We have survived the storm, our electricity has been restored. I have ice in my freezer, food in my fridge. I do understand that our family is privilaged right now. My inlaws down the road do not have power. My parents in Sugar Land do not have power. I am grateful for cooler weather. Sunday night was miserable in the heat and I'm sure that everyone without electricity is relieved.
Even though we have power now, we were prepared for otherwise. I watched the news, I heard about the storm and I planned accordingly. Even if I had no power and no water, I would have food and bottled water to last quite a while. I planned for about a week. My gas tanks were full, my windows boarded up.
So, with that said, I get a little irritated with the news coverage. I am so sick of seeing the interviews with people asking where FEMA is, where the gas is, where the supplies are. Most of the people that are asking those questions with real ferver are people that are in areas that were mandatory evacutation zones. Please someone tell me how it is the governments responsibility to take care of you when you not only did not heed a mandatory evacuation, but you also did not do jack squat to be prepared in the way of supplies. I can not understand it!
People of Galveston....really folks. The warning could not have been more clear....GET OUT OR RISK CERTAIN DEATH....THERE WILL BE NO RESCUES. How is that possibly translated into the thought of trying to ride out that storm. How on earth do people think that they can somehow save their belongings and house by staying there? What really irritates me is that because people stay behind when they are told to leave, people like my husband have to go put thier lives on the line to save their sorry butts.
And as for the people in Houston, I can have a little more compassion for you. BUT still...we all knew a hurricane was coming, we all knew it would be bad, we all SHOULD have prepared. There was plenty of time to get gas and water and food. We should really be prepared the ENTIRE hurricane season so that when one does form quickly we are not in panic mode trying to get everything.
I just wish that people would show some level of personal responsibility and then while they are personally prepared, I wish they'd be a little more patient with folks that are working very hard.
end rant.
4 comments:
AMEN!!! I've been thinking the same thing! Shameful. I could never be one those gov't officials. The mom in me just wants to say to those people, "Well, I told you so!"
This is a bit harsh don't you think? As your friend I know your heart but I think you're forgetting that some people can't even afford gas right now. Some don't have people in their lives and maybe are old and struggle with just getting by. I realize there are the "idiots" out there that just simply made a stupid choice. But you need to remember that there are some out there who just couldn't leave.
Anonymous friend of mine
Let me be clear. I am mostly referring to the "idiots" out there. I talking mostly about people in the mandatory zones. People in those areas who lacked the means to get out were offered the means to get out. There are shelters to go to, aid when you get there. Those are the people that I do not want to hear say, "where is FEMA." Because they shouldn't even be where they are. And even now in Galveston when the local government has said that the island is not livable there are people staying and people trying to go home to a place where you can't even flush a toilet.
I have plenty of compassion for the people of Houston who were caught off guard or who lack the means to get out or to get what they need. My church is full of them. I served them lunch today from the back of a Red Cross emergency assistance truck. We'll do all we can for people, but my post was not really regarding those people.
Thanks for the check though.
I can agree with you that the news has found some of the most annoying people to interview. I will say coming from a mandatory evacuation zone we aren't all like that. I left my home and returned on Sunday after the storm and lived 2 days without power. I did not look for or ask for assistance. I did not attempt to go to a POD or anything else, but I knew where they were, I heard the news. I think the problem is people are expecting FEMA to knock on their door, and are not hearing or knowing that they are just down the street. God gave you legs use them! The people the news find do not represent the whole of the southern half of this fair area. Some of us know how to go to the store and go to a POD to get what we need. It's the news who has the problems.
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