At this weary point, it's easy to lose count of how many storm scares Lowcountry residents have weathered in the last month or so. But that doesn't mean we should lose our focus on protecting our families and ourselves as another storm shows reasonable potential as a threat to the South Carolina coast.
Tropical Storm Jeanne remains beyond the realm of foolproof forecasts. It also remains a dangerous force churning through the Atlantic Ocean toward an unknown destination, despite losing hurricane status -- as of Friday night.
The tragic example of Hurricane Ivan, which had caused at least 39 deaths in the United States after roaring ashore early Thursday morning near the Alabama-Florida border, provides fresh evidence of how devastating a powerful storm can be. Fifteen of the deaths came in Florida's Panhandle as the Sunshine State absorbed its third brutal hurricane blow of the last five weeks.
Some of those fatalities occurred during evacuation efforts. However, that death toll surely would have been higher if extensive evacuations of the Gulf Coast had not been carried out.
While Jeanne appears highly unlikely to attain Ivan's awesome strength, as Gaston demonstrated three weeks ago from the Carolinas (including Charleston County) to Virginia, even a tropical storm -- and certainly a low-category hurricane -- can inflict loss of life and widespread property damage.
And even S.C. coastal residents suffering from "hurricane fatigue" should muster fresh awareness of their best course of action each time a new storm menaces us.
The 2004 hurricane season is by no means over. Nor is each coastal family leader's responsibility to have a prudent plan ready in case an evacuation is in order -- and the resolve to implement it if necessary.
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