The Gulf, Atlantic and all Southern states recently paid homage to Severe Weather Awareness Week. That's excellent. We listen with good intentions.
more Colmans columns...While local and state governments, along with Federal Emergency Management Agency and state National Guard units, work hard to get their plans updated, there are a few million people involved in these states that often miss the point of why these drills take place and what it means to prepare.
Let's look at what happened starting from the recent past with hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike, and devastating floods that affected several states more than once. Look at the sky the next time a severe thunderstorm approaches and watch the cloud to ground strikes that invariably result in house, apartment and business fires that destroy not just things but often kill people.
How many people will continue to lose their lives because they refuse to evacuate when a major hurricane is headed their way? How many people continue to get trapped in quickly rising water because they ignore weather warnings, don't pay attention to local news or have a weather alert radio?
How many homes and apartments catch fire from lightening or other causes, and the occupants have no evacuation plan, no idea of how they can get out of their dwelling if the main exits are blocked, or don't even have working smoke alarms at home?
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