Editor:

I am writing you in response to Rita Arnst’s column in Sept. 17 paper. I feel deeply offended by what you said about “Much Ado About Nothing”.

It is never “about nothing”, when it comes to protecting your family, yourself and your property. True, we didn’t get the winds, rains and tornados and we are thankful. We boarded our windows and left town for a couple of days and returned home thanking God it didn’t hit us.

We gladly took off the boards, labeled them and stored them for another hurricane season. You say you have lived and survived hurricanes in Corpus Christi, Pensacola and New Orleans, so you should know first hand about hurricanes and the damage they can do. As for the 12 hour waiting, if you wait until the last minute, there will not be any plywood, water, bread, etc. available. Plus motel rooms will be all taken that are out of harms way. By the way, we do trust in the Lord, but we use the common sense the Lord gave us and we do listen to the weatherman and make our decisions.

I don’t agree with your statement about “going overboard”. Putting up security on your home or business and seeking safety does not mean going overboard. Apparently, you did not see the destruction in Galveston on TV or hear what the folks that rode it out said. If it would have come through Corpus Christi, then it would be looking like Galveston and on up the state, including Three Rivers, George West, Beeville, etc.

So we will take the same precautions next time there is a hurricane headed for South Texas and hopefully, everyone else will and not take your advice as indicated in your article. So the public took a couple days off work and some businesses closed. So what! As far as the lost revenue to businesses, you mentioned, what about the lumber yards that sold all the plywood; the grocery stores that sold out of water and necessary food items and the hotels much that sold out of rooms? Doesn’t look like lost revenue to me.

There are times in your life that you have to make a decision. What is more important? Your family’s safety or your wallet. In 1967, I lived in Three Rivers when Hurricane Beulah flooded the entire town. Our home was flooded and water remained in the house for over seven days. We lost everything we had, but with the help of the Red Cross and Salvation Army, my family of five plus a child on the way were able to receive limited amounts of clothing food, furniture and household items to get us by. So indeed, the people of Three Rivers know and respect hurricanes and know when to prepare.