While I'm sure there are some here who are disapointed

[SeaCat]

While I'm sure there are some here who are disapointed by it, Texas is getting ready. Even us stupid Americans can learn from our mistakes as is being shown by the widespread evacuations and pre-placing of supplies and manpower for Rita.

Galveston is now almost a Ghost Town. Houston doesn't seem to be far behind. The Refineries and Oil Rigs are being shut down and cleared of people. Fifty trucks are heading out of West Palm filled with water and food, heading towards Texas. (This is in addition to the ongoing help we are sending to The Gulf Coast.) The Texas National Guard has been activated, as has been the Florida National Guard. Oh I almost forgot, F.E.M.A. is right there in the middle of it.

To paraphrase an old quote. God Bless, (whichever god you pray to.) my friends in Texas. Stay safe.

Cat

 

[Guest]

To paraphrase an old quote. God Bless, (whichever god you pray to.) my friends in Texas. Stay safe.

Cat

Yes.

Stay safe.

 

[R. Richard]

My best wishes for those in the path of Rita. By the way, glad to see that you missed meeting Rita SeaCat!

 

[sophia jane]

They're definitely on top of things here. More than they ever have been before, I think.
In a press conference earlier today Rick Perry assured everyone that Texas was prepared to deal with whatever happens. So it's on record if he fucks up. I sure hope they keep their act together, though. People here are scared.

 

[SeaCat]

They're definitely on top of things here. More than they ever have been before, I think.
In a press conference earlier today Rick Perry assured everyone that Texas was prepared to deal with whatever happens. So it's on record if he fucks up. I sure hope they keep their act together, though. People here are scared.

Sophia,

Scared is good as long as you don't allow your fear to controll you. In this case the fear is going to save a lot of lives. I dearly hope that you can get out of the way and stay safe. Please keep us informed as well as you can.

Cat

 

[velvetpie]

My hubby and I noticed that they're bringing buses for people who are unable to make it out (phrased as those who use public transit). Seems they've learned a lot from the chaos in New Orleans.

BTW, I feel sorry for New Orleans. They are going to get the hell sued out of them ...

 

[cantdog]

I don't get your "some will be disappointed" thing, Cat. It looks like a long damn season.

 

[sophia jane]

I don't get your "some will be disappointed" thing, Cat. It looks like a long damn season.

And it's not over till November.

 

[cantdog]

Exactly. This could get to be a hardship, all by itself. Cat 4 is nothing to sneeze at, so I can certainly see it in this instance. But you can't evacuate for everything.

I hope it works out for people.

 

[SeaCat]

Yep there's still at least a month for these lovely little storms to form and grow before heading for land. I don't know about the rest of you but I don't think I would mind over much if next year had fewer than normal storms.

As for my somewhat sarcastic remark about people being disapointed. I made that particular remark because I am starting to get more than a little tired of people gleefully pointing their fingers and commenting about how others have screwed up and allowed all the people to die in N.O. I am sure these same people, not just here on the board but around the world, are more than slightly disappointed that Texas is taking more proactive measures to protect peoples lives.

Again, I hope that all of our fellow Litizens as well as every one else in the danger zone is able to get out safely, and if not that they are able to ride out the storm in safety.

Cat

 

[Stella_Omega]

Yep there's still at least a month for these lovely little storms to form and grow before heading for land. I don't know about the rest of you but I don't think I would mind over much if next year had fewer than normal storms.

As for my somewhat sarcastic remark about people being disapointed. I made that particular remark because I am starting to get more than a little tired of people gleefully pointing their fingers and commenting about how others have screwed up and allowed all the people to die in N.O. I am sure these same people, not just here on the board but around the world, are more than slightly disappointed that Texas is taking more proactive measures to protect peoples lives.

Again, I hope that all of our fellow Litizens as well as every one else in the danger zone is able to get out safely, and if not that they are able to ride out the storm in safety.

Cat

I doubt that anyone is gleeful.
And if they are- Schadenfreude is a sin, in my book. I'll join you with my brand new chainsaw!

 

[rgraham666]

Why would I be disappointed that the government is doing its job?

Prayers going out to all AHers in Texas.

 

[cantdog]

Disappointment aside, this is one of the larger questions about disaster planning. To what extent is evacuation necessary? Is anyone left to guard the row on row of houses full of goods, all with no tenants and no neighbors, all easy prey for thieves?

To what extent is forced evacuation a good idea? Will we allow people to refuse?

During wildfires, many people who stayed behind were able to save their homes from the fire by a long vigil and a garden hose, cutting their trees near the house, mowing far back, digging a firebreak, doing controlled burns of fields near the house. At the same time, many houses in the same neighborhoods which had been abandoned burned flat. Meanwhile, also, some people who stayed were badly injured and lost everything just the same. Who gets to make that judgement, the homeowner, the tenant, the state?

There are a lot of factors involved. Galveston has a good deal of history with these storms, and they may possibly have a few rules of thumb worked out. Did Galveston decide to be evacuated, or did some fellow in Washington?

And no matter what you do, there'll be some mistakes made. Some of them very expensive ones. Sometimes nothing is a very clever thing to do.

 

[sophia jane]

What I have seen here in Texas is that even when there's a mandatory evac, they don't force anyone out of their homes. A mandatory is basically the govt's way of washing their hands of responsibility. They provide the means and opportunity to leave, they advise that you should get the hell out, and then they say (and I heard this today on a local press conference) that they (govt officials, police, etc) will not be going into those evacuated areas to rescue people so if you stay, you're on your own.

 

[cantdog]

There ya go, sophie. That sounds like the Texas I know. But I've been doing the evacuating, as a fireman. People with Alzheimer's are a problem. If they don't want to go, that is. And, really, they generally don't. They need the familiar. But they get to a point, in the course of the disease, where they really can't give a sensible opinion about the question. Alzheimer people handle loss of power badly, as a rule, just all by itself, leaving out all the other questions. Maybe I would have been justified to insist, to invoke police powers, really to force such people out to safety against their wills. Maybe not. Either way, I'm suddenly liable. It's not easy to do, evacuation.

I liked the cut-and-dried ones. We're evacuating everyone, because there's a chlorine leak. Not much question there. People who refuse are usually making thereby a poor judgement, on the face of it. But evacuation for a fire or for a bad winter storm? Much, much more room there for individual decision.