Cliff Notes on the News

Cliff Notes on the News

Veteran San Diego news director and reporter Cliff Albert shares his thoughts on the latest news and stories each weekday at 7:22am. Full Bio

 

Hurricanes or Wildfires: What It Means to be Prepared

Hurricane Irma Getty Images

Living in Southern California we live with the threat of wildfires and earthquakes.

Once you’ve lived here for a while, you learn that while the threat of them is always there, you don’t worry about them. But you do learn that you need to be prepared for them just in case.

And the people who live in Florida learn the same thing.  They know that hurricanes do happen from time to time and they learn that being prepared is important.

Just listen to the people there who have been preparing for days and know how to secure their homes when a big storm is headed their way, boarding up windows and the like to limit the possible damage.

But just as when a wildfire here in Southern California gets out of control and starts spreading quickly, when a hurricane like this one that is heading toward Florida right now is the size that it is, they know that being prepared and being ready to evacuate can be keys to survival.

It’s even more important to be prepared when a hurricane like this one becomes so big that whole cities and islands face mandatory evacuations.  With so many people all trying to leave at the same time, as we’re seeing, highways become clogged, gas becomes scarce and people can begin to feel overwhelmed and frightened.

When you are ordered to leave your home it is a scary thing.  Those of us here in Southern California who have had to evacuate from our homes when a wildfire is approaching, certainly know what that’s like.

For the people of Florida, this is one of those times. Just like it was for the people of southeast Texas.  You know these things can happen and that’s why you prepare for them, because you know if you don’t, you are putting yourself and others at risk.

And as one mayor in south Florida put it, we are prepared and now we pray.

(Photo credit Getty Images)


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