Do "real men" RIDE OUT HURRICANES?

[questioner]

A relative of mine who lives in Southwest Florida has told me that he is going to RIDE OUT the HURRICANE. HE told me that only a sissy would run from a hurricane. He and the rest of the real men he knows are riding this one out.

If something happens to him should his relatives and friends feel pity, be sad? or just say that his macho approach dug his own grave?

The media tends to show off people who decide to RIDE OUT THE HURRICANES. If they survive, it shows they are tougher than nature and show little fear. The media loves to interview the tough guys that ride out hurricanes and gush about how brave they are.

Have you ridden out a hurricane? Why?

 

[christinadei]

No, Dumb men do.

 

[DVC Jen]

Real men are smarter than that.

 

[worm761]

no they are not braver. all of us that ride out a storm know what the consequences are or could be. now some people are just stupid. i know people who walk outside during these things!!!
i rode out Ivan. it was nasty. those of us that choose to ride out a storm have our reasons. mine is my job. i usually have to work up until the storm starts to hit. then we close shop as quickly as possible and get our people home. we do not require for our crew to stay but management of a certain level do have to stay. there are things that need to be done. also in the case of some storms you can be shut out of your homes for a very long time. people were gone from ivan for a minimum of 2 weeks if you were out of town. now if we were in the path of katrina i would have left. i will not ride out a storm that strong. i am not that dumb.

 

[answerer]

No, I haven't but I am not a real man. I think you should go try it out when Wilma comes. Go pitch a tent on the beach and ride that baby out. Come back and tell us how it went.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Well "dumb" men and WOMEN do, cuz I have. You have to take into account the intensity of the storm, the sturctural integrity of your home, the protection of your home, are you in a flood zone, is it a mandatory evacuation area, etc.

Nothing "dumb" about making an informed decision. Basically, you run from water, you hide from wind.

Edited to add: DH and I both have work obligations, so evacuating is not an option for us, unless we evacuate to work.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

No, I haven't but I am not a real man. I think you should go try it out when Wilma comes. Go pitch a tent on the beach and ride that baby out. Come back and tell us how it went.

 

[parrothead365]

For a Cat 4 or Cat 5 storm I would say only the real "dumb" men would stay. I would take my family and run like the wind. Does this make me a "sissy"...maybe, but I will be a "sissy" with a safe family. I have always said if you are going to live where there are hurricanes/floods and such, then you have to be ready to give everything back to Mother nature. It is one of the prices we pay for living in paradise.

 

[questioner]

Follow-up: If an employer forces an employee to stay working until it is to late to leave (in advance of a strong hurricane), should the company be held liable if something happens to the employee?

I heard of a number of people who died or were injured in previous hurricanes were forced to stay in town by employers who did not want to close the office/store. Employees who left in advance were fired.

 

[christinadei]

Well dumb men and women do, cuz I have. You have to take into account the intensity of the storm, the sturctural integrity of your home, the protection of your home, are you in a flood zone, is it a mandatory evacuation area, etc.

Nothing "dumb" about making an informed decision. Basically, you run from water, you hide from wind.

Edited to add: DH and I both have work obligations, so evacuating is not an option for us, unless we evacuate to work.

I was teasing. I think it's dumb to ride out a hurricane that is a cat. 4 or 5 and headign for you. Sorry,b ut work is not that important.

We've left for some and rode some out. But we would never try to ride out a cat. 4 or 5 storm that was heading straight for us.

 

[Pam]

No, I haven't but I am not a real man.

You mean all of that chest hair of yours is fake??


How do you get it to stick? Paste, glue, scrapbook photo tabs??



I have a tent and a Nalgene bottle that questioner can borrow. I would lend my sleeping bag, but it's kind of expensive and I wouldn't want to risk losing it to the ocean.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I was teasing. I think it's dumb to ride out a hurricane that is a cat. 4 or 5 and headign for you. Sorry,b ut work is not that important.

We've left for some and rode some out. But we would never try to ride out a cat. 4 or 5 storm that was heading straight for us.

Well DH is a police officer, so I don't think there is much choice, and there shouldn't be. As for me, I work for the same organization and since DH has to be there, I'll be there throwing in a helping hand. It keeps some other person with other family obligations from becoming essential personnel.

Edited to add: I have recently been added to our crisis repsonse team, so actually I don't think it is voluntary for me at this point.

 

[christinadei]

Well DH is a police officer, so I don't think there is much choice, and there shouldn't be. As for me, I work for the same organization and since DH has to be there, I'll be there throwing in a helping hand. It keeps some other person with other family obligations from becoming essential personnel.

Wow, I didn't think aobut it that way. I guess, then, that you guys aren't dumb, you are sacrificing for others. For me, I would have to leave, I have a child to think about and I wouldn't want anythign to happen to any of us, for his sake. I think it's great that you are willing to help out so that people with families can leave if they need to. No, you definately aren't dumb and I'm sorry if it looked like I was calling you that. I appreciate people who sacrifice for others. But I think that referring to the guy the OP is talking about, no, he is not brave, he's dumb, and just trying to look macho.