Complacency Lingers After Wilma Here in S. Florida

[gatorcane]

Although Wilma was somewhat of a wake-up call for Palm Beach/Broward/Miami-Dade, I *still* think we have not had our real wake-up call yet and undue complacency still lingers here.

Wilma has officially been called a strong CAT 1 across S. Florida, although gusts reached higher up to strong CAT 2 strengths. WILMA was NOT a major hurricane in S. Florida. The problem is that most people I've been talking to here in S. Florida think that they have experienced a "major hurricane" when in fact S. Florida did not experience that with Wilma.

As a result, many people here don't realize that a major hurricane not only destroys landscaping as Wilma did but causes major WIDESPREAD structural damage that was not seen here by Wilma. You would see miles and miles of houses completely flattened, large buildings torn to the ground, complete utter chaos similar to Andrew but only in a more metropolitan area. In addition a major storm surge would accompany a hurricane coming in from the Atlantic which Wilma did not bring with her.

I firmly believe that over the next 20+ years, S. Florida will be hit readily by storms and a major CAT 3+ is looming in the near future. It will take a couple more hits over the next few years and at least one major flattening Miami/Ft. Lauderdale for people to realize if they are going to live in S. Florida, they better be ready to deal with hurricane threats year after year for the next couple of decades

[Scorpion]

No, there were areas that recieved Cat 2 sustained winds, with Cat 4 gusts. A boat registered a 133 mph gust in Port St Lucie, and it was at standard 10 meter height. However, people do call this a Cat 3 across S FL and they are mistaken. But there were localized microbursts and gusts capable of nasty damage. Look at the concrete power poles snapped in half.

[fci]

Chris:
I don't see your point.

People are now taking Hurricanes a whole lot more seriously than they used to 15-25 years ago.
Andrew was a wake up call and Francis/Jeanne/Katrina and Wilma provided multiple wake up calls.
People down here DO take hurricanes more seriously than ever before.

The fact that they saw how much damage Cat 1-2's can cause makes them all the more diligent and more scared of the potential Cat 3-4 that will come one day. Experiencing a cat 3 is not a pre-requisite to respecting one and heeding warnings if one is to come our way.

I miss your point and what you fear about South Florida's reaction if the big one comes. If we had the streak going that we had prior to the 4 storms I have referenced, THEN there would be cause to worry since people would adhere to the "they always turn away there is nothing to worry" syndrome.

The fact is that people down here have a new found RESPECT for hurricanes given the 4 in the past year and what we all witnessed on TV from what Katrina did to the Gulf Coast.

I think you are flat out wrong if you think people are not paying attention anymore. It does not take flat out devastation to respect the potential for flat out devastation!

Exactly what "wake up call" are you looking for and what reaction are you looking for from South Floridians???

Talk to people here, listen to the media, read the papers; and there is no way you can call South Floridians complacent!!!!!

[flashflood]

Most home owners in my area don't even bother to put up any shutters or prepare for the worst. They have no idea, or don't care what a major Hurricane can do to unprotected windows in concentrated metro area. I agree with Chris, once we get a strong 3,4 or 5, then they will loose their complacency.

[Vandora]

I'm going to have to agree with FCI. I see no evidence of complacency around here, nor have I, personally, seen people not preparing each and every time there's a threat, except on TV or in the newspaper. I honestly don't know where the media gets the people they find who are never prepared, but I can't say they represent the entire population of the people down here. No one I know in South Florida doesn't respect what a hurricane can do. Especially those who went through Andrew.

[docjoe]

Chris:
I don't see your point.

People are now taking Hurricanes a whole lot more seriously than they used to 15-25 years ago.
Andrew was a wake up call and Francis/Jeanne/Katrina and Wilma provided multiple wake up calls.
People down here DO take hurricanes more seriously than ever before.

The fact that they saw how much damage Cat 1-2's can cause makes them all the more diligent and more scared of the potential Cat 3-4 that will come one day. Experiencing a cat 3 is not a pre-requisite to respecting one and heeding warnings if one is to come our way.

I miss your point and what you fear about South Florida's reaction if the big one comes. If we had the streak going that we had prior to the 4 storms I have referenced, THEN there would be cause to worry since people would adhere to the "they always turn away there is nothing to worry" syndrome.

The fact is that people down here have a new found RESPECT for hurricanes given the 4 in the past year and what we all witnessed on TV from what Katrina did to the Gulf Coast.

I think you are flat out wrong if you think people are not paying attention anymore. It does not take flat out devastation to respect the potential for flat out devastation!

Exactly what "wake up call" are you looking for and what reaction are you looking for from South Floridians???

Talk to people here, listen to the media, read the papers; and there is no way you can call South Floridians complacent!!!!!

I posted this on another forum but in light of your post I thought it would be worth posting again.

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/11/05/State ... as_b.shtml


docjoe

[Scorpion]

While I think Wilma helped kill some of the complacency here, it is still here regardless. Especially the people who only lost power for a day or never lost power. Also, people think that we recieved Cat 2-3 winds when it was more like 1-2.

[KLP124]

You want to talk complacency? What about the Keys? I personally know many people who stayed behind. I think the official estimate was 90% of residents rode it out? My friend's main reasoning was "If I go north, I'm just going to get stuck with everyone else. I'd rather take my chances and ride it out here where I'm at least comfortable." And my Rita horror stories of no electricity, lines for gas, etc. were completely scoffed at, especially when they got POWER the day after the storm.

[ericinmia]

Anyone who claims there is no complacency explain me this:

"Why were there hundreds of thousands of people DEMANDING free ice and water THE DAY following the hurricane?"

Had they prepared... they would not need either until a couple days afterard. Also there is no excuse for the misrepresentation of the winds.

Check the FINAL NWS NOAA report on WILMA. It unequivicablly proves that there were no official wind reports of ANY sustained CAT2 winds.
Only Gusts into CAT2. I don't give much resepect to any measurements non official. Even my own from my weather station. I'm tired of people trying to claim this was more than it was.
-Eric

[gatorcane]

I respect everybodys' views on this subject. I think we can all agree that the complacency is less than it was prior to 2004-2005 here in S. Florida but I think there is room for this complacency to lessen still. The kind of damage we got around here in Palm Beach County was CAT 2 at most. There was some structural (and in some cases severe) damage but only in isolated locations.

If a major hurricane came through we would STILL after 2 weeks be unable to function as a large metropolis. When you don't have gas,food, water, or electric for weeks after, then I would have to say nobody should be complacent anymore Our friends up in NOLA are not complacent anymore after Katrina.

I would bet that S. Floridians that lived here in the 1930s and 1940s (just the few that actually lived here) would not be complacent at all considering how much S. Florida was pummeled in those years

[CharleySurvivor]

You would have been surprised to see how it was in Charlotte County before Wilma.

She was not to strike the FL coast for another 4 days and the stores had a hard time keeping water on the shelves. Home Depot was a mad house also.....we didn't know where Wilma was to make landfall and everyone was getting ready 4 days ahead.

There wasn't much complacency here. We learned from Charley.

[f5]

Andrew showed what a REAL major hurricane can do.

[BocaGirl]

Although Wilma was somewhat of a wake-up call for Palm Beach/Broward/Miami-Dade, I *still* think we have not had our real wake-up call yet and undue complacency still lingers here.

You and I must live in different spheres of the same town. No matter where I travel in Boca Raton, and whether it is as a private citizen or as a volunteer for the Boca Raton Fire Department, people are talking about gearing up for next season. Just today, over coffee Downtown, there was a discussion about installing a propane or natural gas-based generator NOW for next season when the power goes out after a storm. Many people who lost pool screens (including me) are looking for alternatives because the next few years are bound to produce more storms. These examples are just two small ones, I can give you many more.

Like I said, Wilma got people's attention. I don't think anyone I know - and I deal with with a lot of people - is going to ever ignore another storm again.

Wilma changed more than the landscape around Boca Raton. She changed the City's preparation, she changed our CERT preparation and she changed individual's thinking too. Yeah, there are always going to be people screaming for ice and water after a storm passes. I don't think it's reasonable to judge the general population on those folks.

You know, I am optomistic about people's preparedness. You could say I see the glass of complacency half-full. To me, people are interested, aware AND scared. (A good motivator!) I don't think they will sit idly by anymore and wait to be pounded. I really don't. Not after sitting in darkened homes for up to 2 weeks. Not after waiting in long gas lines and losing thousands and thousands of dollars in damages.

On the other hand, your post shows you see the glass of complaceny as empty. Chris, what is your solution? What would you have people do? Have you considered making your views public, perhaps going before City Council here in Boca Raton. Or fiding other ways to get people motivated to prepare for what you term the real wake up call.

If people are as complacent as you say, then we are sitting ducks for the next season and maybe you can bring about some much needed change. I challenge you to start the ball rolling.

BocaGirl
Barbara

[Scorpion]

Anyone who claims there is no complacency explain me this:

"Why were there hundreds of thousands of people DEMANDING free ice and water THE DAY following the hurricane?"

Had they prepared... they would not need either until a couple days afterard. Also there is no excuse for the misrepresentation of the winds.

Check the FINAL NWS NOAA report on WILMA. It unequivicablly proves that there were no official wind reports of ANY sustained CAT2 winds.
Only Gusts into CAT2. I don't give much resepect to any measurements non official. Even my own from my weather station. I'm tired of people trying to claim this was more than it was.
-Eric

Uh there were several gusts to Cat 3 if not Cat 4.

[Brent]

Andrew showed what a REAL major hurricane can do.

Actually... no it didn't. Miami was largely spared(at least Downtown) and Broward and Palm Beach counties got off EASY. If even a large Cat 3 comes in near Fort Lauderdale, then it would be MUCH MUCH worse than Andrew or Wilma in terms of amount of damage. Both were really bad, but this would be many times worse.

[HURAKAN]

Andrew showed what a REAL major hurricane can do.

Actually... no it didn't. Miami was largely spared(at least Downtown) and Broward and Palm Beach counties got off EASY. If even a large Cat 3 comes in near Fort Lauderdale, then it would be MUCH MUCH worse than Andrew or Wilma in terms of amount of damage. Both were really bad, but this would be many times worse.

Agree. One of the hurricane that affected Miami at its dead-center was the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926.

[Ivanhater]

Andrew showed what a REAL major hurricane can do.

Actually... no it didn't. Miami was largely spared(at least Downtown) and Broward and Palm Beach counties got off EASY. If even a large Cat 3 comes in near Fort Lauderdale, then it would be MUCH MUCH worse than Andrew or Wilma in terms of amount of damage. Both were really bad, but this would be many times worse.

Agree. One of the hurricane that affected Miami at its dead-center was the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926.

ahh, we know that one in Pensacola as well, it what a bad one

[Bocadude85]

According to the NWS in Miami Wilma was a cat two when she exited the coast

Wilma moved rapidly northeast across the state, with an average forward speed of 25 mph. Wilma exited the east coast over northeastern Palm Beach County near Palm Beach Gardens around 11 AM Monday October 21st as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of around 105 mph. It traversed the southern peninsula in about 4 hours.

Also a sustained wind of 103mph was recorded and confirmed at the southern end of Lake Okeechobee

L006***
(South end of
Lake Okeechobee) 103 mph at 1030 AM 112 mph at 11 AM
*** Data from the South Florida Water Management District

[Brent]

According to the NWS in Miami Wilma was a cat two when she exited the coast

Yes... that's what the NHC had in the advisories.

[fci]

Although Wilma was somewhat of a wake-up call for Palm Beach/Broward/Miami-Dade, I *still* think we have not had our real wake-up call yet and undue complacency still lingers here.

You and I must live in different spheres of the same town. No matter where I travel in Boca Raton, and whether it is as a private citizen or as a volunteer for the Boca Raton Fire Department, people are talking about gearing up for next season. Just today, over coffee Downtown, there was a discussion about installing a propane or natural gas-based generator NOW for next season when the power goes out after a storm. Many people who lost pool screens (including me) are looking for alternatives because the next few years are bound to produce more storms. These examples are just two small ones, I can give you many more.

Like I said, Wilma got people's attention. I don't think anyone I know - and I deal with with a lot of people - is going to ever ignore another storm again.

Wilma changed more than the landscape around Boca Raton. She changed the City's preparation, she changed our CERT preparation and she changed individual's thinking too. Yeah, there are always going to be people screaming for ice and water after a storm passes. I don't think it's reasonable to judge the general population on those folks.

You know, I am optomistic about people's preparedness. You could say I see the glass of complacency half-full. To me, people are interested, aware AND scared. (A good motivator!) I don't think they will sit idly by anymore and wait to be pounded. I really don't. Not after sitting in darkened homes for up to 2 weeks. Not after waiting in long gas lines and losing thousands and thousands of dollars in damages.

On the other hand, your post shows you see the glass of complaceny as empty. Chris, what is your solution? What would you have people do? Have you considered making your views public, perhaps going before City Council here in Boca Raton. Or fiding other ways to get people motivated to prepare for what you term the real wake up call.

If people are as complacent as you say, then we are sitting ducks for the next season and maybe you can bring about some much needed change. I challenge you to start the ball rolling.

BocaGirl
Barbara

Yes, thank you Boca Girl. I totally agree with you

I'm not quite sure what kind of demonstration Chris is looking for to demonstrate a "lack of complacency".

People have now seen what a Cat 1/2 can do and they are alarmed.
Yes, they want government services immediately but that is hardly a sign of "complacency".

The awareness is acute now and the prevailing "well it will miss us like all the others have" is gone.
Now, if we go 15 years without a strike it will happen again.
If we go 5 years people will again start to feel comfortable.
But to claim NOW that people are complacent is just simply wrong.