I’m sitting at the front desk of the Mobile airport watching the weather grow worse. Thick clouds fill the sky, making it look like night fall is only moments away. I can only type a few words before the phone rings and people are asking me the same questions about flights and the airport’s operations.
Crowds of people are jammed into Walmart, Winn Dixie and Brunoes. Lines of cars are waiting for gas that has increased by .25 cents a gallon in the past two days. The interstate is impassable.
People are nervous.
I’ll be the first to admit that, while I see there is need for concern, I’m not nervous. Don’t get me wrong, my family and I have prepared more than most others. The house is filled with extras. Extra water, extra batteries, extra food, heck even extra magazines and paper backs have been bought. This morning everything in the yard put away to keep it from flying around. We even made sure to clean the house because if we do have to spend several days without air conditioning it might as well be clean.
But I’m not nervous
Everything that can be done for my and my families safety has been done. While some may say that going ahead and leaving would have been the safest thing of all, I always opt to stay. Remaining at home, I am able to get everything and not run away leaving my house and my family unprepared. I stay and I remain calm.
But there are many people don’t keep calm. You can see them running around panic stricken. They grab every can good in sight, scream at people who get in their way and cause general chaos wherever they go. These people are what make me nervous.
They look at the approaching storm as if it were the fist of god. They lose all sense of rationality and, in the process, endanger both themselves and others.
Folks, I implore those who are also in the path of Gustav to be safe and to make any last minute preparations that are truly necessary. But I also ask for everyone out there to please remain calm and, above all else, realistic. It’s a storm, albeit a bad storm. It’s not the end of the world.
The airport here will be closing early, at 10pm and I can’t wait to go home and relax. Everything needed has been taken care of; food, shelter and all other of life’s necessities are waiting for me. All that’s left to do is sit back, relax and wait for Gustav’s arrival.
Well, to be honest, all that’s left it to sit back, relax and hope for Gustav to evaporate. But that’s not very realistic, now is it?
best of luck to you…you’re staying positive and letting others screw with your day…stay safe!
One has to wonder what goes through the minds of people when a hurricane comes around, especially for those who do not seem to stem from the local viscinity. I mean, how twisted with fear can the minds of people really get? Of course, you are writing about one of the areas that was impacted by some iconic storms such as Ivan and Katrina (I’ve heard of worse, damage wise). Though, I can see how people can be terrified, they see a projected path- the eastern quadrants located to hit them, they just see the worst and begin to do what seems natural- start buying up every single non-perishable food item, all the water, and every drop of gas even at the establishments that choose to price gouge. Ah, hurricane season, what a wonderful time of the year.
I like how you write, especially how you portray a day at the airport with an incoming hurricane- people running around like chickens with their heads cut off.
(I just felt like stopping by and making a comment, enjoy!)