With means to evacauate getting smaller and smaller due to the rising water I had a thought...

I am curious about all of the folks that are riding out the storm in the mandatory evacuation areas having "hurricane parties".  It has been stated by several agencies that to stay and to not evacuate means certain death.  I understand that an adult has the right to make their own decision to evacuate or not.  However, what about the minors, children of these people who have decided to stay?  Are they not guilty of "risk of injury to minors" by putting their children in the path of a catastrophic hurricane, essentially putting their children's lives in imminent danger? Why can't authorities take emergency custody of these children and get these kids to safety?  They are too young to make a decision to stay or go and are at the mercy of their irresponsible parents who are keeping them in the path of "mother nature's weapon of mass destruction".  A good comparison would be to stand back and watch as a parent left their child in the middle of a freeway... or a train track... in these situations someone would most certainly carry that child out of the way to safety and the parent would be held legally responsible for their failure to protect their child.  

Were no lessons learned from Katrina???

It is so tragic that a parent would choose to risk the precious life of their children due to their own sense of invincibility.

Just a thought.

I don't understand that these people stay there.  They keep saying their homes are everything. No your LIVES are everything.  Hurricane after Huricane there are people who won't budge.  Hundreds of people died in New Orleans because they stayed. Don't people learn!!!

i hope all my peeps down in G-town come through ok.  Peace!

I agree with you all, but I'm sure those who do live there feel very differently!

Some people dont want to leave their homes because they have no where to go or they have pets and the shelters dont take the pets

Some people have a slanted way of thinking what is important to them.  Material items often take precedence over much more important things like lives. I guess with all the hurricane parties time to trim the Gene pool a bit.

I rode out Hurricane Hugo in 1989 on the island of St. Croix.  If I had the means to evacuate I would have, difficult to get off an island.  People that are staying in evacuation areas obviously do not understand the magnitude of distruction caused by a hurricane.  They are fools.

I lived in Houston for 17 years & I can tell you there is no doubt in my mind that I would have left on Wed!!

Shelters in Austin, TX are taking evacuees with their pets and the pets are then being transported to the local animal shelter to be temporarily cared for,  fed, sheltered etc and looked after while evacuees are in our city.  The pets are properly tagged and marked for retrieval by  their owners once they decide to return home or move to a permanent living situation.    Many evacuee shelters are pet friendly after lessons learned from the Katrina disaster. Similar pet friendly shelters and responsive animal shelter situations exist in Dallas and San Antonio as well.

I have to agree with the assessment made by Stefanie Plank.  If it were me, there would be no decision to be made at all and would certainly bring my family to safety.  If I decided that I wanted to ride it out to protect property, or for any other reason, I would do so without the accompaniment of my children and my wife.
I am not a big government supporter, however in areas that are deemed high risk and listed as mandatory evacuations, “evacuate or otherwise almost certain death” as said by local officials, the state should be able to remove minors if the parents are not providing them adequate safety by removing them from the disaster zone.  I am certain that this would come with heavy opposition, but is frankly the responsible thing to do and would force these folks to relocate instead of riding out the storm.
I grew up in the Midwest and I don’t think I would be standing in the path of a tornado if I knew it was coming.  Then again, if curiosity struck me and I really wanted to see the storm up close, I don’t think I would make that decision for my family and unnecessarily put their lives in jeopardy.
I am not advocating that the folks that choose to ride the storm out are bad folks, I am only advocating safety for those that are incapable or unable to make decisions for themselves.

Stefanie Plank- In order to ease your mind some...Clear Lake and Galveston are no where near each other. The folks in Galveston (on the barrier island) are the ones who were told staying meant "certain death." Anyone who chose to stay there must have a death wish. THe rest of suburban Houston will get flooded but likely survive. Thought you might want to know.

It's not just about their house and possessions.  What about those whose lives are tied to the land - you just can't throw horses and cows in a suitcase!  Please do not judge - not everyone who is staying is throwing a "party."  Some are fighting right now with everything they have to defend their homes and livelihoods - they are committed to staying because that is their home - not just a house and land - their home.  It has been their home for many, many years and their family's home for hundreds of years.  They are connected to it.  It is a part of them, a part of their identity.  It holds their past and present and future.  They are deeply connected to it.  They will not leave or abandon it by choice.  When it is hurt, they are hurt.  They will defend it with everything they are and everything they have to the end.   And they will grieve for it.   I am afraid for them but I understand.  I feel it, too, even though I am now far away.  The connection is still there calling to me now and then and when it is threatened I am afraid and when it is hurt I grieve.  It will always be a part of me, a part of my heart.  Please pray for them.  

Bottom line, if there is a mandatory evacuation you need to leave.  If you are dead, I don't think you will need your possessions, whether these include cows or not.  People need be responsible, especially when others, being children or grandparents are involved.

You can only evacuate so many people with the current roads available. The people in Houston were told to "hunker down" and ride it out. I have a son and daughter-in-law there and I am worried sick. I understand the decision to stay. Remember Rita? People died because they were caught on the highways when the storm hit. You can't make blanket statements about what others should do. You also need to remember that the original target zone was thought to be Corpus. We are lucky to have the amount of warning we have, but it still isn't enough time to move millions of people. All we can do is pray for the safety of those in danger and especially the first responders who are trying so hard to save lives.

I definitely agree with you Laura. Most people aren't having parties. You can't judge a whole community by a few groups of people.
Yes some people are stubborn and refuse to leave, but some people are simply unable. Evactuations cause huge problems. I'm from Beaumont and my family evactuated to Huntsville during Hurricane Rita. We probably would've gone farther north, but a drive that should have taken us two hours max ended up taking us almost nine. A five hour drive to Dallas was taking evacuees two entire days on the road if they had enough gas to make it. The roads were covered with people whose cars had broken down with no where to go. There was no gas anywhere. There was nothing. Where exactly would you have rather been during the storm? On the side of a highway stranded with your entire family and pets in a small car or in the comfort of your own home?
Evacuations cost more money than some people have. For large families with animales hotel accomidations aren't exactly an easy thing. During Rita people weren't allowed to come back to Beaumont for more than two weeks. That is two weeks of hotel bills, food, and so much more.
An evacuation might seem like the obvious choice to people who have never been affected by a hurricane, but after going through something so devastating it is not the easiest decision to make. I do not see how anyone can compare such an event to abandoning a child on a freeway. Most people who can leave, do. Most people that actually stay are those that have to. Does anyone out there honestly think that these people don't care about their children!? Of course they do. People are scared. They aren't all throwing parties celebrating the destruction of their home! Most of the parties I have heard about anyways are by college students, NOT families of people who are so excited to put their children in harms way.
Preparing for a hurricane is not the easiest thing. If our first instinct was to evacuate everytime there was a storm then we might as well move away for hurricane season. Every storm is different. Meteorologists only know so much at a certain time. One day a storm could be headed south as a Cat.1, the next it could have moved miles north and have picked up to Cat.3.
I definitely agree with Laura. People are connected to their homes. Packing up your life in the trunk of your car leaving your home and not ever really knowing what will happen to it is such a hard thing to do.
I can to an extent understand the judgement because people who have never felt the effects of a hurricane obviously do not understand, but please save your judgement. Everyone who chooses to stay has their own reasons that are important to them, and those do not include wishing harm on their families.

Even if I had no where to go, I'd rather sit in my car (with my cat) in some WalMart parking lot in North Texas for two or three days than die a watery death that could have been prevented.  Those ADULTS who have the ABILITY to leave but CHOOSE not to deserve what is coming to them.

I am hoping my EMPHASIS states my point that I am aware that some people can't evacuate by themselves, and something should be done to help those that would evacuate if they could.  

Steve Ogle, I agree that anything that happens to those who voluntarily stay is just improving the gene pool.

I understand "lives are tied to the land", I have a farm that has been in my family for almost 100 years. But still if comes to a choice between the farm animals and my child's safety, he comes first. You can eventually replace animals and homes, but you cannot replace a child.

I grew up in the rural area between Houston and Galveston.  I live in Florida now and continue to deal with hurricane season.  I understand how the people feel about their homesteads.  I lived it!  However, there isn't much a human can do against the power of a hurricane or storm surge.  Moving the family to safety needs to be the first priority, especially the young and elderly.  A storm surge can be devastating.  It is so frightening to find yourself in a dangerous situation without options.  I worry about the children, too.

"Ties to the Land"? "Can't put Horses and cows in a suitcase"! They all will definitely be part of the land now, pushing up daisies. What are you implying. That these people can actually do something by staying, like, fight the storm, or protect their cattle, or do something to save their possesions? It may be different if there was something that could be done, other than hovering in a corner of your room, screaming as your home is being destroyed by water and wind, watching it fall to pieces in front of your eyes. Then you are scrambling to save your life and expect someone to come save you.(not everyone, but many expect this)  I don't think these people brought their cattle in their home for safety. I don't think they stood outside punching at waves as they struck. Protect their stuff, nonesense! Its called being uneducated, greedy and stubborn. Ties to material things have killed so many for hundreds of years and sadly , it will continue. The sad thing is , staying behind bennefits nothing, when its all over, what did they do? Hang on for dear life or cause someone to have to ID their dead body in the days or weeks to come. There is not 1 positive thing to staying. We are nothing against the power of nature.  

People who live in any area know what the area has for weather.  If you can't stand the pressure MOVE...  I am tired of the government coming to the aid of those people who choose to live in a area of distruction and then ecpect the government to help them out.  That is what insurance is for. The weather patterns are changing and everyone needs to be aware of it. People have to decide what is more important.  Their lives or their chose of where they live.  God bles  everyone and my God keep you all safe.  

What can I do to help?

The time to ask for help is before the worst happens.  A lot of people don't have anywhere to go and that's why they stayed.  They should have said, "We don't have anywhere to go.  Someone help us, because we really don't want to stay!"  Waiting until you're sitting on your rooftop because your house has been inundated by water or ravaged by the wind is not the time to say, "Well, we didn't have anywhere to go."

Mandatory evacuations should actually be mandatory for small children, the elderly, and the sick and infirm.  If you're a hard-headed, but able-bodied adult, stay if you want, but you're on your own.  And if you stay and you need help afterwards, you should get a hefty fine because you actually endanger the lives of rescue workers who have to come out there and save your butt.  

I just don't have any sympathy for those who chose to stay behind because "Gustav was nothing" or "I've been here for years and I've been through all sorts of storms."  Being a native of Florida and having lived on a tropical island in the Pacific most of my teen life, I do know that every storm is different.  Sometimes the wind category doesn't matter.  It's how it comes ashore, which quadrant is going to hit you first, how much rain is predicted, is your area flood-prone and if your house can withstand whatever Mother Nature can dish out.  

I'm sure it's pretty bad in Galveston but not anywhere near as horrid as they predicted because the right front quadrant didn't strike solidly as was expected.  But was it really worth the house that's all you have?  What about your life?  Is that not more important?  You can get all kinds of assistance to re-buy all your material possessions but there is no insurance or FEMA handout that will bring back your life or those of your loved ones.

I'm sure a lot of Gulf Coast residents are weather-hardy and know what they're up against when they choose to put down roots in such a disaster-prone area, but less than a percent of the population are weather experts and if someone tells you "certain death is imminent," maybe you shouldn't take it so lightly.

I'll pray for you, because you need it, but I wish I could withhold my tax dollars because you don't deserve that.

I noticed on the news yesterday that a women and her family were in their car leaving, and it did look like the car was packed, but she said well she didn't want to leave but then at the last minute decided to and left the pets behind, shame on you, whoever you are!!!!!!! I'd rather be very cramped then the thought of those poor animals left to suffer and most likely die. Don't get an animal if you don't know how to LOVE and take care of them. It just makes me sick how some people treat their pets.

I am from Orange, TX and have been through hurricane Rita (we evacuated to Fort Worth), Hurricane Humberto (which I slept through) and Hurricane Gustav (which missed us completely). Two factors affect the decision not to evacuate. First people who evacuated from hurricane Rita were on the road for as long as 45 hours without toilet facilities and in many cases without food and water, which they should have taken with them. They had no idea they would be stranded on the  highway so long. Also in many cases they ran out of gas for the same reason. The second reason is that we have had two mandatory evacuations in the last two years where the storms missed our area.  The general feeling has been that evacuation was unnecessary. This time I am on vacation in Colorado and cannot get back to Houston until the airport reopens. My two sons have remained in their homes in League City (half way between Houston and Galveston), and Huffman (northeast of Houston). Both have weathered the storm with only minor damage and never a threat to their lives.

Miss Laura, thank you! very few understand what it means to fight for their family. be it a man made threat or mother nature!! the storm is just the other end of it. when there is a drought so severe no one threatens to take away the kids. if we dont try our best to protect what puts food on the table, who will? believe it or not those kids help their parents do just that! its their way of life. hard work and  sometimes blood shed. America has forgotten what that really means. God bless them !!!

Of course we can judge.  It's a blogsite, now feel the wrath of our opinions.  No one was ever asking them to move away.  They were urgently being asked to take a vacation for a couple of days.  Defend their home?  You're kidding right?  How do you defend your home when monstrous ocean waves are hitting it, 110 mph winds, and 12 foot flooding forces you onto you're roof?  Please don't tell us we don't understand. We do. These people were fools for staying.  Will they be proud they rode out the storm to defend their property when they're scrapping through the rubble the next day?

The next biggest thing to me besides my children, would be my pets.  I hurt for people in New Orleans that had to leave their pets.  The animals did not have a chance and some  people have  no children and their pets are all the confort they have.  I am so glad some shelders are offering to take pets also.  My heart goes out to those effected by IKE.  People have to live where they can find employment, even if they have to take the chance of Hurricans.  It is just like we live in Oklahoma where there are tornadoes.  Our home is here, our jobs are here, and our pets are here.  The tormado shelders do not let you bring your pets, so I chose to stay at home and get in a middle room and put on matteress for cover and pray to God that he will see us thur.  I do not have any children at home.

I agree many people made the wrong decision to stay, but some of them had no choice, like a lady told me of her daughter.. she is in college there, on a limited income. They had just returned from Gustav. It took all the financial means just to evacuate for Gustav. They did not have the money to go again. gas money. hotel bills if u can even find a hotel. My brother lives in Houston. They had to go clear to Dallas to find a hotel and they were full way before the storm got there. Yes I agree these people should have left. But in a lot of cases it wasn't from stupidity that they stayed, it was for lack of money and no where to go. These are mass evacuations, there just isn't enough room for everybody to find a safe place or the money to go or way to get there. Thankfully my brother is well off enough he could go but I'm sure it puts a strain on his pocketbook. Most people live paycheck to paycheck...If I had to suddenly get up and go, I wouldn't be able too. No money for gas and no money to take care of myself. A lot of these people just got back from Gustav. That was a drain on their pocketbooks and they just didn't have the resources to go again. So give these people the benifit of doubt, pray for them and quit complaining about your tax dollars. The gov. will waste so much of your tax dollars anyway, and I'd rather the money be spent to help our people than wasted. I also feel for the Cubans who lost so much. But I think our people should come first, even tho u can just about bet that we will help the Cubans too. I don't even think we should be worried about money now. Just help for the people who need it. This is a Christain country,u help your fellow man to the best of your ability. I think that is why God has blessed our country so much. Walk a mile in these peoples shoes, before u start condeming them or judging them.

After reading many,many different blogs today-it is all the same theme. The hatred and ill will directed at what would seem to be tens of thousands of people somehow managing to be seen refusing to evacuate withlaw enforcement and Red Cross attempting to force them. And people denouncing "these people" for their "stupidity of where they chose to but a  home and make a living".Like those running the many refineries that we rely on and dont give a single thought ever about how we just expect to have our cars run and homes warmed or cooled-until it stops.

I'm watching TWC and saw 1000 people helped out of one town and the death toll of 13,8 from Galveston.

And where are "these people" demanding you to send your money to fix their homes?

As far as I can see,compared to the recent hurricanes,I dont see people floating down the streets,vehicles stranded on highways because people refused to leave until it was too late.No helicopters flying over neighborhoods as Ike moves further along showing "those people" who refused to evacuate.
I dont get the made up hysteria and name calling and condemning.Why nothing positive, like the town with the majority of refineries was spared and the shelters provided for people and pets are being used, and yes there is great loss of homes and businesses etc but we didnt have a repeat of Katrina,so in reality "those people" really did what they could, knowing this was their worst nightmare and lives and families will be changed forever-but they arent blaming anyone for this.  Enough hatred.

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