Reply #39: So, can you tell us how those people died, Nadine?

[kdmorris]

Because I know for a fact that some of them died because they were not heeding the warning (which is the problem I have with the hyperbole). I am NOT saying that all of the Americans that have died (I love how everyone forgets that Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas got it first - and the Bahamas DID get a Category 4 storm) were doing something preventable. I feel for the family of the 11 year old who died when the tree fell on their apartment. But "killed in a car", "killed while surfing in the dangerous currents"... those are completely preventable and not the fault of the hurricane.

Here is the deaths that I know of:
1. a man killed while surfing off the coast of Florida , emergency officials said Saturday.

2. a man was killed in Brunswick County, Virginia, after a tree fell on his car

3. a boy died after a tree crashed on an apartment complex in that city.

4. Three others died earlier in North Carolina, according to officials.

5. A motorist lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree in Pitt County.

6. A man feeding livestock in Nash County was struck by a tree limb.

7. And a man in Onslow County died of a heart attack as he put plywood over his windows in preparation for the storm, said emergency management spokesman Ernie Seneca.

8 and 9. Two additional people have died in car accidents as a result of Hurricane Irene, emergency officials in North Carolina said Saturday

No one has said that "this storm is nothing". Just that it's not going to "end life as we know it", or be "the storm of a lifetime", or "NC's Katrina". Hurricane Katrina killed over a thousand people.

I wonder why YOU keep doing this... what interest do you have in making this worse than it is? A Category 1 Hurricane is bad enough. Why do you need it to be so much more than that?

Category One Hurricane (Sustained winds 74-95 mph, 64-82 kt, or 119-153 km/hr).

Dangerous winds will produce some damage

People, livestock, and pets struck by flying or falling debris could be injured or killed. Older (mainly pre-1994 construction) mobile homes could be destroyed, especially if they are not anchored properly as they tend to shift or roll off their foundations. Newer mobile homes that are anchored properly can sustain damage involving the removal of shingle or metal roof coverings, and loss of vinyl siding, as well as damage to carports, sunrooms, or lanais. Some poorly constructed frame homes can experience major damage, involving loss of the roof covering and damage to gable ends as well as the removal of porch coverings and awnings. Unprotected windows may break if struck by flying debris. Masonry chimneys can be toppled. Well-constructed frame homes could have damage to roof shingles, vinyl siding, soffit panels, and gutters. Failure of aluminum, screened-in, swimming pool enclosures can occur. Some apartment building and shopping center roof coverings could be partially removed. Industrial buildings can lose roofing and siding especially from windward corners, rakes, and eaves. Failures to overhead doors and unprotected windows will be common. Windows in high-rise buildings can be broken by flying debris. Falling and broken glass will pose a significant danger even after the storm. There will be occasional damage to commercial signage, fences, and canopies. Large branches of trees will snap and shallow rooted trees can be toppled. Extensive damage to power lines and poles will likely result in power outages that could last a few to several days.