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EPR Archived News |
2005 Hurricane Season Approaches: Are We Facing Another Stormy One?Released on = May 9, 2005, 8:57 am Press Release Author = Janice A. Thompson Industry = Environment Press Release Summary = Pull out those 2005 hurricane tracking charts, folks. A new season is upon us, and forecasters are predicting another active one. Press Release
Body = Spring, Texas, May 9, 2005. Pull out those 2005 hurricane
tracking charts, folks. A new season is upon us, and forecasters
are predicting
another active one. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June
1st through November 30th and people are already buzzing over what
could turn out to be a repeat
of 2004. “Right now, the pattern is very similar to what we
had last year," hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart of the National
Hurricane Center said Tuesday. "So people should plan on this
being another above-average season." Those of us who live in
coastal areas can’t control the weather, but we can and should
be prepared, especially in light of last September’s repetitive
storms. Eva Marie Everson, a Floridian, writes: “As someone
who survived three (hurricanes) last year, I vacillate between thinking
it can't possibly happen again and fearing
the worst. The most difficult part is, around here, being without
air conditioning and water. It's just so blooming hot! The air is
still and stagnant afterward, which makes breathing difficult and
everything smell like death. Especially with all the trees down.
But, I think we're better prepared this year.” Janet Truitt
of Sarasota, Florida, is also wiser after last season’s tragedies.
“We
narrowly escaped hurricanes last year, and friends to our south,
east, and northwest all sustained damages. Disaster can strike anywhere,
and hurricanes are
a trade-off of living in paradise. This year we will take our usual
precautions, knowing that there is only so much we can do. Pretty
much like the rest of life, there's no use worrying about it. We
batten down the hatches the best we can, and the rest is up to God.”
Clearly, people are turning to their faith – and matters of
practicality – to see them through. And it has always been
this way. Janice Thompson, author of HURRICANE, (a novel
about the Galveston hurricane of 1900, the largest natural disaster
in American history) writes, “Life was different in 1900.
Certainly the people on Galveston
Island didn’t have the benefit of technology. They were caught
unawares when the storm hit. And 6000 people died as a result. But
out of that tragedy, came great
triumph. The Islanders built an amazing seawall and raised the grade
of the island. They worked together to prepare for future storms.
Their faith and determination saw them through.” Future storms
did come to tiny Galveston Island, but the seawall held. Lives were
spared. Things aren’t much different today. Communities ban
together after tragedies and feel a sense of unity. Together, they
are a powerful force to be reckoned with –
almost as strong as the storms, themselves. All across the Gulf
Coast we’ve watched people link arms to rebuild. Roofs have
been patched, fallen trees have been cleared and moldy carpet has
been removed. Together, people have clung to their faith and started
afresh, anew. Sure, there is the thought in the back of everyone’s
mind, “What if it happens again?” But spirits are high,
resilience abounds. People will continue to stand
strong. And hope triumphs over tragedy, as always.
So, let the winds blow! People in coastal areas bravely face the
storms in their lives and vow to move forward, regardless of the
struggles involved. # # #
Web Site = http://www.janiceathompson.com Contact Details
= Janice Thompson
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