Open Letter To Armchair Meteorologists

                                            A perfect Gulf of Mexico day. 

Dear Folx Who post every damn Spaghetti Model of Storms in the Gulf. 

Damn, I feel like I write this letter every year at this time. 

I know you are trying to help by keeping your social media contacts abreast of things stirring in the Atlantic, and perhaps some people are either thankful or indifferent to your sharing of these " predictions". 

But for the sake of all that is good, please remember that it does nothing but cause stress and panic for people who suffer from anxiety. 

My priest has a saying that she taught me " Don't borrow trouble."  I've discovered that this simple three-word mantra helps me think more clearly through parts of life {such as named storms} that usually cause my anxiety to skyrocket. 

Again, I know you are posting these with good intentions.  But to keep myself sane, I will " snooze" any armchair storm predictors for this month. It really is NOT you-- it is me with my storm anxiety and my resolve to not borrow ay storm trouble.

 If the officials actually warn the public to prepare for a named storm to it the Greater Pensacola area, I will do so. I'm not naive, but neither can I both maintain my sanity {what little sanity I still possess after COVID's worst two years} My spouse and I know how to get all our storm gear in order, and we actually bought some more bottled water-- it is on sale right now at our Winn-Dixie. We prepare. Brian is a native Floridian and has lived near the Gulf of Mexico most of his life. I trust his instinct about storms. 

We all know that " Sally" threw us a meteorological curve ball. But in retrospect, all the signs of a storm heading in this direction were there-- but many people were hit ill-prepared. I understand the fear, but after over 20 years of living here I know that the best anecdote to storm fear is steady preparations. 

Get {and keep} supplies of food, water, and medication. IF, a storm enters the Gulf, stock up on gasoline for a generator. 

Do not-- DO NOT rely on social media for storm track information. I've discovered that the NOAA web site has the most accurate and up-to-date storm " predictions" available to everyone. 

To my loved ones who live elsewhere and see these armchair predictions: please reach out to me if you are concerned. Also, please remember that Florida's Gulf Coast is large, and that Pensacola is THE westernmost city in the state. {the joke is that the Pensacola region is really Lower Alabama} Sharpies alone cannot move Pensacola closer to Tampa/St Petersburg. 

We appreciate your concern, but please look on Google Maps if you are unfamiliar with Florida's Gulf Coast. 

I love you all, and I want us all to avoid borrowing storm trouble. There is plenty else to discuss on social media and in real life. 

Peace,

Sarah McCarren

9/22/22