Milton: Dancing to a familiar tune

Just a few thoughts today as we prepare for the worst and hope for the best…

— Everything of importance is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. If you’re supposed to evacuate, please do that. Shelters open Tuesday morning. Check Mayor Joe Meek’s Facebook page for the latest info on storm surge potential. The county, Commissioner Holly Davis, and the sheriff’s Facebook pages are also chock full of timely stuff.
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— Before I go crazy, my hurricane pet peeve: Assigning personal pronouns, as if Milton was an actual person. I saw it in a Monday post: 

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“Milton has not been as clear with his intentions as Helene was…”

Hurricanes are wind and rain. Neither he nor she. They have no intentions. The National Hurricane Center names them for record-keeping purposes. 

I realize this isn’t a blip in the big picture but I’m a word guy, so humor me, OK? 

— Gas stations were jammed Monday afternoon. Reminded me of Irma. I drove around for an hour wasting gas looking for a gas station that had fuel and wasn't a scrum.

I was just about to give up when I slid into an open spot at the Shell on the corner of Croft and S.R. 44. No joke: Immediately after I filled up, a worker came along and shut down the pump. Did I thank God out loud as I drove off? Of course!

— The big push was getting the debris picked up before Hurricane Milton’s winds kicked in.

This storm is producing unheard-of government action. The landfill stayed open 24/7 to accept storm debris, or any garbage for that matter, for free.

When I heard about that Sunday night, I first thought someone in Lecanto was thinking outside the box. Turns out, Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered counties in Milton’s path that have Helene storm debris to keep their landfills open before Milton’s arrival.

I have no clue how the county is pulling that off. It’s not like they can grab workers out of the Courthouse to staff the landfill. That’s a specialized job. When Milton fades, however long that takes, one question I’ll have is how much that 24/7 thing helped.

— A friend sent a photo of bumper-to-bumper traffic heading north on the Suncoast Parkway. All of our north-south roads were jammed with a steady stream of evacuees. Another question for afterward: How well did that go? Did the parkway take traffic off our local roads? Did we move folks through Citrus County as easily as possible?

— Finally, I want to be honest: I’m a little fearful. Not a lot. A little.

In 2017, I led the Hurricane Irma coverage at the Chronicle, which meant I was on the phone constantly with emergency management people. Those folks gave me details on what was coming. On that Friday, with a monster storm expected Sunday afternoon, I was in more than a mild panic.

I attended a 12-step meeting that day. When the meeting chairman asked if anyone had a topic to discuss, my hand shot up.

“I’m scared!”

I left an hour later with the reminder that God is in charge of my life. My purpose is to fulfill his glory, not mine. There is tremendous peace and serenity knowing that.

Will God calm the storm? We’ll see. 

I know he’ll calm the man.

Be safe and smart today, dear friends.

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