THIS IS BEING KEYED FROM SOUTH FLORIDA as Hurricane (Tropical Cyclone) Irma is buffeting the area with strong winds and rain.
The wind, trying to sneak past accordion shutters and the rain, beating against those shutters, is making a racket, albeit not so loud as to prevent an afternoon nap from the boredom of being sequestered in a 10 year old house.
This scrivener has lived in Florida for many years and has “survived” a fair number of severe storms, (I was not in town when Andrew devastated south Florida in 1992, but I have been in storms in south, central, and Gulf areas of the state.)
According to an Israel HaYom headline reading Israelis in Florida report 'hysterical panic' as Irma approaches (see URLs below),
Israeli expats in Sunshine State report sky-high prices for airline tickets out of Florida, gas and water shortages • Irma to hit Sunday as Category 4 storm • Model shows Irma moving west • National Hurricane Center: This is a life-threatening situation.
Now, as the late Paul Harvey was wont to say, The rest of the story,
About a week before Irma made landfall on Sunday, 10 September 2017, local officials had been telling residents to prepare to relocate or to prepare to ride out what was expected to be a Category 5 storm. A Category 5 storm’s MINIMIM wind speed is 156 mph. More than a week out, Irma seemed poised to hit Miami and Dade County head on.
All the media had the information. All the media repeated what emergency managers said about hurricane preparation: get ouFHer familyt or get prepared to survive the storm in situ. Board up windows, stock up on non-perishables, have at least a gallon of water per individual per day, get plenty of batteries for flashlights, check first aid kits and make sure prescription medicines were available for 10 days or so. Fill up the flivver with fuel.
Over and over and over again the media mantra played on tv, radio, and in the press.
Moreover, the state government made it very clear it would punish price gougers severely.
A week before the storm, there was plenty of fuel across the state to get the worst gas guzzler across the Florida-Georgia or Florida-Alabama line.
HOWEVER, Israel HaYom managed to find “ex-pat Israelis” who, despite all the media hype, refused to listen. Israeli chutzpah or Israeli stupidity?
A 71 year old Israeli told Israel HaYom, "There's hysterical panic here. We don't have any gas, and the supermarkets are empty. We're really in a state of siege."
There was, as far as this scrivener could tell, no panic anywhere in Dade (Miami) or Broward (Fort Lauderdale) counties. There were some MINOR altercations at some gas stations on the day before the storm hit, and there were delays getting to the pump at the lowest price-per-gallon stations. (I waited about 10 minutes to fill up; everyone was calm and polite.) Police were stationed at some gas stations in Dade County, mostly to keep the lines moving.
Several days before “D-Day” we hit the markets — super, kosher, and dollar. The only thing not found on my list was more fuel for my two hurricane lanterns. (They both are filled to the brim and Florida Power and Light (FPL) has an excellent reputation for keeping the power on in my neighborhood. Well into the second day of wind and rain and the lights flickered once with no impact on things electronic and once for a few seconds requiring me to set a clock.)
Under the same headline, a woman opted to shell out for pricey plane tickets and fly out of Florida with her husband, their three children and the family dog. Her family was headed for San Francisco. "The airlines are taking everyone for a ride and the prices are insane. But it's better to be safe than sorry. There's crazy stress here. The schools are closed. The whole family is glued to the news and most places have run out of water and gas. Not to mention the traffic jams [caused by the mass evacuation]," she said.
Anytime anyone flies from Miami to San Francisco they can expect “pricy plane tickets.”
If her “entire family” was “glued to the news” she — and they — have no excuse for waiting to relocate for the duration. Schools were closed for (a) student safety and (b) to be used for FREE shelters-as-a-last-resort. There even are shelters that welcome pets. The family had options they preferred not to exercise.
Israel HaYom reported that Irma has also rubbed some of the sweetness off one couple's honeymoon; the newly weds were in Orlando. "Shortly after midnight we got emergency messages on our mobile phones that would put the apocalypse to shame -- 'Leave now!'"
As of Thursday, 9/17, Orange County (Orlando) had issued NEITHER evacuations orders or curfews.
ARUTZ 7 picked up an NPR story, including the NPR headline Who stayed in Miami despite fear of Irma?.
NPR's Kirk Siegler lead off his blurb with Many have evacuated south Florida, but many others either can't get out or are choosing to stay behind and hunker down, prompting concerns about whether there is enough shelter space.
The NPR story starts off that “More than 5 million people have been warned to evacuate South Florida, including in Miami-Dade County.” He could be correct; people living along the coast, on the islands — including Miami Beach, in low-lying areas, and in mobile homes were told to evacuate, albeit police did not go door-to-door enforcing the order. Miami and many other parts of Dade County have a history of flooding. Some people living near construction cranes also were advised to ride out the storm elsewhere. (Irma did damage one crane and that crane damaged a nearby building.) To Siegler’s credit, or perhaps an editor’s, the copy correctly read “More than” rather than incorrectly “Over…”
Siegler noted that there are many homeless in Dade County. What he failed to mention — or perhaps he couldn’t be bothered to find out — that there was transportation for these people who were WILLING to go to a shelter — they cannot be forced into a shelter — and others who were taken to a hospital for mental evaluation (Baker Act) where they can be accommodated for 72 hours.
MEANWHILE, according to Arutz 7, there is delegation of the Israelife Foundation headed for Miami to help the Jewish and Israeli communities following Hurricane Irma.
A delegation of the Israelife Foundation left for Miami on Saturday night to help the local Jewish community and Israeli community in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
"We will lead groups of residents on missions that will arise following Hurricane Irma, which is said to be the most powerful storm ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean" one volunteer said.
Having been involved in emergency management for a number of years, and having worked with other emergency managers around the world, having volunteers — no matter how skilled and how willing — drop in sans coordination with the overall emergency management operation causes more trouble for both professional and volunteer personnel and for the people they are present to assist.
There was no indication in the Arutz 7 article that the Israelis were invited or with whom they are to report.
LINKS
Israelis in Florida
http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=45243
Orlando “Leave now!”
https://newsroom.ocfl.net/2017/09/orange-county-activates-level-2-status-ahead-hurricane-irma/
NPR
http://www.npr.org/2017/09/09/549690133/those-who-remain-in-miami-brace-for-irma
Volunteers
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/235278?utm_source=activetrail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl
PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.
