The Holdouts

I think that we should make these stubborn, defiant people sign a paper that states they've been informed about the inherent danger of staying when advised to get out for their own safety. It should then go on to state that they are are their own and there will be no help from first defenders. If, after the fact, they do require help, they should be fined a large amount of money. If they can't pay the fine, they should have to give back in community service, such as helping clean up. If they were children, they would have been reprimanded. Here's another of many, good examples of what we've created over time because of political correctness and too many attorneys willing to sue!

PS: And no, I'm not a right-wing survivalist nutjob. I'm just a well-prepared die-hard Democrat who believes in a high degree personal responsibility and self-sufficiency... good old-fashioned American values.

Your subhed is misleading. You don't address in any depth the psychology of those who stay. Parents won't evacuate without their kids? Is that even worth the ink? Anyone with kids could've told you that. So what kind of person makes the choice to stay? Well...The Ones Who Think They're Invincible. The Ones Who are In Denial. The Ones Who Have to Stay (first responders, journalists). The Ones Who Don't Give a Damn What the Rest of the USA Thinks Because They Grew Up on the Gulf Coast, Have Seen it all Before, and are Far Better Prepared Than You think... or Than You Yourself Are For Whatever Random Disaster May Befall at any Given Time. Can you guess which group I'm in? Firmly in the latter two camps, actually. I'm from New Orleans, I've been through nine hurricanes in five states, and although I have absolutely NO intention of leaving New Orleans for anything less than a very strong Cat 4, I also do not expect or care to be "rescued" to the detriment of "your" precious tax contributions. I am quite self sufficient, in a triple-layered brick structure that's more than 20 feet above sea level on the second floor... 35 on the roof... well above the level of any potential surge in this particular area. So if something comes, fine. If first responders check on us, I'll put down my shotgun and offer them BBQ and cold drinks, just as I did during Gustav. Quite frankly, I would rather live here surrounded by fetid toxic water in an empty city than wander for months or years carrying your refugee moniker like a shameful scarlet letter. I keep enough supplies to last six weeks. I have a generator. I have a boat. I have solar power. I have good wine. Finally, if my city ever ceases to exist, I'd prefer to expire with it rather than live in the vast, soulless wasteland of strip malls and big box stores that consumes most of our country.
The bottom line is that your overly-hysterical reactions and underinformed assessments of our individual abilities to handle extreme weather long-indigenous to our environs do not necessarily reflect the reality of each particular person's ability to adequately react to said disasters. Your higher-ground blanket assessments simply have no bearing on my personal choices or risks. Life is not safe. We will all eventually die. In the interim, however, I intend to live my life in the pursuit of personal happiness and liberty, which is my inherent right as an American.
Analyze THAT.

From reading these posts I get the distinct impression that most of the posters are either inlanders or people who have recently moved to the coast and have never experienced a hurricane. I would agree that anyone staying on a barrier island during a hurricane had better be very sure of the structure in which they are staying and still better have their affairs in order. For those of us who live beyond the reach of the storm surge, and out of the likely flood plain, hurricanes are mainly a major pain in the neck (lots of sweat and sore muscles). As to the folks effecting the current "rescues" putting their lies at risk, it is my understanding that they didn't really begin those activities until it was deemed safe for them to go out, and most of those so called rescues aren't life saving missions but rather, retrieving people from uncomfortable conditions (no water to bath in, no air-conditioning, no t.v.) One should remember that just because there is no water pressure doesn't mean you can't flush the toilet. As long as there is water standing in the yard, you can scoop that up and use it to fill the toilet tank (that's why we always fill the bath tub in advance of a hurricane) and you can always pee outside.

To begin with, evacuation is no guarantee of survival. In the past, a number of people have died on the road evacuating, so one must weigh the risks. Unfortunately the agencies responsible don't provide sufficient information allow those at risk to make informed decisions. If everyone that was in an area that was subject to either MANDATORY (really no such thing) or voluntary evacuation had left, there would have been no place to put them. I live about 30 miles inland and about 200 miles south of Houston, and yet was at onetime about to be under MANDATORY EVACUATION orders. As it turned out, we got NOTHING from the storm, not a drop of rain, not a single gust of wind. I would agree that those who live within reach of storm surge are often indeed in grave danger, but those far enough inland to be safe from storm surge are usually relatively safe. Yes, a tree could fall on your house and then the roof could fall in on you, but in fact, my entire neighborhood was built in the 1940's and the houses have weathered a number of hurricanes and feel pretty safe in this old house. I have been through several big ones myself, and feel as safe in my house as i would out on the road trying to evacuate. The real problem is the extreme inconvenience AFTER the storm (no phone, no electricity, possibly no water) but most of that can be overcome with advance planning. Kartina was a rare confluence of events; a major storm hit a city that is mostly BELOW sea level, run by corrupt and inept city government, populated to a great extent by folks who have depended for generations on the nanny state to take care of them. None of this was true for Ike.

I just have one comment before I start my review of the story. I believe the Texas government and federal agencies handled that emergencies(Hurricane Ike) quite well. Don't get me wrong there are always going to be mistakes but we need to start comparing our emergency responses to the most extremes (i.e. the emergency response to Hurricane Katrina was a disaster on an epic scale for both state government and federal agencies. Not to mention an embarrassment for the entire country). Now that said. People need to understand the difference between their life and material possessions! Look at Cuba (I am just making an example and nothing political! Thank you!) Their people went through the same hurricane and don't have much as far as material possessions so when the warning comes they can pick up and go. They come back to their homes and rebuild but they still have their lives. Here in the U.S. we have to relearn that lesson so that our rescue personnel don't have to go out and risk their lives to rescue people who obviously value their material possessions more than they do their lives.

Ummm... I don't think Mr. Redlener was comparing 9/11 to anything. I think he was saying that since 9/11, many of us have had the realisation that we're more vulnerable to catastrophes, both natural and man-made.

Ummm... I think the guy was trying to say that in this post 9/11 era, we're more sensitive to catastrophes, both nature and man-made.

Comment: With regard to having no money for transportation or lodging to evacuate: Here in San Antonio, Port San Antonio (Kelly AFB) began gathering buses (over 1500) and ambulances a week before Ike was to hit land. Once it was clear where the storm was headed those buses were deployed to pick up those to be evacuated and bring them here ALONG with their pets. There is NO CHARGE to these people for a place to sleep and 3 hot meals a day..this includes food for their pets. Medical care is also given to those that need it. All of this is also handled mostly by volunteers. The excuse that "I had no money to leave" is hogwash! Everyone who decides to stay after a mandatory evacuation and has to be rescued should be fined at least 5 figures. This selfish individual needs to grow up and think about someone other than themself! Now people are complaining that they cant get back into these coastal towns and cities to their homes...wake up people it's not safe for you. Just proves............YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID!!!

Some ppl should be charged with the cost of rescue depending on where they were picked up..If its in areas that werent expected to flood out or get blown down then its a needed rescue..If its idiots that sat in areas that were plainly in the storms destructive path then they should be held accountable for the time it took to get them to where they should have been in the first place...There is no REAL excuse when this storm gave plenty of warning that it was going to be bad..i.e. early rising of the flood water hours before the storm hit...Those clowns standing on the sea wall to get pictures of themselves getting splashed by Ike are no doubt some of the idiots getting rescued or found floating deceased somewhere...Hopefully they atleast listened and put their ssn on their arms..

From what I've seen, some of these so-called first responders are not qualified to do much of anything. The real danger has passed, many are on an ego trip. Hats off to the real responders, the heli pilots & crews, In most cases, the persons trying to return are more qualified to "get the job done".It's their HOME .