Hurricane Season

As we enter this second weekend in September, our news channels are flooded (no pun intended) with warnings and images of Hurricane Ike bearing down on Texas. With an expected flood wall exceeding 20 feet, residents there were strongly advised to evacuate or face "certain death". Amazingly, some people chose not to evacuate. We should keep them in our prayers. Approximately 100 years ago, this same Texas area was destroyed by a hurricane with tens of thousands of people killed. Seventy years ago, the Mastic-Shirley community faced that same devastation. So as we watch Hurricane Ike this weekend, we should remember - "There but for the grace of God, go I." Our community is as vulnerable as New Orleans or Galveston. Your family should have their own evacuation plan in place. Keep your valuables, including insurance policies, in an easily accessible place. Have a first aid kit, batteries, working flashlights, portable radio, canned goods and bottled water stored somewhere safe and easy to get to. Don't wait for the devastation to hit - take a page out of the Boy Scout manual - BE PREPARED!