President Donald Trump, who was warned by this observer to stop focusing on himself and to start showing the people of Texas that he cares about them in the midst of devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey last month, huddled with his Cabinet on Saturday in preparation for Hurricane Irma which is expected to hit both the west and the east coasts of Florida with uncompromising fury and rage.
Irma, which is traveling at speeds of three to four miles per hour but has winds of up to 150 miles per hour, is about 400 miles wide! It is the largest, most horrific, threatening hurricane ever seen off the coast of Florida or any other part of the United States, for that matter.
The insurmountable devastation to property, trees, and geographical landscapes, as well as the loss of life, is tantamount to that of any other disaster or military threat that would force the President, his Cabinet and his Joint Chiefs of Staff into the Situation Room of the White House to devise a plan and to prepare for what is coming.
Irma is a Level 4 hurricane
Hurricane Irma, which was a Level 5 hurricane, now is labeled a Level 4 hurricane. This means that Irma has sustained winds of up to 155 miles per hour, does devastating damage to buildings, trees, and geographical landscapes, and creates power losses that last for weeks. When Irma was a Level 5 hurricane, it potentially could have ripped roofs off of buildings, ripped buildings from their foundations and created power and water losses that would have lasted up to several months with winds of over 156 miles per hour.
Don't risk your life; get out
President Trump has expressed concern for the citizens of Florida and warned them to "get out" immediately and to follow any and all evacuation orders. The President reminded Floridians that their things, even their houses, are replaceable but that their lives are not replaceable. Trump advised Floridians: “It's a storm of enormous destructive power and I ask everyone on the storm path to heed all instructions.
Get out of its way,” according to ABC News on Saturday.
Florida's economy and way of life
Florida, with the possible exception of Hawaii, is America's number one tourist state. Key West, Miami, Tampa and other municipalities in the state serve as winter getaways for residents of the Eastern seaboard of the United States who are anxious to get away from knee-deep snow and frigid temperatures.
Life in Florida is friendly, informal and relaxing and the people are generally welcoming. The state has a robust Hispanic population because of its proximity to Cuba, and diversity is valued and cherished in Florida.
Florida is America's number one citrus state; although citrus harvests have declined in recent years because of unpredictable Florida weather, occasional sub-freezing temperatures and competition from California, the nation's number one agricultural state overall.
Despite its occasional bouts with frigid temperatures, hurricanes, and tornadoes, Florida is nicknamed "The Sunshine State." This primarily is because overall, Florida is a warm, sunny state and an excellent refuge from the severe cold and snowy weather of the northeastern United States.
Trump's tweet to Floridians
On Saturday, Trump tweeted out a warning to the people of Florida that Hurricane Irma was coming. Allegedly, the President regretted sending the tweet within minutes of its posting, primarily because people responded negatively to the tweet and lashed out at him. One respondent stated that "federal and state employees" are "better off" without Trump. The tweet then ended with a lewd reference to an anatomical part of the President' body. Other similar responses also were equally unkind to the nation's forty-fifth President.
The U.S. Coast Guard, FEMA and all Federal and State brave people are ready. Here comes Irma. God bless everyone!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 10, 2017
Honestly the whole federal Gov and state employees are doing fine without you sticking your micro pecker in it.
— ALT🛂 Immigration (@ALT_uscis) September 10, 2017