While we had more sun than clouds yesterday and not a drop of rain, I do have family in Mandeville, LA which is just north over Lake Ponchitrain. I haven’t heard directly from them yet, although it sounds as if they should be okay. This is one of those times when not being able to afford the lake front property is a good thing. Actually, I also have family in Houston, so we do tend to pay attention when hurricanes target either here or the Gulf. Houston is far more protected of course since it came into existence as a result of the terrible 1900 Galveston hurricane. Survivors determined that digging a canal and moving further inland was a prudent course of action. A powerful Cat 2 and above can still wreak havoc with flooding, wind damage, and power outages, but Houston isn’t as vulnerable as Galveston.

Which brings me around to the subject of those of us who choose to live in vulnerable areas. Mother Nature is not, has not, and perhaps never will be controlled. She whips up hurricanes/typhoons, torandoes/cyclones, heaves the earth with quakes that cause tsunamis, releases flood waters, and sends blizzards. That doesn’t even count droughts and wildfires. Although freak weather and disasters do occur, for the most part, if you live in a cold climate, you can expect blizzards; the Gulf Coast is prone to hurricanes, and “tornado alleys” are called that for good reason. In other words, when you choose to live in a particular place with known weather issues, you pay attention. You take time to learn what it is about, how to prepare. You listen to people who know how to cope with these conditions.

It may be that you determine that you aren’t cut out for certain things. This is one of the reasons that people relocate and that’s okay, providing you understand why you are relocating and where. You leave blizzard-prone states to travel south and the balmy winters come with sticky, sultry summers, and perhaps hurricanes. That’s the way it works. In our effort to meet our own needs, we (that’s the big “We”) do tend fault Mother Nature when she is merely doing what she has always done. Are we gong through certain climate change? Yes, alhough no more so than has been true for thousands of years if you take the time to do more than superficial research. That’s not the point of this post though. The point is that few places have idyllic, stable weather and it is important to remember that when the literal storm clouds gather.

Fortunately, entrepreneurs are always tinkering to find new technologies to help us cope with unpleasant and dangerous weather. When you live in places that can be impacted, it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for new equipment and supplies coming on the market.