The people that stayed in New Orleans despite evacuation order...

[UNCjigga]

Do people here think they stayed back BECAUSE they wanted to loot? That they're just plain stupid? That they figured "whatever if I'm in danger they'll come get me"? Is being poor not an excuse?

I was talking to my roommate about it, as he's caught in the middle. His family didn't leave town because (1) they couldn't all fit into the family car, and (2) they didn't have anywhere else to go. They actually made the mistake of moving from the West Bank (where things are fine now) to a larger home across the bridge with other family/friends--closer to where the levee broke! He hasn't been able to reach them, though his uncle (also in N.O.) said he believes they're ok.

I admit, at first I thought anyone left in that city after Saturday night was a complete idiot, but now I understand that some folk just don't have the means to leave town. Another thing I heard was that airlines cancelled flights Sunday morning (when weather was still fine) leaving a lot of tourists stranded in hotels! Do you think that when a city issues a mandatory evac, they are required to move people using any means? I know they had public transportation running on an emergency schedule, but at who makes the call if they need drastic measures (like C-130/Galaxy transports) to move people out of harm's way?

 

[mugs]

Allowing that people were unable to get out of the city, I'm wondering why they go up into the attic when the water is rising instead of going up on the roof. Why put yourself into a situation you can't get out of?

 

[captains]

all of the above

 

[crab]

My uncle stayed at his house in Chalmette...havent heard from him. Anyone know how Chalmette is?

 

[UNCjigga]

Originally posted by: mugs
Allowing that people were unable to get out of the city, I'm wondering why they go up into the attic when the water is rising instead of going up on the roof. Why put yourself into a situation you can't get out of?

I'm guessing its because they were afraid of or didn't know how to climb out a window and hoist up onto a roof?

Another question--how is it that so many of the stranded people don't know how to swim? I used to make fun of the 'swimming requirement' at UNC--you cannot graduate until you have passed a basic swim test! I thought the idea was ludicrous, but now I see how it makes sense.

 

[frankgomez75]

I at first thought those ppl were stupid for staying.... until I thought about it.

If your

1) poor
2) have no car
3) have no family, extended or directly
4) no money, cash, savings or checking

Then I think you're pretty much screwed. Where the hell you gonna go? You have no family or friends outside New Orleans.

Who's house? Again, you have no friends or family outside New Orleans

How would you get there? Especially if you have no car

Who would take you? Again, you have no family or good friends

Hotels or motels outside of New Orleans? How would you pay for this and how would you get there?

Its a bad situation but I'm sure many ppl are in it, especially the poor.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: mugs
Allowing that people were unable to get out of the city, I'm wondering why they go up into the attic when the water is rising instead of going up on the roof. Why put yourself into a situation you can't get out of?

I imagine they went to the attic because it was safer in there than on a rooftop while a Cat 3/4 hurricane was going overhead.

 

[PingSpike]

I'd steal a bicycle and ride my ass out of New Orleans, then squat my ass in a field somewhere if I had too. That guy that lost his wife who said "I'm lost without her" on one hand a felt sorry for him...but if I were him I would have gotten my wife and family the fvck out of there before the storm came, no matter what I had to do. At the very least, god gave me a pair of working legs and I'd use them.

 

[Toasthead]

why couldnt they go to the superdome or other state sponsored evacutaion area?

 

[brian_riendeau]

Allowing that people were unable to get out of the city, I'm wondering why they go up into the attic when the water is rising instead of going up on the roof. Why put yourself into a situation you can't get out of?

How do you expect the people to get up on the roof from inside the house? I can not even reach my gutters from inside of my house, much less comteplate trying to get onto the roof without leaving the house. If you are in a situation where the water is already rising, getting out a ladder to get on the roof is extremely dangerous. Then you need to get an entire family up that ladder, while the ladder is sinking into 12 inches of mud. Not to mention the current of the rising water in a flood situation can be very sporadic.

 

[gigapet]

one of my best friend is very wealthy and was staying in a nice hotel to wait out the storm. Everything was fine when we heard from him before the levies broke.

When the levies broke he said everything is very bad and we are trying to get to baton rouge.

Haven't heard from him since.


No i dont think he stayed to l00t.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: crab
My uncle stayed at his house in Chalmette...havent heard from him. Anyone know how Chalmette is?

I thought that was one of the first areas to go underwater? :Q


St. Bernard Parish forum:
http://www.wwltv.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=34

 

[apologetic]

Originally posted by: Toasthead
why couldnt they go to the superdome or other state sponsored evacutaion area?

QFT
These were the instructions for people who were too poor or had no place to go

 

[dexvx]

Fast forward to Houston, TX.

Look at the horrendous traffic out there and you know why calling a mandatory evacuation order is meaningless. Most of those folks left days before Rita hit land and are stranded without gas on the freeway.

 

Steal a bike or car and leave the city. Hell, walk.

 

[LongCoolMother]

Originally posted by: apologetic

Originally posted by: Toasthead
why couldnt they go to the superdome or other state sponsored evacutaion area?

QFT
These were the instructions for people who were too poor or had no place to go

:thumbsup:

 

[jfall]

I have to say that I have more of an understand of their decisions than I did before.

I live in houston and started my evacuation on Wednesday. I have a buddy in Austin which is where I was headed. On Wednesday, 3 days before the hurricane I looked for hotels, I couldn't find any openings within 200 miles. If I didn't know someone in austin I would of had no where to go. Aside from that, i'm lucky that I had money to buy supplies, food/water and gas for my car. Traffic was terrible, average speed was 4mph. It was hot, people were running out of gas and breaking down all over the place.

There are a lot of poor people in NO. I cant imagine what I would have done if I didn't have a car or have enough money to evacuate

 

[FoBoT]

In New Orleans, "you are dealing with the permanently poor -- people who don't have jobs, are not used to getting up and organizing themselves and getting things done and for whom sitting and waiting is a way of life," says Linda Chavez, president of the Center for Equal Opportunity and a former head of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission.

"This is a natural disaster that is exacerbated by the problems of the underclass. The chief cause of poverty today among blacks is no longer racism. It is the breakdown of the traditional family."