Hurricane Preparedness Vs Cultivating Fear

Hurricane Florence is currently threatening the east coast of the United States. I have been keeping a careful watch on the path of the hurricane as well as reaching out to family and friends who may be impacted by Florence’s fury.

http://time.com/5392443/hurricane-florence-space-station/

There are challenges that present themselves whenever there is a natural disaster on the horizon. The news media and public officials have to generate enough concern or fear if you will to make sure that people who will be impacted will take the necessary precautions to avoid death, destruction and illness.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/09/12/us/hurricane-florence-south-east-coast-wxc/index.html

If you are not in a financial or social condition to heed the advice, even if you believe the news, then you are literally up a creek without a boat or a life jacket.

I have lived through minor hurricanes and I have also evacuated several times when hurricanes were approaching. I prepared my house, bought non-perishable items, propane for my outside grill, ziplock plastic bags for important papers, bleach for assisting in sterilizing water if power went off., etc. It was good that I made preparations because I had to allow family members to use my home during the storm.

Even though I had alerted, warned and advised them of what they needed to do to stay safe, they didn’t have the money to heed the advice.

I had a two week vacation pre-planned in Aruba prior to one imminent storm warning, but my plane was able to take off and I was on it. I was so glad, however that my family was able to benefit from my preparations and use my house, my equipment and eat my food while I was away.

The hurricane passing over is just the beginning of problems. What happens afterwards with flooding, lack of dry shelter, lack of food, lack of water, lack of electricity, lack of gasoline, etc. lasts for weeks.

I ‘m not trying to write a book, but a word to the wise should be sufficient. Don’t let lack of experience with a problem cause you to make a deadly mistake. Don’t let your lack of finances cause you to be subject to situations that will be out of your control.

If you have to go to a shelter because you don’t have money to go anywhere else, do it. Getting trapped in a house or on your roof, or on the balcony of your apartment with children is not fun.

Heed the warnings and make preparations while you can. Stay safe and vigilant.