52
Opinion
January 2016
Time to prepare for El Niño winter BY DENNY BARNEY
You’ve probably heard a lot of talk about El Niño lately. So what exactly is El Niño and how could it impact us here in Maricopa County? Most of you DENNY BARNEY. know El Niño is a Submitted photo prolonged warming of the Pacific coastal waters that affects weather patterns, temperatures and rainfall around the globe. The historic pattern for Maricopa County in El Niño years has been unusually wet winters. This year, weather events resulting from El Niño are expected to be among the strongest on record since 1950 and we are hearing we will likely see increased thunderstorms possibly through April. Maricopa County is preparing for an El Niño winter and it’s a good idea for county residents to prepare also to keep family, pets and property safe. Here’s some helpful advice to consider: Stay informed. Keep tuned to local radio
Create a family plan to stay in touch with your family and friends in the event of a flood (or any disaster). • Don’t forget medicines and specialneeds items. • Choose a meeting place in case you get separated. • Plan for your pets, too. Put together a “grab and go” emergency kit that includes food, water and first-aid supplies. • For home: Generators, cash, gas storage for vehicles. Three days of water and food, first-aid kit, radio and mobile device chargers. Store important documents, zip drives, money and cellphone in waterproof Ziploc bags. • For your car: Extra gas, a blanket, window breaking hammer. Check your tire treads and windshield wipers; consider replacement if needed. Stay off the road during and after storms. Road closure information can be found at www.mcdot.maricopa.gov. Prepare your home by keeping some basic supplies on hand. • Keep sandbags, plywood and plastic sheeting around to protect from floodwaters and to make quick repairs after a severe storm. • Elevate the air conditioner, furnace, water heater, electric panel and other valuables above the anticipated flood elevation. Work with professional
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I’m answering the person who is questioning my claim in October’s Sound Off that FOX News viewers are the most uninformed people around. I’m laughing at his/her statement that FOX News viewers are the most informed, intelligent Americans. Informed and intelligent should never be used to describe most FOX News junkies! For this reader’s information, I do tune in to FOX News now and then to catch their side of events, talking points and to listen to some of their experts give commentaries. One FOX expert that comes to mind is Wayne Simmons, their former resident CIA affairs expert. He reportedly had
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previously worked for the CIA and had led some “deep cover intel ops,” etc. He was discovered to have never worked for the CIA and was finally fired after being exposed and arrested. But, to answer the Sound Off reader’s question, I did a quick search on Google, typing in the words “uninformed FOX News viewers.” I stopped counting at 100 articles. There is page after page with articles citing various polls that showed FOX News viewers being less informed. Some of the polls I saw listed were Gallup, Fairleigh Dickinson University, NPR, Pew Research Center, University of Maryland and worldpublicopinion. org. There were others. So, FOX viewer, I
Prepare your car for an El Niño winter: check your tire treads and windshield wipers.
plumbers and electricians to ensure this is done properly. Consider buying flood insurance because flood damage is not typically covered by homeowners’ policies. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) offers flood insurance, which can be purchased through the insurance agent who handles your homeowners’ policy. Note: There is a 30-day waiting period for a policy to go into effect. Maricopa County remains diligent in its efforts to ensure the community is prepared. Our Flood Control District maintains 320 precipitation gages and operates 38 real-time weather stations throughout the region. These devices measure the amount and timing of rainfall along with combinations of suggest you learn to use Google or other search engines to check out some of the “stuff” you hear on FOX. As we remember our grandparents saying all through the 1940s, it’s the Russians that exacerbate the problems. The Russians have not moved on since the 1940s. It’s Putin’s fault. Shame on Putin. Shame on Russians who do not speak up. It’s the same old, same old. Shame on Russia. Hillary Clinton’s top aid warned in an email to a state department staffer that Hillary is often confused. Why would anyone vote for this woman who has had a head injury, who is under investigation for her emails, and lying to the American people and the families of the four dead Americans that the attack as caused by a video. Why anyone would vote for that woman is beyond me. Barack Obama’s strategy for fighting ISIS is going to Paris for the global conference on global warning. This will send a severe rebuke to the terrorists. I believe this president is certifiably insane.
temperature, humidity, and wind speed/ direction which are transmitted to a central location every 15 to 30 minutes. This data is continuously monitored and can be used to issue storm alerts and inform local jurisdictions and public safety officials to take necessary action. Be informed and prepared this winter. Have a plan in place before the next flooding event. As the old saying goes, “A danger foreseen is half avoided.” For more storm status and preparation information, visit www.fcd.maricopa.gov and ready. gov/floods. Denny Barney is a Gilbert resident and a member of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
See and listen to the tapes of the Flagstaff brouhaha. Then listen to the prosecutor demand $2 million bond. Shame on him, hot head. Listen to what really happened in Flagstaff. There is no such justice in a court like that. It’s already decided. Prosecutor needs to be prosecuted himself. Fifty million people are supposed to be watching the Macy’s parade around the world. What do you think Americans do when they’re threatened by people like ISIS? They have a parade and not a sign of a military weapon in it. They’re singing and dancing and having a good time. We’re not afraid of your crazy people. You shouldn’t be afraid of them either. Have a parade. Throw flowers, not bullets. I’ll bet there aren’t many senior citizens who know Black Friday means the color of ink business people want to see on their end-of-theyear books. Red means loss, black means profit. The press is finally understanding it’s the ammunition not the guns that the politicians need to take care of. Get to work or get out of office.