To Evacuate or Know: Guess What?

Folks quickly assign blame for anything and everything. He/she/they did/didn’t do something that caused this/that to happen to me; it was bad juju, or the gods were angry. Rarely is something one’s own fault or simply Life.

I’ve listened to reporters ask Abbott why Turner and Emmett didn’t call for mandatory evacuations, and although Abbott deflected the questions, making it apparent that at that time, he was not placing blame, he also didn’t actually address the issue. So, I shall.

If city/county officials call for mandatory evacuations, all hell breaks loose on our roadways, lest we forget. Folks that aren’t even near the mandatory areas decide to get on the road – not a good idea. It’s one thing to evacuate from the threat of a direct hit from a hurricane, something else entirely for being on the dirty side of one.

And we are expected to evacuate because of rain? Answer me this: Who the hell is going to pay for that? You and me – twice! The cost of the actual evacuation: in money, time, stress, lives (I lost an aunt in the Rita evacuation). And again in taxes, later.

As all of the reporters, officials, folks wading/swimming from their homes have reported, many of these areas have never flooded before, that this is unprecedented, breaking all sorts of records. So folks are needing rescue. What only a few have addressed is that Life, in conjunction with Nature, is the reason for many of these new flood zones.

Houston is rapidly growing. Construction is going on daily (well, not so much today). Areas are built up, others dug out, homes and other cement replace marshy areas. And folks are surprised when new areas begin to flood. This is not me blaming – Life happens, folks.

Look, I’m not trying to be flippant (well, maybe I am, just a little), I’m being real. And I’m not trying to make light of people’s losses, frustrations, anxieties. I thank the heavens that my children are safe here with me, are grown and not in need of parental control (take that any way you want). I’m grateful that of my family and friends who have been adversely affected by Harvey, the damage is repairable and mostly monetary. Mostly. I’m proud of all those who have gone out of their way to help their neighbors and folks they didn’t even know. I’m ashamed and disgusted by those who would take advantage of this situation, but happy that this has been minimal, so far. But of course, as I write, this shit ain’t over yet.

Prepare for the worst; hope for the best. But don’t blame Turner and Emmett because they didn’t send out a panic cry. It’s just Nature doing what she does.

Perhaps the following would have been more effective before Harvey, but for future reference:

• If you live in an area that becomes a raging river when it rains for more than an hour, guess what?
• If you live in an area that becomes an island after a hard rain, guess what?
• If you have special needs or small children or pets with special needs, guess what?
• If you have not properly prepared to hunker down, guess what?
• If you have anywhere else to go that is well out of the influence of the possible inconveniences that a city under water/out of commission might cause, guess what?
  

And in instances such as what we are dealing with now, if you live in an area that has ever flooded under any circumstance, guess what?

Be mindful out there.

Quote for the day: If you play it safe in life you've decided that you don’t want to grow any more. Shirley Hufstedler