FDC OPENS FOR CLIENT VISITATION SATURDAY
UPDATE #2 : STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS CLOSED THROUGH FRIDAY-POSSIBLE MONDAY OPEN.
Date line: Ritz Carlton, Washington DC.
September 12, 2017.
POWER: FPL says all east coast power restored by this Sunday. All power in West Miami to be restored by this Friday. The farther east you go, the more power lines are down and the longer it will take.
COURTS:
SAO SUFFERS DAMAGE AND FLOODING:
Our intrepid state attorney is seeking temporary office space, as her office (part or all- it's not yet clear) is damaged/flooded.
State courts remained closed on Wednesday AND WILL REMAIN CLOSED THROUGH THIS WEEK.
Federal court is also closed through the end of the week. Support personnel, including those who stamp "denied" on most motions, are being asked to report to work on Thursday if they are able.
Monroe County Courts closed...indefinitely.
OUR VIEW:
Here is our community's attitude:
The Storm came. The rain came. The wind came. We all are in this together. We are damaged. We shall rebuild. We are all strong and resilient.
We're going to use a legal phrase here: BULLSHIT!
Miami survived only by sheer luck (which we had discerned by analyzing weather patterns days before the storm, about which we told you about BEFORE supposedly expert forecasters did. See our last two posts).
This community would have been destroyed beyond repair within a year if a Cat4+ had hit us directly.
Our shelters were in disarray. Staff didn't show up, requiring police officers to run shelters, which took them from the streets where they needed to be.
Our governor was (is, and continues to be) a moron. We watched (from the relative safety of our suite at the Ritz in DC, where we are rather well known) as on Friday night, the governor said during a state-wide televised press conference- and we quote "get out now!"
Get out to where? Anyone in Miami on Friday would not have had enough gas to get to the Florida/Georgia border, and many of those who fled Miami, fled to....Naples, Sarasota, and Tampa. Enough said.
We have heard of individual acts of altruism and that in many neighborhoods neighbors did in fact help their neighbors. But make no mistake, people in many depressed neighborhoods are suffering without food, water and power. It is almost impossible to sleep in 90 degree heat and no breeze, which is the type of weather that follows large storms.
On an individual basis, police officers, fire rescue, nurses, surgeons, hospital staff and doctors all left their families to serve our community during the storm. For that we should all be thankful. The next time you see a police officer, thank him or her for serving during the run up and after the storm while you were getting supplies and taking care of your family and home.
But our elected officials were bumbling fools. Moe, Larry, and Curly could have done a better job. The Mayor of Miami, during a press conference when he was taking criticism for the fact that shelters were not opened or were not staffed, felt it important to tell everyone his home was without power. As if that mattered.
We survived this storm only because it missed us, not because our elected officials did their jobs in a competent matter.
For the future, those of you who remained behind, consider this- during the next run up, do everything a week early. Board up your house before there are lines at Ace and Home Depot. Drive out of Florida before there are gas lines. Book tickets to fly to Uncle Ernie in Akron, before the flights fill up.
If this storm has taught us anything, it has reminded us that they are very very powerful and deadly, and that we cannot rely on our officials to make wise decisions and run government in a manner that will assist us in a time of need.
We are fortunate to have access to private travel and be able to afford a few weeks at a luxury hotel. Not everyone can do that. The key to surviving these storms, is the key to winning cases: prepare, prepare, prepare.
Stay safe. We wish all of our dear readers a quick recovery with power restored.
Your Humble srvt,
H. Rumpole, Blogger.
So, what would you have us do? Should we store tens of thousands of gasoline every 10 miles? Should we let people just stay and die? You say the governor is a moron, but we know all Republicans are morons and all progressives are just wonderful. You are a very boring man. When does your DROP end?
ReplyDeleteBoring?? Ouch. How to hurt a writer. Indeed.
ReplyDeleteI don't have the answers for the super storms created by global warming- which incidentally, is a phrase banned by the governor for use by state employees.
I would suggest this:
1) a state attorney grand jury report on why the shelters weren't staffed and opened timely.
2) A report on the plans to deliver water and food to those shelters in the aftermath of a cat 4 + hit. I am of the opinion there is no plan, and if we had suffered a direct hit, those people would die of thirst.
3) The creation of a railroad system to shuttle people from the south of the state to the north of the state. This would alleviate some of the road traffic/gas issues.
4) The creation of the ability of the governor to ask the president in these times to nationalize the airlines. Or- and this is a better solution, a private partnership with the airlines and the states. In times of a pending storm, the airlines would cancel flights throughout the nation and transfer planes to the cities being endangered. Flights would then be arranged to cities with shelters available. You could not book a flight out of Miami in the week before the storm.
5) The creation of a national gas emergency system. The government would ensure that sufficient gas supplies are delivered to escape routes. The highway patrol would turn interstates into eight or ten lanes all going north- meaning some of the south bound lanes would be turned into north bound lanes. People would drive out, knowing that the government would have sufficient gas supplies in cities like Orlando, Tampa, Jax, etc.
I am just a blogger, albeit a highly intelligent and successful one. (Did I mention I called the fact that the storm would miss us days before anyone else did?)
However, what anyone, perhaps other than you 8:42, can see, is that we got lucky nothing more and that if we hadn't gotten lucky, our government was NOT prepared to assist its citizens and save them in any meaningful manner.
Rump, I can probably look this up, but you're clearly more knowledgeable.
ReplyDeleteWhat happens to subpoenas for trials that are now going to last longer due to the interruption from this storm?
Thanks!
Rumpole, what you did not, or could not see from your comfortable suite at the Ritz, that us Floridians that evacuated north, was, the massive mobilization after the storm. Caravans of 18 wheelers, that were already in place, with supplies heading to the devastated areas, the thousands of power trucks, that started restoring power sunday to Miami, and other parts of southwest Florida, the Navy and national guard that are in the Keys doing whatever they can. What are doing to help your fellow man, other than bitch on your blog, a thousand miles away? It may not be perfect, but they sure as hell are doing more than you.
ReplyDeleteYou share some of the same characteristics as trump. I like trump too
ReplyDeleteRump! You are not boring. You had this one right. On. I just spent 32 hours straight, driving down 1-75 from just outside Atlanta. There are parts of both states that are completely devastated. Rest stopss don't have power. When they do have power, they don't have internet, so they can't accept credit cards. Traffic is crawling. People are desperate and just pulling of the road to sleep and shit. It is like something out of a movie. The worst part is how smug all of my friends who stayed and are 305 till I die. People have stopped
ReplyDeleteTalking to me because I decided
To take my family and
Leave. So many people are telling me how they didn't even lose power. So nice. After this experience, I am leaving South Florida. We are just waiting to die here.
ReplyDeleteBULLSHIT. That's a word I would also use to describe your ability to predict the weather and call the change in course of this storm before anyone else.
Your words: (We see something in the upper atmosphere of Canada which will move this storm away just far enough to brush us. You heard it here first.)
The shift to the west in Irma away from a direct hit into Miami had absolutely nothing to do with anything in the upper atmosphere of Canada.
What are the terms you have used to describe those commenters that don't necessarily agree with your position. "Moron" comes to mind. So should I call you a Moron.? No. I won't do that because I think you are generally well informed on most subjects you write about. But on this you are wrong.
Two words. Bermuda High. The Bermuda High had everything to do with the steering currents and ultimate direction of Irma as it made its way into the coast of Cuba and then tracked up through the Keys and over to the west coast of Florida.
I do agree with many of your suggestions to alleviate the issues the State is now facing re traffic flow, fuel, etc.
Rumpole our "intrepid" state attorney? you are the biggest A$% kissing blogger that ever lived!
ReplyDeleteAre the courts re opening on Monday in Miami, anybody know?
ReplyDeleteAll Miami-Dade Courts and Clerk of Courts’ offices will remain closed through Friday, September 15 and will reopen on Monday, September 18, to resume operations at courthouse facilities.
ReplyDeleteFDC still closed today Saturday. They open for legal visits on Monday.
ReplyDelete