Worst Case Hype Scenario

[ObsessedMiami]

The slowing of Wilma over the Yucatan seems like the worst case scenario for local news coverage. Already we are starting to see saturation coverage. last evening, Local 10 here in Miami ran several hours of primetime coverage but, with the storm waiting and waiting, they have nothing really concrete to add. We see the same pictures of the track, the same live updates from Key West and Naples. endless shots of Publix and Home Depot. Anytime I hear someone say "nothing happened" when a storm luckily passes us by, I thank the endless hype. Is it a major news story? Yes. Does information save lives? yes. should they have continuous coverage when a watch is issued? Ok sure. But four days from a potential landfall?????????

[Nimbus]

Actually the UKMET scenario is worse for Miami. The UKMET model keeps Wilma off the coast of the Yucatan intensifying over warm SST's and then runs the eye up the keys.

[Taffy]

The Hype is too much. I truly feel that 3 days out is enough time to cover it.
The waiting is so emotionally damaging. The financial cost of getting ready for a storm that they don't even know where and when it is coming.. is damaging.

Now, we are up to Monday and Tuesday. Good grief

[gtalum]

The Hype is too much. I truly feel that 3 days out is enough time to cover it.

In their defense, with the unpredictability of this storm's speed, every day is predicted to be three days out from landfall.

[gtalum]

doh!

[BocaGirl]

The way I see it, the tv stations are darned if they do and darned if they don't with Wilma. IF she was a normal storm, the coverage would be about right ...... obnoxious and designed to make people crazy to be sure, but no more or less than any other storm in recent memory. That's IF she was a normal storm, we all know Wilma is anything but normal.

It would be great if a local station had the guts to say, Hey, since Wilma isn't going to touch our viewing area for four days, we aren't going to mention it much, but people want to know the latest track so badly (even if there isn't one) that they'd just punch the dial to the next station. At this point it's less about information and more about ratings.

Are people over-hyped? Sort of. More like numbed out. Here in my Boca Raton office the folks just want it to be over. They are prepared with food, water, batteries. We've gone through Frances, Jeanne and Katrina so we know the drill.

The funny thing is that some people are starting to eat the special hurricane munchies and snacks they have on hand for the storm. The stress of waiting is just too much.

BocaGirl
Barbara

[ObsessedMiami]

I understand they are simply responding to the craving for information... But I saw no need for 10 to preempt primetime programming on Thursday night. Anyway, my whole point I was worried that the "numbing out" of people intensifies the complacency of people if the storm slides by.

[BocaGirl]

Anyway, my whole point I was worried that the "numbing out" of people intensifies the complacency of people if the storm slides by.

If the one misses us, I suspect we could have a Cat 5 bearing down on us and most people would yawn and say "Oh sure. Right."

BocaGirl
Barbara

[fci]

The Hype is too much. I truly feel that 3 days out is enough time to cover it.

In their defense, with the unpredictability of this storm's speed, every day is predicted to be three days out from landfall.

So true.
I have gone to the "How Close Can it Get" site;

http://stormcarib.com/closest.htm

after each advisory for the past 3 days and each time the closest it can get is listed as between 84-96 hours!

The waiting is excruciating.
Let's just get it over.

IMO, if and when it comes to Fl. it will be significantly weaker and all we will experience on the EC are Tropical Storm conditions.

Hope I am right; might be -removed- but the longer it takes the more likely this will end up not being a big deal... (at least for us, I feel for those folks down in Cancun/Cozumel)

[LabelleMichele]

The way I see it, the tv stations are darned if they do and darned if they don't with Wilma.

Exactly. If they didn't start 5 or more days out and the worse happened, then people would be screaming at them for not making them aware.
Now they are making them TOO aware.
Can't win!
{Michele}

[LabelleMichele]

Also, thanks to FCI for that link. Very interesting!
{Michele}

[xraymike1]

Great Link FCI. As native to PBC, I was always told that the storm that directly impact Palm Beach County come thru Swan Island. Looks like that might be the case again. And having worked in the TV news busines, it is about the rating as much as the information no matter who you talk to because the Station GM is not going to lose prime time commeral revenue for no reason.

[arkess7]

The way I see it, the tv stations are darned if they do and darned if they don't with Wilma.

Exactly. If they didn't start 5 or more days out and the worse happened, then people would be screaming at them for not making them aware.
Now they are making them TOO aware.
Can't win!
{Michele}

They have to start evacuating early so people can get out if they need too. Yea the waiting sucks but its better safe than sorry...thats why they start 5 or more days before the storm hits...and yea the media always over dramatizes everything.....but we all know that.....they are the media!!

[jax]

it's just a now win situation...