Too Many Complacent People in South Florida

[gatorcane]

I just had a brief conversation with somebody regarding the fact that South Florida is overdue for another major hurricane. His comment was that "I've lived here [Ft. Lauderdale] since 1963 and had to use my Hurricane shutters once for Andrew. 2004 aside, South Florida is protected by the Bahamas and the larger islands to the South. More storms affect the Carolinas." I have a feeling many think the same down here. I want to get this IMPORTANT fact out to people for those who live in South Florida or even Florida for that matter:

The 1960s till last year has been a relatively quiet period for South Florida but if you look back between the 1930s-1950s, Florida was hit by a major hurricane once every 2 years and hit from every direction.

The signs are that we are moving into another active era again

[cyclonaut]

I can't stand that sort of ingnorance myself..where I live most people will be ready when the time comes,everyone either has their shutters or has plywood.Sometimes I will run into people with that frame of mind that it cant happen to him/her & I just shrug my shoulders in amazement of this persons lack of common sense.

Oh well you can't save everybody....

[StormChasr]

Oh, nobody here in the Daytona area is the least complacent. Charlie served us a major plate full of whuppin', and we're quite nervous at the thought of 2005.

[EDR1222]

You are right Chris. Those years were bad for Florida. Not to mention the 1926 Miami Hurricane and the 1928 Okeechobee Category 4 storm.

Interesting note about those two storms is that during both years there was a doube strike on the east coast of FL. Before the great Miami Hurricane there was a Category 1-or 2, ( not sure) July storm that passed to the north and came ashore near the Jupiter-Stuart area I believe and there was also a similar type storm that came through the Jupiter area before the 1928 storm.

[Anonymous]

See: http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=60992

[corpusbreeze]

I think it may be worse down here in South Texas. It has been way to long since a major cane has made landfall. I would think people in south Florida would be on their toes after a season like last year even if they didn't get hit.

[Anonymous]

Six years ago, Hurricane Bret hit South Texas as a Category 3 major hurricane.

[HURAKAN]

This is normal every year, there is nothing, I believe, the people would have to experience to be ready. Is true that every person that is severely affected by a hurricane is always aware in the, approximately, the next 3 years to come. But as time passes no other hurricanes comeback, every year advisories are posted, but they no feel the power of the storm. Then, the people begin ignoring the hurricane threat. It seems that people need to experience hurricanes every year to be prepared, like all the persons in Tornado Alley, that each year are reminded of the destructive power of a tornado.

This battle will always continue except if we experience a hurricane like in Maximum Velocity. Nice science fiction, but not close to reality.

People are like that, they make learn from harsh experiences but time cures even dramatical events.

[Derek Ortt]

a quick note: in the old days, Frances would have been listed as a 3 since pressure was used for SSHS categories, until very recently (after Gloria in fact). I am suspicious that some of the 3's were really 1's and 2's

[george_r_1961]

The Bahamas protect Florida? If that wasnt so sad it would be funny. True the islands have some effect by either slowing/stopping intensification or even slightly weakening a storm..especially a slow moving one. But its not like there a shield there that hurricanes bounce off of. That kind of thinking is dangerous and stupid IMHO.

[rainstorm]

hispaniola and to some extent eastern cuba can break up canes, but i dont think the bahamas have much impact at all

[george_r_1961]

hispaniola and to some extent eastern cuba can break up canes, but i dont think the bahamas have much impact at all

Must be Castros beard disrupting the circulation.

[gatorcane]

Castro's beard. lol.

[CourierPR]

The Bahamas did not protect us from Andrew. That barrier idea is voodoo meteorology.

[gatorcane]

Yeah the bahamas don't do anything to hurricanes. If anything they strengthen around the Bahamas because of the relatively warmer and shallower water. Cuba can weaken storms but the western part is very flat and narrow so has a minimal impact. Look at Charley...it weakened very little and then quickly because a cat 4 once it hit the 85-88 degree water temps off SW FL.

[gatorcane]

Here's the issue...FL did get hit by 4 storms last year but ironically South FL (West Palm South to the Keys) was one of the few areas that did not see the action. Think about that. Every other area except parts of North Central FL was impacted. So what has happened is that there are South Floridians that are looking at last season as a "fluke" and that a major hurricane is unlikely to hit for a while. But they don't realize that the pattern that may be unfolding spells D-O-O-M. We have seen an enormous amount of growth over the past 50+ years when the hurricane season has been quiet and rightfully so. South Florida is absolutely beautiful. But there is a price. Now picture going into an active 20+ years and let's see how many people will have seconds thoughts of living here

[T'Bonz]

^
Um, I'm in Broward and we saw action, with Frances. One couldn't step far outside when it was raging.

[wxman57]

You might take a look at a web page about the weather patterns and Florida's history before last season. We've moved back to a similar climatological pattern to the 1940s-1960s, when Florida was hit by 12 major hurricanes over a 25 year period:

http://myweb.cableone.net/nolasue/florida/

[Cookiely]

If image 3 and 4 doesn't get your attention, I don't know what will. It really tells it all. A picture is worth a thousand words.

[wxman57]

If image 3 and 4 doesn't get your attention, I don't know what will. It really tells it all. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Or image 7, a plot of major hurricane tracks (only the parts of the track when they were at Cat 3-4-5 intensity) for a 25-year period when the Atlantic was in warm phase and the eastern Pacific cool:

<img src="http://myweb.cableone.net/nolasue/florida/1944to1969floridamajora.gif">