So what explains the panic over a Tropical Storm in Mississippi

[malaise]

this morning

Saw this among the Weather Underground discussion posts
We've been under surge and TS watch since yesterday in MS. People are already hitting the grocery stores and gas stations like we have another Katrina coming. Gas went from $2.49 to $2.69 over night.

https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/subtropical-storm-alberto-no-hurry-move-or-intensify

[catrose]

1. Hurricane PTSD

[RKP5637]

2. Panic for $$$$'s. n/t

[sandensea]

3. This much we know:

They'll expect - nay, demand - all the help from the gummint they can get.

Mississippi Republicans forget about Dixie real quick whenever mother nature strikes.

[dembotoz]

4. 2.69???? DAMN that is cheap

perhaps many folks have sort of a storm loss of power pantry.
over the winter some of these supplies were used and now they need to restock

[onecaliberal]

27. It's a full dollar more here in central California.

[Hekate]

30. Took a trip up to Cambria & it hit $4/gal at some stations there. Ventura is $3.85 last we filled up

It was a beautiful trip though, so no complaints.

[Glorfindel]

5. Memories of Hurricane Katrina.

I don't blame them. Better safe than sorry.

[malaise]

6. I think it's more Harvey and Maria

although neither affected them.

[Hoyt]

7. Yep. Had a friend that lost everything, had to move two states

away, and worse.

[yallerdawg]

8. This is aimed at the 'Redneck Riviera.'

Lot of retirees (mostly military) bought dream property on the water (rising water) and now a lot of rainfall runoff from these big storms has nowhere to go but up - devastating their property.

You can always drive north to higher ground, but losing everything does become tiresome.

And the traditional investment of rising property values is gone forever.

It's an existential panic for sure.

[malaise]

11. Freaking wow

I hope folks remain safe from this TS.

[jpak]

9. This happens EVERYWHERE along the Guilf Coast

Once the warning is issued, you better be in line at the gas station - because they will run out in a few hours.

And gas cans will completely disappear - and grocery shelves will empty.

D-batteries? Forget it.

After Katrina - the Gulf Coast from Destin FL to Lake Charles LA had **no** gasoline for over 3 weeks.

I-10 was a parade of pickup trucks and trailers (with LA plates) loaded with red gas cans.

If Rita had struck the area - evacuation would have been impossible.

Pensacola almost had to close its schools because there was no diesel for the busses.

That is why people panic...

[malaise]

10. That's true here when we have hurricane warnings but not TS warnings

Sadly we're overdue this year.

[jpak]

14. I evacuated Pensacola 2 days before Ivan

As I drove out of my apt. complex, people were driving like madmen over the concrete median and across 3 lanes of traffic to get at the last gas station that had gas in the area.

Two of them cut me off and one almost T-boned me.

That was 2 days before landfall....

[malaise]

18. Like you we are always prepared

so there is no need to panic.

[jpak]

26. I have solar powered lanterns, flashlights, battery and cell chargers and a solar shower.

Canned food that I don't have to heat up (yes, I can eat cold Chef Boyardee ravioli) , clif bars, Gatorade, and 28 gallons of water.

Battery operated radios - and a TV (before things went digital)

Plus my camping gear and dehydrated meals.

The truck has 20 gallons of gas in cans - and I always keep the tank topped off - 500 miles worth.

I suffered through the aftermath of my first hurricane and said "never again" after that,

Now I use them for blizzards here in Maine

[smirkymonkey]

29. I don't know why people don't prepare ahead of time for these things.

They are inevitable so why not store necessities and cans of fuel in case of emergencies? It would beat the last minute panic shopping.

[jpak]

33. The eye of Hurricane Erin went right over my house in FL

It was **supposed** to hit New Orleans.

I stocked up batteries the day before - just in case.

And handed them out to my neighbors - that were caught flat-footed - when they emerged in shock when the eye came through.

We all had to hightail it it back inside when the back eye-wall came roaring in.

They all eventuality paid me for them.

Sometimes these things catch you with your pants down.

[skip fox]

12. Everyone who livs along the Gulf coast is highly sensitive

to the existence of storms in the Gulf or headed toward it. I live a bit above Lafayette, Louisiana, and have been through this many times.

[CanonRay]

13. Things are nuts and people are jumpy

Deep down in our ganglia we know things are fucked up, so we're all wired. At least that's MHO.

[RKP5637]

16. My thoughts too, everyone is on edge about many things, and this is adding one more to the pile! n/t

[marble falls]

15. Just a local manifestation of corporate profiteering over panic and disaster...

with media local and national complicit.

[RKP5637]

17. Yep, all the opportunists come out and raise their prices. n/t

[malaise]

19. And the prices won't return to normal until the end of hurricane season

We are the pawns I guess

[drthais]

20. HOuston 2017 and Louisiana 2016

(I'm in louisiana...the part where this happened)

Each of those years, an un-named tropical system stalled and dumped 20-30 or more inches of rain in less than 4 days. EVERYTHING was flooded. Half of Baton Rouge was under water. Most of the town I live in. The down down the road was COMPLETELY under water. These are the times the 'cajun navy' saved untold nu,bears of people from rooftops and flooded neighborhoods. It was very, very scary. The winds you can deal with. The water you cannot escape.

[GulfCoast66]

21. I live in the center of the state(Florida) so not an evacuation zone

But Charlie and Irma taught us we had best be prepared. 13 days with no power after Charlie. I am sporting a new roof now due to Irma last year.

At least it is now rated for 139 mph.

And we get so many new residents each year that have never been through one so then panic.

[OldHippieChick]

22. For those of us who have never survived such an event I'm

certain it's difficult to understand the apprehension over an impending tropical storm. I worked for the feds after Katrina and there were many traumatized people, but many of those were veterans. Recently I had a friend who lost everything in the flood in Houston. She has such terrible trauma that she is still in therapy and I consider her a very strong person.

I'm sure right now she is very glad to be safe in Atlanta.

[TexasProgresive]

23. In my lifetime there has been some of the most extreme flooding

from rainfall during slow moving and meandering tropical storms. Hurricanes with their terrible winds and storms surges are a different beast and are more dangerous to life. T.S. can cause massive property damage and cause deaths due to flash floods. Hurricane Camille hit the Mississippi Gulf coast in 1969 did terrible damage and lost of life actually killed more people as a downgraded T.S. in Appalachia.

[malaise]

34. Valid point

We have had some bad tropical storms rain wise but since I monitor systems we are always ahead of the storms.
I have made it a habit to top up gas in my car before it's half empty.

[imanamerican63]

24. They saw how Trump treated Puerto Rico?

[Gothmog]

25. A tropical storm can do a great deal of damage

Tropical Storm Allison in Houston caused some significant flooding and some deaths

[GoCubsGo]

28. A well-founded fear of flooding.

The Southeast, and particularly the Gulf Coast, have been getting one rain storm after another over the past several weeks. The ground is likely already saturated in some of the areas where the storm is supposed to come ashore.

Add to that the knowledge that FEMA, and the rest of the government, is now run by a bunch of incompetents.

[Hekate]

31. Best of luck to them all & may they stay safe

Natural disasters are just no fun.

[Kirk Lover]

32. It's called "storm food". I know I know I'm very clever.