For "educational" purposes only

(warningcriminal spin in progress)

Y2K is only a "sneeze," emergency chiefs told

By Eliot Kleinberg Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

WEST PALM BEACH -- "Y2K" is far less a threat than a typical hurricane season, a state official told emergency managers and government leaders Wednesday. Overreaction to the glitch in which some computers  at midnight on New Years Eve  might think its Jan. 1, 1900, instead of the year 2000, will probably be worse than any chaos caused by it, said Craig Fugate, chief of preparedness and response for Floridas Department of Emergency Management. Nearly 100 emergency managers, police and rescue workers attended the meeting at the Palm Beach County Emergency Operations Center, the largest turnout ever, compared with about 30 usually. Fugate suggested making June 1 "Y2K Preparedness Day"  and having people plan at the same time for the hurricane season, which starts that day. Even those who fear the end of civilization and want to stock up on canned goods and water or those just being careful by gassing up and getting cash shouldnt do so in late December, Fugate said. He said the state is assembling a speakers bureau and holding 11 fairs statewide to "counter the gloom and doom with reality and facts." Florida has also set up a Y2K page on the World Wide Web (http://www.tf2k.org). The state will staff its emergency operations center around the clock from about Dec. 27 into the following business week  Jan. 4 or 5, Fugate said. Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties also plan to staff their emergency centers New Years Eve; Martin County hasnt decided yet, managers said. "We think its going to be a boring night," Fugate said. Florida officials came to fear Y2K would at most be like the flu  debilitating but not life-threatening. Soon, Fugate said, they considered it a cold. Now, he said, "Its probably going to be a sneeze." Areas where disruption would have the greatest impact, he said, include power, water, sewer, telephone, hospitals, gasoline, groceries and banks. But even after Hurricane Andrew and in Iraq during the Golf War, services restarted in days.

-- weasel (weasel@inthe.net), April 29, 1999

Answers

"Even after Hurricane Andrew services started in a few days". What an idiot.!!!! I can just see the power company going down the street full of rubble and bare slab foundations and telling everyone the power has been restored. What a bunch of crap. That dude must have been living in the UK or someplace when Andrew came through. It still looks like a disater area, only one where the rubble has been cleaned away. I have never read such an idiotic statement in my life. The guy should get some kind of dumb, dumber and dumbest award. Fortunately for Florida, most everyone has some preparations in by June 1st because we realize the importance and risk of hurricanes and spin off flooding and tornados. But still the supermkt will have bare shelves just as soon as a new storm is announced and named. The only saving grace is that the 'canes come in the summer and you aren't going to freeze to death when your house decides to move to the next county.

-- Taz (Tassie @aol.com), April 29, 1999.

The "Golf War"?? Is this the one where we beat each other with 9-irons??

Just curious......:-)

Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), April 29, 1999.

In any Golf War, the mashie is the weapon of choice.

-- regular (zzz@z.z), April 29, 1999.

This link is a good read. It's about Hurricane Hugo:

http://members.aol.com/keninga/comforts.htm

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), April 29, 1999.