Keep a Healthy Fear of Mother Nature



Tuesday’s editorial reminds us not to get complacent about storms just because Irene was pretty tame:

Grand Stranders dodged Irene’s bullet this past weekend, escaping the storm’s wrath with only minor damage and no deaths. After watching the storm approach for days, some residents and visitors may be wondering what the big deal was. It was just a little rain and a bit of wind, after all. Now let’s get back out on the course; the World Am tournament’s under way.

Twelve years ago, a similar story was playing out. The World Am was about to start up as Hurricane Dennis churned offshore. The mayor warned people to stay off the streets before it arrived, shelters were opened, and police were warning beachgoers to stay out of the water. A few days later, it all seemed for naught, as The Sun News explained on Aug. 31, 1999:

“Hurricane Dennis might have caused more anxiety than anything else among area officials and residents.

“The fourth named storm of the season left sunny skies and rough surf Monday for area residents and visitors after the storm nipped at the S.C. and N.C. coasts.

“Along the Grand Strand, people returned to their normal routines after a weekend of watching weather reports and preparing for the worst. Plywood that sheltered windows and doors was removed Monday and cleanup crews removed debris that littered some yards and streets. The area was spared once again from a direct hurricane hit.”

Phew! It was nice to be back to normal. Unfortunately, it was but a temporary reprieve, as Hurricane Floyd stormed up the coast two weeks later, prompting a massive evacuation of millions of coastal residents from Florida to North Carolina. Following in the footsteps of Dennis, which had already dropped plenty of rain on the Carolinas, Floyd dumped a colossal amount of water into already full rivers. Conway and other areas of the Grand Strand would be flooded for weeks. Thirty-five people were killed in North Carolina. All of a sudden, the danger of hurricanes became very real again.

Why rehash all that history? Irene has left us largely unscathed, even as it scoured more northern parts of the Eastern Seaboard. But we know in choosing to live on the coast that nature has granted us only a brief reprieve this time. Eventually we will see another Hazel or Hugo or Floyd. The forecasters have predicted 12-18 named storms this season. With nine down so far, we’ve still got a ways to go until the season ends on Nov. 30. Jose, Katia, Lee, Maria or another storm yet to be formed in 2011 could still be in the cards for us.

We’re grateful that providence has spared us this time, but history and common sense tell us that it’s not yet time to relax our guard. Irene was only another Dennis for us. But the next one could be a Floyd.

 

“Hurricane Dennis might have caused more anxiety than anything else among area officials and residents.

“The fourth named storm of the season left sunny skies and rough surf Monday for area residents and visitors after the storm nipped at the S.C. and N.C. coasts.

“Along the Grand Strand, people returned to their normal routines after a weekend of watching weather reports and preparing for the worst. Plywood that sheltered windows and doors was removed Monday and cleanup crews removed debris that littered some yards and streets. The area was spared once again from a direct hurricane hit.”

Phew! It was nice to be back to normal. Unfortunately, it was but a temporary reprieve, as Hurricane Floyd stormed up the coast two weeks later, prompting a massive evacuation of millions of coastal residents from Florida to North Carolina. Following in the footsteps of Dennis, which had already dropped plenty of rain on the Carolinas, Floyd dumped a colossal amount of water into already full rivers. Conway and other areas of the Grand Strand would be flooded for weeks. Thirty-five people were killed in North Carolina. All of a sudden, the danger of hurricanes became very real again.

Why rehash all that history? Irene has left us largely unscathed, even as it scoured more northern parts of the Eastern Seaboard. But we know in choosing to live on the coast that nature has granted us only a brief reprieve this time. Eventually we will see another Hazel or Hugo or Floyd. The forecasters have predicted 12-18 named storms this season. With nine down so far, we’ve still got a ways to go until the season ends on Nov. 30. Jose, Katia, Lee, Maria or another storm yet to be formed in 2011 could still be in the cards for us.

We’re grateful that providence has spared us this time, but history and common sense tell us that it’s not yet time to relax our guard. Irene was only another Dennis for us. But the next one could be a Floyd.