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BILL BARNETT

t’s the week between Christmas and New Year and I hope tough enough to rough this one out. Even if they had been warned
you are enjoying the holidays. For those of you that follow my four or five days earlier, I’m not sure they would have heeded the
Iarticles in Life In Naples you know that we have many relatives warning. However, the people should have been given the chance
in Buffalo, New York, that we are avid Bills fans and that we spend that this was the big one and told what they needed to do in case it
our summers there. As I write this today it is the first day that there became a reality, but they weren’t, and it was deadly.
is some movement there after suffering the worst blizzard in over I can tell you much of what I just wrote is also true about a
100 years. We hear daily first-hand reports from our relatives that it hurricane The big difference with a hurricane is people are advised
has been five days of Hell, and they are for all intents and purposes whether to evacuate or not, and with enough time to do so. There
some of the lucky ones. I’m sure by now everyone has read all there is are many who have been through hurricanes before and chose not
to read about that blizzard which was the worst in Buffalo’s history to evacuate. This even after being warned what was coming was not
and the horror stories that go with it. There was an article in today’s going to be a good experience and the evacuation was mandatory.
New York Post (I have to admit I read the New York Post every day) They all had their own reasons for not heeding the evacuation
and the headline of the article was “A damning calm before storm”. It warnings and they made it through with little or no damage. This
was written by the Post editorial board gave them the confidence that they
and the substance of the article was could get through a hurricane. Once
how could a city known for its fierce the hurricane evacuation warnings
winters not protect its residents. The have been given and the hurricane
article went on to say that prior to the bears down there comes a time when a
storm, businesses were urged to close lockdown ensues and there will be no
but the travel ban wasn’t announced emergency services available until the
until 41 minutes before the storm was hurricane has passed. In both weather
beginning to bear down on them. emergencies preparation is key. Bottom
So, you ask why I am writing line, it made me ill to read about folks
about this? I thought it might be a freezing to death in their cars because
good personal comparison between they couldn’t get out or be rescued. Here
two disasters: a Florida hurricane in Florida with Hurricane Ian even
and the worst blizzard that Buffalo though nobody knew exactly where it
has ever seen. I thought with my was going, they sure knew how big it
personal experience as Mayor dealing with hurricanes it would be was. Sadly, there were many who ignored evacuating and it cost
an interesting task. Dealing with both severe hurricanes Wilma, them their lives. I pray for the future that we all take heed when
Irma and the monster Ian all hit us hard in Florida and I can tell the weather alarm goes off and do as much as humanly possible to
you that giving advance notice as far ahead as possible is a must, and try and stay safe. Mother Nature is like the shingles commercial on
obviously it wasn’t done in Buffalo. But there’s more to this story. television, “She doesn’t care!”.
Both with a blizzard approaching, and a hurricane approaching We still have many issues to deal with in Naples that were
people certainly watch the weather days ahead, be it local news, hurricane related but we will recover although it is going to take at
The Weather Channel or the radio. They can follow the approach least a few years or more for some of them. It is a busy season and
of both and make decisions based on what they hear. It’s absolutely it’s nice to see for our local businesses, hotels, and great restaurants.
a true story that Buffalo residents are tough. No doubt about it, It’s also nice to see a lot of happy tourists.
and they’ve seen their fair share over the years of nasty snowstorms,
Stay well and enjoy what we have to offer.
high winds, icy conditions and yes, they are used to them. However,
41 minutes advance notice is absurd, and I don’t know what the Bill Barnett, Former Mayor
powers to be were thinking. That though was the major problem I do respond to e-mails at: mayornaples@gmail.com
with this blizzard, they didn’t think. Everyone thought they were

8 Life in Naples | February 2023