Folks in TX who chose to "ride it out"-thoughts?

[mom2binsd]

So I have been watching the coverage and listening to the resources being used to rescue those who voluntarily chose to ride out the storm....what are your thoughts??? Unlike Katrina there was much better warning/planning and many opportunities given to folks to get out and despite the obvious danger some folks chose to stay...ok that's your choice but then valuable resources are spent to rescue them, possibly putting the emergency personnel at risk, and the $$$, disasters like this already cost so much which is just part of life....but I get angry when I see some of the unnecessary things going on! I saw one guy on tv today wanting water, communication and cigarettes! Not looking to get flamed here but I just don't get staying put..especially with small children!

Am very grateful we're just getting the tail end of Ike with a day of constant rain! Hope the folks who evacuated in TX and other states can get home soon to safe drinking water and power and start the horrible job of cleaning up!

[Melaine]

I agree...I think it's frustrating that life and resources are put in danger to rescue those who chose to stay behind. I realize that there are a few scenarios where rescue will be needed, but for such a large group of people to stay behind against the evacuation and then wait for others to come and help them is wrong. I'm afraid it's the way our society is becoming though; people seem to think they can rely on the government and others to take care of them even when they put themselves into problematic circumstances.

[Jacksonvol]

Beth, I can understand your questions and I don't think anyone who stayed for Ike wanted to ride out a strong category 2 whether or not they had small children. However, making the decision to evacuate is a difficult one. You may have notice that a hurricane is on its way, but you often do not know where it is going to hit until it is really too late to get out. As I recall, Ike was originally tracked for the Louisiana coast. Also, once you are out, you don't know when you can get back. Unless you are fortunate enough to have relatives in-land who can shelter you, you have to choose between spending money on a hotel room or a public shelter. Neither is a great choice. Along with the expense of evacuation, you have the worry of not being able to secure whatever may be left of your property. Not just protecting against possible looters, but also water and wind damage after the hurricane passes.

While folks in Galveston were asked to leave, I understand that Houston was told to shelter in place. I think this was due to the gridlock experienced with the evacuation for Rita.

As to the requests for water, communication and ciggies, I can actually understand all of those. The first two are pretty obvious and while I don't smoke, I understand the need for something that makes your life seem "normal" again when everything around you is not normal and will not be for a long time.

Having been previously faced with the choice to stay or leave, I can tell you it is not an easy call and the aftermath, whether you stay or come back, is wretched.

[o_mom]

So I have been watching the coverage and listening to the resources being used to rescue those who voluntarily chose to ride out the storm....what are your thoughts??? !

I agree with you. For the last 3-4 days or longer, once it passed Cuba, the projected path was going at or south of Galveston, both of which were going to cause major flooding and damage there. I think if you choose to live in Galveston, you need to plan into your expenses being able to evacuate once or twice a year. It is well known that the seawall will not hold back a hurricane and the west end is pretty much going to be under with even a minimal hurricane.

I understand the uncertainty, but there was adequate time with this storm to be ready to leave 24-48 hours ahead with pretty good certainty that the storm was going to be coming through.

[o_mom]

While folks in Galveston were asked to leave, I understand that Houston was told to shelter in place. I think this was due to the gridlock experienced with the evacuation for Rita.



Portions of Houton and the metro area were under mandatory evacuation. The parts closest to the coast and inland on the bays were under significant risk. Those are the people that I think should have the sense to leave. No, it's not an easy choice, but at 24-48 hours to landfall, it was pretty clear where the storm was going and they should have been ready to go. If you choose to live in a flood zone, you need to have adequate insurance and not put the lives of rescuers at risk just to protect your property.

[mamicka]

I understand your sentiments. I also understand that there are many reasons why some people may decide to not evacuate. There are $$ issues, safety issues, emotional issues, etc that may keep some from leaving their homes. That being said, I saw several people who stayed being interviewed on several networks. Each one cited completely different reasons for staying, none of which fall into the categories I mentioned. One guy stayed because he wanted to surf the day after. Others thought it would be cool to see a hurricane. Almost all of these people agreed that had they known then what they did now, they wouldn't have stayed & they were wrong to have done so. So maybe people who had (what I consider) legitimate reasons also stayed & just didn't get on TV. But the expectation of rescue or assistance in these circumstances, legitimate reason or not, is just mind-boggling. We don't live anywhere near hurricane country, but DH & I have already discussed evacuation for any natural disaster-type situation. No matter what, we leave. Its not worth staying.

[wellyes]

But the expectation of rescue or assistance in these circumstances, legitimate reason or not, is just mind-boggling.

I think I read that 40% ignored the evacuation order. I'm sure the certainty of rescue effort played into the decision-making process.

I feel about this the same way I feel about the mortgage bailout..... anyone with any sense got a fixed-rate, and the fact that people who made poor choices get saved, and even rewarded with a new lower fixed rate makes me :32: But I acknowledge and understand that the bailout is a good idea because NOT doing it would have negative consequences for all.

Similarly, with the flooding, no matter how frustrating it is that people ignored the orders, of course they should be rescued. But still, I know if I was in that situation, any injuries to any rescue workers would weigh heavily on my conscience.

[shelikesmorningglories]

I'd bet money that a lot of people did not leave as they did not have the means to get out.

[mamicka]

I didn't mean to suggest that the people who stayed shouldn't have been rescued. That wasn't my point at all.

[schums]

Given that a bunch of the people I saw who stayed were in or near waterfront property, I don't really buy that. Seriously, Galveston was under a MANDATORY evacuation order for several DAYS before Ike hit -- I'm thinking that most of the people there had opportunity/means to get out of town.

[801kelle]

I can understand if people had no means to get out... but officials were planning as EARLY AS SEPT 9 when to announce the evacuation plan!!

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-ike0909,0,1789941.story

I heard an interview with the governor and saying that the technology that is available now... they have the ability to track storms better and more precisily where they are going to hit, as well, predict the outcome. So in my opinion given professional advice to evacuate.... people should of listened. The storm wasn't as bad as predicted and look at all the devastation.. !! Being told of all the STRONG possibilities and warnings of how bad it would be once IKE hit.. why would any one in there right mind think they could ride out a hurricane with those potential dangers??? PLUS did people not think that they were going to loose electricity? How can you live in your house without electricity for an extended period of time.. and now they are saying it could be up to a month before all electricity is restored possibly!

Here is article talking about what they predicted on Sept 10 and it didn't hit landfall till Sept 12..

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/sep2008/2008-09-10-091.asp

Plus I think officials were offering assistance to get people out as well.. just like they did for Gustav. So I really don't find any excuse unless you are disabled.. and even then you call 911 and tell them you can't evacuate and I am sure they had sytsems in place for those that couldn't.

I verified that my thought is correct: Copied from above article: People who are unable to evacuate themselves can let responders know who and where they are before an emergency or evacuation takes place by calling 2-1-1.

People who blatenly ignored mandatory evacuations because they wanted to ride it out.. well let them ride it out!!

And now you have people who are still NOT listening to the officials about what to do :

Many residents who evacuated before Ike made landfall early Saturday morning -- reportedly 1 million people along the Gulf Coast area -- have started to return to the Houston area, only to find they are unable to either reach their homes or fill their gas tanks. Some have run out of gas on the highways, or been stuck on side roads, as the day grows warmer and more humid.

"We've had people on the highways pull up to the flood waters, then make a U-turn and drive backwards" into oncoming traffic, said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett. "We keep telling people to stay where they are, but they're not listening."

article came from:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-ike15-2008sep15,0,6068492.story

[Thatchermom]

We argued with my parents for days about evacuating from the bay area south of Houston, so I know there was lots of time to decide. They can practically see the water from their house and were in great risk (the flooded Dairy Queen they keep showing on the weather channel is practically in their neighborhood), but still they did not want to leave. The 40 hours they spent in the car for the Katrina evacuation was such a nightmare for them they felt that riding out the hurricane couldn't be worse.

We did finally talk them into visiting friends in Dallas. And yes, there were lots of evacuation options available in their area if they couldn't drive it themselves. They actually took another retiree with them who needed a ride to family in Dallas. And yes, now we are arguing with them about not trying to go back yet...

I don't know how their house is. I don't know whether all my childhood things or my grandparents heirlooms survived. I didn't know for sure that their evacuation travel wouldn't be a total nightmare again. (it was only 8 hours instead of the normal 4.5 - not bad) But I do know that I went to bed peacefully that night - my parents were safe. I can't imagine why someone would make any other choice.

[kijip]

There are in fact a number of people who have never or rarely even left Galveston. I have relatives in the area and it is apparently very hard from some residents to comprehend leaving, as in EVER leaving. Do I understand it? No. But it does not make that belief any less firm.

As for those in Houston, the evacuation from Rita killed more people than the storm IIRC. So I can see why some people would wonder if they should stay or go.

[Globetrotter]

I don't understand it, especially with such stern warnings to leave. If they couldn't afford to leave on their own, which is understandable for someone living paycheck to paycheck, why not get assistance since that was offered?

Ultimately, your life is more important than your stuff, and I feel it's irresponsible to stay and then expect rescue workers to risk their lives getting you out afterwards.