some selected hurricane aftermath tidbits

from the AP:

The governor [Bush] added, however, that people seeking relief should have done more to prepare for the storm.



"People had ample time to prepare. It isn't that hard to get 72 hours worth of food and water," said Bush, repeating the advice that officials had given days before Wilma hit.

Hundreds of people lined up outside one home-supply store, desperate for cleanup and other supplies. A few fast-food restaurants open in Miami had two-hour waits. There was even a shortage of cash: Many banks were not open and many ATMs were not working.

Storm-savvy Floridians resorted to their ingenuity. At one Wal-Mart, 30 people sat on the sidewalk while they used the store's outside electrical outlets to recharge their cell phones.

At one gas station, a man went car-to-car selling fuel from a 10-gallon plastic tank. The price was $20 for about a gallon, and people happily paid.




from this story if you want to read the whole thing:

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20051026/D8DG06NOR.html

it would seem from this story that people are depending more on the government than even doing a little preparation themselves -- and this in a state that should know better

you'll love this line:
----------------------------------
"This is like the Third World," said Claudia Shaw, who spent several hours in a gas line. "We live in a state where we suffer from these storms every year. Where is the planning?"
---------------------------------

she really should take her own advice. Where's the planning indeed.

No sympathy here. NONE.

Sorry, I'm ANGRY. It's one thing to NEED help because you just CAN'T help yourself - it's another to lay there whining "oh poor me" when you should have gotten off your fat A$$ and prepared yourself for what may come.

I woudn't even sell morons like this gas. I'd rather give it away to a person who did what they could and tried to prepare and it wasn't enough than the person who did nothing at all.

P!$$ES me off, this stuff.

I suspect that many Americans have to learn the hard way that they need to depend only on themselves. But this is from FL, right? FL the hurricane magnet? How many times do people have to go through this kind of problem before they learn? Not enough, so far, I guess. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Sue

you are sooo right!

way too many Linda Ronstadt wannabes singing "Poor Poor Pitiful Me"

I would have to agree with all of you, but it is not just in FL. It seems to be everywhere. People want "Cradle to Grave Care" but don't want to pay for it or take the initiative to prepare themselves.

And exercise personal responsibility?? Please... <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

For the good ?ol days, when ?survival of the fittest? and ?natural selection? dealt efficiently with such folks. Were he alive today, Mr. Darwin might be confused. <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

I don't believe he would be confused at all. Natural Selection is a long term process. You're looking at a small blip in the human societal evolutionary timeline. Entire nations, empires, and subcultures have de-selected themselves over long periods. We are not immune.

Don't forget that Florida is also a magnet for large numbers of transplants, mainly retirees from large urban areas of the northeast. There is no reason to think that some of these people have ever learned anything about self-reliance, let alone hurricane prep.

Regards, Vince

Did I miss something? She is wondering about the pre-storm planning but she is the one waiting to buy gas. <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Adam

Idiots!!!!


ONE DAY CLOSER

You have that one right.......... No more taking care of ones self, just depend on others to take care of you.

Hey everyone, I just got power back on here in south Florida. Thanks to some fine line crews from Detroit. It is amazing to me how unprepared some people can be, If you are able to work then storing 3 days of supplies certainly costs less than that new ipod. The elderly and the truly disabled is were the goverment relief focus should be directed. There is virtually no excuse why able bodied people of all economic backgrounds cant have pre purchased 6 gallons of water- $8.00, Bread 3 loafs -$6.00 , Peanut butter 2 jars- $5.00. Yea it's not a big mac with fries but you are not hungry or thirsty!
Hopefully this will be a wake up call to people every where at least be self sufficent for 3 days, its not that expensive.

What? No credit to Warren Zevon??

You know... maybe (maybe) one of the reasons people don't prepare is that it seems too difficult.

(Yeah, I know... but hear me out...)


We've all seen the Lists from various sources about the recommend stuff you should have for various emergencies. And I've seen the response first hand.... "Uh. That's a lot of stuff. I'll never get all that. And hey, if it's my time to go...". The list is too intimidating.

Really, it comes down to four things. Water, Food, Cash, Gas.

That's it. Have those four things, and you're good. It's the 80/20 rule... I think those four things cover 80%. Sure, things can happen those don't cover, and there are lots of extras in the 20% that you might wish you'd had, but just those four items can make a huge difference.

And as you point out, we're not talking about extensive underground 10 year food supplies. Just bread and peanut butter will keep you from being hungry for over a week. $20 or less of food and water will get you through the tough few days after most hurricanes. And fill your freakin' car. Get some extra cash. Not much, just some.

Eh. Who am I kidding. Before the storm, it's procrastination and denial. After the storm it's learned helplessness and the desire to transfer blame from oneself to society.

Still, maybe The Authorities should skip the huge lists, and have a cartoon character deliver the same message over and over and over... "Water, Food, Cash, Gas. The Cool Kids have theirs. Do you?". :-)

sorry, don't know who wrote it or performed it besides LR, the memory just came to me when I read that story

I'm aware of that, but these people don't live in a vacuum, surely they watch tv or listen to the radio. Wilma was one of the slowest hurricanes in history to get to Florida, they had a tremendous amount of time to prepare, and many didn't. Like many have stated, you don't need a warehouse full of supplies, just some extra water, bread, gasoline and money could have eased much hardship.

I think you find that historically, that people like this have been around. It's just that now, we have all kinds of civilizationy bits to keep the alive past the age of 12.

I also think you hit the problem on the head. THE LIST is a lot of stuff, it probably scares most people.

Maybe what’s needed is a version of Arizona’s so-called “Stupid Motorist Law.” Anytime flooding occurs – generally during monsoon season – a driver can be fined up to $2000 (to defray rescue costs) if he/she ignores barricades or posted warnings, resulting in rescue from said flooded street, intersection, wash etc.

I see some similarities here.

Am I the only one who feels pity for them?

Not the way I do someone who's just lost thier entire family, but like I would for someone who at 25 has the mental age of 5 and considers Barney high performance art.

Maybe that's the explanation -- all those folks without 72 hours' (or 24 or 48 or whatever) of supplies don't actually believe in "evolution" or "natural selection" ... they're waiting for an "intelligent designer" to drop manna (or cans of gasoline) from the skies!

As I said, I feel sorry for them. Comforting them until they leave is only the sentient thing to do.

Do I feel sorry for people who have the sense of a chunk of basalt? Well, sort of. But probably not enough to put out any extra effort for them.

A friend of mine knows a woman who lives alone. She has natural gas heat with a fireplace with some kind of tubular insert for backup. She keeps a good stack of dry wood nearby. She has a full pantry. She has stored water. She has the tool to turn off the gas duct-taped to the back of the meter. She has a couple of boxes of useful "stuff" in her van.

She is 67 and gets around in a wheelchair and an older van with a wheelchair lift. Helpless doesn't cut it with her. So what's wrong with the more ablebodied? Early brain death? <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Sue

Yep.

I guess what I've been dancing around is something I'm not really comfortable admiting to myself. I believe in euthenasia as viable medicine and ethics, in the form of a method of pain management and a dignified exit for terminal patients. I believe that these people are insufficent to continue genetically.

Treat it as a mathematical proof. They are dead, or close enough. Keep them warm, and comfortable, and protected, and fed until they finaly slip away.

Yeah, ok, I feel good about myself. I'm a facist, and I'm not proud of that.

I can certainly understand that. Her version of the song was the most popular - it's the one my memory goes to first. In fact I didn't even realize that WZ wrote it untill I heard his version several years (decades?) after LR made it popular. I'm sure that WZ didn't mind the royalties.

Anyway, my previous response was purely tongue-in-cheek.

I've got way too much music trivia in my head.

Perhaps someone forgot to tell them about KATRINA.

I'm surprised some enterprising developer hasn't started including 72-hour kits with each new home sold (or even auto dealer, with every car sold). But, odds are, the same people who aren't preparing now would fail to rotate/replenish food/water supplies as needed.

Sort of like Gallagher's "stupid darts".

[joke]
ATTENTION:
Please have a Government Issued ID card ready.

ATTENTION OUT OF STATE RESIDENTS:
Please have your resident state Driver's License or I.D. Card ready. You will be required to fill out a sworn affadavit that you have not resided in the state for more than 90 days, prior to the onset of the disaster. Please see the notice at the bottom of this sign

ATTENTION CITIZENS OF FLORIDA:

This area does not have any catastrophic damage that would have destroyed personal 3 day (72 hour) hurricane kits. Therefore, the State of Florida will charge Florida Residents for the following items for the first 3 days of this disaster:

1 5lb Bag of Ice: $1.00
1 24 pack of Water: $5.00
5 pack of MRE's: $10.00

There is additional $1.50 relief shipping charge per item, along with 6% sales tax. No credit cards or checks. Cash only. If you do not have cash, you may fill out a "Emergency Assistance for State Residents - Relief Supplies" form.

A failure to plan on your part, does not constitute and Emergency on the State of Florida, or any local political subdivisions

Sincerely,
(signature)
Governor, State of Florida


PLEASE NOTE: Under Florida Statue 123.456, "Emergency Credit for State Residents During Disasters" you are permitted to receive relief supplies within the first 72 hours, upon completion of a promissary note, from the State of Florida.

If convicted of falsifying information on this form, or failing to pay for the supplies you have received, a 2nd degree State of Florida felony, one or more of the following consequences will occur:

- The indebtedness of you to the State of Florida for a period of minimum of 5 years.
- Loss of all voting rights
- Inability to own, or have access to a firearm
- Ordered restitution, or seizure of personal property, up to 250% over the amount needed to bring you to justice. (Constitutional Amendement #34, and Florida Supreme Court ruling has ruled this is constitutional.)
- Ineligible for Police, Fire, and EMS services within the State of Florida. This includes State Trauma Centers and Medevac assistance, unless waived by the Governor. You will have the letters "DNRA" (Do Not Render Aid) tatooed to your right wrist.
- 15 years in a State Prison.
- Requirement to assist in post-disaster cleanup (Note: Water during this required assistance period will not be provided for free)

PLEASE NOTE (OUT OF STATE RESIDENTS): According to U.S. Code 123.456-01 Falsifying your affadavit of being an out of state resident is a 3rd degree FEDERAL FELONY. Upon conviction, you will be subject to the penalties as set forth in the U.S. Code.

[/joke]

I'm sure that they all know about Katrina. The trouble is that many of these people have moved from an area--or maybe a better term would be a "culture"--where preparedness is looked upon as something a wacko would do, right smack into an area where you can expect catastrophic storms every other year.

I seriously doubt it's the native Floridians who are doing most of the whining. And FWIW, I'll bet that after a couple of hurricane seasons most of the transplants start storing food, water, and fuel. Not all, maybe, but most.

Regards, Vince

I thought people would have learned from Katrina. I was very much in the wrong. And sadly so.

-- Craig

Palm trees and sand.....I'm not talking about Florida. Egypt...."D" Nile (denial). A number of people (even the 'new' ones) don't think it will happen to them. That is why they don't do it.

We just had a patient transported to the hospital.....why? Because he had a headache, nausea, sleepiness, fatigue... it had been going on (on and off) for several days. The crew that walked into the house had their portable carbon monoxide alarm screaming at them almost immediately. Litterally within 2 seconds. The guy was running his generator ON and OFF for the same number of days the symptoms had been going on. He had his generator uder his carport despite HUNDREDS of public safety announcements and the news media saying it constantly. Both on TV and Raido. Throughout the entire transport and his entire time in the ER.....HE SWORE up and down that it COULDN"T POSSIBLY be from his generator.

Does she mean "who plans these storms/hurricanes so badly ?" ...??... <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Yeah, just think of all the law suits when they cant make it last 72 hours or something else just as stupid.

Ouch, you are a cynic <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> But now that you mention it...yeah, I'd have to agree with you.

Remembering an old funny story...

There was a terrible rain strom - food warnings went out over the TV and radio news - Evacuate Now! A Smugly Religious Person (SRP) said "I don't have to evacuate, God will save me."

The next day the water was at the doorstep of the house - a National Guard truck came by. "God wil save me!", the SRP shouted and away went the truck.

The next day the water was up to the second story - a boat came by. "God wil save me!", the SRP shouted and away went the boat.

The next day the water was up to the roof - a helicopter came by. "God wil save me!", the SRP shouted and away went the helicopter.

That night, the water rose above the roof and the SRP drowned. When the SRP reached the Pearly Gates, the SRP asked St. Peter what happened, why hadn't God saved him? St. Peter replied "Who do you think sent the truck, boat and helicopter?"

This society no longer advocates personal responsibility. If you get into trouble, it's someone else's fault. File a lawsuit.

If you're fat, sue the restaurant. If you have lung cancer, sue the tobacco company, even though you yourself made the decision to smoke.

Our litigation-prone and lawsuit-happy society has fostered this attitude. Our own society has brought this on itself.

-- Craig

I agree, folks who grow up or spend most of their life in a particular area have learned from experience what it takes to prepare and react to their region's threats (natural or otherwise). Whether they choose to heed it is another issue. A good example is the military, when you travel or get assigned to a new region you get a "threat brief". That includes everything from possible natural disasters to the local scam of the day. It is not optional. Often there are threat briefings for areas within the US!! Now if the poor PFC from LA is scammed on the streets of NYC or stuck in the mud in Alabama, they were warned. They may have been asleep during the briefing, but it is still their fault. For civilians, they must go looking for the same type of info (not likely). I am not suggesting mandatory threat briefings for civies, but I do think it makes sense to understand the areas which we travel and live.

Marc

With our power restored here on Big Pine Key, Fl I'm just getting caught up on the boards. Funny thing, most of the poor me, help me stories seem to come from the more urban areas of the mainland. Keys residents took a great deal of flooding that the mainland didn't see and all of the wind damage the mainland had. Only 5-10% of residents evaced. I have yet to hear ANY whining about how the government hasn't been there for us.
Prep is a way of life on these islands and those without the where with all to help themselves are helped by there neighbors. Storms and all this is damn great place to live.

RE: the threat briefing for civilians.
This is a very good idea, broken down by state, and disseminated across the web.
I'll do one for Texas, and I'd very much appreciate one for Tulsa, Oklahoma.
ETA: Threat briefing page http://www.disastersrus.org/emtools/threats_briefing_sequence.htm

I followed that link to the "Nuclear Power Plants and Energy Assurance Daily". It links to daily NRC reports on events at nuclear power plants. Gives detailed information on each event. Check out October 24, 25 and 26 relating to events at the St. Lucie Nuclear Power plant.

Interesting read...

Why not? It is the neighborly thing to do. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

In school, every year, we had people from south of here who had no idea what winter really was. Many of them thought we were pulling thier legs, but that delusion went away by eary March. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> The smart ones believed us when we said that snow by Holloween was possible, days where you are praying for a high of 0 are normal, and it really was possible to loose a car if you use a certain back road in the spring.

Refreshing! Glad that you're back and all is well.

You hit the nail on the head with the "learned helplessness" comment. I think one of the few good things to come out of the Katrina debacle is that a LOT of people saw firsthand that no one is going to take care of them but - themselves.