From the "Why the hell didn't they evacuate?" file

[theboss]

Brett Favre's mother and grandmother rode on the hurricane in an attic. I would think that these two would have the means to evacuate if they wanted to.

I honestly don't understand this desire that appears during every storm to ride it out. But, it's important to remember that any evacuation plan is going to run into massive resistance of people who just aren't going to do it.

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According to the team, (Brett) Favre said his mother reported spending Monday night in the family attic, along with his grandmother, after the house filled up with water within a matter of five to 10 minutes, much like a tsunami.

On Tuesday, the water receded enough that she was able to leave the family home and go to his brother Jeff's nearby house, which is slightly higher and away from the water.

[nonconformist]

1. I've seen some reports

Mostly from survivors in Mississippi, but I'm sure it goes for NOLA too, that people felt confident their homes would survive since they weathered Camille just fine.

It was a dangerous assumption. :(

[Ripley]

2. Why do you people keep attacking victims?

My parents live on the NC coast and went through a lot of hurricanes in the 1990s. There are many reasons people stay. One is that when you go into a shelter, the police carry guns and won't let you leave when you want, so it is like prison, except you can't even smoke a cigarette. People have pets. People have no place to go. People don't know where the hell to go. When they fled to Raleigh the tornadoes did damage to their car while their home was fine on the coast. When they fled to Goldsboro, the floods got in my aunt's house.

Stop this judgemental shit on DU!

[theboss]

3. I'm doing the exact opposite; I'm criticizing the nitpickers

I find this odd, particularly since this family could probably afford a fleet of BlackHawk helicopters.

But everyone wants to know "Why wasn't NOLA evacuated a week ago?"

The reason: you can't evacuate everyone, because a lot of them won't go.

[sybylla]

5. That's called thinning the herd

You take the ones who want to leave but don't have the means and leave the rest. You can't legislate away stupidity, but there is no reason to do nothing because you couldn't do the best.

And, I'm sorry. When someone tells you a Cat 4 or 5 hurricane is bearing down on your home with sustained winds at tornatic strengths and a 20'+ surge, it is nothing short of insane to think you need to say home to protect your pets because clearly the chances are good that there will be nothing left to protect when it is all done.

But I'll grant that perhaps it is just a little easier for people who live in the heartland to criticize, where our own little mini hurricanes come roaring through on a regular basis, teaching us to respect the wrath of nature. You see, we don't get 4 days notice that a tornado is headed for our homes and secretly we wish we had the luxury of taking our family and prized posessions out of the storm's path.

[texanshatingbush]

4. Sometimes people think they need to protect their property

Particularly among poor people, I think there is an unwillingness to evacuate because they feel they have so little, and what little they have they need to protect--from looters or from the storm if possible.

Looting always seems to spring up in poor areas, and people think they have to remain with their homes to repel looters.

The presence of more National Guard troops in New Orleans might have encouraged more folks to evacuate, by giving tangible proof that law and order would be maintained in the aftermath of the storm. In the absence of law-and-order, it's "every man for himself", so they felt the need to stay to protect their own.

As Marvin Zindler says, "it's h*ll to be poor".

[sybylla]

6. Poor don't matter if you're dead

Let's see. Loose everything you own OR loose everything you own plus someone in your family and you don't get to pick who. I don't know about you, but this is not a Hobson's choice for me.

[theboss]

7. The Favres are poor?

Bret has more money than Davy Crockett.

[oasis]

8. Hundreds of military and school busses should have been at the ready to

transport needy folks to military bases or other safe venues.