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Of what? I dont think that I said anything wrong. I in no way, want to create a false sense of security. Believe me, I know full well the dangers of a hurricane (proabably better than most people here). What I am trying to do is quite the opposite, actually. I was simply pointing out that tropical cyclones are a natural occurance, and people often time forget that. Rightly so, everyone in Punta Gorda (as well as all of Florida I imagine) --including myself, began to take it personally this season. You will see the effects of a hurricane if you live in Florida. This is a fact. I just think that we need to accept this, and be prepared for it. The main problem with hurricane prepardness today, is a lack of hurricane education. This is why I posted my "Hurricane Charley in Pictures" thread. When Charley was done, all I could talk about was how amazing it was. Then I looked down the street, and saw a woman screaming in response to her destroyed house, as her husband looked on helplessly. I saw this look alot that month. I dont want anyone to have to go through that. I think that every elementary school in the state of Florida, should study these storms in depth. Miraculously, only four people died in Charlotte County during hurricane Charley. I talked to Wayne Sallade, our emergency manager, and he was amazed that the casualties were not higher. Indeed, it is amazing what some people survived. While four deaths is a good statistic, try telling that to the families of those who died. It is even more heart-wrenching when we consider that none of them had to die. Two older people stayed in their mobile home which was destroyed, a man bled to death when the sliding glass door that he was holding up shattered, and a man was beheaded while standing outside after the eye had passed. I could have very well been one of those casualties. There is a large two story house a couple houses down from me. When its roof went, all the shingles sliced up the neighborhood. My dad and I got out of the way the instant one of the shingles broke through door. This thing was moving so fast that it actually penetrated a 2X4 up against the door –the door itself –and a window on the other side of the house. It was hugging the wall as it flew by, creating a huge gash through the plaster, marking its path. If we had not moved a mere 20 seconds earlier, someone would have probably died. My point is, we need to focus more on hurricane education. There is no reason for anyone to get caught out in the eye anymore. I know one family that, upon evacuating, insisted they open up all their windows so that the wind would harmlessly blow through the house. They lost their roof. Mistakes like this need not be made. While it is true, we shoudl never hope for a hurricane to come, we need to be ready when it does. Because it will. And the only people that deserve to die in a hurricane, are idiots like myself. This is all that I am saying. |