Get Ready

I see hurricanes ablowin'. I think the end is almost here. Credence Clearwater Revival
Well, it's not that bad, but somewhere on our Atlantic Coast there is going to be a nasty little storm. Where is impossible to say right now because hurricanes are so unpredictable. It is a Category 4 at the moment. Generally these tings weaken as they approach land, but not always. Folks really don;t need to be concerned with that unless they are directly in the path of the eye wall/ That is usually a small area. Those in that area have a serious problem.
But that doesn't let others off the hook. You will have high winds and a ridiculous amount of rain If you are on the shore line or one of the little island along the coast, you need to leave now.
Everyone else in the area will have a rocky rode, but, if you use good sense, you will be fine. I have been through 7 hurricanes and 16 tropical storms, so let me give you a few helpful hints;
Make sure all of your cell phones are fully charged and use them sparingly. You will almost certainly lose your power. I have seen the power restored in 12 hours and I have seen it take 3 weeks
Fill as many containers as possible with water and pit as many as possible in your freezer. That will keep the fridge surprisingly cold for about a day.
Fill your bath tub and as many buckets as you can find with water. There are often water problems since, without power,city pump stations shut down. Some cities have enough generators but most don't. The tub and buckets won't be for drinking. They can be used to flush toilets and believe me, that comes in handy. Just take the lid off the tank, pour in the water and flush.
If you have a generator, great. Make sure you know how to use it and do not put it an enclosed area. Same with grills and camp stoves. Use them indoors and you will either burn your house down or die from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Stay pit until the authorities say you can go out. After the storm, there will be many dangerous situations outside and emergency crews need clear roads. Don't get in the way.
You are going to have to learn patience. You will get power back when ypu get it. Getting angry does nothing. Be prepared. You may not get your cable or internet service for a good while. Nothing you can do about that.
Here is a tip you seldom hear. But a few cans of mosquito repellent. There will be standing water and that means that about a week later, there will be millions of the tiny blood suckers around and you are dinner.
The storm itself is a wonder to behold. Rarely do wee see the full power of Nature. The aftermath is a nightmare. Things are dirty, wet, smelly and dangerous. The areas hit will be changed and there is nothing you can do about it. If the storm does the unexpected, and turns out to sea, don't get angry at officials who launched emergency procedures. They cannot wait until the last minute. They do a reasonably good job . If it misses you, just be thankful. Stay safe and God Bless all of you.

America After The Storn

Well. that's 3, all Category 4, in about a month you doubted global warming, that should tip the scales.

We made ot here in Glynn County Ga pretty well. By the time it got here, Irma had wound down and it was mostly just messy. Power was only out a day and cable and the internet were back in 4 days. To gere the County officials you would have thought that Hurricane Camille had torn through.

There was talk of shutting off the water and keeping the County closed for 2 weeks. They opemed up in 3 days with  no big problems.

They did 1 very smart thing. They allowed trucks supplying stores in and urged stores to open. This eliminated the need for points of distribution to distribute food and water. I saw those in S. Florida after Andrew and they are nightmares.

Since I pick on Trump from time to time, I must now congratulate the Administration for rising to
to the occasion, They have been responsive, compassionate and efficient. Hats off to them.

Hopefully, this is it for the storms, but who knows. Stay alert and stay safe. Help your friends, family and neighbors and pray for peaceful weather.

Houston

Houston is devastated. No one know how bad it really is. They were warned. For years, simple thubderstorms have caused flooding there and scientists knew that a bog storm would swamp the whold area. They built too much, too fast and left no way for the water to drain. Plus, they did nothing to deal with the storm surges.

We saw this in New Orleans. WE saw this with Sandy. No one did a thing to deal with major storms in large yrban areas. Last year, Savannah and Charleston were hit by Matthew, a minimal storm, and had  big problems. Now, we have another major storm, Irma, brewing and headed toward the US. Pray that it does not come here.

Politivians, who ultimately decide how to spend our money, like to ignore warnings that may interfere with business. Right now, Trump is considering easing the standards that govern building. I lived in S. F;prids before they toughened the codes. Trust me, they need to be stricter. If it costs businesses more, too bad. If they are operating on a shoestring, let them go broke.

Something has to be done about drainage. Standing water is more than a nuisance. It is a terrible health hazard.

All coastal cities must sit down with a panel of scientists and engineers and figure out solutions. The problem will get worse because, contrary to what our President wants to believe, climate change is very real and simply refusing to admit this will not make it stop. America will not be 'great again' if it is underwater.

A Brief Time Out For A Hurricane

I am taking time out from politics and social issues today for a hurricane. I am in Brunswick, Ga. and, starting sometime tomorrow, we will be getting slammed by Hurricane Matthew.  High storm surge, intense rains, and heavy winds will be upon us. The winds, depending on the exact path, will range from 60 to 100 mph. It will be a mess.

We will likely loose power, so I may be unable to blog for a bit. But, these storms are weird. Having lived most of my life in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., I have seen several and the only thing you can count on is that you can count on nothing. They sometimes weaken unexpectedly and sometimes they strengthen without warning. They sometimes move quickly and sometimes slow to a crawl and wobble around for days. This one is traveling along the very warm Gulfstream so any sudden change is unlikely, but who knows.

For once, I want to congratulate the news media. They have done a darn good job in reporting the news without getting hysterical. Government officials are also doing fine work.
You have got to let folks know just how dangerous these things are and make sure they understand the necessary precautions. If people pay attention and do what is necessary, they should be alright.

Anyone reading this who may be affected by this storm should know that they are going to have a very rough day or so, Do not go outside. Even when the storm has passed, be very cautious when you go out. There will be standing water and sometimes it can be quite deep. Do not drive your car through deep water; it will kill that car. Sometimes power lines come down and they can be live so touch no downed wires.

If you lose power, be careful cooking over fires and do not light a grill anywhere near you house. Carbon monoxide poisoning is an issue with fires in closed in spots and it won't hurt you to live on cold canned food for a few days. Fill every available container in your home with water. Sometimes, with power outages, cities cannot pump water for a few days and you really do not want to be outside standing in line for bottled water. Fill your bathtub with water; you can use that to flush your toilet.

Just pay attention, stay calm and use your head and you will be fine. Stay safe and I'll write again when this mess is past.