Opinion
A reminder
TBO.com
Published: June 27, 2012
When this was written, the forecast was that the Suncoast would still be feeling the effects of Debby, when these words were being read. The torrent of rain that began Saturday and continued Sunday, should serve as a reminder to two groups of Floridians about the dangers of living in vulnerable coastal areas.Published: June 27, 2012
The first group is residents of coastal Florida in general and the Suncoast in particular. When it comes to tropical weather, things can go wrong quickly. For a time, forecast models had Debby heading to the west northwest, toward Texas. Someone, however, forgot to tell Debby.
That it is why people should always be prepared to survive on their own for a number of days in a post-storm environment without electricity, water and sewer service and other things people take for granted. The situation in New Orleans and elsewhere along the northern Gulf coast following Hurricane Katrina gave a truer picture of post-disaster life than many people chose to believe.
The other group that should be spurred into action by Debby is state officials. They still have not come fully to grips with (and significantly minimize) the financial danger that Citizens Property Insurance poses to Floridians, because of the amount of store damage claims it would face in the event of a major hurricane, and its inability to meet that obligation without having to reach into the pockets of all state residents — even the ones who live nowhere near areas that will feel the brunt of a hurricane.