This Time Chicken Little Was Right
"Could this be the year of the Big
Storm?" That was the title of the column I wrote just a few
short months ago, in February to be exact. As usual, I caught a
little flak from my neighbors about being pessimistic. I think they
may have been the only ones to read my column.
Back in January, 2001, I wrote an
article called "Bulletproof", where I wrote: "Again,
we sidestepped any hurricanes or major tropical storms. That could be
a problem in itself." Again, the only responses I received were
about being morbid.
In fact, the very first column I wrote
for the Charlotte Sun back in August 1999, was one titled "Now
What?" The column started: "When finally allowed into the
area that used to be your business, the first thing that strikes you
is absolute devastation. Where there used to be sinks are only PVC
pipes sticking up from the concrete. What used to be a roof is lying
across the work and service areas. No windows have glass, and quite
often there are no walls."
I wrote that column specifically to
assist the Business Services Committee of the Charlotte Chamber of
Commerce. They were trying to hold a disaster preparedness seminar
for small businesses. When only two respondents show any interest in
the program, it was dropped.
The attitudes here were so bad, I
actually had a former county commissioner tell me that it was
impossible for Port Charlotte to suffer a direct hit from a
hurricane. I could only wonder how Wayne Sallade, Director of
Emergency Planning and his staff could ever succeed in preventing
disaster if a major hurricane struck Charlotte County. The majority
of residents and businesses here had never suffered a major storm and
the attitudes of residents and business owners were less than
complacent, they were apathetic at best. Even hurricane Donna, the
last storm in memory, was not one to cause much concern about
preparation or the after effects.
Now that we have been ravaged by
Charley, and scared to the point of evacuation by Ivan and Francis,
disaster planning and preparation are no longer a discretionary part
of the business budget: they are now main concerns. Everyone here
knows we can get hit again, even next year, if the atmospheric
conditions dictate a hurricane again cross Charlotte Harbor. The
naiveté is gone, but, unfortunately, as newcomers move to our area,
and the memory of this busy season fades away, the old ways will
creep back and the same old feeling of being bullet proof will again
dominate the local attitudes. We have already been told by friends
that they believe North Port is the safest place in Florida. If the
area isn't struck for twenty of thirty years, the "experts"
who didn't think it could happen here will again gain credibility.
They should leave it to the real
experts, like Wayne Sallade and his team. Any questions about
Charlotte County Emergency Management can be found on the website:
http://www.charlottecountyfl.com/emergency/.
We can be glad they got it right the
first time.
George Mindling © 2004
