Surprizing reports from florida??????????????????????????

[recmod]

I don't know that complacency accounts for the high number of people claiming they will not evacuate. I actually think the 2004 hurricane season is to blame for this line of thinking. Living in the Orlando area of Central Florida, I went through the eye-wall of Charley and experienced hurricane-force winds from both Frances and Jeanne. In all three storms, mandatory evacuations were ordered...even for the inland areas....of all mobile home parks, neighborhoods containing "manufactured" housing, and all low-lying areas. There was very little response to the evacuation order for Hurricane Charley. I think it was a feeling of denial that anything would actually happen this far inland.
When Frances threatened, we were in a state of shellshock and the evacuations were MASSIVE! Huge traffic jams on the order of 1999's Hurricane Floyd evacuation were only avoided by earlier issuance of the evacuation orders, giving residents a broader time-span to get out. Inland, thousands of residents fled their homes. I live in a neighborhood consisting of concrete-block constructed homes. MANY of my neighbors chose to ride out Frances at local shelters.
It was Hurricane Jeanne that was the proverbial "straw-that-broke-the-camel's-back". Extreme storm fatigue, as well as the nightmare memories of residents not being allowed to return to their damaged neighborhoods (remember the stories of people being arrested for attempting to cross road blockades just to get to their homes??) resulted in a vast majority of residents deciding to "ride-it-out" at home at whatever cost.
I think this same feeling persists today. People are resigned to face the storms from the comfort of their own homes. Hopefully, no cat 5 monster will come along this year to prove their decisions wrong.

--Lou

[jdray]

I didnt leave during Floyd in 1999, but many of my neighbors did.

I live far enough inland, that unless its a Cat 5, I will ride it out @ my in-laws 60 year old concrete block house.

Even with I10 being a oneway during evac, I would rather ride it out. Now if I lived closer to the ocean,I would not stay.


Ever wonder why people that have lived here for many generations never built beachfront houses? People are fools that do and I dont have that much sympathy when thier house is destroyed. (sorry, but you kinda took upon yourself if you live near the ocean)

[Scorpion]

I would choose not to evacuate unless its a 5. The traffic jams, hotel expenses, gas, food, etc are just a pain. I would also not want to be stuck on a road in hurricane force winds. Plus, I find experiencing a hurricane as exciting.

[StormChasr]

Ever wonder why people that have lived here for many generations never built beachfront houses? People are fools that do and I dont have that much sympathy when thier house is destroyed. (sorry, but you kinda took upon yourself if you live near the ocean)

That is the worst attitude I have ever heard. How about some of the milk of human kindness for your fellow men/women? Just because YOU don't live near the Ocean does't mean that others do not. NOBODY--"took it upon themselves" to court disaster, and during the storms, we all worked together to deal with the circumstances. That is the way it should be--cooperation and mutual acceptance, not a "the heck with you--it is your problem" attitude. That is what is wrong with society today.

[jdray]

Its not a heck with you attitude. I have many friends that live near or on the beach, luckily most are smart and realize that if a storm comes, their house is probably toast.

I just cant get myself to show sympathy on the rich arrogant people who want to buy up all the beachfront property and then lose it all when a storm comes.


Up here, there are still quite a few people that have lived near the beach for generations, and they fully realize what can happen. Its those that dont who need a reality check in the end.

[StormChasr]

I just cant get myself to show sympathy on the rich arrogant people who want to buy up all the beachfront property and then lose it all when a storm comes.

Up here, there are still quite a few people that have lived near the beach for generations, and they fully realize what can happen. Its those that dont who need a reality check in the end.

I feel sorry for you. Part of being a Christian is caring for others.

[Downdraft]

I don't see why there is a decision process to go through. If local emergency management tells you go you go and if they say stay you should stay. I'm sure a lot of people don't trust the government to make the decision for them but if your going to go when they say stay then please leave early and don't grid lock the roads for the people that do have to leave. After Opal and Floyd the idea of thousands of people being trapped in their cars with a major storm bearing down on them is a real possibility.

[StormChasr]

I don't see why there is a decision process to go through. If local emergency management tells you go you go and if they say stay you should stay.

AMEN. Absolutely---follow the local officials and the NHC to the letter of the law.

[Windsong]

It took so long to get back on the islands last year, nobody I know will even think about leaving this year. The expense of three evacuations last year darn near did me in and I am tempted to stay myself. The traffic was horrible, the hotels expensive, the shelters out of the question (sleeping on cement floors is something I can not do with my health issues) I can see why people feel that way. On top of that, there was no real escape from the storm, the aftermath is still there, and in fact, evacuees were actually in harms way more so than if they had stayed put in many instances. The evacuation order in Brevard county came three hours before Charlie's arrival here. No time to do anything with that since most people were still at work. We weren't even in the cone that morning, and suddenly we are being told to leave. The hotel I stayed at suffered more damage than my CBC house.

I'll be hard pressed to leave, unless it's a huge cat 4 or cat 5, I probably won't.

Windsong