Florida

[Anonymous]

Anyone else see the story about the yahoo who is riding it out on a 20-foot boat on Tampa Bay, convinced that since he floats, he's much better off in the storm surge than people in houses?

[Anonymous]

Plenty of tragic cases of people who couldn't evacuate, as well as plenty of potential Darwin Award winners who just choose not to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else see the story about the yahoo who is riding it out on a 20-foot boat on Tampa Bay, convinced that since he floats, he's much better off in the storm surge than people in houses?

Rest in peace.

I saw a guy who rode out Helene inside his house in a kayak.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else see the story about the yahoo who is riding it out on a 20-foot boat on Tampa Bay, convinced that since he floats, he's much better off in the storm surge than people in houses?

I think this is either a publicity stunt (like the tik Tok lady with the buried rug in her backyard) or his brain is fried from too much drinking, or both. It's getting way too much publicity (he was on CBS this morning today).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else see the story about the yahoo who is riding it out on a 20-foot boat on Tampa Bay, convinced that since he floats, he's much better off in the storm surge than people in houses?

He is now in a shelter. The police were able to take him to a shelter yesterday. I was surprised to see he only has one leg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a dear friend who is in the evacuation zone. She and her husband have decided to stay put. Knowing them, I have a sense that he is driving “their” decision.

I also think they are being influenced by neighbors who have said they would likely be impeded from returning to their home in a timely manner. I fear that many of them also ascribe to not trusting “elites “ or “ the government. My friend is not in that camp.

But it is almost like some badge of initiation for them to “ride it out.”

I know they are adults, and I must accept their decision…but it is hard because they are so dear to me. (And just so you know, they have ample resources to shelter elsewhere in comfort 😩)

My brother is doing the same thing. He's riding it out and told me that he is "Florida man and will never evacuate". It's frustrating and I feel very uncomfortable.

[Anonymous]

I am so sorry for all of you that are going through this. This has nothing to do with politics and I hate how people here talk about Florida.

My very liberal family members are also in a mandatory evacuation zone and they refused to leave. We are disgusted, sad and worried. They are so liberal they haven’t spoken to us since this summer since they think we are MAGA. Political views have nothing to do with common sense in a hurricane.

This is tragic and I feel for anyone going through this from afar. There was no reason people didn’t leave if they had a place to go and means to get there, like my family did. No one can help them now. I agree with everyone that says emergency services shouldn’t come for people who do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a liberal democrat who lives on a barrier island in a hurricane-prone area and I've never evacuated during "mandatory" evacuations. It's personal choice and has nothing to do with being MAGA or not and trusting the government or not.

I believe in climate change, I believe in science. Still staying put.

A “personal” choice that burdens rescuers and puts their lives at risk.

No, none of us who stay expect any help except from each other. It's entertaining how you all are trying so hard to be insulting when I was simply trying to offer a different perspective. As usual though, the posters of DCUM who don't live in the affected areas and don't go through hurricane scares annually are experts on what it's like and what the characteristics of the people who live there are.

You sound like my family and I’ll tell you what I told them. Fine, put yourself at risk. But it’s child abuse to keep kids in harms way. I hope you don’t have children with you with this attitude. I’m so angry at some people I know, who say things like this and have innocent children in the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else see the story about the yahoo who is riding it out on a 20-foot boat on Tampa Bay, convinced that since he floats, he's much better off in the storm surge than people in houses?

I think this is either a publicity stunt (like the tik Tok lady with the buried rug in her backyard) or his brain is fried from too much drinking, or both. It's getting way too much publicity (he was on CBS this morning today).

That what I meant, when I posted earlier, that the media should not turn those attention-seeking idiots into folk heroes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else see the story about the yahoo who is riding it out on a 20-foot boat on Tampa Bay, convinced that since he floats, he's much better off in the storm surge than people in houses?

That made me think of this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's Helene and how they died.

https://www.tampabay.com/hurricane/2024/10/05/time-ran-out-pinellas-residents-who-didnt-evacuate-helene/

Good news: the dog survived.

Wow, thanks for posting that. My family who’s in Pinellas lived in Madeira Beach for years and I know all of those places. Horrible.

[Anonymous]

florida man

[Anonymous]

My friends are staying put in Clearwater and lost power a few minutes ago. I’m worried for them because they are now on the wrong side of the storm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have family also refusing to evacuate even though they are in an evacuation zone. And we have family 2 hrs from them who have offered up their house so it's not even like they have nowhere to go. In this case, both of them are stubborn. They will likely be ok flood wise because of where they are unless the lagoons get real bad (which they have before). My concern is that they will be completely cut off if the rest of the area gets hit bad.

They can’t just refuse. It’s a government order to evacuate.

The government doesn't go door to door and force people onto busses to evacuate.

The order to evacuate means, don't call us when you start drowning in your living room, because we will be sheltering in safety and not venturing out to do emergency response until the worst of the hurricane winds have passed - it's too dangerous for rescue units to drive in the midst of a Cat 3 or 4 or 5 hurricane.

The government order also means that they won't get much sympathy in the aftermath, especially if they had the means to leave and chose not to. They'll still be eligible for local and FEMA aid, but they won't be getting much sympathy.

That’s SUCH a scumbag republican thing to say.

Gawd I hate you people sooooooo much it makes my head hurt.

PP could have said it better but that's exactly what not evacuating means. We're not coming to get you in the middle of the storm. That's the risk you take by staying. I have no problem with that and I have no problem with people not evacuating as long as they know what risks they're assuming.

I am a liberal democrat, and I wholeheartedly agree with the PP.

As it happens, I am the PP who said this allegedly Republican thing - and I am so liberal as to be closer to socialist (democratic, of course!) than typical moderate American Democrat thinking.

That said I was also once the chief law enforcement officer in a jurisdiction where we managed emergencies - wildfires, not hurricanes - and I know that there are limits to rescue response under certain climate conditions and people who choose to not comply with mandatory evacuation orders must know that there won't be any help coming in that terrible circumstance that they're choosing to delude themselves will never happen to them.

I read the TBT piece on casualties of Helene and I felt for the first responders and particularly the 911 operators who had to hear the final terrifying cries of people about to drown in their own homes. It's a terrible terrible thing for all involved and I feel deep sadness for the departed, nobody should die that way. I work with disabled elders and I understand that people at that age are often deeply reluctant to be away from home for any reason - but it sounds like if the people in the neighborhood who chose to stay had all taken it seriously enough, they might all have been able to shelter one another in the upper stories of the various buildings. The about to retire woman going down to look for her cat - why on earth didn't she bring it with her to begin with? Snuffed out so close to freedom!

I'm actually an empath who cries over news like these hurricanes so much that I can't keep watching coverage or it really impacts my mental health. Nevertheless I know I'll be up tonight watching and crying and worrying sick about the people who didn't or couldn't leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My friends are staying put in Clearwater and lost power a few minutes ago. I’m worried for them because they are now on the wrong side of the storm.

Not to worry. DeSantis has already tweeted that "First responders are staged and ready to go .... search & rescue efforts will be well underway to save lives before dawn and will continue for as long as it takes"