Yesterday, with great thought, planning and preparation, our governor and city mayor both declared that our county is officially under a mandatory evacuation order due to the scare from hurricane Dennis. You, the reader, sit and think, "so what, a hurricane is on the way, maybe you need to leave." Quoting the governor, "Don't even think about riding this one out." I know, I know, you think this is normal. We should all be in a state of panic and run. Well, let me put you in this situation. Let me share a few facts with you.
This area seems to always have two to three hurricane scares a year. This is nothing new to the people of this area.
The evacuaton order was made while the hurricane was on the other side of Cuba. Pretty good insight, knowing that we are the direct target. Even the professionals at the hurricane center aren't that good.
This area has never been evacuated. Based on past history, we had no warning that this could or ever would happen.
With one day to get out, was any thought given to where everyone was going? 500,000 people and only 39,000 hotel rooms in this state. 40% of those rooms are in the evacuation areas.
Was any thought given to how most people could afford to flee. Many families can't even afford to travel for a vacation. How were they going to leave to go to another state to seek shelter?
So if we are in a mandatory evacuation area, why are we opening shelters within that area? Why not in the neighboring counties? Why open one in the red zone, as they have with one of the local high schools found below I-10?
This order was made on a Friday evening, for Saturday morning. How the heck is anyone supposed to make arrangements that fast? What if I want to protect my home and board up windows before I leave? How am I going to buy lumber if they close all the stores due to the evacuation order?
Anyone give any thought to over 100,000 vehicles all hitting the road at the same time. My understanding is that many of the gas stations in the area are low or out of gas. What is to happen on the highway? Will there be adequate gas?
Was this really being done to test the evacuation procedures they have been dying to test the past few years? Great press to see all the traffic going one direction.
Were the police going to arrest everyone who didn't leave? If not, which we all know is impossbile, doesn't that make a joke out of the proclamations from our leaders. Leaders should lead, give answers and not give false or unrealistic direction. They should leave the sensationalism to the weather reporters who act like little kids trying to make sure their version of the story is more animated than the other guys.
In todays news conference, the mayor backed down and said I was not going to be arrested. I feel so much better now. I had my mind made up, if they knocked on my door, I was going to ask for $300 from the officer for expenses for me to leave.
I guess everyone else feels the same as I do. I drove through downtown Mobile today on the way home from work. Usually a desolate drive through town, with little traffic. Today, there was more traffic than I have ever seen. Everyone out driving to sight see, since the governor made all the businesses close and we have nothing else to do. Maybe they were all driving to the jail to turn themselves in and I was going the wrong way.
Oh, and thanks to the great people that work at Lowe's. They all, in unison, decided to violate the law today and stay open to help serve the needs of our community. I asked the young lady that checked me out how it felt to be a criminal? I told her, that in my eyes, her personal rebellion made her my hero.
Governor Riley and Mayor Dow..... define "mandatory" for us please.
Our leaders failed us yesterday.
