Hurricanes are Expensive

As I sit here in South Florida, my heart goes out to the people in the Bahamas. The devastation will be costly, but those aren't the costs I am referring to in the title. Statistics indicate most Americans live pay check to pay check and don't have enough in savings to cover a $400 emergency. Guess what a $400 emergency is called? Dorian.

If you take a risk and don't prepare, you could die if the worst case scenario plays out. Best case scenario, the storm passes. So that's the gamble, prepare for a potentially catastrophic storm you really can't afford, or take a chance and hope for the best.

If you think about what you need to prepare for a storm, it adds up: gasoline for your vehicles and generator; non perishable food items; ice if you don't have a generator to keep your refrigerator running; batteries for flash lights and fans if the power goes out; plywood for the windows that don't have hurricane shutters; zip ties and bungee cords because you can't find the one's from the last hurricane; house repairs, especially leaky roofs; home insurance; tarps; sandbags; and storage fees for any recreational vehicles that may get tossed about like a child's toy in high winds.

The intensification of hurricanes like Dorian will likely continue as our planet experiences climate change, as will the staggering economic costs associated with these storms. We might be able to reverse course, but humans don't like change, particularly if that change results in a perceived inconvenience. Here's the rub, Mother Nature doesn't give a damn if we believe in climate change or not, and God help the human race when she decides to make believers out of us.