Low bridges to islands best for public safety

Sometimes disastrous conditions can be a "God sent." I am referring to the tornado that sadly left two dead and destruction of large proportion.

A friend from Cortez said she got a phone call from the County Emergency Control telling her of the approaching tornadoes. I live on Anna Maria Island. I, nor any of my friends, received such a call.

If this had been an approaching hurricane that was to miss us but suddenly changed course, such as Hurricane Charley, everyone on the coastal islands could get in their cars and head away from the storm (cars go faster than a hurricane's forward speed).

This can only happen if we have low bascule bridges. The 65-foot clearance is nothing compared to an estimated road bed of 80 feet. Ground-level winds of 45 mph, which wouldn't bother us, could be closer to 75 mph on top of a high bridge.

Think about it: With our present bridge heights, we have a chance to survive.

Let's go back to the "good ol' days" when the fire department's air sirens alerted us to impending danger. A few of these, strategically located to reach the entire island, would be more practical just as low bascule bridges would.

Billie Martini

Holmes Beach

This story was originally published February 10, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Low bridges to islands best for public safety ."