With the disastrous impact of Hurricane Katrina and all the cares and woes of its aftermath, I hear many speak of a similar question: why did they stay? In actuality, there are more reasons to STAY then to leave! For many, the decision to remain is one or several of those l list below.

As a survivor of several hurricanes and other natural disasters as well as sharing several other dilemmas that some of these people faced, I can give a solid opinion to this question. I've also lived in several different areas of the USA, including the south, so I know of various differences in society that are not always obvious to those who haven't. I'll focus mainly on hurricanes since they are the most popular cause of evacuations. And anything in italics below relates directly to the recent Hurricane Katrina mayhem. I'm not going to touch the racial issue however. That's a whole different hornet's nest. Here are the main reasons, in no particular order, why people choose risk over safety and stay when disaster looms before them:

Transportation issues: Many people cannot afford the high price of keeping or driving a car. Just think about it, gas, license, registration, insurance, inspections, regular maintenance...and so on make owning a vehicle very pricey. I'm not even counting car payments or parking fees,etc.! Since there is virtually no more middle class in the USA, you are either rich or poor. Many of the poor, including struggling college students such as myself during several hurricanes simply can't afford the price of a vehicle, especially if mass transit or other means are just as efficient and much cheaper. So, when the call goes out to evacuate, if there isn't a plan for the car-less, then there is little choice but to remain. There was no mass transit plan in effect for those on New Orleans or other cities impacted by the hurricane. Those who could not evacuate were told to go to shelters within the cities they resided in. With a cat 4 or 5 hurricane and a city like New Orleans that sits below sea level, this is inexcusable!

Health issues: The elderly, sick, and disabled have a very difficult time mobilizing for an evacuation. Many of these people cannot go about a daily life without assistance. Hurricanes typically strike areas where many go to retire. Warm year round, who could resist? But the cost is these huge swirling storms that, on occasion, choose to make landfall. Again, if there is no immediate family or friends nor a plan for mobilization of people with these conditions, they can't do much more than stay and hope for the best, especially if those they depend upon have already followed the evacuation orders. Yes, in the panic and hustle and bustle of preparing for a monster storm and/or evacuation, loved ones can be accidently forgotten and left behind. Remember, the first thing that comes to your mind is self-preservation when lives are threatened on a grand scale. This is part of why, during Hurricane Katrina, many officials and state leaders and other high paying government jobs were obviously missing just prior to landfall. Rather than putting the people they serve in advance of their own safety, they saved themselves. Granted there were a few exceptions to this rule, but the majority left. The true heroes such as the hospital workers, police and fire workers remained to assist others who could not escape. But like those they remained behind for, they are considered in the lower tier of income as well with the exception of perhaps doctors. It almost seems like the wealthier one is, the greater the self-preservation rule is. It's just my theory however since I've never been wealthy enough to know what it feels like or what goes through their minds.

Income: Touched upon with the previous issue, income plays a vital role. If you have limited income, you likely have no extra funds to buy an on-the-spot plane or bus ticket out of town. You may not have the funds to stay in a hotel for unlimited amount of days. You likely don't have money for your own vehicle and if you do have one, it might not go the distance. Contrary to what one might think, there are NO DISCOUNTS given during evacuations! Hotel rooms are full price, as is gas, food, airline or bus tickets, and so on. You can't get what you can't afford. This was a devastating blow from Hurricane Katrina. She hit at the end of the month when those who rely on state/government assistance checks are usually out of money. It hit just days before they would've have received a new monthly check. Again, the rich get out, the poor and dependent are stuck.

Refusal to leave a loved one behind: This is where my title pic for this editorial comes in. The largest group with this issue are those with pets. To the majority of pet owners, their animal is a part of the family. The bond between human and animal can be just as strong as human to human. It is only ignorance or selfishness for humans to place animals on a lower priority scale than fellow humans. But again, self preservation comes into play here too. I may be slightly bias in this area as I am a devoted and loyal pet owner. When faced with the same scenario, I too, would remain behind if I could not get my cat out with me. But back to the issue. Most shelters and many hotels do NOT allow animals! And many animal boarding facilities, shelters, clinics,etc. close down since they too, have to evacuate their personnel. So where do you take your beloved pet?! Answers are rarely given for such. For some pet owners, leaving behind their animal is the same as leaving behind one of their own children. So for them, there is no decision to be made. They remain behind for the sake of their loved one. The others in this category are those who care for an elderly or ill relative that cannot be moved due to their health. Again, like pet owners, these are people who have the courage to fight off the self-preservation instinct. Only now are many officials and the public realizing that some are still ignoring even the MANDATORY EVACUATION because of their pets. Nobody is giving them solid answers as to how their pet will be cared for, how long, and so forth. Without such, they simply refuse to leave. As strange as this may sound to nonpet humans or those with less developed bonds, some humans would risk death and disease to stay with their pets. As mentioned in news sources, the military,etc. has been told to pick up human cargo, not animals. This would leave the animal in the same conditions, but now without its owner, left to fend for itself until help arrives for it...if ever. And as one pet owner in New Orleans stated, "You'll have to shoot me because I'm not leaving my pet."

Fear of the unknown: For many people, they remain in a certain area all their lives. They are familiar with it and content. To uproot them, for even a short while can be traumatic and frightening. Sent to a strange place, with strange people, and no definitive answers as to length of time or what will become of their humble abode if they leave, people will remain and take the risks involved. Just try to put yourself in their shoes...You've lived in the same town since birth. Everything you've earned, lived, loved, etc. is there. Could you just leave it all and go to some strange place for an indefinite amount of time? For some, you'd say yes...life is more important than material possessions. True, but only half true. Environment and family history play a role in where a person chooses to live as well. I do not know if this issue has been touched upon with Hurricane Katrina. I certainly haven't heard much about it in news reports though many say they'll return because it's "their home." Still others have overcome this fear and realized that it's time to make a fresh start somewhere else. So, perhaps this issue is on a personal or case-by-case scale.

Denial: "It'll never happen to me." "It'll make landfall elsewhere." "It'll weaken before landfall." These are statements of those who can't accept the fact that the impending storm is taking aim right at them or that the scale or stength of damage is as great as sources are telling them. Still others are storm veterans...survivors of other disasters. They figure their experience and luck will hold them through the next one.

Faith: This is a very real entity in the south...especially when compared to other parts of the nation. Many believe "God will take care of me." or "God will save me", or "God will make it right." They figure if they just pray enough and that their life has been loyal, just, and true, that it is enough to get them through an impending disaster. It's almost like they figure their selves and home will be spared over others so they remain (a miracle?). But, in terms of their own thinking, they omit one vital fact...that their "God" has also created the killer storm and sent it along this collision course with populated areas. I'm no longer religious so I cannot give a full opinion on this matter either other than what I've witnessed with my own experiences in hurricanes.

There may be other factors involved in the decision to remain or go when a dangerous event looms, but I've listed the main ones I can recall from experience. Some others may be on a more personal or individual basis since everyone's life is different from another's. I hope that I have shed a little more light on the main question, "why did they stay?" If you have any questions or comments you wish to share with me, feel free to email me with them. I'd be willing to share more of my experience or knowledge with the curious. Be sure to add "editorial" or "hurricane" or something of that sort to the subject line. Otherwise, I may accidently delete it thinking it's junk mail or spam.

In regards to the title image: That is Hurricane Fran, a cat 3 hurricane from 1996. She was the 2nd hurricane I had ever experienced. I went through several more after her. The kitty in the corner is Cookie, my cat. While I didn't have her during Fran, I did have her during several hurricanes after, including devastating Hurricane Floyd and even an ice storm disaster that left us without heat, power, water,etc. for 5 days in 2002. The ice storm aftermath of no power,etc. lasted as long as cat 3 Fran! To this day I cannot tell you if it is better to be stuck roasting or freezing for 5 days straight. All I can say about them though is that I survived them and learned from the experiences.