topic Re: Friend Won't Evacuate in Community Chat

Friend Won't Evacuate

MarieIG — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 05:07:12 GMT

My friend move to Florida a year ago, and bought a mobile home on the West coast in Largo. She is not on the beach, but is in a mandatory evacuation location, but refuses to evacuate, even for her granddaughter who begged her to go. My pleading did not help. There is a shelter a mile from her home. I am very scared. It is going to be a long 48 hours. She will call me after the storm if she can.

Re: Friend Won't Evacuate

YorkieonmyPillow — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 05:09:28 GMT

Gosh, I wonder why - is she afraid of looters?

Re: Friend Won't Evacuate

mistriTsquirrel — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 05:10:45 GMT

I'm so sorry, @MarieIG. Is she at least going to the shelter? Did she say why she wouldn't evacuate?

Re: Friend Won't Evacuate

momtochloe — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 05:12:14 GMT

@MarieIG I am so sorry to hear this as just seeing the wind at this point is frightening and it doesn't sound like she is in a very secure place. I wish she had gone to the shelter. Good thoughts and prayers and bless you for being such a good friend.

Re: Friend Won't Evacuate

Nonametoday — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 05:18:08 GMT

@MarieIG wrote:
My friend move to Florida a year ago, and bought a mobile home on the West coast in Largo. She is not on the beach, but is in a mandatory evacuation location, but refuses to evacuate, even for her granddaughter who begged her to go. My pleading did not help. There is a shelter a mile from her home. I am very scared. It is going to be a long 48 hours. She will call me after the storm if she can.

NAT: We have friends and relatives who are the same. A friend whose mother is in Naples will not leave because she feels her mother is too old and ill to be "dragged about" (as she put it) and she will not leave her mother. So my friend stands to lose both her mother and grandmother and is very concerned for them.

Another friend's son, who is a pastor in Orlando, feels the need to stay and help and the wife will not leave the husband. Therefore, the teenage children are caught up in staying with their parents. My friend has been on the phone with them for more than an hour over the past day or so trying to talk them into it.

My brother is not leaving Tampa. He is an attorney there. He probably will sue somebody for something if he survives. We do not have a mutual love of his practice. I just love him because he is my brother.

Another brother is not leaving Jacksonville. I don't know why. Just too much like my mother, I suppose (butt-headed).

Re: Friend Won't Evacuate

MarkeieMark — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 05:28:49 GMT

Well everybody is scared, and honestly don't know what I would do, but do know I would be scared too.

Years ago my parents had a second house in Miami that my grandmother bought, and I was little but remember going through one hurrican. My parents probably should have left.

Prayers for your friend, and the other posters family, and everyone for that fact.

RESIDENTS KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT ....

INDIANA BONES — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 06:33:55 GMT

After having a place for years before selling in Fl and many friends and relatives still living there, residents know to expect hurricanes during this season. My heart breaks for those that try to leave and for the elderly and disabled that need assistance to go to safety (hopefully). To those that choose to stay, that is a decision they have made and I certainly feel that those people that have listened should have first assistance.

As I pray all are well up the entire eastern seaboard, my heart only feels pity for those that are in good health that refuse to listen to reason and evacuate to advised areas.. Sounds cruel but they only put others life at risk which I find entirely unfair and selfish.

This may sound cruel and harsh but I can't see a family person dying trying to save someone that felt they had super powers to live thru a hurricane. JMHO and I am certain many think I am cruel.

God Bless all in the path of the storm(s) and to the rescuers and all that volunteer to assist . .

Re: Friend Won't Evacuate

Susan Louise — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 06:39:01 GMT

@MarieIG wrote:
My friend move to Florida a year ago, and bought a mobile home on the West coast in Largo. She is not on the beach, but is in a mandatory evacuation location, but refuses to evacuate, even for her granddaughter who begged her to go. My pleading did not help. There is a shelter a mile from her home. I am very scared. It is going to be a long 48 hours. She will call me after the storm if she can.

@MarieIG I am speechless because she is in a mobile home. I pray she decided at the last minute to go to a shelter.

Re: Friend Won't Evacuate

INDIANA BONES — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 06:48:05 GMT

@MarieIG wrote:
My friend move to Florida a year ago, and bought a mobile home on the West coast in Largo. She is not on the beach, but is in a mandatory evacuation location, but refuses to evacuate, even for her granddaughter who begged her to go. My pleading did not help. There is a shelter a mile from her home. I am very scared. It is going to be a long 48 hours. She will call me after the storm if she can.

HOPEULLY your friend decidded before the deadline to evacuate. She is certainly not in a good position living in a mobile home. This being her 1st hear in FL, she must not realize what the wind gusts get up to and also the chance to tornados. I do hope her granddaugher does not live with her. Sad and she will be in my prayers that she finally called to be evacuated before the cut off. We pulled out our metal barriers at Myrtle and headed up to eastern Va until we see what path the storms will be taking. Best wishes to all

Re: Friend Won't Evacuate

gidgetgh — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 07:54:05 GMT

I have a friend, just to the east of Tampa. She and her mother didn't evacuate either. I'm very concerned about them.

Re: Friend Won't Evacuate

AuntG — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 10:06:08 GMT

If there is a minimal loss of life, then I suppose your friend will say she did the right thing. However with a shelter just a mile away, why risk staying in a trailer - of all things?

Re: Friend Won't Evacuate

MarieIG — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 10:38:18 GMT

@YorkieonmyPillow wrote:
Gosh, I wonder why - is she afraid of looters?

She did not mention looters. She mentioned that it was crowded, dirty, and that her son's girlfriend and children came to stay with her. I told her it was temporary and to take the girlfriend and children to the shelter with her.

Re: Friend Won't Evacuate

MarieIG — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 10:40:05 GMT

@mistriTsquirrel wrote:
I'm so sorry, @MarieIG. Is she at least going to the shelter? Did she say why she wouldn't evacuate?

Not going to a shelter. She gave reasons, none of them seemed very good to me. It would be crowded and dirty.

Re: Friend Won't Evacuate

MarieIG — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 10:40:54 GMT

@momtochloe wrote:
@MarieIG I am so sorry to hear this as just seeing the wind at this point is frightening and it doesn't sound like she is in a very secure place. I wish she had gone to the shelter. Good thoughts and prayers and bless you for being such a good friend.

Thank you

Re: Friend Won't Evacuate

MarieIG — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 10:43:31 GMT

@INDIANA BONES wrote:
@MarieIG wrote:
My friend move to Florida a year ago, and bought a mobile home on the West coast in Largo. She is not on the beach, but is in a mandatory evacuation location, but refuses to evacuate, even for her granddaughter who begged her to go. My pleading did not help. There is a shelter a mile from her home. I am very scared. It is going to be a long 48 hours. She will call me after the storm if she can.
HOPEULLY your friend decidded before the deadline to evacuate. She is certainly not in a good position living in a mobile home. This being her 1st hear in FL, she must not realize what the wind gusts get up to and also the chance to tornados. I do hope her granddaugher does not live with her. Sad and she will be in my prayers that she finally called to be evacuated before the cut off. We pulled out our metal barriers at Myrtle and headed up to eastern Va until we see what path the storms will be taking. Best wishes to all

Thank you. Her granddaughter is an adult and lives upstate New York.

Re: Friend Won't Evacuate

MarieIG — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 10:47:33 GMT

Thank you everyone. I hope she changes her mind and goes to the shelter, but I probably won't know anything before tomorrow.

Re: Friend Won't Evacuate

Financialgrl — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 13:59:55 GMT

That's just nuts especially since they've always been in the line of fire from day one so no excuse! I have 2 cousins in Tampa in a first floor apartment who were planning on staying with friends on higher floors when it was expected to hit the east coast bc they were mostly expected flooding.

BUT once the storm changed course, everyone had to regroup fast. Sadly, gas lines and traffic made it impossible to get out - and that happened quickly. They were able to relocate a few miles inward to a friend whose home is boarded, has hurricane shutters and has 2 levels so . . . all one can do is pray at this point!

Re: Friend Won't Evacuate

JaneMarple — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 14:05:58 GMT

I pray that your friend gives in to her stubbornness and from what I've seen on the news her mobile home will be battered pretty badly. In this situation, looting is the last thing that anyone should be worried about. It's a question of things vs life!

Re: Friend Won't Evacuate

Vivian — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 14:15:27 GMT

There are people who go into denial mode, as if staying put will somehow prevent the storm from hitting them. My 22 year old grandson refused to go to my daughter's house in Orlando. He was going to stay in Tampa with his girlfriend, but at least we were able to convince him to go to her father's home, a bit further inland in Zephyr Hills. He's been acting the he-man, pseudo-protector to his girlfriend. I hope they'll be OK. My daughter is furious that they didn't go to Orlando. She actually called him a name that begins with a synonym for mule plus a synonym for orifice.

Re: Friend Won't Evacuate

Sooner — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 14:41:13 GMT

I think all of us at times make decisions about life that others don't understand. We all have things we should do, things we should be afraid of, and information we ignore.

We drink, smoke, eat sugar, eat fried and fast food, take chances driving, and do a million other things against "known" information and what we are told. We've done it since childhood when mother said "NO!"

So don't be too hard on people who don't do what you would do. Maybe they are afraid to go somewhere else, don't know where to go, don't have money to go, are too afraid of leaving their home, or their cat or whatever. Let's just worry about them, pray for them and us, and put away anger. Anger doesn't change them or us, but compassion does.