Topic of today's lunchtime argument...

[BiggJawn]

Should you be forced to bug-out with a hurricane coming?

My girlfriend says "No. If I want to stay, it's my own business"

I say "Fine, until 25 Coasties have to risk their lives and a 16' Zodiac and a 12 megabuck helicopter to come rescue your stubborn ass..."

"I don't wanna be rescued"

"Fine, the Coast Guard doesn't want to be sued by somebody who thinks they shoulda rescued you. Pack up and be ready in 45 minutes, you're leaving."

We agreed to disagree.

[ant]

1. I agree with you

I understand the point about "it's my life, I don't want to go," but the consequences go beyond you (generic you). Dealing with a hurricane is hard enough; city officials don't need people staying in high risk areas. The least people could do is work together to minimize potential damage and loss of life and not give officials more headaches than necessary. And believe me, people may *think* they don't want to be rescued, but that badass attitude seems to disappear when your roof is blown off and you're floating down the street about to drown. There's a reason you're being evacuated, after all.

During Andrew down in FL my father decided to stay on the island where my parents live. He stayed at a condo. Facing the ocean. He was stubborn as hell about leaving, and when I was home a few weeks ago we were talking about it and he mentioned how when the storm started to hit he began to shit his pants and wished he had left.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

2. As a 25 year veteran of the Coast Guard

Forced evacuations are not strictly legal.

However, the person at the door has the obligation to inquire as to your next of kin for notification of your death, should that become neccessary.

I would not evacuate. The chances of dying in a hurricane are quite small. They are property-specific storms.

People get too carried away with these things.

And, the Coast Guard will not come rescue you if you don't want to be rescued, only if someone calls and says you need rescuing for some specific reason.

[BiggJawn]

3. Well, OK, but you get my point, dontcha?

All these "rugged individualists" who are gonna ride it out with their CD player and a case of bud (or a baggie of the same) who then change their mind, as was said, "when the roof lifts off", then somebody has to go back out in the gale and rescue their ass when they could've packed up and left in an orderly fashion.

Maybe I was thinking about the National Guard?

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

4. Oh, I see what you mean now

Sorry... yeah, those people are oddballs.

But those types usually blanch and run when you ask them who their next of kin is for purposes of body identification.

At least in my experience anyway.

[chefgirl]

5. I was in Charleston, S.C. for Hurricane Hugo

The area I was in was an evacuation zone. I lived in a second floor apt. and since they were saying that the main danger from Hugo was going to be the flooding (HA!), I decided to stay put.
My son was only 4 months old at the time and the Navy decided to send all the ships out to sea, so my husband was gone too.
Everyone I knew was practically begging me to go to the designated shelter, but I just didnt have a good feeling about it, so I held firm.
As it was, my apt sustained no damage, nor did my car. The two cars parked beside me on either side were all but demolished and a tree came through the roof of the entry hallway (about three inches on the other side of my dining room wall) but my son and I were fine, amazingly.
When reports started to come in on the radio the next day, I found out that the shelter where I would have gone suffered severe flooding, to the point where the adults were having to hold the children up above the tiles in the hung ceiling for a period of about four hours and 4 adults were actually drowned when they were swept out a huge window that had been broken by a tree.

So, ever since then, I've had very strong feelings about forced evacuation in situations like this.
As long as people understand that THEY are responsible if they decide not to follow the advice of local officials, then so be it.

-chef-

[newyawker99]

7. Congrats chefgirl!! 200 posts

:toast:

[noonwitch]

6. It reminds me of the old guy at Mt. Saint Helen

He wouldn't leave, even though they knew it was going to blow at any time. He didn't leave, and died.

It's hard to leave your home behind, where all your stuff is. I know it's just stuff, but it's your stuff.

[ArkDem]

8. I don't think you can sue

the Coast Guard.