Bullet Proof
The
beginning of the Christmas season used to mark the end of the
hurricane season, but no more! This past Christmas season actually
started in late August when some stores started taking out their
garden departments to put in the seasonal stands and displays.
Christmas decorations were being put up in some stores while everyone
still had the Weather Channel number memorized.
No matter though, the
hurricane season is finally over to the relief of a few, but probably
unnoticed by most. Again, we sidestepped any
hurricanes or major tropical storms. That could be a problem in
itself. No one cares much about the next hurricane season. After
all, nothing happened this year! We must be bulletproof. The
county and state disaster and emergency agencies
will again restock their supplies and train new people before the
beginning of next year's hurricane season. Practice sessions will
again sharpen the skills of the veterans to prepare for the worst.
Getting the word out to the public becomes another matter,
Next
year they will have a harder time preparing the community for the
arrival of a major storm, just because we again didn't live up to the
worst case scenario this year. The television stations and the
newspapers will again do their best to present the available
hurricane preparations and planning seminars everyone should attend.
It
will be difficult to convince those who have never have never been
hit by a devastating storm, especially those who have lived here long
enough to be considered "Floridians," that this is serious
business. The newcomers to Florida will attend
the preparation seminars, but if we again are blessed with another
peaceful season, they probably won't prepare as completely the next
year after as they will the first year. They too, will then be
considered "veterans," and will be able to proudly proclaim
"the bark is worse than the bite."
The
biggest disbelievers are the ones who have been here a long time
without suffering a serious storm. That just makes it harder to I
suffer when it does strike. The residents of Dade County
thought, "No big deal," when Andrew
barreled in.
I grew
up in Miami; we had a scuffle with Donna in 1960 and Beth in 1965,
and if those were hurricanes. then most everyone thought
Andrew would be a piece of cake. Of course, the west coast of
Florida saw a different storm in Donna than we did. but even here,
those memories have long since faded away. Even
now, Andrew is fast becoming a memory that doesn't seem real to those
who lost everything. Now is the time to have hurricane shutters and
hurricane bracing done to your home and business.
Many
area companies are discounting prices in the off season. Check with
the Chamber of Commerce at 639-2222 for reputable companies and
organizations. The pricing is great and the availability of
products is there. Don't wait until the next hurricane season. Dade
County went 27 years without a major storm of any kind, from 1965 to
1992. We too, were bulletproof.
George Mindling ©
2001
