Numbers don't necessarily count when you're taking on a giant--whether it's a corporate giant or something more personal. Mother Nature is perhaps the biggest giant of them all. This week a lot of "little" people are pitted in battle against Hurricane Ike.There is little to be done against a hurricane except get out of the way. I've read a lot about people in shelters complaining about their accommodations. And some others complaining about their evacuation problems. So I want to ask something. Why take a space on the bus or train? Why take a space at a shelter? If you have a better plan, why aren't you using that?
It seriously burns my butt when volunteers and the government work their behinds off to provide a measure of safety against the giant only to have the very people they are sheltering complain. Dammit, if you can do better, then do so!
Since when is the government responsible for protecting people from storms? What strikes me is that hurricanes and tropical storms are a way of life for people who live in coastal areas of the gulf and east coast. They are not a sudden catastrophic event like a tsunami. They are annual events! So why are people always surprised? Why do they never have a plan?
I've been through several tropical storms and hurricanes in various locations. One of the first things we do when we move to a new location is make an evacuation plan. When hurricane season rolls around, we tweak our plan for any new variables that have crept in over the winter and spring. How is it that no one else understands the necessity to have a plan?
Some parts of the country have annual wild fires. If you know you're in a fire prone area, then you plan for that.
The government is we the people. It isn't some amorphous conglomerate that's responsible for our welfare. Every year, I watch people flocking together like a bunch of sheep waiting for the shepherd of big government to tell them where to go and what to do.
Yes, there are some people who don't have the means to evacuate. For them, the evacuation plan is wonderful. But I have to wonder about the people who are clogging the highways, sitting on the side of the road because they've run out of gas. Hurricane's don't sneak up on you. The media is blaring for days ahead about the dangers. Um, fill your gas tank! Get your personal papers and medications together! Stash a little cash in your wallet. Pack an emergency bag so you can grab it and go! Get a plan!
anny
No kidding, ANny. We all have days of warning. Tornados are different because they are sudden but I grew up in a tornado prone area. We didn't have a storm cellar but our neighbors did. Everyone in town knew where they were located and believe me, when the skies turned that funky yellowish gray color we ran for them. No excuse in the world not to be prepared.
ReplyDeleteThis is a terrific post.
That's especially how I feel about mudslides and people who rebuild every year just to complain when the inevitable happens again. They bring up our rates in insurance too, not just their own. The land there is not habitible. Move.
ReplyDeleteI'm totally with you when it comes to those with the means but who seem to lack the brains or the responsibility to take care of themselves. I DO have a problem when (as has happened in the past) disaster strikes, and our government sits on its hands instead of helping those who DON'T have the means.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Anny. I was amazed at just how inept a large portion of the evacuees were when we were coming home from New Orleans last week. How far in bumper to bumper traffic did they think they would really get on a quarter tank of gas?
ReplyDeleteHi Anny!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I agree, those that are healthy of body and mind should definitely hash out a plan ahead of time. The government should be there to provide aide to those unable to help themselves--the elderly, the ill, and mentally ill. It is a wonder why people seem surprised when the "annual" storms come every year.
:)
Renee
Great post, Anny. And a good reminder to be prepared as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteAMEN Anny:)
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, I would move out of Florida and away from hurricane prone areas, I would in a flash. To do so now, I'd have to get a divorce and that seems like too far to go only for that reason. I also have a good job here. But yes, people who live in hurricane prone areas should be prepared in advance. Unfortunately, most of them seem blase until the last moment, probably because they see so many storms pass them by and they get tired of panicking and preparing and then having nothing happen.
ReplyDelete