Do people really grasp the hurricane danger we face in SE fl

[southerngreen]

hardly anyone one wants to face bad news straight on - the tampa trib ran an article yesterday about despite economy troubles the things people still buy lots of are: chocolate, alcohol, & tobacco - things that make them feel better.

but looking bad news square in the face can make it LESS troubling because you can take steps to deal with it: your hurricane supplies, your grab & go bag, rechecking your important papers, etc can make a bad weather event "easier" to live through if it comes. sticking your head in the sand makes it SO much worse when bad things happen.

best advice is to find out all you can, prepare for it, then maintain your regular routine, but with a watchful eye. if it doesn't come, GREAT, but you were ready for it. if it does come, you'll thank yourself a million times.
preparation is always better than repair.

[sprink52]

Hey Gang...been a while but here we go again. Seems that most people here in the Royal Palm Beach/Wellington area are getting prepared. I just came from a very orderly gas line at Costco in RPB...same for Propane purchace at Red Barn on Okeechobee. no panic here but '04~'05 wasn't that long ago...be prepared.

[cpdaman]

i would say the people in the keys are the biggest threats, should a solid size late strengthening CAT 5 hit the keys, i think it would be a literal nightmare, depending on the angle (and the surge) the whole chain could be destroyed , because of the complacency down there, the death toll would be very high IMO, they would say they thought it would be a "cat 3" or "we never thought this could happen" i know i'm taken a harsh tone but i just see the key's as a time bomb due to the complacency and inability to get out in a hurry.

and no i do not think this fay has a shot to be "that" storm but it obviously bears watching, especially should it unexpectedly slow down in the fla/ straits

[MGC]

I think many are in denial. I had a wait and see attitude with Katrina. I consider myself to be very hurricane aware. I've been through a few in my days. But, when we woke up Sunday morning to a Cat-5 knocking on the door we knew it was time to go. It took us about 4 hours to finish our tasks prior to hitting the road. Many of my neighbors elected not to leave. They wrongly concluded that their home had survived Camille and nothing could be worst than Camille. Well, to make a long story short, we knew we had made the right decision to evacuate when we drove home. The sight of destroyed homes blocking the roads, thousands of uprooted trees just in my neighborhood alone, and above all that stench of death that lasted for weeks.

The recomended supplies to get you through a major hurricane are totally inadequate. I would double or triple the amount of water, food, gasoline. If a large hurricane were to strike a major metro area there will be thousands of ill prepared people who will be desperate and will do whatever (violence) to get food and water. You saw the looting in New Orleans...it can and will happen after the next big one....MGC

[southerngreen]

down here (FL) in 2005 people were so afraid of a 2004 repeat, they'd pack up if there was the least hint of a storm, but they get tired of packing up & running.
and with the economic problems most people have (at least those who'd need to evacuate) it gets too expensive = gas $$, missed work, etc. you understand their reluctance, but you can't undo a hurricane if it does come, so bottom line:
if you can't leave, have a plan in place. plenty of supplies & a shelter picked out for at least 24 hrs.
sadly, i just don't think there's any way to really prepare for a Katrina. no major cities were hit here in 2004, but there are communities that have never recovered & people who still live in wrecked homes.