Posted on 08/14/2004 1:42:49 AM PDT by kattracks
We also know that storms can cause significant damage in areas they aren't "supposed" to hit.
Since you're in Colorado, you may not know these things. I wouldn't know a whole lot about living through blizzards and whatever other weather hazards you have.
However, having lived nearly 50 years within 40 miles of the ocean, I know that blaming the weather forecasters and emergency officials for this is just plain ignorant.
Then why don't you, the next time you see this happen, go down and insist those people evacuate. Go door to door.
See post 48.
have you heard any reports this morning from the east Coast of Florida?
They expected Charlie (just like a man - gives you a line and then does something else - fickle!) to go in at Tampa Clearwater and it made a sudden turn on them.
The people should have been prepared for this eventuality but we have gotten so use to believing the weather man and his predicted paths, that we forget nature does it's own thing and we can't control it.
That isn't my point. My point is not to sit here and start being a 20/20 perfect in hindsight poster. That is infuriating. "I would have known better, I would have done better, how come those families didn't move their elderly loved ones out."
It is not the time or place.
dixie, I specifically heard Greg Kelly on Fox News confirm that officials in Punta Gorda were using the phrase "stacks of bodies". Prayers for your son, brother, uncles and their families. I'm sure that the area is experiencing severe communication problems and hope you hear from them soon.
If I lived in a trailer park on the FL coast, and had a hurricane warning for twenty-four hours, I would be long gone.
It has nothing to do with the "media", and it's nobody's fault except those who chose to stay behind.
This storm was predicted to come ashore as a cat 2 at the most. No one forsaw the storm making the turn nor the fact that it would increase in strength.
It's obvious you need someone to blame, but it's nobody's fault. Predicting the weather is not an exact science. Hurricane warnings were up, but landfall was supposed to be further north, in the Tampa/Clearwater area, based on historical models. Unless a person is clairvoyant, that person cannot predict what a hurricane will do minute to minute with the absolute precision you demand.
I am not blaming anyone. Go back and read what I wrote. I am saying this is tragic and asking others to stop blaming and being harsh in this time.
"The people should have been prepared for this eventuality but we have gotten so use to believing the weather man and his predicted paths, that we forget nature does it's own thing and we can't control it."
You are so right, and when it's over the people either complain that they weren't warned strongly enough or if they are lucky and it's not bad, they complain that the news people made too big a deal of it. I'm sure it's very hard to get it exactly right, that's what makes "prediction" so difficult.
That's nothing to what Hugo did. Hugo cut a swath thru 13 counties and I've forgotten how many states and went on into Canada strew death and destruction everywhere both during and after.
By the way most deaths are after the storm during clean up because people don't use common sense safety measures.
Hey RightWinger - We learned hard lessons from Hugo, didn't we?
I just hope to heck people in the path of this monster--even though it's weakened--get out of its way.
Punta Gorda is to the south of where the storm was supposed to hit. They had no idea that it was coming in there.
Keep remarks like that off this thread or your stay here will be short. Thanks.
hmmmm . . . . Who might we have in mind?
And my point is that trying to cast blame on anyone besides the people who didn't listen to the evacuation orders, as you have been doing, is ignorant.
It seems the forecasters had projected a different course---more northerly toward Tampa. Instead, the hurricane changed course eastward and hit an area that initially thought they would escape it.
FoxNews said there are at least 2 mobile home parks in the Punta Gorda area that were destroyed.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.