I agree that leaving the body of a loved one is the logical decision to make, but how well do you think that decision would stand up in the emotionally charged atmosphere after a death in the middle of a disaster?

Could you really surrender a loved one's remains to rising flood waters or abandon them to scavenging animals? Do you take the the time and effort to bury a body? Time that may not be availible effort that wears you out. Creamating a body is harder then most people imagine. It requires a substantial amount of fuel and time to fully creamate a body. Not to mention the gruesome factor of having to set a match to someone you love or the legal difficulties after the crisis is over. Finally, there is the trauma to your children what ever decision you make.

I'm not trying to be morbid or offend anyone. I'm not married, but the thought of having to deal with one of my parents' or my brother's death makes my stomach clench enough already. How far do your mental preparations go? Picking the most logical decision while facing a typed question is one thing, dealling with it while it is actually happening is another. Can you set aside your feelings and force yourself to grieve later?

I don't know the answers to those questions with regards to myself, so I don't expect an answer. I just thought that maybe "Abandon the body to save the children and myself" might be a bit quick or pat. If I'm wrong and you've done the soul searching to arrive at that decision, I'm sure you understand laying out the questions that underlay the decisions for other people.