The Rambler (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 101, No. 2, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 10, 2008 Page: 3 of 6
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The Rambler
Opinions
September 10, 2008 3
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.Makes Landfall,
Weakens to Category 1
Storm."
So read the headline of a
FOXNews report Sept. 7.
While the estimated 2 mil-
lion evacuees and all of
America sighed in relief" that
a repeat of Katrina and even
Rita was not going to make
the history books this time
around, mixed feelings surrounding the manda-
tory evacuation of southern regions of Texas and
Louisiana swelled. Some felt that panicky gov-
ernment officials
over-reacted and
jumped the gun; oth-
ers didn't bother try-
ing to analyze pros
and cons, theorizing
"What happened,
happened. Better to
be safe than sorry."
No one can con-
test that the decision
of whether to tell
residents whether to
take the risks of
staying home or to
flee is an arduous
one. Responsibility
for human lives is a
heavy weight and
weather reports
evolve and change every second. Conducting a
mass exodus is no less an immense task.
I don't think the majority of people living
outside the hurricane danger zone grasp the
magnitude of an evacuation. Having personal
connections to evacuees adds some detail to the
picture, but I know that that cannot impart the
full severity of the situation either. You have to
live the nightmare to understand.
I come from a close-knit family, both imme-
diate and extended. Although my immediate
family resides in the Metroplex, the entire rela-
tives' clan populates the Beaumont/Port Arthur
area down near the Gulf. Besides my twin
uncles (who happen to both belong to the police
force), all of my relations fled Rita and Gustav.
My house has been a haven for many of them as
the torrential fury lashed out - or, in the case of
Gustav, poked at - their homes. I have seen
much through my family's eyes.
Imagine the anxieties of hurricane season
(ranging from June 1 - Nov. 30), and watching
the formation of every storm with the uneasy
feeling that it could sweep your life away. The
dreaded day comes when a ferocious tempest
whirls over the waves in a beeline for your
hometown. Preparation for evacuation must now
commence. Your life has been uprooted.
What are your most prized possessions? Do
you answer that question differently when asked
in a situation that allows you to retain only
those items most precious to you while the oth-
ers perish? That is the position of evacuees.
Those items crammed into the getaway car are
the only possessions guaranteed to exist after
the storm. All else you must separate yourself
from and prepare to lose if the winds and deluge
should so choose. Your domicile likely receives
a high-rating on your list of most-valued assets,
but it, of course, must remain to weather the
storm.
All food in your refrigerator and freezers
(down in the Gulf area most everyone has an
extra freezer out in the garage) must be thrown
out. Should the power go down for an extended
period during or after the storm, the stench of
rotted food will escalate to an insufferable level.
Not to mention, who wants to be greeted home
with the task of cleaning out grotesque decay?
And in a reeking house no less.
The escape route is likely by way of a
motorized vehicle, meaning it's a wise move to
. / ' :v: \V ' "
Speaking of health concerns, contemplate
You and everyone's brother need that fuel. Lines the plight of hospitals and nursing homes. What
for the pump get long, and as the underground do you do with patients in ICU or those just
gas tanks empty and time ticks by, people coming out of serious surgery? What about
become more and more desperate Folks in sur- those who need serious surgery but can't have it
vival mode frequently fail to act kind and civil
Fist fights break out at numerous stations. Sun
there are some Good Samaritans still
out
t there,
but by and large, it's every man for himself.
So far, the economic picture is none too
optimal. Emptying the contents or your deep
freezer plus your refrigerator is an outright cost-
ly venture period, especially when factoring in
the in Hated price of groceries. Road trips don't
typify as cheap either. Neither does losing your
home and possessions.
Who knows what the
forces of nature will
choose to do to your place
of employment? Chances
are fair that you can't take
every vehicle in your house-
hold. You must figure in how much gas would
cost, and then consider the cost of living away
from home for an undefined amount of time to
see if your budget can withstand the brunt.
Of course, that is also assuming enough gas
is available for more than one vehicle and
you're willing to risk getting split up from your
family and friends in the chaotic mass flight.
You take one final look at your home, and
pull out of the driveway. Every exit route is
backed up as far ahead and behind you as your
eye can see.
My cousins live a mere five and a half
hours away from my abode. They left the day
before the mandatory evacuation and it took
them almost 10 hours to cover the distance
between our homes. That traffic time didn't
seem too frustrating at all when days later the
journey home days required over 12 hours.
That's a lot of extra fuel consumed.
My aunt commented that while authorities
improved evacuation procedures with schemes
such as mandating both sides of the highway for
northbound traffic, they've yet to perfect
"reverse-evacuation" plans. Even those who
attempted traveling in the middle of the night
couldn't avoid the crawling "movement" on the
highways.
Despite those long hours on the road - unit-
ed with the other inconveniences and sacrifices
- gratefulness reared its tender head as Gustav
evacuees recalled the horrors of their last exo-
dus. The Rita evacuation was a living, terrifying
nightmare. Katrina's ruthless devastation inject-
ed Gulf region inhabitants with acute fear.
Hometown streets became eerily deserted as res-
idents overwhelmed the freeways. Traffic stood
at a stand-still in the August heat for hours on
end, creeping a few feet forward here and there.
Cars overheated. Water was scarce at best. Gas
ran out. There were no bathrooms. Babies and
children cried in discomfort. Those with health
issues greatly suffered, as well as many a preg-
nant woman and the elderly. Flours and hours. A
standstill.
Courtesy of Google Images
at the moment they need it? Any patient unable
to sit up for an extended period of time must be
transported out by way of ambulance. Hospital
personnel painstakingly labor to ensure the best
care to patients (mostly at the expense of tend-
ing to their own affairs, including possessions
and family), but the rigors of transportation
filches a cruel toll from many.
Once evacuees break clear of the danger
zone, the issue of where to go must be faced.
Some, like my family, are fortu-
nate enough to have family ties
or friend connections to put
them up for a few days. Others
face forking out hundreds to a
hotel or lodging in a public shel-
ter ranging in style from church
gymnasiums, to an old WalMart
building, to civic centers.
Though indeed free, these
places of refuge are often over-
crowded; one Louisiana shelter
housed over 1,400 refugees in a
single building. Privacy is not
anywhere to be found. Despite
volunteers' hardest efforts, the
larger shelters often lack ade-
quate showers and encounter
trouble in delivering meals.
Once the hurricane has
wreaked its destruction, any power
issues are resolved and the strenu-
ous return home is complete, you
arrive back in town anxious to know
whether you're returning to a trash
heap or an intact home merely need-
ing repair. I accompanied my grand-
parents home after Rita ensued; the disaster was
much more severe when viewed in first-person
vs. TV. The three houses across the street from
my grandparents' were reduced to three debris
piles and a lone erect chimney. Their home
needed a new roof, but other damage was minor
in comparison to what I saw around the block.
As people re-populate hurricane-visited ter-
ritory, grocery store shelves' supplies deplete in
a snap. All cold items had been lost in the
storm, making for an automatic reduction of
available food to re-stock depleted family
pantries. Some stores rationed the amount of
food you could purchase at once, while others
left it at a first come, first serve basis. Walking
through a grocery store bustling with careworn,
grim faces and bare shelves isn't what you
expect to see in America.
Given all these hurdles that roundabout 2
million confronted for Gustav (who lost his
ferocity before land collision), was evacuation
worth it? It's a tough question. I think many
were ready to flee this time around because the
scars of Rita and Katrina are still fresh on peo-
ple's minds. I hope that this false alarm does not
cause anyone to let down their guard, although I
am all for sheer diplomacy in choosing whether
to go or to stay.
I was grateful my loved ones were safe,
come what may. My grandmother voiced what
many of the coastline's populace are feeling -
exhaustion. People have grown tired of the
strain cause by the hurricane hype and trauma of
the past couple years. They are tired of dying to
the innate desire of holding a secure existence.
Still, human life tops every value chart.
The destination and potency of Ike is in
question yet, and many more storms could fol-
low between now and Nov. 30th. Perhaps
Gustav could be looked upon as a sort of "fire
drill" in its own order. Living on the coast, you
never know when a monsoonal disaster may
strike.
Tiara Nugent is a senior writing major and is editor-
in-chieffor The Rambler.
Kelli Lamers, adviser
Tiara Nugent, editor-in-chief
Ryan Authier, entertainment editor
Gasten Schoonover, photo editor
The Rambler
Pounded in 1917 as The Handout
Harold G. Jejfcoat, Publisher
Martin Garcia, news editor
Biyce Wilks, sports editor
Ashefy Oldham, adwrtising manager
Rachel Horton, Web editor
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and do not necessarily reflect the views of the TeXas Wesleyan community as a whole.
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Rambler Ratings
Thumbs up to all students
who have gotten involved in a
campus organization.
Thumbs up to the beginning
of footbal season.
Thumbs down to the wet sand
covering portions of the
sidewalk on the west side of
the library.
Thumbs up to Student Life for
preparing a diverse list of
activies for the fall semester.
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Nugent, Tiara. The Rambler (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 101, No. 2, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 10, 2008, newspaper, September 10, 2008; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth201260/m1/3/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Wesleyan University.