Some people are saying that Floridians are so jaded by hurricanes at this point that no one will leave for Ivan.
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By the way nothing happened. I was outside during it and didn't even realize it. There was just a slight cooling breeze and a slight cooling drizzle almost like a mist. Very refreshing, could have used that during the hottest days of summer. Not even any flooding.
Posts: 3446 | Registered: Jul 2002
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I went into campus today, and there were quite a few trees down and such...some of which are blocking sidewalks...though I am not sure it was enough to justify canceling class...and actually having a curfew in gainesville
Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004
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Zan, it was anticlimatic for you because you were not where the brunt of it hit. I'd say the people standing in line for water today, and trying to get gas and food, would not call Frances anticlimatic.
The TV coverage did get to be a bit much, but I think that was possibly mainly because it went on for so many days, as Frances moved slower and slower, and stalled in the Bahamas.
I sure didn't see anyone pointing at a puddle as evidence of the hurricane (I guess you were being facetious), but I was closer to where it hit, so there was more coverage of the wind, rain, surf and damage. Even so, I agree that it didn't have to be 24-7.
Someone wrote a letter to the Miami Herald today suggesting complete coverage of the latest hurricane news every 6 hrs, with just a quick 5 minute update on the hour. That might be a good idea. If they did something like that, I'd also like to see the latest run across the bottom of the screen, just to keep me up-to-date.
When you live one mile from the beach, as I do, and you are told to evacuate, you want to know what's going on, whether it's safe to go home, and just how much wind, water and damage are affecting your neighborhood. So I was pretty hooked to that TV coverage, even when it got boring and redundant.
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I agree completely zgator. Most of my family lives in north Florida now, though we all lived south of Miami before Andrew. They all lost power and a few tree limbs, but nothing more. To quote my dad, "These people still don't know what a real hurricane is, and I hope they never do."
In my mind, though, the problem with the news coverage is that they hype it up to the point that people would be justified in thinking it was a devastating natural disaster. "Look--I almost got hit by a palm tree falling down, but I still managed to remain standing--that's the fury of Frances!" I can't imagine them hyping anything more than they did Frances, even if it were a catastrophic storm. What about when that "big one" comes? Will anyone listen?
To anyone who was severely affected by this storm, I hope I don't sound callous. I realize there was serious damage in W.Palm, Melbourne and other places in the Eastern part of the state. All I'm saying is that people who only got remnants of this storm could easily think they've experienced the full fury of a major hurricane to hear the idiotic newscasters talk.
Posts: 107 | Registered: Jan 2004
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Not to worry, hurricane hopefuls.... Ivan is on his way. I always loved characters named Ivan in Russian novels. Maybe Vanya will be good to you all and show you a nice time. Posts: 2843 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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Ela, I didn't mean to belittle what a lot of people did experience. It's just that here in Orlando, the damage didn't even approach what we had after Charley. I'm sure a lot of that is due to the fact that most of the trees that were going to go over, already had. The eye passed right over my parents in Lake Wales and they never even lost power.
And, no, I didn't make up the puddle story. This was before the hurricane was really close enough to be do anything to us, but there was our intrepid reporter in Brevard County. He had to say something. "Ooh look, a puddle of water."
I don't really mind the hype so much. Just that it was constant and for so long. Frances could have been much worse than it was. It could have easily picked up strength after the Bahamas and been Cat. 4 again and caused far more destruction than it did.
Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
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I am back home again. (Well, actually, I am back at work again right now, but that's a different story. ) No damage to our house that I am aware of. It does not appear that we even lost power. (Whereas the hotel we stayed in in Georgia the night before last did!) We will leave our plywood up until we see what Ivan does.
Anne Kate, I was afraid of hurting your feelings. We really appreciated your offer, and came close to taking you up on it, but in addition to Cor and me, and Mango and Banana, and our two dogs, we also brought my father with us. Five people and two dogs (who are only marginally housebroken) seemed like quite a lot to throw at somebody, and so we stayed with Cor's parents instead. Again, though, your offer was generous and kind.
Regarding the coverage, I appreciated it. I took Thursday off from work-- again--to board up my house. I left the TV on inside, and each time I came in the house for something, I was able to get an update. During the day, several stations went away from hurricane coverage, and I was grateful that when channel two switched to Elimidate, channel six was still showing it, and when channel six went to soap operas, channel nine still had storm coverage.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Ah, well, you would have been quite welcome! This IS the last hatrack homely house, after all! And what could be more fun than a house full of you guys? As it was we had a great party here, anyway. But I don't ever get hurt or upset if people find it better to make different plans. No worries! Just offering. We will get together sometime or other for sure. Especially since I have 2 fiances in Central Florida now. Posts: 2843 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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I think we need to put the liberals in charge of the weather, so that we can equalize the amount of moisture that goes to every state.
Posts: 438 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Gotta go with the "appreciate constant coverage" here. Partly because on the east coast of central Florida, we didn't know until the last minute if Frances might turn our way or, worse, bounce northward along the coast, and our evacuation options are basically I-95 and U.S. 1, both of which clog easily. And partly because, as Ic said, it was good to know I could turn on the TV and get an update immediately.
We are still without power at home. Got home late Monday night and couldn't really inspect, but Tuesday morning found that our huge tree in the front yard cracked at the top and about half of it is now draped over our power line. Didn't damage the house or the line, but it needs to be dealt with before power can come back on. Also there's a tree across the line in front of our house, same sort of situation.
Three houses on our street still have big trees on or in them. My brother-in-law a few streets over has a large oak leaning on his roof. Currently I have to detour several streets over to get home because another large tree is still crossing our road and resting comfortably inside a neighbor's living room.
Several streets and parkways in the area are still, four days later, impassable lakes. I'm going through photos to update our photo gallery and looking at all the houses and businesses damaged, broken, or just plain gone. While I'm very glad everyone here is OK and not terribly inconvenienced, there's no reason to bitch about the coverage. This was a big deal. Still is. The newscaster had to keep finding things to talk about because they didn't dare stop covering the storm, not when it was just sitting there hovering and could have gone in any direction and the more warning they can give people, the better. If constant coverage of an approaching hurricane bothers you, go watch a DVD or something.
If you have power, that is.
[ September 09, 2004, 11:06 AM: Message edited by: Chris Bridges ]
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quote:Gotta go with the "appreciate constant coverage" here. Partly because on the east coast of central Florida, we didn't know until the last minute if Frances might turn our way or, worse, bounce northward along the coast, and our evacuation options are basically I-95 and U.S. 1, both of which clog easily. And partly because, as Ic said, it was good to know I could turn on the TV and get an update immediately.
Yeah, like I said, I was hooked to that coverage, even when it got redundant...
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Excerpts from The Handbook for Roving Hurricane Correspondents:
Welcome to the exciting world of hurricane journalism!
While your highly paid colleagues on the anchor desk are broadcasting from the dry safety of a heavily fortified television studio, you and your camera crew will be out in the maw of the storm, risking your lives for no good reason.
• What you should wear: Always choose the flimsiest rain jacket available, to visually dramatize the effect of strong winds. All foul-weather gear should be brightly colored in the event you're swept out to sea or sucked down a drainage culvert, and someone actually goes searching for you.
• What you should televise: The first rule of hurricane coverage is that every broadcast must begin with palm trees bending in the wind. Never mind that the puniest summer squall can send a coconut palm into convulsions, your producer will demand this meaningless shot.
Once the storm begins, you can forget about swaying palm trees and concentrate on ficus, banyans, oaks and Austrialian pines -- the ones that actually go down.
Fallen-tree video is absolutely essential to hurricane broadcasts. The most sought-after footage is, in order of ratings:
1. Big tree on strip mall.
2. Big tree on house.
3. Big tree on car.
4. Small tree on car.
5. Assorted shrubbery on car.
Note: The Hurricane Broadcasters Code of Ethics forbids correspondents from purposely knocking down any native vegetation with a TV satellite truck to simulate weather damage.
• Where you should go: The days before a hurricane are the most challenging for roving correspondents, because not much is happening. Needless to say, if you've got a choice between hanging out at the local Home Depot or cruising the beach, head immediately for the surf.
When the storm finally comes ashore, always stand dangerously near the rough water and position yourself so that the spray hits you directly in the face. If it's not raining yet, take off your hood and let the wind mess up your hair.
Remember: A wet, tired and weather-beaten appearance is crucial to your credibility as a hurricane journalist.
• What you should say: When covering a hurricane, there's no such thing as overstating the obvious. And, let's face it, how many different ways can you say it's rainy, windy and miserable?
To break the monotony, you might take a guess at how high the ''storm surge'' will be, even though you won't have a clue. Tedious lulls in the action will also offer the opportunity to ramble on about ''feeder bands,'' which is the slick new term for squall lines.
And when the dry, well-fed anchorfolks back in the air-conditioned studio ask you to sum up the situation in your location, always say the following:
``Conditions are deteriorating, Dwight.''
• Whom should you interview: As a hurricane advances, it's standard procedure to chat with evacuees, hotel owners, utility workers and disappointed tourists.
The two mandatory video loops are (a) worried residents boarding up and (b) harried residents standing in long lines to purchase water, batteries and other supplies.
Once the storm is imminent and the coastlines are evacuated, your interview possibilities will be reduced to:
1. Police and emergency personnel who are out on the streets because it's their job.
2. Amateur ''storm chasers'' and other wandering dolts who wish to experience the force of a hurricane up-close and personal.
3. Surfers.
Of these, surfers are by far the most entertaining interview subjects for TV. Unfortunately, you could easily die trying to talk them out of the water.
• What to do when the hurricane actually strikes: Obviously the sensible move is to broadcast from the protected lee of a strong building, but for that you could get fired.
Your producer will instead order you to step into the teeth of the storm, where you risk being clobbered by flying glass, coconuts, shingles, patio furniture or surfboards.
This is an act of utter derangement, but it makes for amusing television. If you survive, your next mission will be to find and film a major piece of hurricane debris -- the money shot.
Remember, your viewers' expectations are high. They've watched that big slow mother whorling across the Doppler for a week, and they've been primed for devastation on a biblical scale.
Take no chances. Proceed immediately to the nearest trailer park, being extra careful not to crash into other TV crews on the way.
• What to do when the worst is over: A friendly reminder -- The Hurricane Broadcasters Code of Ethics strictly prohibits drinking on the air. However, only you and your camera crew need know what goes on in the privacy of the satellite truck. If anybody asks, you know what to say: ``Conditions are deteriorating, Dwight.''
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I can't imagine them hyping anything more than they did Frances, even if it were a catastrophic storm. What about when that "big one" comes? Will anyone listen? ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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at Joe
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PSI
