As we drove to the coast Saturday night in order to get ready to cover Hurricane Katrina, we stopped in Ocean Springs, Mississippi to gas up our vehicles. Gasoline the probably be in short supply. Our Storm Chaser van attracts a lot of attention with its lights and logos. A very nice Mississippi State Trooper came up and spoke to us. He asked about the storm and what we thought it would do. We told him that it would be a category four or maybe even a five and that we thought it would go just east of New Orleans and make landfall near Slidell.
We asked him if people were taking the storm seriously. He said no. In fact, he told us a story. Seemed his wife had come in the living room and found him sitting quietly “What’s wrong with you,” she had asked. He told her that he was worried about people’s response. He said that since people had been told than Ivan and Dennis were coming here during the last year, only to have the storms go elsewhere. He said that he was afraid that people would not take the hurricane seriously. He thanked us and we thanked him and we parted company His words stuck with me all weekend.
As we departed Biloxi on Sunday morning after deciding it was just two dangerous, the Troopers’ words reverberated as we detected a rather nonchalant attitude about preparations from residents of the Mississippi Coast. It all came to roost tonight when I heard WKRG-TV (Mobile) anchor Mel Showers begin to cry after he read the report that there are “many” deaths in coastal Mississippi. The Trooper was right.
We asked him if people were taking the storm seriously. He said no. In fact, he told us a story. Seemed his wife had come in the living room and found him sitting quietly “What’s wrong with you,” she had asked. He told her that he was worried about people’s response. He said that since people had been told than Ivan and Dennis were coming here during the last year, only to have the storms go elsewhere. He said that he was afraid that people would not take the hurricane seriously. He thanked us and we thanked him and we parted company His words stuck with me all weekend.
As we departed Biloxi on Sunday morning after deciding it was just two dangerous, the Troopers’ words reverberated as we detected a rather nonchalant attitude about preparations from residents of the Mississippi Coast. It all came to roost tonight when I heard WKRG-TV (Mobile) anchor Mel Showers begin to cry after he read the report that there are “many” deaths in coastal Mississippi. The Trooper was right.
on August 30, 2005, 10:29 am
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