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!!

This is the reality.

Emergency services etc. are still going inbound - it's all over social media.

I dont mean this.in a trite way, but the "it'll never happen to me" instinct is strong in many, many people. And mostly, they're right. Most of the time that weird lump is benign, that car crash doesn't kill, that natural disaster causes damage and heartbreak but they survive.

Sadly OP you always get people who honestly believe that the worst won't befall them, or that a warning is overhyped, or a dozen other reasons they give themselves for not doing the difficult/uncomfortable thing.

I grew up in an area prone to bushfires, and spent quite a few years in a place that was regularly hit by cyclones. I recognise so many of the things that have been trotted on out on this thread - they'll have their plan in place, they're more expert than others about this, they can make the decision for themselves. And a degree of complacency sets in, they're used to this, they're experts, they know better than the authorities... and when the big one hits, they leave it too late, and they can't get out. It's absolutely tragic.

But there are very limited ways to convince people, and people are in general pisspoor at calculating risk particularly a "potential" (might be a huge storm surge that would swamp the house) vs a "definite" (the chickens wouldn't be fed, we'd have to sleep in the car because of the dogs, we'll likely get stuck on the highway).

Hoping that Milton isn't as bad as feared. It looks a total beast - the size and strength of it, with such a tiny eye.

Yes that was awful. Over 800 people from
my country died, and like you say some men didn’t move. And some died saving other lives. A son said he tried to save his parents, they would have made it but they just froze running through a corridor. So he decided to save himself but that last image must be hard to live with.

It’s not about being offended is it, it’s because it’s absolutely ridiculous 🌨️🌨️🌨️

The people thinking posts like this need a trigger warning wouldn’t survive a hurricane or even someone farting on them.

@Newsenmum and @Begsthequestion no, I’m not religious either and a hurricane isn’t an “act of God”, it’s exceptionally extreme weather/a natural hazard but I’d rather wish the folk dealing with it luck and hope for a good outcome than be talking about other people’s children as if they’re already dead. It’s bloody grim. Get yourself off the internet if it’s affecting you so badly that you’re having such horrible thoughts and just be grateful it’s not you.

I did 50mph winds in Yorkshire, in a tent this summer. It was no picnic, but we all survived (apart from the emotional support biscuits) with no damage to persons, cars or camping equipment.

I’d probably stay put at this point too.

You seem really upset by it though.

I think you need to get off the internet if a discussion like this is too much for you.

There's always an option to close the tab instead of insulting people.

Well you are wrong about that. Too.

Wow! One guy in swim shorts standing there getting hit. He then ran off. I guess he realised it was a stupid idea

I agree with you so much!!

The reports I’ve seen say 145mph so 🤷🏼‍♀️

Oh sod off. It's not a synonym for brainless. Fucking ignorance.

It was his lovely mother that said ''Go on, save yourself''

She just couldn't move. It was the last time the young man saw his family.

The British Survivor, Paul Barney was just a force of sheer ''will''.

He helped others at various points.

He said at one point his life raft overturned, and he was in pants and socks only, under the life raft, in the middle of the freezing Baltic.

He tried so hard to keep others alive in the raft.

The 'psychology' of survival is very interesting.

Basically the people who did had to fight like crazy emotionally, to not fall asleep and die of hypothermia.

They describe ''anger'' - that they weren't done with life yet, that they had families at home.

It sounds a total nightmare.

The massive loss of life and the fact that government didn't retrieve bodies is still a cause of frustration to the Rockwater divers. {and relatives}

Looking at the BBC weather guide right now it’s just a rough storm. Not the horrific wind speeds predicted. Max 75mph.

To be fair, the BBC aren't the best at predicting this.

It’s hard to forget all the stories. There was a woman I think who died or fell in a lift, knowing full well what was happening. It was heartbreaking.

Some of the posts on this thread remind me of the way that some people without kids talk about the correct way to raise kids, based on their expansive experience of seeing some stuff online and having an opinion.

Rather than start a thread on an international parenting forum, slating people for responding to a very difficult situation in a way which doesn’t match the way that you think you’d respond if you were in their situation, perhaps it would be more pleasant to offer support and best wishes to them and accept that you don’t have the full picture, you haven’t lived their life and your opinion is unneeded and unhelpful.

what was the trigger warning, sorry?

In fairness, @ShiteRider "unneeded and unhelpful" describes 99% of Mumsnet!

Not really up to the children though is it? They just have to put up with it.

Do you also think it’s up to them whether they bother to put their babies in car seats?

this is not anymore parenting advice anymore
it is the babylon and mother of all ......
people speaking about their threesomes, male and female prostitures coming and describing what they do
horny old women talking about grabbing men's crotches
this is a miasm of filth

Yup.