Florida Drought, Wildfire, and Storm Preparedness News Roundup

Lots of news lately, most of it rather worrisome:

• The National Fire News website indicates that some wildfires are still burning in Florida and Georgia. No surprise there; smoke is still visible (and smellable) in south Florida.
• An earlier story explained how the fires got so bad in the first place: Strong winds could fan massive wildfire along Florida-Georgia line.
• Florida's cities scramble to shield scarce fresh water from ocean water contamination.
• Drought forces tighter water use restrictions in Broward, Palm Beach Counties.
• On top of the drought, we've got leaky pipes.
• Fines begin for Florida water wasters.
• There's also dissention among the ranks of U.S. government weather officialdom, as well as disputes about where the money is going; see NOAA confirms cut in Hurricane Hunter funding.
• Not all of the news is bad. Prominent forecasters, including the Florida Power & Light hurricane specialist, are getting ready to launch a one-stop storm help website.

To help prepare yourself, see:

• Learn fascinating details of storm-tracking, extreme weather, and wildfire fighting
• Top ten reasons why South Floridians should prepare for hurricane season

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