Open Letter to Hurricane Coverage Outlets

I, like millions and millions of Americans, have been watching the recent storms with baited breath. I am a former resident of South Florida, and I made it through several hurricanes in my time there. Often, locals scoff at evacuation requests as "over hype" and "panic over nothing". Truth be told, a lot of the time the storms really turn into nothing but some wind and minor damage. To some degree, I understand the lack of urgency in evacuating in most circumstances. The media does a stupendous job of sensationalizing everything for ratings, and Hurricane Irma is no exception. This time around, however, Irma is a serious storm that threatened many nations in the Caribbean- completely decimating some of the smaller islands like Barbuda. People have lost their entire world- their homes, belongings, and in some cases, their loved ones. When Irma threatened to make landfall in Florida, the state did the right thing by calling a state of emergency early enough to evacuate many people. Others straggled behind to wait it out- finding that the storm was indeed coming, and they had no time to get out. Gas was not available, traffic leaving the state was bumper to bumper, and many began to panic. Those that were forced to stay behind did so- either bravely, scoffing at another "wet fart" or reluctantly, and terrified. Many people I love still reside in Florida- and most could not evacuate. Some elected not to, falling into the "wet fart" mentality. Though I plead with them to reconsider, they made their decisions, and they were final. As the hurricane missed the Miami area, it skirted up the gulf side of the state- to where many of the east coast evacuated to. Once again, these people reacted to a potential threat based on the information they were given. Many of them will return to their homes unscathed- with a sense of "I panicked for nothing". While I sit here, thousands of miles from the area of landfall, I am tuned into every outlet I have access to. Television, internet, emergency systems, etc. I'm listening intently- still not convinced that this storm has finished its wrath, as my Floridian friends begin to chuckle at how much ado was made about nothing. I would first like to remind them that while we have an idea of what a storm will do, we don't ever have definitive answers. Even a slight wobble in the eye can push a storm into a position to strengthen again, move the projected path, and turn that wet fart into a total disaster. Evacuating should ALWAYS be the goal- lest we forget the Charlies and Katrinas and Andrews of storms past. But then there are the weather and news outlets- and as I type this, I'm watching the Weather Channel's Mike Bettis in Ft. Meyers being all but blown over by what was first a category 4 storm when it made landfall. At one point, he was near a crawl trying to stay upright. Having lived in Florida, I can tell you from first hand experience that the wind can cause the most unpredictable outcomes. During Charlie, I went out to walk my dog. We weren't getting much other than a strong gust here and there. One of the gusts blew while she was doing her business on a patch of grass near the Marriott hotel in the downtown area. The gust took down one of the letters in the Marriott sign, all of a hundred feet from me. I was spared thankfully but learned that lesson. The government and every media outlet has encouraged all residents to bear down. Take cover if you can't leave- and here are these reporters risking life and limb- sometimes laughing, while the wind almost takes their legs out from underneath them. First, I think that as news outlets go, they often risk their journalists' lives to get the best stories before anyone else, and I understand that the journalists often elect to do these stories hoping to one up another reporter for ratings and accolades of fearlessness and the like. But this sends a different message to many. A dangerous one. Having the journalists prancing around during these storms says- "Do as I say, not as I do." It says that you lied. Clearly, having a man blowing in the wind is great drama to add to ratings. But what are the odds that he could be gravely injured? That a member of his team, an unnamed party in the newscast could be harmed- if not killed while the anchors watch and chuckle as the wind and rain whip these people? Others see that and feel the storms are overhyped. "If it was that dangerous, these guys wouldn't be out there in the storm either." It doesn't inspire a sense of urgency. It silently sends a message that these reports are done for ratings, the hype surrounding the storms are done to bring interest to the channels' broadcasts, and less and less people evacuate when they should. This opens the door for the next Katrina to come on in, and this time, this one kills how many people that didn't heed the warnings? You can only cry wolf so many times before something horrible happens. How many storms does Mike Bettis need to take on before he is hit with debris or impaled somehow? How many civilians will see this report and run out to do the same thinking it's no big deal, and fun? It's irresponsible and contradictory to what the media advises their viewers to do. If you are truly concerned with protecting the masses, the best practice, in my opinion- is to practice what you preach. There's no reason why cameras can't be set up individually and without a human to hold it in a storm like this. The coverage would be the same- just sans journalist all but being blown away during the broadcast. Half the time, you can't hear what he's saying anyway because the wind is howling so loudly. Why not have him narrate from safety? As these storms seem to increase in intensity and frequency, this is just a little feedback to you from someone already worried about their loved ones- and not needing to add your clearly expendable and fearless journalist to that list. Think about that before the next storm.