army Corps of Engineers to prevent flooding in New Orleans has redirected the surge of water to other communities.
TB, I think I'd rather put up with tropical storms than winter weather. Severe weather of any kind can be a pain in the glutes for sure. Thanks for the information on the trout disease. What a shame that human intervention has taken such a toll on the natural balance of things. Seems like it always does.
Leigh, I'm sure you were worried about friends and relatives down here. As I said above, the authorities probably didn't want to take any chances since we hadn't had a major storm in a while. People soon forget what a big one can do.
Tina, no damage here, just a few dead tree limbs knocked loose from some neighborhood trees. Thanks, but I don't know about looking great. It was one of those unguarded moments that SAM loves to capture when he gets the chance. No make-up and bad hair day! I thought maybe it was scary enough to keep the storm away.
Am glad you survived yet another of Mother Natures blast. We had some nice rains but nothing major as our lake needs. We are on year 3 of this drought cycle and a Tropical Storm usually pulls us out of it. Our gardens on the other hand have been getting the rains when the lake is not so my yard is happy. My water bill is happy too this month! Ouch with June and July's bills.... Love the ocean but not sure I could handle hurricane season each year. AS I type, I see a Hurrican lily starting to open up, reminds me that the season is not over just yet...
ReplyDeleteWe know the drought situation all too well, Skeeter. This is the first summer in a long while where we were blessed with what used to be typical here, rainfall nearly every day. It's critical for growing things in a sandy soil. Water just sinks in and out of sight and reach of the plants here in a hurry. And, as you said, the electric bills have been lower because the afternoon clouds and rain cooled things off. I'm really glad for the sake of the aquifer system. It has needed a recharge like this one for some years now.
ReplyDelete