The sun is shining today in Tulsa. Yesterday was quite different. The remnants of Ike rolled through Texas, and up through eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri as a tropical depression. From 3 p.m. until sometime late last night, it rained torrentially, a driving rain that swirled from varying directions. Ike puffed his stuff too, with gusts exceeding 40 mph, letting those of us in the Sooner State know he wasn't quite finished.
In the Galveston and Houston areas, rescue crews are busily trying to save those from the devastation, stranded in the wake of the storm. What really irks me is that so many people, an estimated 140,000 Texans, based on the best data and forecasting from weather experts, still ignored mandates to leave, and wouldn't get out of harm's way. Now it is going to cost everyone of us millions of dollars to come to their rescue, even though they had ample time and the free transportation to leave.
I just don't get it. You can give me any number of excuses why they did not leave, but based on the dire warning that those staying would "face certain death" over 140,000 risked life and limb to stay. One man, whose family was only 2 blocks from the coastline, huddled in the attic of their home. Their 5-year-old son fell through the ceiling and onto the garage floor. Luckily, the boy wasn't seriously injured. The dad's comment: "We just didn't think it was going to come up like this," said the boy's father, Lee King. "I'm from New Orleans, I know better. I just didn't think it was going to happen."
Forcing one's family to "ride out" a possible, if not probable, death for no reason other than pure stubborness or stupidity is beyond my comprehension. But when an adult or parent purposely ignores the warnings, and puts their child in harm's way, they ought to be held accountable for their actions (or lack thereof). There is a law on the books in every state titled wreckless endangerment which comes to mind. That is the least charge these so-called "parents" or "guardians" should have to face.
Those children had no choice in the matter, and had to stay with their parents. They had to do whatever their parents decided. But the parents should have to pay for the consequence of ignoring the mandated evacuation, and should have to defend their reason for staying. We can only hope that the parents don't pay the ultimate price of a lost child.
Where has common sense gone?
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Agreed, the failure of such a large number of people in the face of the most strident warning I have ever heard issued ("certain death") is inexplicable. The head of FEMA said something on CNN that surprised me. Most deaths and injuries occur during the aftermath of a hurricane. I assume that means that poking around the unstable structures and navigating flood waters, which is exactly what rescuers have to do, is activity more exposed to danger then huddling in your attic and ignorning the warnings. It looks like the lessons of New Orleans may have sunk in however. From the bites of data we get on CNN or here on the net, it seems that FEMA and state officials were better prepared.Fortunastely the loss of life is less then expected. I agree with you, in the midst of dire warnings is probably a poor time to act out civil disobedience.
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