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What I ask people to do if they refuse a mandatory evacuation order is to write their name, in permanent marker, on one of their legs, their torso and on one arm. That way, when we pull them out of the storm water system or the Bay, we'll be able to identify the remains.
Most people leave after that.
One of the better stories I have is the couple who lived at +2 MHT and wouldn't leave. They did, however, secure their outdoor wicker furniture by putting a handful of gravel on the seats. We never did find the furniture. They also refused to move their car to higher ground. Over the years they lost 5 or 6 to flooding.
Because they fail to think abstractly. If they don't see the threat right in from of them now they do nothing. They don't stop smoking because they aren't having a heart attack now. Then there are the others, who place materialism above all and have this delusional that if they are there, it will keep the place together and safe. Some people have been through a storm before, and it wasn't that bad, so they think all of them are just hype. In other words, they are stupid people. People who can't follow the advice of experts for whatever reason are just stupid. The same ones who go out hiking for no purpose without the right equipment, training, a plan, without telling anyone, and then there needs to be a dramatic rescue attempt for them. When they are finally saved, they don't thank the people who risked their lives to save them, they thank a deity. Again, stupid people.
Many experts are stupid and get it wrong.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ocnjgirl
It’s not about stupidity however no one makes this decision lightly. The people that are staying are weighing it and giving it thought and weighing pros and cons. I would evacuate for this, I evacuated for Sandy. But I will not say it was an instant decision and I gave it a lot of thought before deciding to simply because I’ve been evacuated multiple times before for nothing.
Same here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eliza61nyc
First let me say, I live in a relatively "safe" weather area, while we occasionally get a nor'easter, I haven't lived through hurricanes (we did have sandy) wild fires or any other natural disaster. So I totally don't know what's involved with storm preparation.
Anyway I'm looking at the news and people along the coast of NC and SC have been told to evacuate and there are always those who want to "ride it out". Seriously? I can imagine it's a pain to have to pick up and leave and the stress must be high but I can't imagine thinking you'd win a battle with mother nature. Isn't a Category 4 hurricane serious enough to leave?
I saw the same thing in California with the wild fires. You're looking at fire out your kitchen window and you want to stay?
Why?
Fire would scare the crud out of me. Tornadoes also. I have lived through multiple hurricanes. I have stayed and I have left depending on the storm. "Most" times the weather channels over exaggerate a storm. Each person needs to evaluate their own location and the type of storm. Winds, for the most part, aren't the problem in hurricanes unless you happen to be on the road trying to evacuate or you have a threatening tree too close to your house. Trees will come down and you will lose power. That is a given. Flooding from the storm surges are the biggest problem. If I was on a coast or at sea level and there was going to be a direct hit to my town I would leave.
But there are many reasons people don't.
Sure some are thrill seekers but many are not.
People get tired of the weathermen crying wolf all the time. Sad but true.
It is expensive to leave for the unknown. Will you be stuck on the road? Can you find a hotel? Will you have enough gas? How much will it cost to eat? How long will it be before you can get back to your house to assess the damage done to your home and property? Can you be out of work for that long if it was a false alarm? Can you afford it? I think for a lot of people it comes down to money.
For some people and especially elderly it is too scary to leave. They may be too frail/sick or scared to leave what they know. Their home is their comfort regardless of what may happen.
Some people are alone and have no place to go and can't find anywhere to go. I know one year trying to evacuate out of FL and there were no hotel rooms available. The thought of fighting all of that traffic and no place to go was not happening. I stayed then with no major problems. It's pretty scary to think of driving with no where to end up.
Pets. Many people have multiple pets and won't leave them behind. I read a post of a woman yesterday who was going to do the best she could in preparation. She has 20 family goats and 6 dogs. I hope they are all safe.
So unless you can be in everyone else's shoes try not to judge. You never know all of the circumstances surrounding a decision. It is a hard decision that is not made without some tough thinking.
This thread sure has kept you upset jed. Like i said before, i am never gonna leave not matter how big and bad the storm is norm.
It concerns me that old people, children and others not being allowed to leave because some macho mad man things they should stay. All I ask of you, is to use magic marker and write your name on your leg, so they can ID the body to make it easier for all.
It concerns me that old people, children and others not being allowed to leave because some macho mad man things they should stay. All I ask of you, is to use magic marker and write your name on your leg, so they can ID the body to make it easier for all.
You should at least credit the poster whose post you just lifted that from.
They made the choice to buy property in a severe weather prone area. They are prepared to deal with the consequences.
No, many are not. They come in, see the view, buy the house and then pitch a fit when an abnormally high tide floods them, when gale force plus winds tear the siding off their house, when watermen pull the crabpots offshore, etc.
You would not believe the people who are required to buy flood insurance, have a Flood Prone Area sign in front of their houses and who are surprised, shocked and dismayed when they do flood. They then demand the local government "do something".
They made the choice to buy property in a severe weather prone area. They are prepared to deal with the consequences.
But that is the misconception
Most of the people who do that really ARN'T prepared to deal with the worst effects of a dangerous storm or its aftermath.
News report this AM that people who stayed in some evac area were now calling for water rescue and the responders can't/won't get to them...because the winds are too strong...
Exactly what those people were warned would happen--and they didn't pay attention...
I saw it in Houston's flooding last year...I have seen it in every hurricane that has been televised since I was old enough to watch--and that covers about 65 yrs of watching...
People don't leave because they have "reasons" they feel cancel out the danger of a POSSIBLE threat to their lives....
Many times they role the dice and get lucky...
But there are enough people who refuse to leave and wind up in terrible danger that they put multiple other people's lives in harm's way as well...
In Houston's flooding, it was the average person with a Jon boat or water ski who made all the difference in saving people and their pets...
The first responders--because the areas affected were so large and w/o communication access -- were trying but often unable to do everything that needed to be done...
There were people who came in from other states and far parts of Texas to aid in recovery
And believe me there are STILL people whose houses and personal lives have not been put to right...
Pets. It's always the reason I usually have not evacuated, and I'm on the Texas Gulf Coast. Shelters don't accept pets, many hotels don't accept them, and even the hotels that do accept them are often prohibitively expensive. Who can afford $130 or $150/night to stay at a hotel when we may be there for more than a week? What happens after our money runs out? Where do we go then?
People don't leave because they have "reasons" they feel cancel out the danger of a POSSIBLE threat to their lives.... Many times they role the dice and get lucky...
But there are enough people who refuse to leave and wind up in terrible danger that they put multiple other people's lives in harm's way as well...
But we can say that with any rescue or accident help. People drive on the roads and take risks, they go in planes and take a risk, they climb mountains, they do stupid things that start fires and endanger people, hike in remote areas, drive in blizzards, swim in water where there is a bad undertow, etc. People make bad choices and sometimes mistakes every single day...and put other lives at risk because of it.
For those who think all the people in flood prone areas are wealthy think again. Many of the southern coastal areas or even areas at sea level away from the actual coast are prone to flooding in storms. Most of those people are not wealthy....unlike the Sandy Hook people where real estate values are much higher. I don't have as much of a problem helping people but replacing and helping with a home especially if it is a second home or a vacation home really ticks me off.
When Irma hit south Florida, many friends evacuated the area. And by evacuated I mean they drove out of state, in what took more than 20 hours.
I didn't wan't to spend such amount of time in a highway full of scared people. I'm not in storm surge zone, winds were not CAT 3 in this area, I felt it was more dangerous to leave than to stay.
Had it been a direct hit (Cat 3 or plus) or close to storm surge zone, I certainly would have left.
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