The short - but eventful - life of Ike

BAC'sMom wrote: Just a few pics of the Ike aftermath.

http://www.boston.com:80/bigpicture/2008/0...ul_life_of.html

sparkys2boys replied: OMG, I am in tears after that. Wow, it hits hard when you see pics like that

Kentuckychick replied: Wow... that's all I can say about the photos. Those are amazingly powerful.

I read on the news a week or so ago that they don't believe they'll ever no the true death toll caused by Hurricane Ike. They went on to say that at the time, out of the approximately 90,000 residents they believed stayed in the areas that were told to evacuate... only 6,000 had been rescued. That's an extreme number. And while they went on to say that they do not believe 10's of thousands of people died... they believe the numbers are a lot higher than the 50 they've totaled so far and that the possible many individuals who were washed out to sea will never be found.

I surely hope that the next time a major hurricane heads the way of any of our cities that people heed the evacuation. It's sad that anyone had to die.

CantWait replied: Heartbreaking. How far is this all from San Antonio? I have friends up there.

BAC'sMom replied:

About 245 miles Marie

Kentuckychick replied:
I understand. My uncle's the chief of Police in Duck North Carolina... he's responsible for evacuating people everytime a hurricane comes along and he knows all about the individuals who don't leave because they don't want to and those who don't leave because they can't.

This time there was no excuse.

There were buses (empty buses) leaving the towns long after they had told people to evacuate. Up until Saturday those buses were leaving the Galveston area. These weren't buses that were charging people an arm and leg to travel... nope... free, government provided transportation out of the danger zone.

Everyone they spoke to on the television and I mean everyone, had foolish reasons for staying. Their home, their property, their animals. I'm sorry but what good are those going to do anyone when you're dead. And most of those people lost everything anyway.

I'm well aware that some people stay because they really don't have the means to leave... but not 90,000. It's just a simple statement. It's time for people to learn from their mistakes. Maybe next time those 90,000 will think twice before they put their lives and the lives of the individuals responsible for having to rescue them when all is said and done, in danger.

BAC'sMom replied:
You seriously don’t think that 90,000 people perished do you? I can guarantee you that if 90,000 died you would know about it and so would I.

As I left to go west Wednesday morning the Mayor of Galveston was still telling people that she was NOT going to make evacuation mandatory. SHE waited too late then finally change her mind. Do you remember the Rita Evacuation? Do you know how much flack she took for that debacle ? You also have to remember that some of these same people had already left for Edouard and Gustav. You also need to remember that people that live on Port Bolivar have to get off of that island by ferry and that ferry only runs at certain times of the day. I am not making excuses for them I am just stating some facts. You would have to live in the area to understand the dynamics.

Death count from Ike
http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=cdf7e5f742cd33e8
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metrop...an/6008126.html

Wasn’t it you that said this was no Katrina? I am not sure what you meant by that. But I will say this. One should not compare hurricanes. Every storm is different that is why they receive an individual name. You never know what a storm is going to do ill regardless of the category.

lovemy2 replied: I am not even sure there are words to describe the sorrow felt for the people affected by such a wrath of nature

Kentuckychick replied:
No -- I do not believe 90,000 people perished... or even anywhere near that number. I believe that, as reports have indicated, the numbers will never be known, but are definitely higher than 50. There were no doubt (as individual stories have shown) individuals who were washed out to sea whose bodies will never be found.

When I said "This is no Katrina" I was not refering to the hurricane itself, but to the fact that no one can blame the government for the lives lost in this one (which they haven't or at least it hasnt' been majorly publicized). There were buses shuttling people out days before the hurricane hit. My grandfather and his wife left to go further up in Houston on Wednesday because they said all reports indicated it would be bad.

Anyway. I didn't mean for this to become an argument or anything negative. I'm simply hoping that next time people will learn from their mistakes. I'll bow out now because no I haven't lived in a hurricane area... even if I have had to evacuate from one myself.

cameragirl21 replied:
Evacuation is not that simple. First of all, there is a mass panic everywhere and the roads are bumper to bumper, could take you hours just to go a few miles. I live very close to the water and in the span of all the hurricanes that came or were meant to come here, sometimes I evacuated and sometimes not, depending on the circumstances. If someone has a strong enough house with a strong room with no windows and the storm is cat 3 or less and not headed right at you, you're probably better off staying.
I have to say, I was in Houston right before Ike, from the 8th to the 10th and I was amazed by how calm and carefree everyone seemed about it. Here in Miami, someone says hurricane and everyone craps their pants in fear.

lisar replied: I got this in an e-mail. I feel bad for the people that lived there

punkeemunkee'smom replied: So sad!