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Editorial: Safety first

As this newspaper is assembled Wednesday morning, it seems certain that Gloucester and Mathews counties will feel impacts from the massive skirts of Hurricane Florence, still hundreds of miles off the coast and apparently keeping the Carolinas in its bull’s-eye.

The storm is so wide and so powerful, and so slow, that we should have flooding tides, flooding rains, and tropical storm force winds, at the least. Gov. Ralph Northam placed a mandatory evacuation on low-lying areas. Those who stay are on their own.

And as this is written, the sun is shining, the winds are calm, and there is no sign of an impending hurricane; but the beautiful weather will change quickly. Storm winds are slated to arrive today if not sooner.

Put safety first. We have seen this show many times before, and we know how to prepare and how to recover from damages so extreme that they can reduce one to despair. But things are things. Life is precious. If in danger, get out.

To our residents: Be safe. Safet...

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