Hurricane Season is the price we pay for balmy winters and year-round sunshine. It is simply part of life in coastal Florida. Fortunately, we have not had a storm in eleven years and many people had become complacent.
This week Matthew showed up as an unwelcome guest. He is battering the northeastern coast of Florida but has missed the Keys entirely. Original forecasts had him coming ashore in Broward county, but a slight change in direction left Broward in pretty good shape, too.
News channels have been a constant stream of information and scare tactics. From the urging to be prepared with water, batteries, and canned foods, to the incessant storm path updates, it can be exhausting. Plus, the ever-changing storm path, with its slight jogs to the east or west, can leave a person gleeful one minute and terrified the next. Storms range in size and attributes – one might be more rain-heavy, while another can be a wind event. The worst are both, and hurricanes can be large, so it is important to stay on top of where it is headed. And buy insane amounts of water. (Well, it won’t go bad, and you can always use it, right?)
Meanwhile, Matthew is heading north to visit our friends in St. Augustine. (They are displeased.) He may loop back south and visit us again, but I, for one, am hoping he stays away. We wish our friends and neighbors to the north the best for as little damage as possible.
I will be happy with another eleven – or twenty -years of hurricane-free living. (Dare to dream.)
