? re mandatory evacuation

[Simba's Mom]

I'm just curious-I know someone who lives in a mandatory evacuation area and isn't evacuating. How do I know this? Because she's a shop owner, went on her website and told everyone that she wouldn't be evacuating and inviting any others who were staying in town and wanted food to come by (this is a restaurant). What I want to know is can the police arrest her for not evacuating when there's a mandatory evacuation? Or does she just stay "at her own peril"-basically, she just doesn't exist as far as the police are concerned. If she has a problem, don't call emergency services for help. I was curious, what happens to those people who ignore the mandatory evacuation order?

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

Technically they can arrest them as I believe it is a misdemeanor but the likelihood is very slim they would. There will not be any emergency services available to them during the mandatory evacuation period and utilities will probably be all turned off.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I think it means that police and fire personnel will not be coming to that area for search and rescue. She is taking a risk that she might need help and it will not be coming. If they do come, she might run the risk of being billed for the services the city or county provides her.

 

[Southernmiss]

Stay at your own peril.

Write your identity on your arm and next of kin on your arm with a sharpie has been recommended here for these situations.

 

[Starwind]

When I took emergency management training in the 90's, most jurisdictions that had mandatory evacuation laws did not allow the use of force to make you leave [they did usually allow use of force and arrest to stop you from coming back once you'd already left, tho].

The suggested solution for those who refused to leave was, when first responders went door to door trying to convince them, give them a sharpie to write their name or other ID'ing info on their arm, and have them fill out a form with next of kin and ID'ing info so officials could notify their next of kin when they were found dead. A large number of people change their mind and decide to leave when presented with that. For those who refuse to leave, get ID'ig and next of kin info if possible, note their location, make sure they understand help will not come until after the storm when it is safe to do so, which may be too late, and move on to those who are willing to accept assistance.

Sometimes people don't go because they have pets or because they "don't have anywhere to go". In modern disasters in the USA both of those issues are largely resolved in that shelters accept pets [or arrangements are made for pets at a safe location -- the need for acceptance of pets was an important lesson learned from Katrina] and shelters are free. But sometimes that needs to be explained to people.

SW

 

[disneychrista]

They can & will arrest people who stay in evacuated areas. Usually these are people who are wondering around town not those that stay in the own homes/businesses. Personally I don’t understand why people choose to stay in evacuated areas but that is there choice.

 

[kdonnel]

They can & will arrest people who stay in evacuated areas. Usually these are people who are wondering around town not those that stay in the own homes/businesses. Personally I don’t understand why people choose to stay in evacuated areas but that is there choice.

There are many reasons.

https://www.robertreeveslaw.com/blog/mandatory-evacuation/

Those with disabilities and who may not have enough assistance leaving.

Some people may not be hearing enough warnings, especially if they don’t watch the news or have smartphones.

Some people refuse to leave their pets.

Some people are afraid their home and possessions will be looted or just want to stay behind to protect them.

Some people may have experienced previous hurricanes and floods and feel able to survive the next one.

Some people have less financial resources to evacuate, such as having reliable cars, ability to pay for gas, or lodging elsewhere.

Some people have left the preparation too late and might be deterred by reports of traffic jams, dwindling supplies at stores, and feel they have no choice but to hunker down and ride it out.

Some people don’t want to leave behind other friends or family who are staying.

It is difficult to look at a situation and put yourself in the shoes of someone with a different socioeconomic background but it is important to try to understand why some stay.

As for arresting people, not in Florida. It is not a crime to ignore a mandatory evacuation order.

In the few states where it is a misdemeanor, the authorities are not going to waste resources arresting people who will not evacuate when they can be using those resources to help those who do want to evacuate but do not have the physical means to evacuate or financial resources.

 

[C&Jx2]

I think it means that police and fire personnel will not be coming to that area for search and rescue. She is taking a risk that she might need help and it will not be coming. If they do come, she might run the risk of being billed for the services the city or county provides her.

This... Basically, “No one will help you if you choose to stay”.

 

[disneychrista]

It is difficult to look at a situation and put yourself in the shoes of someone with a different socioeconomic background but it is important to try to understand why some stay.

Around here I am usually the one from the different socioeconomic background, so I get that. I don't see those who may not have the resources, knowledge, etc as necessarily refussing to leave. As above it is a store/restaurant owner and others that do have the information, do have the resources, etc. why are they risking their lives and possibly putting others in danger.

the authorities are not going to waste resources arresting people who will not evacuate when they can be using those resources to help those who do want to evacuate but do not have the physical means to evacuate or financial resources.

Around here there have been people arrested for staying in an evacuated area. You are right, they aren't going to go house to house arresting people. But if you are out and about they can & will.

 

[kdonnel]

Around here I am usually the one from the different socioeconomic background, so I get that. I don't see those who may not have the resources, knowledge, etc as necessarily refussing to leave. As above it is a store/restaurant owner and others that do have the information, do have the resources, etc. why are they risking their lives and possibly putting others in danger.

Probably because their personality makes it difficult for them to give up control. They are facing the chance that their home and livelihood are completely wiped out and they will be watching from the sidelines.

If every person thought and felt the same way, it would be a boring world to live in.

 

[disneychrista]

If every person thought and felt the same way, it would be a boring world to live in.

Very true.

 

[sonnyjane]

For all the people saying that police arrest residents for not evacuating, do you actually know anybody that has been arrested, or is this hearsay? I’ve been through an awful lot of hurricanes as well as wildfires. I’ve never lived in a mandatory evacuation zone but I have lived across the street so had to brush up. They aren’t going around arresting people for not evacuating. That would be insanity. During an emergency they are worried about preparations and housing people that WANT to evacuate. It *does* mean that they will not be responding to emergency calls within those zones if anything goes down, although my police and firefighter friends will both tell you if they can, they WILL still respond if at all possible, although that stinks because then they are really risking their lives because someone else didn’t heed a warning.

 

[disneychrista]

For all the people saying that police arrest residents for not evacuating, do you actually know anybody that has been arrested, or is this hearsay?

https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2018/08/04/ranch-fire-arrest-marijuana-plants/

 

[sonnyjane]

https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2018/08/04/ranch-fire-arrest-marijuana-plants/

You don’t think the circumstances of that arrest (being hostile to first responders over not wanting to abandon their marijuana crop?) had something to do with their arrest? If some 65 year old grandma doesn’t evacuate for a hurricane with her three pets, they aren’t arresting her.

 

[disneychrista]

You don’t think the circumstances of that arrest (being hostile to first responders over not wanting to abandon their marijuana crop?) had something to do with their arrest? If some 65 year old grandma doesn’t evacuate for a hurricane with her three pets, they aren’t arresting her.

OF COURSE circumstance has something to do with it. They aren't even going to know the 65 year old grandma is in her house with her three dogs. I have said MULTIPLE times if you are home, minding your own business they aren't going to arrest you. If you are out in public, walking around they might.

 

[disneychrista]

Here are other arrests for being in an evacuated area. All suspects were previously warned and again they were in public or outside their houses.

https://www.record-bee.com/2018/08/06/arrests-in-evacuation-areas-continue/
(you will likely need to open in a private window without an ad blocker to read)

https://local.nixle.com/alert/6716540/

 

[Deb & Bill]

On our island during Hurricane Irma, we had mandatory evacuation. It basically means, you leave or you stay at your own risk. If you need the police or medical help during the storm, you will not get it. So if you are having a heart attack because you now realize you are in danger, you will not get EMS. If your power goes out and you can't get down the stairs, you are stuck until the power is restored. If storm surge hits your location, you may be flooded out of your home or you may drown.

We have a lot of older people who live on the island. Several of them decided to stay in their condos. When the police went around checking on residents prior to the storm making landfall. they told them they would not get any help during the storm. At that point they said they were fine with it. However, during the storm one person needed medical assistance and wasn't given any. That person should have gone to a special needs shelter off the island and not stayed on the island.

Also, when you leave, you are not permitted back until law enforcement open the roads back into the area. And you will probably need identification showing that you live there to get into the area. Usually every area that evacuates, has shelters, both standard shelters and special needs shelters that people who don't have any place to go can go to. If they need help getting there, sometimes the area evacuating will even help them get to the shelters. Most shelters have a place for pets, but you have to have updated shot records for your pets.

In your friend's case, she has notified everyone she is alone and helpless. Part of the problem with evacuation is looters. She may have opened herself up to more than flooding or lack of medical assistance.

 

[MrsPete]

Yes, this is it: You can't be made to leave your own property, but if you're in trouble no emergency personnel or police will be coming to help you. You've been told that you should leave /that a reasonable person would leave, and if you choose to ignore that, emergency personnel will not risk their lives to come to your aid.

I have family on the coast, and the biggest reason I hear for staying is this: They are relatively confident they can make it through the storm and are prepared for bad things to happen ... and they'd rather take that risk /go through the storm than to risk being "stranded" for days and days /being unable to return home because of flooding.

 

[OhhBother]

We live on the coast of South Carolina. I don't evacuate, because I have job responsibilities here. I'm VP of marketing for a health system, and it's my responsibility to shelter in place to communicate critical health care information to our community. It's a role I take very seriously. The information I share may literally save someone's life.

My husband will sometimes evacuate with our dog, but this time he isn't. We're in Zone B (across the street from Zone A), so we're not under mandatory evacuation. We have emergency supplies and are prepared.

There are many reasons people don't evacuate. For the poor, the elderly, the sick, those without transportation, etc., evacuation is virtually impossible. Our hospitals .stay open to care for those who can't leave - as well as for the first responders who stay behind and also need health care available to them.

 

[3 MEN AND A BOAT]

It’s a non arrestable matter, I’ve stayed during mandatory evacs and have even been stopped by police during a mandatory evacuation. I was riding my 4-wheeler through the neighborhood just checking around and I was stopped, we exchanged “Pleasantries” I explained myself, he said we should have evacuated, I disagreed and I continued on. No issue.
They however do like to scare you with the whole “write your Social Sec number on your arm”
I’m still here so I can apparently think for myself. I don’t need the gov to think for me.