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Linda Brooks | Linda Brooks

Linda Brooks: Ian gives reason for pause: is the water rising or is the land sinking?

Florida

The Hurricane that hit Florida in September revealed something that I, a native Floridian from birth and with a generational family born and raised in the United States, do believe has never occurred before in this State. The waves that Lan brought against the South West coast of Florida was the most devastating in our history; while the wind in the bands were diffused sending out gusts but not particularly onerous; compared to other hurricanes at any rate.  Rather the storm seemed to be concentrated immediately around the eye of the hurricane traveling directly from the Ft Myers area to Orlando and then straight on to exit the State at Daytona. The only other phenomena that was evident about the storm was the waves that traveled across the Gulf of Mexico with it and once approximately thirty miles out, they began to mound up as they traveled across the shallow waters on the west side of Florida becoming responsible for the flood that occurred. While not ignoring the deluge from rain, the result realized was a coastal area now at least 3-5 feet under water if not more given the news videos of small houses floating away down the street and cars with only the top of their roofs visible. The whole experience speaks of something unusual; of a change that emphasizes not a need for preparedness regarding road construction nor of housing; but of a fruition of something else. I suggest, that something else could be identified as the Continental Drift also engaged with the San Andreas Fault on the West edge of the United States that began long ago and is now becoming very visible in both areas. If true, the severity of the flood worked in concert with the fact that land below the middle of the State of Florida is sinking bringing about the prediction that the Southernmost shore of Florida will eventually be located just below Orlando while in California, their west coast will follow the San Andreias Fault either shifting upward to Oregon or falling off into the depths of the Pacific Ocean which is already occurring. In this, Lan seemed to act as a prophetic message that the Southern coastline of Florida will follow the path that it took across the State.

I told my son last year, who lives in Ft. Lauderdale with his wife and four children, tongue in check about an article I had read that Miami is sinking advising him to sell his house and buy a boathouse. There are several articles on it that can be found on the internet; but its not the only area in Florida with the same story.  Jupiter, for instance, up in Palm Beach County has a similar story.  Both my husband and I became intrigued after reading that the State of Florida had invited geologist to find out what was going on at the Jupiter inlet where there is now a very deep drop off and is eating its way inland.  Sand cannot be retained on the beach anywhere in this area thus causing beautiful hotels to be sitting on the edge of a coral rocky ledge where the waves continue to wash sand into the depth at the edge of the beach where there is now a precipitous drop-off of what looks like about 200 feet.  What is being described alludes to what is known as a Subduction where the oceanic bottom is being forced either over or underneath the dry land mass depending on which is heavier. Other examples of a sinking phenomena, Hawaii’s problem, on the other hand, is not a product of tectonics but of overbuilding giving Hawaii the chore of moving their hotels away from the edge, putting up surge walls out from the shore and adding material to fortify the ground and of course the idea of the melting of the ice cap and global warming is considered. But they still haven’t solved the problem after several decades. Unlike the present Florida sinking, Hawaii’s problem centers around its original creation brought about by volcanic activity that rose from the depths to the surface of the ocean spreading out like a flower on its stem, cantilevered, with the ultimate outcome that the islands are like mushrooms and the buildings closest to the beach are sinking caused by their own weight. However, Florida’s situation is tectonic related. One can drive north along the east coast above Ormond Beach and see the erosion that is going to cause the State to actually have to relocate A1A. The question remains: is the water rising caused by global warming or is the land sinking caused by continental drift; the first is still under examination; while the second has been proven and thus the flood was particularly deeper than in the past.

This information I have provided here is public information offered by both the private sector as well as the public through our government and is accessible by anyone. But can or does the average American have the capacity or the time to put two and two together; in fact, should they be required to do so when officials have been elected to represent their interest particularly when it has already been proven that there is a connection between separate and seemingly unrelated events. Being informed is a part of democratic agency that rests with the people of the country and with the government. However, during the Johnson Presidency and the Viet Nam War, the government began to withhold information; in fact, instituting censorship establishing a practice that is still with us today. For instance, Continental Drift is something that happens so slowly that there is a tendency to ignore it and likewise the people do not allow themselves to acknowledge its long-term significance; but it does happen eventually forcing a response that can be devastatng if not prepared. Therefore, this pattern of human nature creates a duty placed on our representatives asking them why this flood was capable of causing such a significant level of damage and loss of life and with an expectation that the government has the responsibility to provide an answer. Otherwise, it will give cause to ask another question: Is our government looking forward anticipating a solution or is it looking backwards reacting to what is happening? This is a management question that says either we were prepared or we were not; as a manager, the answer should be the first.  Shall we accept partial information because it is expedient for the government to do so or should we expect a thorough explanation so that we can do our part to be prepared and in the end when we go to the voting booth we are capable of making informed decisions not only regarding policy but also evaluating performance capabilities amongst competing electoral candidates while weighing these things against their stated ambitions enumerated in their platform. These are important issues and necessarily a part of the rule of the people.

Politics and Other Anomalies by Linda S Brooks is a Florida LLC FEIN #88-2001600

Original source can be found here.

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