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A little luck, a lot of preparation

It could have been worse. That is little consolation to the tens of thousands of Florida Panhandle residents without power or those with homes or businesses damaged Sunday by Hurricane Dennis. But Florida is fortunate that Dennis was a more compact hurricane than Ivan, chose a path further east and moved through relatively quickly. The perseverance of Floridians who haven't finished repairs from last year only to be hit again is remarkable, and Dennis is a reminder to the rest of us to be prepared.

This was a dangerous hurricane, and it appears the lessons from last year's four hurricanes in six weeks were not forgotten. In the Panhandle, mandatory evacuation orders were taken seriously. In the Tampa Bay area, local officials were better prepared to react if the storm had moved closer than they had been at times during last year's hurricanes.

Federal and state emergency officials also remembered what they had learned from Ivan. Supplies and rescue workers were positioned on both sides of the interstate bridges over Pensacola Bay, which were knocked out last year but had reopened Monday afternoon. Water earmarked for dialysis units waited in a tanker in Alabama. Nearly 2-million gallons of gasoline was brought in before the storm, although gas still was scarce Monday in some areas. Hundreds of law enforcement officers from around the state and members of the Florida National Guard were prepared to move in even before the hurricane hit.

While there is a collective sigh of relief, Dennis still caused billions of dollars in damage. It will take a significant commitment by government and by Panhandle residents to tackle another long, hard rebuilding effort before the first one was even completed. And once again, we are too quickly reminded of a hurricane's terrific power and of the need to respond appropriately when one threatens our coastline.

Don't get too comfortable. Far out in the Atlantic, the storm that will be named Emily is taking shape.

[Last modified July 12, 2005, 01:26:22]