Ike and Galveston

[wernew2cruising]

If anyone is interested....this link was posted on the Carnival threads. It is pretty cool and lets you see more of what is going on that just what is on The Weather Channel.

 

http://www.maroonspoon.com/wx/ike.html

 

Godspeed to all in harms way!

[FitzLA]

Using bad judgement and staying in the face of dire warnings is OK I suppose, if you are the only one affected by your decision- but we are already hearing the 911 calls on FOX news reports, people asking for help now that the storm is approaching- so now someone from the Emergency Services has to risk their life to go out and save someone who should have done what they were asked. It's just not about the inconvenience....

 

At a certain point, they stop all rescues. The rescue workers will not be put in danger. They clearly tell you that if you do not evacuate, you will not be rescued. They end all rescue efforts at a certain point. Too bad, so sad. Should have listened. How can you feel bad for someone who does not listen to the warnings?

[RMH]

For those that stayed behind, pure ignorance. I don't feel sorry for the ones that did not heed the warnings. ... Thoughts and prayers going out to all in the storms path.

 

Isn't that a tad bit hypocritical? You feel bad for those that lose homes and material possessions, but not for those that will lose their lives? I would sure be interested in what those prayers sound like. Have you never made a wrong decision in your life? You can't know what the personal situation was of those that stayed or what agony they went through to make that decision.

 

With the surge and the flooding that has hit Galveston already there are certain to be casualties.

 

It was a bad choice, but that means they need our prayers more and our scorn less.

[myrtle0116]

RMH.

 

Thank you!!!! I was beginning to think there was very little compassion out there. Obviously, there are people who are handicapped, elderly, or simply economically limited as to what they can do. Bet they are not on the cruise boards.

 

My heart goes out to all of them. While I think it is definately a "bad decision", it's not my place to judge. TexasMonk was very good at stating his concerns - thanks for not making the critical remarks of some others. People die daily from bad decisions (i.e. - crossing a train track, running outside during a lightening storm, taking one more second to get through a traffic light that's turning red.) It doesn't mean they are "stupid" or at the "lower end of the gene pool." I find people making those types of remarks to be the less educated, self-impressed, and - simply - obnoxious.

 

Pray for them. Don't judge!!!!

 

Susan

[myrtle0116]

I've taken care of folks who have made the decision to smoke 3 packs a day or drink a quart of something - for many years. Not once have I felt they deserved less than the best care I can give them because of their "poor choices." I've made enough of my own. I give them care and compassion - I don't judge them or criticize them!

 

Susan

[Bette And Bill]

I agree - I feel for those who choose to wait out the storm in an area when they clearly should have left. You can not protect people from themselves, but you can give them information so they can make an "informed" personal decision.

 

Having lived in Florida and on both the east and west coasts for most of my life, there are times we become complacent. Recently, we have been through Frances, Jeanne, and Wilma along with TS Fay, but Ike bothered me before he even came near Cuba. He was big and he was strong. And yes, as someone stated earlier, you learn real fast to respect Mother Nature.

 

The people who really earned my respect are those that (as part of their job) work before, during and after the storm. Not the news people but the police, fire, and public works, those that need to go out as soon as the worst part of the storm has passed to ensure the major roadways can be opened inorder for emergency operations to get started.

 

My thoughts and prayers all with all of those impacted by Ike.

[cusyl]

Carnival Conquest September 7, 2008 Departure

The ship will remain in Cozumel through Saturday and is now scheduled to return to Galveston on Monday, September 15.

Carnival Conquest September 14, 2008 Departure

We will now operate a 6 day cruise departing on Monday, September 15. This cruise will visit Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

Guests that elect to sail on this cruise will receive a 15% refund of cruise fare. In addition, we will provide a 25% discount on a future 3 to 7 day cruise departing prior to December 15, 2009.

There is some chance that the Port of Galveston will remain closed on Monday. If that occurs, we will operate a 5 day cruise departing on Tuesday, September 16.

 

 

We will send a communication to all guests on this cruise no later than 7:00 PM (CDT) on Sunday to advise any changes to our plans to operate the 6 day cruise on Monday, September 15.

Carnival Ecstasy September 15, 2008 Departure

 

We are planning to operate this cruise as scheduled with departure on Monday, September 15.

 

There is some chance that the Port of Galveston will not be open on Monday. If that occurs, we will operate a 4 day cruise departing on Tuesday, September 16.

 

We will send a communication to all guests on this cruise no later than 7:00 PM (CDT) on Sunday to advise any changes to our plans to operate the scheduled 5 day cruise on Monday, September 15.

[Cruising89143]

Isn't that a tad bit hypocritical? You feel bad for those that lose homes and material possessions, but not for those that will lose their lives? I would sure be interested in what those prayers sound like. Have you never made a wrong decision in your life? You can't know what the personal situation was of those that stayed or what agony they went through to make that decision.

 

With the surge and the flooding that has hit Galveston already there are certain to be casualties.

 

It was a bad choice, but that means they need our prayers more and our scorn less.

 

 

No it's not. If we had not had hurricanes(Katrina, Charley, Francis, Jeanne, Ivan and Wilma) over the last four years that have shown what a storm of this magnitude can do then I might expect some to be hesitant to leave their homes. No excuses for anyone to stay behind after the government made it clear that it could mean their lives. The elderly and handicapped are taken care of when an evacuation is ordered. What else could be more important than your life to stay behind and try to ride out a storm? I listened to folks calling in on the news yesterday that saw no reason to leave their homes even after they were told just how bad it could be. Their reason for not leaving Galveston? Just didn't want to do it.

[Cruising89143]

RMH.

 

Thank you!!!! I was beginning to think there was very little compassion out there. Obviously, there are people who are handicapped, elderly, or simply economically limited as to what they can do. Bet they are not on the cruise boards.

 

My heart goes out to all of them. While I think it is definately a "bad decision", it's not my place to judge. TexasMonk was very good at stating his concerns - thanks for not making the critical remarks of some others. People die daily from bad decisions (i.e. - crossing a train track, running outside during a lightening storm, taking one more second to get through a traffic light that's turning red.) It doesn't mean they are "stupid" or at the "lower end of the gene pool." I find people making those types of remarks to be the less educated, self-impressed, and - simply - obnoxious.

 

Pray for them. Don't judge!!!!

 

Susan

 

Pot meet kettle. Amazing that you state not to judge and then in the next breath you judge. Amazing.:rolleyes:

[temple1]

I'm not too sympathetic of people who make extremely stupid life threatening decisions. I live on the coast - from my house it is less than 1/2 mile to the Atlantic. When storms are coming - I am very very alert to what is predicted. Like a previous poster mentioned - Ike was very very scary from the beginning. I think if the politicians had kept away from the hyperbole during previous storms - more people would have taken their catastropic warnings more seriously this time.

 

We had a tropical storm come through last week and the governor was sending out evac warnings. :rolleyes: So after a few of those, people who are new to the coast become emboldened and think they can ride out anything.

 

This storm is as big as the state of Texas! Even as a cat 2 - it is a very BIG storm moving a lot of water. Don't know about you - I always planned to ride out up through a cat 2 - but on this one - I would be heading inland.

[TEXASMUNK]

Hurrican coming, evacuation ordered.

Man prays, "Lord, send me help"

10 minutes later a police officer comes by, offers a ride, man says, "I am waiting for a sign from the Lord."

Man extols, "Lord, send me a message"

10 minutes later, a fireman comes by, offers the man a ride. The man replies, "Thanks but I am waiting for a sign"

The waters rise, a fellow comes by in a boat, offers a ride. The man states he is "waiting for a sign"

As the flood waters sweep him away, he cries out, 'Why have you abandoned me?"

A Voice comes to him, loud and clear, 'What do you want? I sent you a cop, a fireman and a boater?"

There comes a time you have to begin to accept responsibility for your own actions or inaction.

[FitzLA]

Oh come on. Someone says to you "if you stay here, you will most certainly die". You have seen the devastation from Katrina, among many other hurricanes. But you decide to stay anyway. How can I have sympathy for that? You obviously want to die. At that point, I can only have sympathy for your ignorance. Or the loved once you may have left behind. Or for the children that didn't have a choice because you made them stay with you. But I can not have sympathy for your life, because you made this choice. It is not a matter of a bad decision. It is a matter of life or death. They chose death.

 

If someone runs out into a lightning storm, that is not certain death. Yes, a bad decision. but a little different than someone saying to you "if you stay, you WILL die". So I guess I am not sympathetic as you say. But I have no sympathy for ignorance or selfishness. Enough said.

[RMH]

Nobody is arguing that the decision to stay was a good one. It wasn't. Everybody should have left. But they didn't. So with that established you honestly believe the WANT to die? That seems a bit far-fetched. I am not saying that you have to have sympathy for them. I am just amazed that you don't. Never made a poor decision in your life, don't have any idea what their individual circumstances are, yet you sit smug on your computer and judge them to be ignorant and selfish.

 

Maybe they were stuck in traffic for 20 hours in the debacle of the Hurricane Rita evacuation so they had second thoughts this time. Maybe they had legimite reasons that you can not even fathom, as unbelievable to you as that sounds. And certainly everyone who stayed is not going to die, so the promise of Certain Death is a bit overblown.

 

I am absolutely in favor of people taking responsibility for their own actions. But it does not mean we can't take some compassion on where their actions have landed them and even help them out.

[Rala]

We are all responsible for our own actions...... I could not agree more. Also, The old adage "the Lord helps them who help themselves" seems to be appropriate here as well. Certainly, no one wants harm to come to anyone, and I do send prayers to all those in the path of the storm, but I believe if harm comes to some of them, it is their own fault.

[FitzLA]

Nobody is arguing that the decision to stay was a good one. It wasn't. Everybody should have left. But they didn't. So with that established you honestly believe the WANT to die? That seems a bit far-fetched. I am not saying that you have to have sympathy for them. I am just amazed that you don't. Never made a poor decision in your life, don't have any idea what their individual circumstances are, yet you sit smug on your computer and judge them to be ignorant and selfish.

 

Maybe they were stuck in traffic for 20 hours in the debacle of the Hurricane Rita evacuation so they had second thoughts this time. Maybe they had legimite reasons that you can not even fathom, as unbelievable to you as that sounds. And certainly everyone who stayed is not going to die, so the promise of Certain Death is a bit overblown.

 

I am absolutely in favor of people taking responsibility for their own actions. But it does not mean we can't take some compassion on where their actions have landed them and even help them out.

 

Like I said, I have sympathy for those that had no choice. Like the children who's selfish, ignorant parents kept them in harms way, or the elderly who may have been left behind. But every capable person was given a choice, and a means to leave. Those people I have no sympathy for. And if the ones I saw on the news, who decided to stay with their young children, actually lived through this, I hope they are charged with child endangerment and have their children taken away.

[babyher]

I am a 9-1-1 dispatcher . Many times someone calls and says the apartment upstairs is burning, or they have a heavy odor of gas in the bldg, or they have heavy smoke in the bldg.

 

We are instructed to ask them if they are able to get out of the bldg. if they say yes , then we tell them to get out and the fire department is on the way.

 

 

Do you know how many people can but won't get out because

 

it's raining

its cold

they don't have shoes on

they are in their pajamas

 

What you want to say is then stay inside and burn, or get gassed or better yet sit down light a cigarette and we'll be right there.

 

 

But you don't *LOL*

[satxdiver]

I am a 9-1-1 dispatcher . Many times someone calls and says the apartment upstairs is burning, or they have a heavy odor of gas in the bldg, or they have heavy smoke in the bldg.

 

We are instructed to ask them if they are able to get out of the bldg. if they say yes , then we tell them to get out and the fire department is on the way.

 

 

Do you know how many people can but won't get out because

 

it's raining

its cold

they don't have shoes on

they are in their pajamas

 

What you want to say is then stay inside and burn, or get gassed or better yet sit down light a cigarette and we'll be right there.

 

 

But you don't *LOL*

 

I agree that there are times when you just want to tell people to just ignore the warning and the emergency crews are on the way. I have a friend that believes in natural selection (the intelligent survive and the less intelligent perish). I think that he is right and it is going on today. I suppose you could look at it as a cleansing of the gene pool :eek:

[temple1]

I have a friend that believes in natural selection (the intelligent survive and the less intelligent perish). I think that he is right and it is going on today. I suppose you could look at it as a cleansing of the gene pool :eek:

 

I am starting to believe it myself. I've said it after every major hurricane. :(

 

This morning on the weather channel they interviewed a guy in Galveston who was going to ride it out but changed his mind yesterday afternoon. He was pretty well shaken up. His neighbors decided to stick it out and the last he heard from them they were on the 2nd floor of his house all in one room. When asked why we was thinking about staying - he wanted to catch some waves today after the storm.

 

I did have to feel sorry for him - at this point he was almost in tears. But they mentioned one local in Galveston whose family was there through the 1900 hurricane. She said they always stay and will not leave her home. That is one that would not be missed from the gene pool.

[gatour]

My heart goes out to the people being affected by Ike. One advantage, they do have at least a week warning. Here in Calif, if we are to get a major quake, which occurs about every 60 + yrs by recent documents, our warning is measured in seconds by what sounds like distant thunder. There are no seasonal quakes, just when the earth decides to shift. We have friends in Mobile and always worry about them when hurricanes come their way.

I will prey for everyone being affected tonight & tomorrow by this storm.

 

GWoodman, that pretty much sums it up for me. I have lived in Florida almost my entire life (actually born here) and one thing I like about hurricanes is that you do get some warning and have a chance of making an informed decision about evac'ing. That is unlike California where you earthquakes and in the Midwest where you have tornado's.

[Bax]

When law enforcement officers tell people in the path of the storm that an evacuation is recommended but not mandated, they invariably say that they will stay. The best tactic then is for the officer to hand them a Sharpie pen and ask the "hero" to please write his/her social security number on their forearm, so that their body will be easier to identify after the storm. That really causes them to think about the consequences.

[satxdiver]

I agree with Bax. I read at least one news account where the official was telling them to leave and they were resisting. He then told them to use a marker and write their social security number and name on their forearm so they could identify the body. The guy he was talking to decided to leave! I think it gets the point across quite vividly.