It's rare that you'll find me blog about social issues but I was reading a story that sprouted from the front page of MSN.com that talks about the devastation in Texas coastal towns from Hurricane Ike. This is the same storm that people from the National Hurricane Center noted that "persons not heeding evacuation orders in single-family one or two-storey homes will face certain death." They also went on to say, "Many residences of average construction directly on the coast will be destroyed." Now, I'm not engineer and I honestly could probably not build a house with my bare hands, but that statement says it all. When someone of authority who studies things like hurricanes for a living, makes a statement like this it screams of urgency and has a strong "trust us, we know" vibe to it. I know what you're thinking. The media says things like this all the time with their blatant speculation and quest for the "big story" but this wasn't the media -- it was the National Weather Service. They gain nothing by putting out false information other than extra deaths on their conscience.
What I read in the story that bothers me is people who decided not to leave when given and evacuation orders that were backed with pretty stern words from the NWS/NOAA and their government officials. Some of these same people stated that "this is bull" after having to wait in lines for hours for some supplies. Many were complaining that they were not receiving many supplies for their families or that they were given water every 4 hours and peanut butter and jelly only once a day. The same lady who complained that it was all "bull" through out this gem of a statement, "why didn't they call for volunteers when they knew this was going to hit?"
Let's analyze Irene's statement. Now, we all understand that this idiot is one of those those self-important jackasses who wouldn't ever and hasn't ever volunteered for anything in her life unless there was some personal gain in it for her. She probably wouldn't even know where to begin. That aside, she's complaining that there aren't more people taking time away from their husbands, wives, kids, jobs, pets, friends and things of personal enjoyment to take care of her stubborn and/or stupid ass. I'm sure her reason was valid that she didn't leave... it probably fell in line with the general American complacency that "nothing bad will happen to me." Well, Irene, I hope you learned your lesson. Who am I kidding? You didn't. I hope you run out of gas in your cute little SUV on your way to the next supply point to get supplies.
There are way too many people with this mindset. I have been through some storms myself, being from Florida, and when the evacuation order is given, I move my ass. If you live in a community where you have a threat of hurricanes and the problems they bring, you live with the fact that some day you will likely have to leave everything behind except what you can carry and come back to nothing... or not come back at all. There are people in Galveston that are coming to these thoughts right now.
Right now Galveston is uninhabitable. In fact, they're telling some that it could be months before the island is stable enough and the threat of disease subsides enough to go in. Mosquitoes are rampant and the threat of encephalitis and other mosquito-carried illnesses and disease are at a high risk. There is devastation to city infrastructure including gas, power, water/sewage and likely to physical infrastructure. Those things take time to rebuild. This city has rebuild all or part of it 3 times in the last 108 years -- should they rebuild again? Is it worth the expense to do so? I don't think so.
I have linked in some articles for you to read that support this blog, but read them with an open mind and think about what I said. Is it mean to think what I have put here? No, civil engineering would argue in my favor I think. Don't ask me about cities that are up to 30 feet below sea level (can you hear me, New Orleans???) that need all this help when they have a disaster. That's a whole new topic.
MSN Article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26695458/?GT1=43001
News.Google Feeds: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=hurricane+ike+devastation
Flickr Images of Ike Devastation: http://flickr.com/search/?q=Ike+hurricane+galveston
That's all from me right now. Have a wonderful evening.
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