The Real Reason Some People Don't Leave Before a Hurricane Is So Sad
Hurricane Irma has already ripped its way through the Caribbean, ravaging the islands and reportedly leaving 20 people dead in its wake. Now, as it approaches Florida, officials are warning residents remaining in its path to get out while they still have a chance.
You may be thinking, "Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency on Monday, and a mandatory evacuation was issued for some areas on Tuesday. Why are people still staying?"
Of course, there are those who are refusing to leave, but it's not as much of a choice for others. The ugly truth is that many can't leave, whether because of financial-, medical-, or transportation-related issues, The Huffington Post points out.
In Florida, some simply cannot afford tickets, whether on an airplane (the rates for last-minute flights skyrocketed, with people quickly snatching up the only affordable fares), or even a bus. They also may not have anywhere to go, and in some cases, leaving might be even more dangerous: A report from the Texas House of Representatives says 60 of the 118 deaths in Texas during Hurricane Rita were related to evacuation. Risks include horrendous traffic (not everyone can be on the road at once), gas shortages, heat stroke, and fights.
The question "Why did they stay?" is nothing new. After interviewing 450 observers after Katrina, a group of researchers found that the outsiders tended to view those who evacuated as "self-reliant" and "hardworking," and conversely, those who stayed as "lazy," "negligent," and "stubborn."
But as Pacific Standard reported in 2015, a study of the people in New Orleans who did not evacuate before Hurricane Katrina found that, of those who stayed:
14% were physically disabled
25% suffered from a chronic disease
23% had to care for a disabled or elderly friend or family member
55% didn't have a car
68% had no money in the bank and no credit card
57% had a total household income of less than $20,000 in the prior year
76% had children under 18 in a shelter
77% had a high school education or less
93% were black
67% were employed, either full-time or part-time
The people who stayed put during Katrina had a different perspective on their role in the hurricane. "They didn't just sit there and do nothing, as they were perceived," explained one of the researchers, Nicole Stephens, then-assistant professor of management and organizations at the Kellogg School of Management. "They didn't just wait around for the hurricane to destroy them. They did the best that they could given the situations that they were in. People worked together with other people. They cared for their families and communities. They tried to maintain strength and resilience. They had different ways of responding—they did what they could with what they had available to them."
(h/t The Huffington Post)
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