Why people don't want to evacuate for a hurricane...

The govt agencies polled people in Florida about whether they'd be likely to evacuate before the arrival of a hurricane and found that more of them said they would not leave. There are a number of reasons for that.

The last time we were told to evacuate in south texas, I had no place to go. The hurricane was just as likely to strike where our other family members lved. They were also supposed to evacuate. I couldn't find a hotel room anywhere in Texas or Oklahoma using the internet. So where does a person go, except to a shelter?

The drive: My neighbor evacuated his 80+ year old mother from her nursing home. She has Alzheimers. They were stuck on the road for 12 hours and didn't even make it 45 miles north to the next town. He turned around and brought her back to his home and road out the storm that never came. We are in a similar situation with an autistic child. We'd have to drug him heavily to even attempt to get out for a long trip in which we are crawling along on the highway.

Some people are worried about their possessions. I know it sounds superficial, but some people can't afford to lose what they've got.

Evacuation really sucks. It doesn't surprise me that many people would rather take their chances in their homes, especially if they've already been standing for 30-50 years. The hard part is getting enough water and electricity after a big tropical storm or hurricane.


This isn't the case

they changed their stance when so many folks stayed behind with their pets

keep it safe

years ago. Where they live, theft like that is usually preventable by having a person at home. I know it is a weak excuse to use not to evacuate, but for some people, it is everything.

I guess my point is that the analysis doesn't seem to cover what people are really having to deal with when they make their decision to stay.

I-4 is normally a nightmare. I-75 is not much better.

2 years ago, Hurricane Charlie was forecast to come right up my driveway. About 4 hours before it was supposed to hit here, it made it's turn and hit Port Charlotte, about 120 mile south of here, instead.

A lot of people around here DID evacuate, and went to Orlando and Lakeland, where they did get hit. We never had so much as a strong breeze or a drop of rain here.

Especially when the road are jammed. Who wants to be on the road in the middle of a hurricane?