Katrina – Why Some Stayed

You're right, but to be perfectly fair, you have to look at things from the spectrum of prospective that we, who live here, see.

First, there are, in the affected area, several hundred thousand people who could not leave because their health issues or financial issues prohibited them from doing so. One who sucks on oxygen to survive, who is bed-ridden, or is severely incapacitated, cannot just "up and leave". To do so would require a level of Civil support that is not available, anywhere in our country.

There are many in the South (as well as the rest of the country) who live from paycheck to paycheck. They do not have any money for a hotel room, the gas required to drive 3 or 4 hundred miles, and not even the money required to feed themselves, and their families, on the way and back. There are a few shelters available that would feed them, and even provide some level of medical care, but there is no place where those people can find that information, nor could they get there.

Remember, these people probably have no access or understanding of the Internet, nor do they have another avenue of information available to them. Many do not have any form of transportation, as well.

Second, you have the problem of consistent "false alarms". Most of the people on the Coast have followed the "Mandatory Evacuation" orders many times. Many have done it a dozen, or two, times. Only to find that it was completely unnecessary. But, because the storm hit somewhere between where your home is, and where you went, a major expense (and major pain in the ass) was required just to get back home. Back home, where nothing had happened but sunshine and summer showers. Some of us have the money, and (very importantly) friends, to keep on evacuating and (even more importantly, get back quickly).... most don't.

Third, when you evacuate you know that one of two things will happen; there will be nothing that happens, or absolute chaos. In the most likely event that nothing happens, you also know that, due to the emergency requirements of the community, "your stuff" is less protected. But, even worse, if something does happen, "your stuff" will very likely be completely unprotected, and looters will be everywhere.

But, even worse yet, you also know that, because it is "your stuff", your property will be completely undamaged, but because they (the authorities) won't allow you to return, the looters will get it all. Some months hence, you will return to a perfectly preserved house or apartment, and EVERYTHING will be gone.

This is the kind of thing that goes through your mind. Self-preservation is great, but there comes a point where we think we are sacrificing for nothing more than the CYA tactics by some low level bureaucrat.

This time, Linda and I were still blessed in that we could afford to bail, which allowed us to leave "our stuff". But, by far, most of those who live in the Deep South, could not continue to do so. Since we are now essentially "homeless" and "jobless" we may not be able to dodge the next one, if we elect to stay in this area. The bottom line, rightly or wrongly, is that poverty in the U.S. can often be a death sentence.