Am I being unreasonable or are they being stupid?

[Rajah]

I have some close friends who live in a 2-story condo West Palm Beach and they're refusing to evacuate because there isn't a hotel close enough that will take their cats.

I am *so* worried about them.

 

[ckr]

Stupid!

I'd be driving right now North and West -- room or no room.

Hurricanes are so unpredictable. And the areas just outside the range of the bands usually have beautiful weather.

I'd rather live out of my car a few days in a WalMart parking lot out of range than try to survive a few hours in my home in the path of a monster!!

 

[Crankyshank]

Is it a mandatory evacuation? If so then they are being stupid. There are several shelters in FL that allow pets. I think it's at least 1 per county. If not, in many cases the SPCA will take pets of evacuees.

Either way I understand your concern and their hesitancy. If we were still in Clearwater we would have been evacuated at the last storm and we'd have to stay with the in-laws. I'd sooner stay at home thanks

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

They're stupid.

 

[Microcell]

They are being stupid!

When we had our power go out a couple of years ago due to a horrible ice storm, the entire metro lost power in alot of places, so as people were getting power- (we only lost ours for 24 hours) families were bunking in together. I told my Diabetic sister to come stay with us 20 miles away. She said she could not leave her cats, I said, bring them, she cried and said they couldn't be around our cats. They had never met.

On day four it was really effecting her health the worry about her cold kitties (insert my DH's lame kittysickle jokes). She would not leave them!! Well she managed to tear herself away from the cats for one warm night (when her DH threatened divorce) when she finally got her power back.

 

[tiggersmom2]

STUPID!!!!!

If I were in their shoes I would sneak my cats in the hotel. I know I will probably get alot of flak for this but........this is an emergency situation.

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

Originally posted by tiggersmom2
STUPID!!!!!

If I were in their shoes I would sneak my cats in the hotel. I know I will probably get alot of flak for this but........this is an emergency situation.

No flak from me, I would probably do it too. Probably not dogs but cats are pretty quiet and it's an emergency.

 

[DukeStreetKing]

Originally posted by ckr
Stupid!

I'd be driving right now North and West -- room or no room.

That's exactly the path Frances is taking, Northwest.

 

[snoopy]

That is so nuts. I never understood why someone would not evacuate, unless they were physically unable to.

 

[ckr]

"That's exactly the path Frances is taking, Northwest."

Yeah, but I'm talking to Birmingham, then Memphis, and on to TOPEKA, KANSAS!! I'd be high-tailing it outta there!!

 

[Pooh67_68]

Ok I don't want to sound to insensitive but...
Stupid is as Stupid does. As Crankyshank stated there usally is someplace that will take the pets.

 

[Jasminesmommy]

Tell her to take the cat and put a do not disturbe sign on the door.Thats what I did when I bought a cat in California to bring home to Chicago.

 

[LeeLoo]

Stupid!....right gymnasticsmom?

 

[Feralpeg]

I would leave regardless and, if necessary, sneak my cats into my hotel room. Right, probably not, but this is a special circumstance. By the way, I heard that one of the pet friendly shelters in Orlando is already totally booked.

 

[danacara]

Was it Ann Landers who said, "Pretty is fleeting, stupid is forever"? Well, I hope they're at least pretty.

 

[bsnyder]

If they are not in a mandatory evacuation zone then they are doing what the officials are asking, which is to stay put unless told to leave.

And there are parts of West Palm that are not in flood zones. It all depends on where they live.

 

[danacara]

Originally posted by bsnyder
If they are not in a mandatory evacuation zone then they are doing what the officials are asking, which is to stay put unless told to leave.

I have to say, every time I hear something like that, I think of the public address system at World Trade Center, and how those people in Tower 2 were told to go back upstairs. I say, if your gut says go, absolutely go. Public officials don't want to cram the roads, I guess, I can't think of any other reason to tell people to stay in the (probable) path of a hurricane.

 

[FergieTCat]

I just spoke to my mom, who lives in Delray Beach, and she told me that everyone east of I-95 will have a mandatory evacuation.

She found a kennel for her cats in the event she has to evacuate (she is slightly west of I-95). She is going to take them there tomorrow morning and leave them there until the storm passes. She is trying to make as many preparations as possible before the storm hits. No dummy, my mom. She's now trying to figure out where the nearest shelter is. I suggested she call her friends so a group of them could go together.

What a scary hurricane season. And we're only up to storm #6.

 

[bsnyder]

Originally posted by danacara
I have to say, every time I hear something like that, I think of the public address system at World Trade Center, and how those people in Tower 2 were told to go back upstairs. I say, if your gut says go, absolutely go. Public officials don't want to cram the roads, I guess, I can't think of any other reason to tell people to stay in the (probable) path of a hurricane.

Dana, I also would go with my gut. But they can't possibly evacuate everyone in the probable path of this storm. They don't even know where it's going to make landfall and by the time they do know, it will be too late for evacuations.

Unless these folks are in a flood zone or in a building that was very shabbily built, they are better off to stay put and not be in a massive traffic jam.

If they are in a flood zone, they need to get a plan together immediately. Storm surge is deadly, no matter how well built the structure is!

 

[bsnyder]

And Tammy, I do sympathize, for your worry about your friends. When we ordered to evacuate for Charley, I had friends and neighbors who refused to do so, and I was on the phone with them, begging and pleading.

But we're in a very low lying area, right near the bay. One family that chose to ride it out lives just 4 houses from Tampa Bay. If the storm had hit us, as projected, we would have had a 15 to 20 foot storm surge. I thought they were idiots!