Lee reminded us there are worse issues than being overprepared
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Atlantic storm Lee fortunately didn’t find yourself walloping elements of Maine the way in which it appeared prefer it may earlier final week. And naturally, that has led to some grumbling across the watercooler and on social media concerning the storm being overhyped and our collective anticipation being over-the-top.
However we’ll say this: There are worse issues than being overprepared.
At the start, Lee nonetheless took a tragic toll right here in Maine even when the severest projections didn’t materialize throughout the state. The storm claimed one life when a big tree fell on a Winterport man’s automobile on Saturday whereas he was driving, and his household is now mourning the lack of an “wonderful father, uncle, brother, buddy,” in line with a GoFundMe web page.
Lee additionally knocked out energy for hundreds and hundreds of Mainers. A whale watch vessel separated from its mooring in Bar Harbor and washed ashore. A prime state legislative official and his fishing accomplice fortunately and narrowly prevented extra tragedy. They have been rescued Friday morning after a “large rogue wave” flipped the 40-foot lobster boat they have been engaged on, the lawmaker mentioned.
Even with the excessive winds, stormy seas and heavy rain in some elements of the state, Lee’s general affect was not as damaging as some worst-case fears earlier final week. That’s motive to breathe a collective sigh of aid, sure. Nonetheless, we should always all resist the comprehensible pull to say the heightened sense of alarm and preparation was one way or the other an overreaction.
As different states and communities, notably these incessantly within the path of hurricanes, have discovered the arduous manner, there is usually a troublesome steadiness forward of utmost climate when it comes to speaking and understanding threat. Even with advances in expertise and modeling, storm tracks and severity can change. Have a look at the way in which Hurricane Ian stunned folks final fall, with disastrous penalties.
There’s a fixed rigidity in adequately warning folks in order that they are often ready and secure, with out overreacting in a manner that causes panic or a mistrust in future warnings. Authorities (and the media) have to take care to not sound like Hen Little, and the general public should keep away from the phenomenon of “anchoring” after they lock themselves into an early forecast and don’t regulate their preparation based mostly on evolving predictions. Within the midst of this steadiness, we should always all acknowledge that it’s higher to be overprepared than underprepared.
Additionally, simply because the observe of a storm finally ends up sparing some areas, that doesn’t imply its impacts all of the sudden disappear. Storm devastation doesn’t cease at state or worldwide borders. That’s value remembering as our neighbors (and vital commerce companions) in Maritime Canada wrestle with their very own storm fallout after Lee.
Encouragely, probably the most highly effective sentiment throughout Maine in Lee’s wake has seemed to be appreciation — appreciation that it may have been worse, and appreciation for the folks working to attenuate the impacts. For instance, patrons at Ken’s Place Seafood Restaurant in Scarborough applauded a bunch {of electrical} staff and tried to pay for his or her meals on Saturday evening, as reported by Information Heart Maine. The employees declined the free meals however directed the cash towards ongoing fundraisers the restaurant is concerned in to help native charities.
“No one had to do this. Simply clapping and cheering was sufficient. The truth that they wished to drag cash out of their pockets to do one thing like this was above and past,” the restaurant supervisor advised the TV station.
The impulse to help the utility staff was a superb one, even when it finally proved to not be wanted. An identical factor may very well be mentioned about making ready for the worst forward of the storm.
The unlucky actuality in Maine and different elements of the nation is that folks ought to count on excessive climate to grow to be each extra frequent and extra highly effective, fueled by local weather change. The worst case eventualities for particular person storms may not all come to fruition, however we nonetheless must be ready for them.
