Florida’s hurricane season, now under way, has been gloriously quiet so far, although some lakefront property owners in other parts of Orange County might appreciate a few days of heavy rains just to replenish.
Hurricanes threaten East Orlando perhaps a little more than the rest of the county. You can see why by visiting various maps on the Internet.
Florida’s geology finds a high ridge of clay and sand — the state’s “backbone” — that runs in a north-south line, which crosses western Orange County.
Here in the east, we’re part of the St. Johns River basin, a relatively low watershed that could grow troublesome in the event three or four major storms hit us in rapid succession.
That’s not expected, although hurricane season means it’s time to anticipate the unexpected. To be sure, the “big box” stores are doing just that — plywood sheets, gasoline and diesel generators, flashlights and batteries are already in stock or in the shipping pipeline.
If you live in East Orlando, you might consider stocking up on basic emergency items such as flashlights, a portable radio and extra batteries.
So far, there’s no cause for alarm, but once the alarm is raised, you can bet emergency items will suffer supply shortages.
District lines redrawn
Speaking of storm fronts, the biggest one on our radar is the Florida Legislature’s efforts to redraw district boundaries, a task that arises every 10 years to reflect the national census.
Florida voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment that would take some of the political shenanigans out of the redistricting effort and group local communities in more logical — and accessible — congressional districts.
We’ll keep our hopes up that legislative leaders will honor the Florida Constitution.
We’re optimistic, after all. It could happen.