TRIGGER WARNING I can’t believe some people aren’t evacuating in Florida

[Newsenmum]

I really don’t mean to be insensitive. This hurricane Milton is terrifying but I’m really struggling to understand this. I know there are some awful situations where people can’t drive/are disabled or elderly and feel helpless but what I CAN’T understand is people not trying. Like they’re completely putting their head in the sand.

I’m part of a few mum Facebook groups that are mostly American. I kid you not, people are staying in zones with their little babies where there is mandatory evacuation. Some reasons why they aren’t leaving:

• my dog is aggressive and won’t be allowed in the shelter, so I’m staying put with him and going to hope and pray. Why is the dog worth more than a kid?
• i have too many animals which don’t fit in the car, I’m worried about the chickens (!!) again.. wtf? Basically suicide for their kids because they don’t want to leave chickens!
• im from flORIda so I’ll be fine! Hopefully it’s not as bad as they think. I don’t want to disrupt us. wtf??
• my babies have a block safe room and that’s ‘normally fine’

There are other Americans trying to send them money, urging them to go storm shelters or at least a bit more inland!

These are people in areas that have 15ft storm surge, there is so much debris already around that is going to be trashing their houses. If they want a certain death for themselves then fine but can’t get over them not saving their babies 😭😭😭 all because they won’t leave the bloody chickens that are going to drown either way!!

I would make sure my children were safe before anything.
But no way I would ever leave my cat behind or my small pets.
I just wouldn't leave them I'd never forgive myself!
Abandon the rabbit I've had for 10 years not a damn chance.
Animals are living souls and nobody should be left behind. People suck!

Is it only men that do the job or is that just a general description?

My heart absolutely goes out to everyone in Florida right now, regardless of the choice they've made. This is scary stuff.

I was in Orlando when hurricane Nicole came through in 2022, and one thing I will say is this: Floridians have for the most part, done this before. They watch, they understand that a track can change in hours, and many have plans already drawn up.

I, on the other hand, was an anxious Brit staying at one of the Universal hotels. The staff were amazing, when I asked what to expect. Told me it looked like it would land as a Cat 1 but by the time it reached us, it'd be tropical storm level winds and rain. The guy I was chatting to said, "I'm a local, and if it reassures you, I'm not too worried about this one. I'm more concerned for my family down on the coast as they're still recovering from Ian a couple of months ago."

It's a judgement call, and not one I'd like to have to make, honestly. As others have said, we're not there, we can't truly know the situation.

Exactly. It’s bonkers. A dog’s life is not equal to a child’s life.

Faulty risk perception.
Its the same reason people get into the habit of driving with their kids on their laps or without seatbelts. You do something "just the once" (maybe due to particular circumstances) and then because it works out fine (which statistically it usually does) people are more likely to then continue doing it. Its an intuitive response to risk which is wrong in this instance. If you have a 1/54 chance of pulling a card then you are likely to not to pull it the first time. But if you keep reshuffling and pulling cards because "it didn't happen the last 10 times so its probably fine" you are highly likely to eventually pull that card. Which is why never ever driving with your kids on your laps is better. Just the once is rarely just the once.

Its also why "being used to hurricanes" doesn't automatically make people who live in Florida etc better at perceiving the risk from this particular storm.

I think people were saying if they had to choose for example going to a safe shelter with their children or staying behind because the shelter didn't allow animals, they'd chose to save their kids and go into the shelter. That would then mean leaving the animals behind. I think most people would save their animals if they could

Many Floridians are storm pros. Sitting on the highway for 8 hours or staying home with storm shutters, a storm room and a generator may be safer. They have to make that call.

OP, you’ve only ever lived in the UK haven’t you?

There is also a theory this is why so many romans stayed in Pompeii when there were already signs of seismic activity. A few years before there had been a massive earthquake caused by the volcano's activity and a houses destroyed/people killed. But the people that survived had a false sense of security, because their houses had survived the last earthquake/because the Gods had seen fit to spare them and would again. They were used to living next to a volcano and you probably do get used to earthquakes/scary rumbles. Instead of an earthquake what happened was a massive burning cloud of ash was released by the volcano.
Plus, people with nothing couldn't afford to flee easily. People with wealth/possessions didn't want to leave their property to looters. Same dilemma then, same dilemma now.

I don’t think “people suck” is fair, this is possibly life or death.

I was putting myself in their shoes earlier. I work in a hospital so I presume all hospital workers would need to stay. And gas station workers? Emergency service staff? That probably adds up to thousands of people that can't leave.

And anyone who stays in a mandatory evacuation zone, where they have been told there's a high chance they could die, with children because of their dog doesn't deserve children.

I'm not really understanding how choosing to die with your pets (and children) helps them at all.

surely key workers will be put in shelters?

There will be lots about the US culture that will make mass evacuation trickier- the sheer size of Florida will be adding to that. When your healthcare is tied to having a job and annual leave is so stingy, keeping a job has higher importance than here. I think if Cornwall was to be evacuated due to a massive hurricane with risk to life I think employers in the UK would be saying take the time, be safe by and large. I also think there would be compulsory evacuation orders and military presence to enforce it. There would be fewer people to manage and it would be a logistically easier task to coordinate centrally.

Some people also make poor decisions under stress. Me and my husband are totally different. He is a total liability in an emergency situation and flaps and makes some terrible decisions (despite being excellent at work under pressure!). In contrast, I have a steady calm and clarity of thought that I don’t seem to have on a day to day basis. I have told him very clearly that if there is an emergency situation he is to STFU and listen to me.

This is the sort of crazy I don’t get. The horse can fend for itself. Human life is the most important.

Who decided animals lives were less than humans?

If you’re not willing to put your kids’ lives first above your pets then you really shouldn’t be a parent.

This is fascinating, thank you. I've had it open for about ten minutes and the waves have got noticeably bigger in that time. I can actually understand people going down there - there's something very exhilarating about the power of an angry sea! Hope they all clear off in the next half hour, though.

Do you not own a dog? I love my children more than anyone else of course, but my dogs are second on the list and they look to me to protect them. I don't know what I'd do but I don't think I could leave them. My heart would break.

Yes, that's what I thought as that's what they have been indicating on the Fox News coverage all day, i.e they won't be there to help you at some point hence get out of the high risk zones.

We have these two numpties, one topless taking selfies before getting engulfed!

Same.

It's easy to judge when you're sitting in your nice little brick home in the UK (where an inch of snow brings the transport network to a stop).

Is there anything stopping you looking up the information you're after about government help? It's all available online. So Idk why you think there's no help. There are photos showing long lines of ambulances evacuating nursing homes, for example .

Oh my god!!