Page 13 | Hurricane Milton

KenAdams · 2024-10-08T13:15:38+00:00

Couldn't see a thread for this in Weather. This looks like it's going to be really bad. Helene has already caused enough devastion in the area and the poor people of Tampa are in for a lot more today. Some people are refusing to evacuate from what I understand but the Mayor of Tampa has warned if you don't evacuate you die. I can't imagine how scary it must be for them.

itwasnevermine · 09/10/2024 11:11

Peridot1 · 09/10/2024 11:08

@itwasnevermine - I don’t think that’s necessarily the case that they want to be on tv or whatever. I’m sure quite a few people did leave. If they could get flights. If they could afford flights. The airlines ramp up prices in cases like this which is obviously disgusting but it happens.

It’s not always as easy as just getting on a flight.

Respectfully, if you're going to go on holiday to Florida during hurricane season, you need to have a bugger available to you to evacuate on short notice.

goodluckbinbin · 09/10/2024 11:12

HappierTimesAhead · 09/10/2024 10:26

When people posted that it wasn't getting a lot of coverage and it was on the back of very little coverage of Helene. That has rapidly changed in the last 24 hours and it is now major news

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Given it's extreme weather outside of the UK and Europe I think it's getting plenty of coverage!

Waitingfordoggo · 09/10/2024 11:14

nosmartphone · 09/10/2024 10:58

Genuine question. If I were on holiday and starting seeing the news 3 days ago, I'd have been on a plane out of there asap. Why on earth have people on holiday stayed? I honestly think people don't see the real danger here.

I can understand residents may be genuinely hoping it gets downgraded or swings past missing them, but you're on holiday. Pack your suitcase and go - surely? Go anywhere! Get a motel.

Agree. I would be straight out of there! Either relocating my holiday to a different part of the US if finances allowed, or heading home. Apart from anything else, I wouldn’t want the state’s precious resources to be used on my family of four when they could be used for locals- especially when you consider that a British family who can afford to holiday in the US have enormous privilege which will not be the case for many of the local residents. I’d feel embarrassed to be using up a hotel room/food/drink etc that could be much needed by someone else.

EasternStandard · 09/10/2024 11:16

Waitingfordoggo · 09/10/2024 11:14

Agree. I would be straight out of there! Either relocating my holiday to a different part of the US if finances allowed, or heading home. Apart from anything else, I wouldn’t want the state’s precious resources to be used on my family of four when they could be used for locals- especially when you consider that a British family who can afford to holiday in the US have enormous privilege which will not be the case for many of the local residents. I’d feel embarrassed to be using up a hotel room/food/drink etc that could be much needed by someone else.

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It’s probably bedlam trying to to get out tbh

Waitingfordoggo · 09/10/2024 11:21

i guess so.

BurntBroccoli · 09/10/2024 11:30

Dinoswearunderpants · 09/10/2024 11:08

We were in Orlando two weeks ago when Helena hit. Luckily we were unaffected at Disney but only down the road, there's so much destruction.

I truly feel for these people. Some of them have no choice but to stay. They say to leave but where do you go? Most hotels/motels are booked up. If you have pets, you can't take them there. Plus it all costs money that some people simply do not have.

The US government are only giving $750 to help people yet they spend millions on wars each year. It awful.

Several camp sites/ranches seem to be opening up for free for people with pets and also other livestock.

Peridot1 · 09/10/2024 11:37

@itwasnevermine - respectfully even with a budget big enough to pay for seats if they are sold out they are sold out. I was pointing out it’s not always just about wanting to be on tv or similar.

LongtailedTitmouse · 09/10/2024 11:38

The US government are only giving $750 to help people yet they spend millions on wars each year.

I presume that is $750 each not in total. And given over 5 million have been told to evacuate that would be $4 billion?

Boobygravy · 09/10/2024 11:43

housethatbuiltme · 09/10/2024 10:05

I remember watching the '999' episode year ago about the infamous Michael Fish hurricane. That featured a caravan park that was hit and how it ripped caravan from the ground and threw them through the air. The was also the student stuck under the collapsed chimney, the lady sucked out of her house window and a woman in labour trying to get to hospital through the hurricain.

I think bits of it are still online.

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And a woman had been in touch to ask about the oncoming hurricane and Michael Fish had gently made fun of her on air.
He never lived it down.

chaosmaker · 09/10/2024 11:44

Newsenmum · 08/10/2024 21:18

Every year people leave it too late. I don’t understand the phrase carpet baggers though!

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Think they were profiteers from disaster. Probably could apply the term to those who fraudulently claimed covid handouts

Lunde · 09/10/2024 11:45

knitnerd90 · 09/10/2024 06:33

I want to make one point about the building standards: The modern codes are strict, yes. But as far as I know there's no requirement to retrofit older homes. It's the people in older, poorly maintained homes that have the most to fear. They can't afford to add motorized hurricane shutters and have to nail theirs up manually. BUT, the codes are strongest in South Florida, as a result of Andrew. The statewide code was strengthened about 20 years ago, but parts of the state still have laxer codes, so not all of the affected area may be built to that standard. And in this case, the flooding is going to be a big problem, and building codes won't fix that. The only thing that fixes it is having your house elevated. That's hundreds of thousands of dollars to do.

I think people do forget; people in the Miami area never will, but Tampa has been lucky.

Yes the lack of retrofitting and poor building standards from decades ago could well be a problem - like that Florida apartment block that collapsed a couple of years ago that killed almost 100 people.

borntobequiet · 09/10/2024 11:47

DoIWantTo · 09/10/2024 10:44

@borntobequiet you’ve linked an article stating they’re preparing recovery efforts for after the hurricane has passed, not evacuation efforts to save the people stranded there. Your article just highlights the fact that they’re doing fuck all to help save lives, which makes the US government barbaric and culpable for the loss of their citizens lives

I was responding to the query along the lines of why don’t they get the army in.

”Doing fuck all” and “barbaric” is hyperbolic and misleading language, and what you say is patently untrue.

AlexaSetATimer · 09/10/2024 11:49

Bananalanacake · 08/10/2024 18:19

I went to America for the first time in my life this year and loved it, was in Orlando. I'm worried about Disney World and all the people who work there, will they have to close it. And what about cruise ships, there are cruise ports at Miami and Port Canaveral, wouldn't like to be on a ship in that weather.

It's set to hit the west coast first and travel over. I believe Disney etc are closer to east coast and more inland so should be safer. I saw a prediction it will fade out as it crosses land so should be a lot less dangerous by the time it reaches the east coast.

EasternStandard · 09/10/2024 11:51

borntobequiet · 09/10/2024 11:47

I was responding to the query along the lines of why don’t they get the army in.

”Doing fuck all” and “barbaric” is hyperbolic and misleading language, and what you say is patently untrue.

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I agree it’s not useful or correct

AnywhereAnyoneAnyTime · 09/10/2024 11:53

nosmartphone · 09/10/2024 10:58

Genuine question. If I were on holiday and starting seeing the news 3 days ago, I'd have been on a plane out of there asap. Why on earth have people on holiday stayed? I honestly think people don't see the real danger here.

I can understand residents may be genuinely hoping it gets downgraded or swings past missing them, but you're on holiday. Pack your suitcase and go - surely? Go anywhere! Get a motel.

But the hotels aren’t going to be freed up for people who are being evacuated. Added to which, if you’ve paid for a holiday and you leave early, you are unlikely to be covered by your travelling insurance.

LurkingFromTheShadows · 09/10/2024 11:57

Flight prices going up in times of crisis should be illegal.

scissy · 09/10/2024 11:59

AnywhereAnyoneAnyTime · 09/10/2024 11:53

But the hotels aren’t going to be freed up for people who are being evacuated. Added to which, if you’ve paid for a holiday and you leave early, you are unlikely to be covered by your travelling insurance.

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Depends. I bought extra "event" cover for my travel insurance this summer which covers natural disasters due to going to Canada in wildfire season. It would cover evacuation orders like this.

EasternStandard · 09/10/2024 12:01

AnywhereAnyoneAnyTime · 09/10/2024 11:53

But the hotels aren’t going to be freed up for people who are being evacuated. Added to which, if you’ve paid for a holiday and you leave early, you are unlikely to be covered by your travelling insurance.

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It still might be impossible to get an actual seat

Even when cancellations happen it can be hard as everyone is pushing to get the next day

Add in the sheer numbers of this and you’ll be stuck in a queue on the phone or online thrown out of the system (as happened recently after a relatively minor number of people needing flights)

Loulo6098 · 09/10/2024 12:02

itwasnevermine · 09/10/2024 10:41

I can't find who asked about insurance, but insurance in Florida is horrifically expensive. $20k plus, and if a company won't insure you then the state acts as a last resort insurance

We have a house in Orlando (UK based). Insurance is in a bad bad place. It's disgustingly expensive.

One good thing that always comes from these disasters; our (forever-arguing) community put aside all that and band together very efficiently. I can see they are helping each other out and sharing resources. They care for each other really. Most are staying (as it's not projected to be hit like other areas).

Evacuating can be costly and despite it all, employers are often not as forgiving when people do not show up. There are some serious poverty issues in America, so I don't blame those people who feel they cannot evacuate due to reasons beyond their control.

YummySpins · 09/10/2024 12:07

Is there talk in the US of certain areas becoming uninhabitable now? I would imagine with repeated storms it might be the case that living conditions are no longer worth the benefits (or perceived benefits maybe).

Figment1982 · 09/10/2024 12:08

scissy · 09/10/2024 11:59

Depends. I bought extra "event" cover for my travel insurance this summer which covers natural disasters due to going to Canada in wildfire season. It would cover evacuation orders like this.

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But it wouldn't cover you simply deciding to get out of Florida because the storm is on its way.

It would cover you if you happened to need accommodation inland because your accommodation was booked in Tampa. It's not going to pay for a new flight back to the UK 'just in case'.

CassandraWebb · 09/10/2024 12:08

Loulo6098 · 09/10/2024 12:02

We have a house in Orlando (UK based). Insurance is in a bad bad place. It's disgustingly expensive.

One good thing that always comes from these disasters; our (forever-arguing) community put aside all that and band together very efficiently. I can see they are helping each other out and sharing resources. They care for each other really. Most are staying (as it's not projected to be hit like other areas).

Evacuating can be costly and despite it all, employers are often not as forgiving when people do not show up. There are some serious poverty issues in America, so I don't blame those people who feel they cannot evacuate due to reasons beyond their control.

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It's surely not disgustingly expensive, more "inevitably expensive" as it just reflects the magnitude of the risks

AlexaSetATimer · 09/10/2024 12:12

@LifeExperience thanks for the info. Very useful.

RitaIncognita · 09/10/2024 12:15

Jsogs · 09/10/2024 07:47

@JohnCravensNewsround Moving more than a million people is a monumental task. They do have free transport and have opened shelters that take pets, special needs shelters and general population shelters. They have transportation to shelters available. It's getting people to leave that's the problem. People stay for all sorts of reasons but the ones that stay are often the most vulnerable.

Which is exactly why the mayor said what she did. She was not being "unprofessional" or OTT as some on this thread have said. She is trying to save lives.

Also they are not telling people to drive 20 miles and stay in their cars. There are quite a few people who just need to go 20 miles to be away from the storm surge, but they need to find shelter when they go. I have family who live in a low lying area a few miles from me who got an evacuation order. They are coming to my house. They don't have to travel far.

AnywhereAnyoneAnyTime · 09/10/2024 12:17

YummySpins · 09/10/2024 12:07

Is there talk in the US of certain areas becoming uninhabitable now? I would imagine with repeated storms it might be the case that living conditions are no longer worth the benefits (or perceived benefits maybe).

I think it’s important to get some perspective. Yes, it’s possible that in future there may be more storms and that certain areas may become uninhabitable, however this is the worst storm in 100 years, they’re not going to Claire part of the US as uninhabitable based on two storms.