The Panic Before The Storm

By Tuesday we should have an uninvited guest in our area -- Tropical Storm/Hurricane Fay. Our esteemed weather forecasters are calling for 100% humidity and wind.

Ya think?!

What's really strange is how panicked people now become whenever a storm is mentioned in the news. Granted, hurricanes can be extremely dangerous and destructive, as we've seen with Hurricanes Katrina, Andrew, and Hugo. But I can't help think back to when I was a kid. Hurricanes were taken in stride -- part of a fact of life in Florida. We prepared as best we could, but ultimately understood that we had no control over what was to come. We worried, but remained calm.

Now a days our forecasters seem to predict the end of the world with even a standard thunderstorm. They can't get pictures of the downed trees and power lines on the air fast enough. They'll gleefully tell you about the injuries, the deaths (even if the storm was not to blame), the preliminary cost of damages. They seem to relish being the first to bring you news of the destruction and carnage. This is why I can't bring myself to watch the news anymore. After spending a half-hour listening to them, I'm exhausted. It's nothing but doom and gloom.

Floridians will tell you we have 4 seasons, just like everyone else. Except ours are: Fall, Spring, Summer, Hurricane. Our Hurricane season lasts from June 1 to November 1. Real Floridians will tell you to buckle up and wait it out. The tourists head for higher ground.

Homeowners look towards the sky, sigh, and wait to see how high their next insurance premium will go.