Mandatory Evacuation: Another View!

Someone I know, a retired first responder, took umbrage with my earlier blog on evacuation and insisted I was far too heartless in suggesting that if people refuse to evacuate they should be left on their own.  I didn't quite say that as I know there are people, whether because of physical or mental handicaps, who can't easily evacuate no matter what the impending danger and they should not be abandoned to fare for themselves.  In the interests of fair play I thought I'd represent the other point of view here.

People stay in their homes (particularly those who have gone through this before) because they know if they leave the police won't let them back for days and sometimes weeks.  Many feel that they can mitigate the damage if they're there immediately after the waters recede.  If too much time goes by they're at risk of having their houses looted or of having mold and other damage increase over time. Also, since my critic was a first responder (anyone paid by the government to deal with emergencies) he takes the view that first responders have no problem going in to save people, even those who disregard mandatory evacuation orders. It's their job!

Now that I have presented his view I still want to reiterate that I hold to my original view on mandatory evacuation.  Having your home looted is horrible but it doesn't compare with losing your life.  I assume that when government officials issue these orders they don't do it willy-nilly.  I believe that when Governor Christy and Mayor Bloomberg issued their evacuation orders they saved many lives.  At the moment the number of people who died in New York stands at 41.  I believe it would have been in the thousands if those evacuation orders had not been issued.  You can't enjoy your home if you're dead.

Nonetheless, I do acknowledge that there are other points of view.  And I will add this caveat.  If people are told to evacuate but not provided with a safe alternative or not provided with the necessary means of transportation to shelters, it's understandable that they decide to stay and ride out the storm. Unfortunately, it's usually the poor and disadvantaged that suffer the most during mandatory evacuations.  The Mitt Romney's of the world always have somewhere to go as comfortable as the place they just left.  And that's a reminder that I haven't yet voted. I'm off.