Hurricane Rita: Well, That Didn't Take Long

From the AP, of course - do you think the reporter was driving around in a vehicle, or rowing a boat? I think the AP coveraged has improved from storm to storm - it didn't take them half as long to find their target and the rain hasn't even started yet.

No Way Out: Tears, Anger as Some Try to Flee and Many Poor Are Stuck

HOUSTON (AP) - Wilma Skinner would like to scream at the officials of this city. If only someone would pick up their phone.

"I done called for a shelter, I done called for help. There ain't none. No one answers," she said, standing in blistering heat outside a check-cashing store that had just run out of its main commodity. "Everyone just says, 'Get out, get out.' I've got no way of getting out. And now I've got no money."

With Hurricane Rita breathing down Houston's neck, those with cars were stuck in gridlock trying to get out. Those like Skinner - poor, and with a broken-down car - were simply stuck, and fuming at being abandoned, they say.

"All the banks are closed and I just got off work," said Thomas Visor, holding his sweaty paycheck as he, too, tried to get inside the store, where more than 100 people, all of them black or Hispanic, fretted in line. "This is crazy. How are you supposed to evacuate a hurricane if you don't have money? Answer me that?"

Comments

[!]

Oh boy, here we go again..

[Davis]

Duh....Get out and THEN go to the bank wherever you end up!!! What about just getting on one of those many buses I keep seeing on news, getting out, and then head to the bank... Also, ever heard of paying attention to the news and preparing ahead?

[usmcmom]

Also, ever heard of paying attention to the news and preparing ahead?

Posted by: Davis | Sep 22, 2005 8:22:01 PM

I have concluded that this particular concept just seems to be missing among a segment of the population. I just want to know what ever happened for saving for a rainy day!! Heck my 16-year old puts aside part of his allowance for long-term needs... My suggestion for FEMA, after all of these storms pass, besides workshop programs, urban land developments, etc. can we hire Dave Ramsey and get all these folks in a Financial Peace Training program.... I'm not kidding... We all know...teach a man to fish, yada, yada.... well we need to teach folks to save for that proverbial rainy day especially when they live in the Gulf State region.

[Katie in Katy, Texas]

There's no planning ahead. All evacuation routes have been at a stand still for days now.

[tracey]

Not everyone has the means to "put money aside for a rainy day". Nor does a large segment of the population of the United States have the level of education that might afford them the ability to aquire jobs that pay enough to "save money" for that "rainy day". I think it's very sad and embarassing that those of you that have commented on this particular topic are ridiculing the poor and less fortunate of our country. If we were to be honest with ourselves we would be able to admit that it is horrible that the people we are talking about are simply not able to get out of harms way. They do NOT have the means. Give them classes? Really? Where exactly will they suddenly come up with extra money from? The majority of these people in question work minimum wage jobs, and have families and bills to pay. Or they are on government assistance, which would also mean that they do not have "extra" money to save. Get them off of government aid, ok, thats good, now they can work a minimum wage job too. Still no extra money. This is a class issue people, not a lack of want. Do you really belive that people would want to stay and chance being killed? I don't know, I just don't believe that because you are poor that it makes you not have a desire to live and protect your family.

[cheryl]

USMCMOM - I totally agree about saving ahead and Dave Ramsey. Actually I try to get everyone I know to listen to him. Most Americans could use his ideas.

I am in SWHouston. We tried to evacuate at 4:30 this morning. After 6 hours of gridlock things were getting tense on the 2 lane back road. We were at a standstill. All of the gas stations and restaurants were closed. No bathrooms in sight. Then people started their own contra flow plan on the shoulder of the opposite lane. This made those on our side angry. The temperature was about 95 degrees. We made a decision to return home. The trip was 20 minutes!!!

We are on the clean side and boarded up.

FYI - Anyone without a way to leave can go to the convention center. They are then bussed to the airport and flown north. Looks like the Mayor had a good plan after all.

[splashtc]

Modern day survival of the fittest?

[Katie in Katy, Texas]

Cheryl, good luck to you & yours. Stay safe!

[tracey]

Cheryl, how far from Galveson, TX are you? I have a Granfather who is 96 years old in Conroe. Is he far enough North to not be hit to hard?

[usmcmom]

This is a class issue people, not a lack of want.

Posted by: tracey | Sep 22, 2005 8:55:09 PM

No offense, but as a daughter of an imigrant who got off a boat at Ellis Island with the proverbial two shilling, and a mother who was born in the Irish ghettos of NY by a mother who herself came to America as an "indentured servant"... sorry but I'm really the wrong person for you to stereotype on the whole "class" issue.... Tracey, all solutions to the problems you stated start and stop with getting an education... I can't make people go to school and I sure can't make them excel if they do go, so I'm not the cause to their situation in life... But I do know the solution b/c I and millions of other first-generation Americans have lived it... get an education, work two jobs when you can, one job when you can't, live within your means, and if you don't have means, then for goodness sakes don't start a family until you can take care of yourself first. It's not about class, it's not about religion, color, creed, or race... it's education.

[TheAlamo]

I am about 25 miles north of San Antonio, and the roads are jammed...not to a standstill, but it is like rush hour in the city way out here. Problem I found is that there is no gas in San Antonio, and if they figure out there is a little out here--it won't long before that is gone too, and the gas stations are crowded, so my guess is that it won't be long. I asked a guy at a station about 15 miles out when they will be getting gas, and he said not until Tuesday. Don't know what the schedule is for the rest of the city.

Hey, but the two birds in Alaska are safe because we didn't pump the oil!
Isn't that wonderful?

[New Creature]

Just because a person is poor doesn't mean he SHOULD be killed by a hurricane, tornado, landslide, drought, drive-by, etc. And the government is not GOD- it is not omnipotent, or omnipresent, and if that is what people expect, then they will be angry and disappointed. Much like they are!

Those who blame the government for the effects of a natural disaster are equalled in stupidity only to those who blame the victim for being a victim.

The answer isn't "go to college". Some people do what they love, and it just doesn't pay well. And if everyone went to college so they could become rich doctors, who would drive those buses?

Sometimes, there is no one to blame. Some stuff just sucks.

[alert]

I agree,about education,alsoneeded is common sense .
I am also first generation.My dad immigrated with 19 siblings and his parents. They had nothing but pride,desire,and a work ethic instilled. My mom also immigrated as a child. They arrived on a Sat. and all were sitting in a 1 st grade classroom to learn English on Monday. Each and evevry one of them were/are succesfull as are all the now 2nd generation. There is no excuse for "help me,give me".They need to be taught priorities..tv's, ipods, boom boxes,chic shoes,cigarettes,beer,etc are not neccestiites.I think the military or a government work force would be a good start for most of them. And yes, stop sowing those seeds..
leaving the woman to raise children with unknown fathers!

[LALady]

The poor have suffered since the beginning of time.....so if you do not want to suffer...do something about it...It is not my fault that you suffer....or the government's../..don't have children that are just going to continue the same as you....ever heard of birth control pills??? Hold down several jobs, pool with friends and family that want things better and help each other...don't tell me there are no opportunities....B/S....

[cheryl]

Tracey,

I think Conroe is far enough away as long as he doesn't live in a mobile home. The good news is that Lake Conroe is very low and can hold a lot of water. They may get cat 2 winds, 75 or less mph. Trees and powerlines are damaged by 75 mph winds. It is scary but it is probably (hopefully) going to the east of conroe. That makes it good for him. Now we are worried about the rain. 12 inches maybe. I hope he isn't alone.

We are about half as far as conroe but more west.
If you want me to find out anything about shelters there i will. As long as he isn't in a mobile home he should be fine.

God bless,
cheryl

[Joshua]

Is the means to evacuate being provided...buses etc? You do no need money to go to a evacuation shelter, just some essential items like a thick blanket to sleep on, water, and food. If the poor don't have the money for water...what is wrong with washing out a gallon milk jug to put water in or some other type of container and carrying a loaf of bread and peanut butter from their homes. Compare the poor here United States to other countries, and they live quite well. Why are they at a check cashing place complaining when apparently there is no more money, and not at home with their families taking a plan of action on how to get to the nearest shelter. Sometimes they bring on their own grief. I bet you if you go into the neighborhoods, most of their poor neighbors have evacuated. It is just them, standing around complaining. Texas needs to open both sides of the interstate to move the traffic along, and others coming into the cities will have to find alternate routes. Houston is a large city, (I have been there) and it will take a well for the people to leave the city. If they don't move the traffic along, the people are going to be trapped in their cars when the hurricane makes landfall...a much worse scenario than the people being in a solid building.

[galloway]

I can honestly say, it is impossible to evacuate in a city the size of Houston. The freeways have been backed up since Monday evening.

We tried to evacuate at 4 a.m. Thursday morning... and after sitting on the Katy Freeway (I-10) for over three hours and only managing to get one mile down the road, we headed back home. People were out of their cars and milling around on the highway. I was driving one vehicle and my husband was in front of me in another vehicle. Men were walking along side my car peering in and I got the distinct feeling that security was going to become an issue if we didn't get out of there. We were traveling with large sums of cash, extra fuel and food/water supplies; but there were many stranded, desperate people who didn't think ahead to travel with extra fuel and food/water supplies. Haves vs Have-nots....not a good scene. And at this moment, there are tens of thousands of motorists stranded on highways in need of immediate rescue.

Doors are boarded up and we are waiting, praying Rita comes in east of Galveston and we can take the clean side of the storm. We live in a pretty affluent area near HP world headquarters. There are a bunch of gangstas hanging out in the parking lot of a business across the street from the entrance into our neighborhood. I don't know whether to be more concerned with the storm or with 'after the storm'.

[DeeDee]

Hey, but the two birds in Alaska are safe because we didn't pump the oil!
Isn't that wonderful?

Posted by: TheAlamo

Excellent point! Yet the same bunch is screaming for the releif because of course, "its Bushes fault, he has connections to OPEC". Same bunch!

[usmcmom]

I do wish the highway dept folks had opened the interstates to contra flow yesterday am. I know the state and feds were bringing in relief supplies, so I guess its a case of damned if you do, damned if you don't. My suggestion to my Senators is maybe the next storm we can have the relief suppliers use the secondary/alternate routes to get into an area prior to a storm approach. With every storm we learn. I just pray the folks at Port Arthur and the western LA coast are getting out of the way. Adm Allen said yesterday, they have 3 day provisions & medical supplies for 500,000 folks stored around LA coast for evacuees. It's mainly water and MREs, but it'll work.

[bhm mom too]

The answer isn't "go to college". Some people do what they love, and it just doesn't pay well. And if everyone went to college so they could become rich doctors, who would drive those buses?

Sometimes, there is no one to blame. Some stuff just sucks.

Posted by: New Creature | Sep 22, 2005 9:53:50 PM

In the Wall Street Journal yesterday, there was a story about illegal immigrants hit in the New Orleans storm. They loaded up--about 17 of them in several cars and headed out to another state. Within days they found a place to live and found jobs. Now if illegal immigrants--who make very little money--can figure out a way to survive, many others can as well. I think we have created a society of people who wait for the government or somebody else to take care of them ....The able bodied can work and you have to admit, many of them dont. they wouldn't work the jobs the illegals do. Now the children, the disabled, the elderly, fall into a different category. My 95 year old dad who lived through the depression etc and scratched out a living was watching Katrina on tv and he even commented on the men just sitting around waiting--he said he would have walked out of there--and he probably would have in his day.

[peneloupe]

I think it's very unfortunate that we have people posting on this blog who are blaming the people who are left behind. Have any of you ever heard of working 2-3 jobs a day just to make ends meet?! And then at the end of the month you find out that you didn't quite make it?

I've lived this life and I have to tell you it's not the bowl of cherries y'all seem to think it is. It's not just about getting off of your bum and pulling up your boot straps. When it's between paying the electricity bill so you still have light for your family or starting a savings account...guess which one wins out?

Now this isn't to say that people could not have used more organization and planning but the mentality associated with this income level is check to check and minute to minute. You're just trying to get by. It's not something you can criticize until you've walked a mile in their shoes...if you'd make it that far.

It's very easy to sit back on your nice comfy computer chair and get on a blog and talk about all the things these people should have done differently. Call me crazy, but I bet if someone was doing a running commentary on your lives you'd have some bad decision making going on as well. We're all human beings and we deserve compassion and love NOT this victim blaming that is going on!!

Perhaps next time you should think before you post your negative and condescending comments about a life that you don't understand and that most of your hope and pray that you will never experience.

Please drop the blame game and send these people love and prayers because right now it's a little late for your suggestions!

[tracey]

Go Peneloupe! well said!

[LALady]

Pneloupe.....very nice post...however I do understand the life style and the remarks are for those that do nothing to better their life, just expect someone else to provide for them. Just who do you think the blame belongs too...me???for not doing enough???? people have to take responsibility for themself and their family..everyone needs help sometimes....fine...but to live a lifetime of taking and giving nothing back has to stop!!!!
Again I repeat....the opportunities are there.