Panic over supposed cyclone in Romania
After the Romanian authorities issued a warning about Storm Ashley, around 6,000 people were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Then the all-clear was given and meteorologists said that the storm had never existed. The false alarm initially provoked fear, then anger, and the resulting loss of trust among Romanians is all the more serious given that many of those affected by the floods two weeks ago felt abandoned by the state.
This only fuels conspiracy theories
The authorities overreacted, says Digi24:
“No, meteorologists can't make long-range forecasts. Yes, it is good that the authorities were on guard and that more people did not die in the floods. It is right that warnings were issued. But when it is clear that the danger has passed, it would be right to inform the public in order to dispel the panic. Who prevented the government from doing this publicly when it became clear that we weren't going to be hit by a cyclone? ... The government's rushed response has instead resulted in a loss of trust in the authorities and fuelled conspiracy theories.”
Gambling with the people's trust
Any huge disparity between forecasts and reality will have an impact on the population's behaviour, writes Spotmedia:
“The next time the alarm bells go off, how many people will say: 'Ah, here comes another Ashley' and simply ignore the news? Especially since the next big storm that forms and could seriously affect Romania stands a good chance of being called Ashley? In this incompetent, perhaps image-driven rush, Romanian politicians are quickly forgetting that trust is the ingredient that is most easily lost and hardest to restore for a functioning state.”