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THE
TALLAHASSEE
NEWS
An Independent Voice
in the Big Bend Since 1996
'Where there is no vision the people perish' |
TALLAHASSEE RESIDENTS ARE UNPREPARED FOR HURRICANE, COMMUNITY STUDY SUGGESTS
County Urged to Move Emergency
Offices from Leon County Jail
Michael E. Abrams, Editor of The News
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Editorial What are we waiting for? Who is listening here? |
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See the award- winning Florida Wildflower pages for Florida nature photographs and digest of local nature activities. http://www. flwildflowers.com |
Can this little David of a newspaper warn our Goliath bureacracy of
public officials?
Our web site contains a report that should alarm anyone concerned with safety of the public. It shows a majority of the people in Leon County feel that Tallahassee is unprepared to face a major hurricane.
A significant percentage of residents do not have a hurricane plan - something advocated by all informed emergency personnel. The minority community is especially in danger according to the poll conducted by a Florida A&M graduate research class. The report, which builds on this poll and further research, was submitted by the editor in his capacity as a researcher and professor at Florida A&M University. It reflects contact with local, state and national weather experts as well as a local scientific poll. To elaborate even further than the report does, Tallahassee and Leon County will face - • A shutdown of ordinary public life for weeks with hundreds of people injured or traumatized. •Extensive damage to homes by falling trees and windblown objects, causing people to be unable to live in their homes. •Severe flooding in homes near lakes and in communities with poor drainage. •A flood of refugees from neighboring counties that we are unequipped to handle. •Weeks without electricity and refrigeration for the majority of residents, and lack of basics such as safe water or gasoline to run generators. Here's how to begin: We suggest an independent Leon Emergency Management agency and removal from the cramped jail building. This county needs a new building with proper facilities. We also suggest that government find a way to cut down trees endangering homes. We advocate that risk communication studies be made to determine how to reach all segments of this community. Minorities especially feel left out. And there is more. We urge everyone to read this report and to contact local and state officials who have copies of it sitting on their desk. Michael E. Abrams Advertisements |
