Hurricane Florence

[Japanfan]

West Virginia state parks offering a 55% discount at their lodging options for anyone fleeing the storm.

I've always wondered what the really poor do in such a situation, especially given that they may need to stay in a hotel or motel for days at best, weeks at worst. I think governments do offer some relief?

That makes me sad as even if she doesn't have family/friends she can stay with, then why can't she go to a shelter with them. I know a couple that had to rescued from their roof in St. Bernard parish during the aftermath of Katrina as they had couple of dogs and couldn't take them to the shelter/hotel and so they all stayed behind. Lucky that they all survived (only reason is house was two stories; neighbor died in single story). So I wish this lady well.

I had thought that subsequent to Katrina, evacuation plans were made that included pets - some people refused to leave if they could not take their pets with them, and some pets who were left behind died. And I believe it was Katrina (but might have been another disaster) when a huge effort had to be made to reunite people with their pets. IIRC some pets were evacuated after their humans, and it was hard for humans to find where their pets had been sent.

I am sure that Wayne Purcell, (previous, I assume) President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, wrote about evacuation plans for animals in his book The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend them

ETA: He was involved in creating plans that included pets. But it doesn't appear that they are being utilized in the case of Florence. That is simply very short-sighted and stupid.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...n-texas/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.57e8ddb79cf3

 

[ballettmaus]

I've always wondered what the really poor do in such a situation

Go to shelters, I would assume. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurric...na-shelter-taking-in-hundreds-ahead-of-storm/

 

[Japanfan]

Go to shelters, I would assume. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurric...na-shelter-taking-in-hundreds-ahead-of-storm/

Yes, when they are available.

They aren't always. For example, when small, remote Canadian communities are evacuated in the case of forest fires it doesn't attract anywhere near the attention that a Katrina or a Florence does - we had a bunch of those over the summer. I would imagine that small communities would come together in such a situation (i.e. the Maritimes rolled out the red carpet for stranded Americans after 9/11, IIRC), but remember watching the news and noting that a shelter system wasn't mentioned (doesn't mean it didn't exist, of course).

 

[Buzz]

Most of my family live in New Bern which is getting serious flooding, already.

I pray your family and the rest of New Bern who did not evacuate are alright!

 

[Buzz]

Inmate from two prisons in Florence’s path were not evacuated. The Department of Corrections says it is safer to leave them where they are. Hope they are right.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45509303

 

[Susan1]

I don't have the link right now cause I just saw it on HLN, but a lady wasn't going to evacuate because she didn't have any way to get her 7 rescue dogs out. People got together and rented her a U-Haul van and they are now with family in Tennessee!! Awwww.

 

[skatesindreams]

I pray your family and the rest of New Bern who did not evacuate are alright!

As do I.
The flooding looks terrible.

 

[Catherine M]

Here's the CNN piece on the lady with the dogs:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/14/us/s...escue-dogs-hurricane-florence-trnd/index.html

Glad its finally daylight so the rescues in New Bern and other places can take place much safer

 

[skatesindreams]

Many hundreds of rescues ongoing in New Bern; bless all those personnel.

 

[BittyBug]

For those of you who pray, please consider extending your thoughts to all of the animals left behind in this storm, especially livestock. While I have heard some heart-warming stories about extraordinary efforts to move some animals to safety, most livestock have been abandoned to possibly drown.

https://thinkprogress.org/hurricane...-farm-animals-in-north-carolina-23b43420db3d/

Further, there is a potential environmental disaster looming in toxic materials contaminating flood water, including pig manure.

https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2018/09/11/500732.htm

 

[skatesindreams]

On CNN:

A member of the "Cajun Navy"; assisting with rescuing hundreds of people, says that he expects this event to combine the surge of Katrina with the rain/flooding of Harvey.
I can only imagine the potential destruction.

 

[Simone411]

For those of you who pray, please consider extending your thoughts to all of the animals left behind in this storm, especially livestock. While I have heard some heart-warming stories about extraordinary efforts to move some animals to safety, most livestock have been abandoned to possibly drown.

https://thinkprogress.org/hurricane...-farm-animals-in-north-carolina-23b43420db3d/

Further, there is a potential environmental disaster looming in toxic materials contaminating flood water, including pig manure.

https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2018/09/11/500732.htm

Precisely what happened with Katrina and with Harvey. The bacteria and waste from sewer lines will also be in the flood waters. That's how one of the rescuers and a woman ended up with Necrotizing Fasciitis. The rescuer survived but the woman died.

With Katrina, it was a toxic bathtub for the residents to wade through mixed with chemicals and sewage.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/katrina-leaves-toxic-bathtub/

It will be the same situation with Florence. I pray for the people that stayed behind and for the rescuers because that same flesh-eating bacteria (Group A Streptococcal Necrotizing Fasciitis) will be in those flood waters, too.

 

[Peaches LaTour]

I pray your family and the rest of New Bern who did not evacuate are alright!

Thank you for your prayers, Buzz.

 

[Garden Kitty]

I've always wondered what the really poor do in such a situation, especially given that they may need to stay in a hotel or motel for days at best, weeks at worst. I think governments do offer some relief?

I've heard of a number of different options at least for Florence. A facebook group was available with people offering rooms in their houses, cabins or camping on their property for free. Charlotte Motor Speedway and some other businesses reportedly opened their grounds for camping for free. Local government shelters opened in the affected communities. This morning I also heard that a number of colleges that had cancelled their football games including Clemson were using their transportation to help transport people to shelters. Prior to the storm starting, local emergency personnel were helping to transport people who didn't have transportation to shelters.

I also saw a cute thing on twitter of a line of people at a local animal shelter lined up to foster shelter animals for the week, so that the shelter could take in evacuee pets who needed a place to stay termporarily.

 

[Vash01]

Most of my family live in New Bern which is getting serious flooding, already.

I hope they are safe. Hugs.

 

[doubleturn]

My brother and his family had spent the last 2 years in Chapel Hill, while my brother was getting and recovering from his heart/lung transplants at Duke. They transferred his care last month to one of the Boston area hospitals (doing very well just a long slow recovery for him). With him being on oxygen while exertion, I’d fear what might happen with a power outage. Thank goodness they got out in time.

 

[Buzz]

CNN says the death toll is now four. That will surely go up in the days and weeks ahead.

 

[Garden Kitty]

CNN article about Hallie Hill Animal Sanctuary on the South Carolina Coast and the people who are waiting it out with the animals that couldn't be moved.

And an article with a lot of resources for people looking for help or shelter with their animals.

 

[ballettmaus]

And now, Florence has slowed to 3 mph with sustained winds of 70 mph.

 

[Buzz]

Rescuers are out saving animals as well as people.
https://abc11.com/weather/watch-dogs-cats-rescued-during-hurricane-florence/4244685/

 

[Simone411]

I had seen this earlier on TV. Gator spotted walking around Myrtle Beach after Florence

I saw on the Weather Channel that snakes were out in those flood waters, too.

 

[ilovepaydays]

Meanwhile, over at The Weather Channel.........

It’s fun to and at the same time!

 

[shan]

I'm hours from the coast in NC and the heavy rains are continuing. So far, no flooding but the storm system is moving so slow. I'm not complaining though when I look at the crazy flooding going on in other parts of the Carolinas.

 

[ballettmaus]

The death toll is already at 10

 

[Buzz]

I'm hours from the coast in NC and the heavy rains are continuing. So far, no flooding but the storm system is moving so slow. I'm not complaining though when I look at the crazy flooding going on in other parts of the Carolinas.

Please stay safe @shan

 

[Matryeshka]

I'm not sure which is worse: a sudden, powerful earthquake (and tsunami) like Japan experienced of the sustained winds and rain of a large, somewhat stationery hurricane.

I say this as someone who experienced Katrina—a hurricane. You might not know exactly when, how long, or how strong they will be but you know they are coming and usually have some idea of the level of preparation/evacuation you need. There’s no such thing as a surprise hurricane. You don’t get that same luxury with earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, etc.

That being said there are a lot of good reasons why people don’t evacuate. Money—shelters can’t shelter you forever. Shelters are usually schools and schools have to re-open sometime. Where do you go after a week? I have two jobs and I could not afford to stay in a hotel for weeks on end. Plus there’s no guarantee I’d get paid at all—can’t get paid if you’re not working. Not to mention food and clothing and gas for that time. Fear of job loss. If you have someone in your family who has special needs who cannot handle a shelter situation. If you have non-traditional animals like a goat. Or a horse. If you leave your animals, you are a cruel, inhumane monster. If you stay, you’re stupid and selfish. It’s also much harder to leave your home knowing you may never see it again than people realize.

 

[Japanfan]

For those of you who pray, please consider extending your thoughts to all of the animals left behind in this storm, especially livestock. While I have heard some heart-warming stories about extraordinary efforts to move some animals to safety, most livestock have been abandoned to possibly drown.

https://thinkprogress.org/hurricane...-farm-animals-in-north-carolina-23b43420db3d/

It's so disturbing to think of the fear and panic those animals will experience. I guess the logistics of evacuating a large number of farm animals are entirely unmanageable. Letting the animals die probably costs less than evacuating them, were it even possible.

 

[skatesindreams]

The worst of this may not abate for many days; due to continuing rain and flooding from the convergence of multiple rivers.

Latest updates sound very dangerous:
https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/16/us/florence-sunday-wtc/index.html

Stay away from North Carolina:
https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/hurricane-florence-dle/h_908f3563ef1f688ffc01d56d12f41f43

The death toll is now at least 13.

 

[ilovepaydays]

Swift boat rescue in NC by FEMA Urban Search & Rescue team

Was he seriously trying to drive through that?

 

[shan]

Swift boat rescue in NC by FEMA Urban Search & Rescue team

Was he seriously trying to drive through that?

Wow, and that team is from Los Angeles.