" Yah know, seems to me that individual families and small organizations (churches, pta, lodges, etc.) used to take care of most of this stuff. I mean, if you live in Florida, you know the storms are coming. Maybe not every year like the snow up here. But you know it'll come. We always had stored food, gas candles, etc. And we'd fill up the bath tub (as instructed by the tv people) whenever a storm was headed right to us.
Were we the only ones?"
Ginger,
I lived in South Florida for over 30 years. Been through a number of hurricanes, we always had stored water, tubs filled, gas grills, batteries, flashlights and usually a weeks worth of food. I know my daughter had all of this but a gas grill and I think many people did the same thing as her. We used to have frequent power outages in the summer just with regualr thunderstorms. I think the big problem was that it was a Category 2 storm and usually those tend to not be too bad. I never evacuated unless the winds were over 125 mph as did many I knew. I think that after the storm when people were able to get outside they freaked. I never saw that type of destruction with winds 100 mph or under. I also never saw a hurricane strengthen after it hit land. From what my daughter and her friends have told me that the damage was worse than all three storms last year combined(which she stayed up here in NC for all three of them). To be honest I was ok with the fact that she stayed there with this one. We never thought it would be much of a big deal since she had a weeks worth of supplies. The freaking out started when FPL was saying 3-4 weeks without power and the reports of the violence happening in the gas line. Mind you these report were NOT on the news, but through people she worked with or lived by that is actually happened to( guns and knives not just tempers flaring and screaming).
I realize that there will always be some that take no precautions, but I believe most do. Her only fault was not filling up the gas in her car and taking out more money. When I sent her supplies, the reports were no power for 3-4 weeks. No ATM's for cash to buy from the few stores that would open and no electric to pump gas. You would think gas stations would have their own generators and that stores could use the old fashion credit card machines (the ones you do by hand) especially in south Florida, IMHO.
On a good note, she picked up her packages AFTER hours from UPS , God bless those angels that helped her find the place (no street signs and a lot of debris to maneuver around)stayed late and FPL for her power restored late last night. I personally think the 3-4 weeks might be good PR so when it comes on earlier they will have a much better opinion of FPL and won't complain so much when they get their bill....lol. After she got home and unpacked the everything...boom...lights back on.....lol Gotta wonder if she didn't get the packages if it would have come on.
All in all I think most people did take reasonable precautions.
Nance
