Aug04
August 2004
We have almost finished our second month in Jupiter, FL and we still love it. Dave thinks his job is a lot of fun, and I am enjoying setting up house and learning about the exotic climate.
Dave was called to our ward's elder's quorum presidency, which is sweetened by the fact people move in and out less in this ward. I am the "beehive advisor", which means I teach the Sunday lessons for the 12 and 13 year-old girls, which I really enjoy.
I know many of you are wondering if we've been affected by Hurricanes Charley or Frances. Charley hit directly west of us in Punta Gorda; however, hurricane force winds only extended out 50 miles, and tropical storm winds another 60 miles. Since we are 120 miles away on the other coast, all we got was a little breeze.
Frances may hit just north of us...
Of course, I was doing some speedy learning about hurricanes. A hurricane 1 or 2 will bring a storm surge (flood) up to 8 feet, and coastal residents must move to higher ground. A hurricane 3, 4, or 5 will bring a storm surge 9-18 feet, and since we are at 11 feet elevation, we and most of Jupiter have to move inland. You see, Jupiter is filled with waterways like any town is filled with streets. Many people have a watery "driveway" in their backyard to get their boat to the ocean.
The entire week before a hurricane I am slightly nervous, and nobody makes plans for landfall day. I've studied past hurricane paths and mistakes, so that we will be prepared. When it gets close, we check the National Hurricane website every few hours. We see the wisdom of emergency preparedness here, and we do have stocks of gasoline, food, water, etc.
Today, "evacuate" does NOT mean everyone drives to Georgia. Officials are encouraging people to move around in Florida, and not get caught on the road. When you see "after" photos of destruction, it's of the worst, as many Florida homes are built of cinder block and weather hurricanes quite well. Of course, the vegetation and boats and trailer homes get demolished, but that's to be expected.
Now, if you're thinking "Who would ever live in a place with such potential disasters?" you're quite right---I've wondering the same thing. But I realized this: this is Florida's winter. Come January, we'll be sipping fresh-squeezed OJ on our porches, while you up north will be bundled up to your necks, canceling plans due to blizzards, spend millions removing snow and ice just to get around, and watching all of your plants and trees die.
It's just as bad as here. Hurricanes are very predictable now, and with strong structures and planning, there's far less to fear. What makes people live in hurricane country? If you could see Florida's beauty, maybe you would too.
Love,
Liz
Dave and Liz Robertson
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