This town was built on qualifiers*

Some cringe-inducing reporting from NPR this evening (emphasis mine, all mine):

"And, in an unusually strong statement, the weather service warned that those remaining in single-story homes along the coast may face certain death..."

Hey. You know what would be a really strong statement?

*Technically, a hedge, not a qualifier. But "This town was built on hedges" sounds weirdly arboricultural.