'Hurricane fatigue' might be settling in with 8th Gulf storm of 2020

Thursday, October 8, 2020
GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Hurricane Delta, which is expected to make an impact to southeast Texas upon landfall on Friday, marks the eighth different tropical disturbance that people along the Gulf Coast have had to pay attention to this year.

2020 is, without a doubt, among the busiest Atlantic hurricane seasons on record.

While they may feel commonplace for us living in the region, emergency officials will typically tell people to be mindful of the incoming weather threat, take precautions and prepare for the worst.

In Galveston on Thursday, just before Delta's landfall mainly in Louisiana, residents and visitors to the tourist destination acknowledge there is a sort of "hurricane fatigue" settling in.

"When you have to deal with it every single day, every day without a break, it does wear you down," said Kyle Brunner, a visitor from Lake Charles, Louisiana, where people are still recovering from Hurricane Laura.

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At least for one other person, the messaging is still vital.

"I think it's important for it to be taken seriously because it's so unpredictable," said Tamara Jones, another Louisiana visitor.

Still, as Stephanie Holsworth of Pearland attested, acknowledging the possible exhaustion of the season, "You kind of ignore it."
It's not just regular, everyday people who realize there's fatigue over the storms.

On Wednesday, Scott Tafuri, who serves Galveston County as emergency management coordinator, knows that it's been a very active season.

"(Delta) is the eighth storm in the Gulf of Mexico, which is really a record for us. So, we constantly talk, it feels like every week or two we talk about another tropical disturbance," Tafuri said.

Still, Tafuri and other emergency managers like him are steadfast in the message.

He added the calls for preparation that were given at the beginning of hurricane season stand true to now, with another threatening storm ready to cause damage.

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Officials fear disaster fatigue amid pandemic, Atlantic hurricane season


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