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Along these same lines, in March 2017 here in the Northeast there was "Winter Storm Stella" that, as usual, was supposed end life as we know it.

Of course, Stella didn't live up to her billing.

But then a strange thing happened. News got out that the NWS kept sounding the alarm despite growing evidence that Stall would be a dud, for fear people would mistakenly think the storm was no longer dangerous.

Now, I fully understand the risk averse mindset of public officials (unless there is mostly peaceful rioting and destruction of property going on) and totally get that you want citizens to be prepared.

But there is a cost to hyper-risk aversion. What about the waitress who depends upon tips, who lost $75 because bar patrons were scared away needlessly? What about the struggling small businessman who may have trouble making payroll because he booked zero revenue that day but still incurred fixed costs? What about the hourly wage-earning parent who has to stay home because of a wasted snow day?

When "superstorm Sandy" hit NJ, I remember literally yelling at the car radio when Her Majesty Chris Christie scolded us residents for not staying inside or heeding his demands that we take this storm seriously. I don't need some jackwagon to tell ME how to prep, and that storm got hyped beyond its carnage unless you were 100 feet from the Atlantic.