Why are people so complacent when it comes to hurricanes like Ian?

 

The last post I seen on Ian’s death toll was from ABC, in which it said “at least 125 people in Florida have been reported dead due to Hurricane Ian”. It’s going to take weeks and likely months before all the destruction has been sifted through. So, I’m sure the count will at least triple by then. Searchers will likely never find all the victims, as many were undoubtedly washed out into the Gulf of Mexico, with thousands of people still reported missing, the idea of over a thousand lives lost isn’t hard to fathom.    

Bobbi Storm writes a blog called “Hurricane Harbor”, I enjoy reading her post as she talks about tropical cyclones in an interesting and unique way. A few days ago, she talked about how she is surprised by people who were surprised by the power and ferocity of Ian.   She said “Perhaps we are doing something wrong if people do not expect to see the sort of destruction and carnage on barrier islands and beach front property from storm surge that we see from every Major Hurricane.” In the post she describes all the typical impact we see when we talk about major hurricanes, and how it seems every one of them is such a surprise to people, even thou we have seen those same pictures countless times from other major hurricanes.

She went on to say “Lastly, and this really bugs me and yeah, a bit annoyed on this one in that perhaps there is too much attention given "those who rode out the storm" and less on the lives lost. I love The Weather Channel everyone knows that I am publicly on record about loving TWC but I feel like they are looking for the best stories to do their storm episodes of people who survived disaster and while they are popular, they are perhaps sending the wrong message without realizing it.”

What she says is painfully true and incredibly tragic

Growing up in the Texas Panhandle I’m are no stranger to severe weather and tornadoes. That familiarity and fascination, is what led me to storm chasing and then acquiring a degree. When I was chasing, I saw so many people make stupid decisions, sometimes those decisions ended up taking theirs or someone’s life. As I said in a previous post, I’ve been at the landfall point of a few hurricanes, so I know the danger the hurricane and surge bring.  All of that led me to start these weather pages and write in the blog, in an effort to teach a basic understanding of meteorological processes and weather awareness.  

Even though this year’s ACE index is well below average not only in the Atlantic but also the entire Northern Hemisphere. That doesn’t mean the danger from tropical cyclones is less. In fact, it is greater, due to the huge influx of people that have moved to areas of the coast that are prone to impacts from tropical Cyclones.  Hundreds of thousands of extra people also means more homes, cars, and general infostructure that are vulnerable when these tropical cyclones make landfall, increasing the financial costs of the storm.

In today’s age we have instant communication with us all the time, so we’re bombarded with a huge influx of information on all of these platforms. When we watch today’s action movies, the incredible special effects, show incredible turmerol, but ultimately the heroes survive and save the day.  These unrealistic portrayals are likely part of the reason people make dumb discissions when it comes to tornadoes and hurricanes. The media is also part of the problem, they most likely don’t realize it. But, in every hurricane they show people who made reckless decisions and survived strictly because of luck. Everyone watches these people tell their story. I’m sure the stories help the ratings soar. The unintended problem is some think that those people survived, so we will be able to survive too. Maybe they think their house is built a little better, maybe they think because they live a couple of miles inland, maybe they think of countless other reasons, why they would survive. Maybe they will maybe they won’t. We’re often not shown the actual impacts theses poor decisions led to and the death counts are glossed over, I guess those are bad for ratings.

There is no doubt that many people who live in hurricane prone areas, suffer from complacency. The Gulf and Eastern Coast of the United States is no stranger to the power of hurricanes. Even going back before the founding of New World, there are stories that have been handed down from Native Americans of great hurricanes; since then, there have been many recorded monster hurricanes that made landfall on the United States. It’s been 30 years since hurricane Andrew made landfall on southeast Florida as a Category 5. In 2004 The season saw 16 tropical cyclones form, out of those Five hurricanes and three tropical storms made landfall on the United States.  2004 also saw Florida hit by 4 unique hurricanes in six weeks, Charley, Ivan, and Jeanne landfalled as major hurricanes, while Frances was a strong Category 2 at landfall.  Hurricane Charley made landfall on August 13, Hurricane Frances on September 5, Hurricane Ivan on September 16, and Hurricane Jeanne on September 25.

2005 was the 2^nd most active hurricane season on record, with 28 named storms. 8 hurricanes became major. Out of those 28 tropical cyclones, seven named storms made a landfall on the United States during the 2005 season, including Katrina which killed More than 1,800 people.   

Hurricane Irma in 2017 made a landfall on the Florida Keys as a Category 4 hurricane; she then made another landfall as a Category 3 on Marco Island in southwest Florida around midafternoon on September 10th, as a category-3 storm.  2018 saw Category 5 hurricane Michael make landfall on the Florida Panhandle.

The 2020 storm season was the most active season in the recorded history of the Atlantic, 30 named systems formed, out of those 11 named storms made landfall on the United States.  2020 was the most active hurricane season ever in Louisiana, with two hurricanes, one major hurricane, and two tropical storms striking the state.

The 2022 season has been below average in the number of named storms. But as I’ve said many times all it takes is one hurricane to make a season deadly and rememberable. This year that has been Ian. Hurricanes like Ian are rare; but as I showed they are far from unheard of.  

I guess complacency causes people to underestimate their risk for many reasons. So many people move to places like Florida every year; many of these people have never seen a hurricane like Ian. Many people develop complacency due to a false sense of security from glancing blows from weak storms, thinking they now have hurricane experience. Katrina death count was compounded by complacency and poor governmental planning. longtime residents that live in these hurricane prone areas may have been lulled into a false sense of security because it has been so many years since that saw hurricanes like Michael, Katrina, and Ian. I don’t know how to make people get over complacency. But we have to figure out a way, because sooner rather than later another monster hurricane is going to slam into the coastline where lots of people live.