There’s A Hurricane for Real, Y’all? #Isaac

Perhaps it’s because I’ve been cooped up inside all day with a seven year old with the stomach virus and suffering from lack of sleep, but it just occurred to me today that hurricanes really bring out the….I’m struggling here for a word because the ones I want to say sound too harsh….. “lack of logical thinking and reasoning” in people.

I follow several weather and news outlets on Facebook, simply because here in the Mississippi Delta we’ve had our fair share of terrible storms, threats of river flooding (last year), and just to stay informed in general.  I can’t stand not knowing what is going on around me and the world in general at all times.  I also follow all of the Mississippi Gulf Coast news outlets because I have friends and family there and when hurricanes threaten the coast, again, I want to be informed.  I still shake my head in disbelief at how very much Katrina changed the geography of one of the places I love most in our state, not to mention the lives there.

So today, while reading comments on several updates from the national and local weather outlets on Facebook, I was floored to see people asking the following.

“I live in a trailer…should I leave?” (after possible 100 mph winds were predicted)

“I don’t know where to go.  Where can I get info?”  (asked the person with internet access and brains enough to be on Facebook)

“Do what?  A hurricane is in the Gulf?  For real?” (Yes, for real real.)

“I hope it heads straight for Mexico and insert racist comment here”. (Don’t EVEN get me started….grrrrr…..)

And my personal favorite….

“I’m really disappointed that you all didn’t cover the local high school football game highlights more last night.  Anyone know who scored the winning touchdown for ________?”.  (Because we all know that covering high school football games on the Gulf Coast should take precedence over an APPROACHING HURRICANE. *deeeeep breath*)

I don’t know why any of this shocks me, really.  And before you pick on those people asking those questions for “being from Mississippi”, one for sure was in Florida and another in Alabama.  We have to be fair about this, ok?

Also?  There’s quite a big following for Hurricane Issac, a page on Facebook updating people on the hurricane’s track.  As best I can tell, it’s run by an amateur weather enthusiast.  And yes, the maps taken from other news stations and NOAA and the updates are somewhat helpful, but what floors me the most is that people are trusting this as a reputable source for information.  The best part?  The page’s owner(s) misspelled the name of the storm.  It’s Isaac, NOT Issac.

I suppose I should just be glad people are getting information on this storm anywhere at all after reading the above comments.