Be Thankful Hurricane Season Has Ended

The turmoil surrounding the economy with bailouts, foreclosures and businesses closing,

the gas price merry-go-round and now the Christmas holiday season have dominated our attention.

Many people might not realize that Sunday was an important day - especially for Floridians. It marked the final official day of this year's Atlantic hurricane season.

This year's season saw 16 named storms, eight of which were hurricanes, according to the Associated Press. Five of those hurricanes reached Category 3 strength or higher. The the most devastating storm was Tropical Storm Fay, which resulted in 15 deaths, just in Florida. The August storm caused 41 counties to be declared federal disaster areas.

We can be thankful that once again the state has been able to escape being hit by a hurricane. This is the third year that has happened.

Residents of Texas and the Caribbean islands were not as fortunate. The devastation that Galveston, Texas, had was horrible. It will take years for that community, which has been a popular tourist destination, to recover.

The last day of the season did create a bit of a stir with a tornado warning issued for our region during the afternoon and evening. There was some wind and rain.

We can use all the rain we can get because the dry season - which is commonly known as brush fire season - is upon us.

It's time to get prepared.

While you are putting up Christmas lights and outdoor decorations - those of you who plan to do so - take some extra time to get your homes and property ready for the season that continues long after Christmas and New Year's are celebrated.

Residents can actually do a lot to protect themselves by reducing the fire fuel sources in yards, on roofs and gutters.

The Florida Division of Forestry advises to pick up leaves, debris and branches. They can burn out of control and spread to other structures.

Trees should be trimmed and branches that hang down to the ground and on roofs should be cut.

Vegetation should be kept at least 30 feet from the eaves of homes.

Some areas of the state are already experiencing drought conditions. That's not a good sign.

Take the advice from those in the fire service. Just one fire can cause an incredible amount of destruction as folks in California found out a few weeks ago when hundreds of homes were destroyed.