For example, Allison in 1995 sent some people evacuating, when Allison turned out to be weak and uneventful, they did not evacuate for Hurricane Erin, which packed one heck of a punch in the Panhandle.
Evacuations cost money, and Floyd's was a little bit too big. I think part of the reason was because people saw the rain bands impacting the coast and thought 140 mph would be in them. Of course, we all know winds of that force are right around the center. Then again, if a 155 mph hurricane (FLOYD) would have hit anywhere from Key Largo to Fernindina Beach, the scene would be like Escape from New York. It really would. Floyd came close, as I remember The Weather Channel's... I forget got winds of TS force approching Hurricane force in West Palm Beach.
Storms that may have turned people to grow complacent:
Allison-95
FELIX-95 (BIG TIME)
Edouard-96
Georges-98 (Big Easy was mad)
Bret-99
Floyd-99(For some)
DEBBY-00 (BIG TIME)
Barry-01
Michelle-01
LILI-02 (MOST WOULD HAVE WANTED TO RIDE A 90-100 MPH STORM OUT!)
So, lets hope for the next 40 years of above normal activity, people listen and NEVER grow complacent!
