A personal observation on the storms since oh Katrina

[nadinbrzezinski]

Way back in the day... my Emergency Operation Center had a few radios, ours, cops, fire... US Fire, US Cops, US Ambulances (we were that close to the border), a telephone like and a map on the wall, which was out of date by a few years...

Our weather updates came through either though the NOAA weather radio, or through a landline connected to a 600 baud modem. Watching a satellite picture load on that screen was like watching paint dry. Correct me actually, it was faster to watch the paint dry. We still managed.

These days I am here, seating in my living room watching real time info I only could dream off back then on my freaking TV.

This has advantages (for example for FEMA national HQ, they are getting quite the big picture here) and disadvantages... (many folks who do not appreciate it could get tired of the overblown coverage...)

So far though we have had seven deaths tied to this and the COMPUTER MODELING for NYC, for example, look worrisome if you know what you are looking at.

I am damn glad for the tech, but can see easily how it can add to the anxiety.

When we really got HIGHT TECH, we had two tvs, one tuned to the NATIONAL NOOZ and one tuned to local shit stirrers... err nooz critters...

It is amazing to me just how far we have advanced though. And this actually helps to reduce casualties actually... and when Katrina hit... I turned to hubby and went... this is L-4 disaster, aka the kind that needs international response. I am glad that my Senator listened and we got that going. This... I half joke that I hope the Mexican Navy is on standby and it has all to do with the geographic extent of this.

For the record there is another tool that has ben developed for the military but has a good use in this... them drones... I do hope they fly a few over the zone... for emergency response purposes.