Ah Matt, you sound so much like me when I first moved here. Only for me, it was all the hype after Andrew. Ya gotta remember that, when it comes to snow storms, folks don't have to board up to protect property. Not just your own but the school's property as well. It is not fair to compare to a snow storm where ya just let the snow fall & then shovel it up afterwards.
Be careful about thinking that "it can't happen to me" or believing that predictions are better than they are because it will come back & bite ya in the behind. I know. It happened to me. I was living in Punta Gorda when Charley came through. Just like you, I had seen many storms come & go with much hype. Initially, Charley was supposed to be a strong cat 1 - weak cat 2 & pass us by on its way to Tampa. I have a dog & at that time, there were no pet friendly shelters. I decided to stay because I wasn't leaving my dog, it's only going to be a cat 1-2 & would pass by on its way to Tampa. Afterall, the eye is where the damage is done & what were the chances of the eye hitting me? Now I know you are probably thinking, "Why didn't you leave when you knew it was going to be a cat 4?" The answer is because I didn't know that until it was too late. Earlier that morning it was a cat three & they were predicting it was going to go up the river in Ft. Myers & it didn't become a cat 4 until it turned towards us. I will never forget, hunkered down in the bathroom, watching the radar on a portable tv & seeing Charley headed straight for me. I looked at my dog & told her how sorry I was that, because of my stubborness & stupidity, I had put her in that position. I was lucky during Charley, my roof held & we did not get the predicted storm surge. I have learned to never underestimate mother nature & to always err on the side of caution.
