Saturday, August 30, 2008

Exit: Stage Left

People of the Gulf (this means you, too, New Orleans):

I completely understand the desire to hold on, and protect what is yours. I also understand your skepticism in the face of droning governmental warnings and high-tension media hype about approaching storms that never arrive. And, if you have lived through such prognostication for decades, you’ll see my skepticism, and raise me a “get off my lawn!” I get it.

But you people need to get out of town. Now.

Category 4 Hurricane Gustav is spinning toward a gulf near you, and he has already bitch-slapped the Caribbean at Category 1. If he’s anything like his sister, Katrina, you all need to listen to that New Orleans mayor – yes, the one who veers from passion to political within a sentence – and evacuate. Take the buses. Take the trains. Take the cars (yes, even with these gas prices). Go to a shelter. Go see a friend. Go see your aunt. Come see me – I have a spare bedroom. If you go, the worst that can happen is you spend the Labor Day Holiday with strangers – or, even someone outside of your family. If you stay, the worst that can happen is that I see your dead carcass floating by Anderson Cooper’s canoe on national TV.

Sue me, if I speak from a selfish point of view. I just cannot stand another disaster, where people suffer because we all just didn’t get our act together. They say we learned from the last one, that we have implemented better evacuation procedures, better shelter facilities, and better communications. Arkansas has EMS units lined up to take evacuated hospital patients to safety. I believe them. I don’t think they could repeat the travesty of Katrina if they created a special commission. Oh, wait …

Anyway.

Go, people, go. Run away. Save yourselves. Even if you survived the last one on Ring Dings® and hot Gatorade® in your attic. Secure your stuff. Board up your windows. Grab your Granny. Screw waiting on a bridge for the cavalry to bring water. No waiting around for Loot Night. And, you tourists: no drinking it out in the French Quarter. There is no such thing as Disas-tourism. Just, go. And, for God’s sake, take your pets! No more already-traumatized children crying for their dogs. Go. Please. For me.

Except you folks in the bayous. You take better care of yourselves than we ever could. But, before you fade up river, could you help out those old ladies stuck in the Chrysler 300?

Thanks.

13 comments:

Spartacus Jones said...

Good advice.
Just the kind nobody listens to.

sj

Linda Wyatt said...

I was pleased to find out today that some EMS folks I know are already on the way down there to be ready to help.

I hope things don't get anywhere near as bad as Katrina. I've been keeping an eye on the weather forecasts, and hoping people will err on the side of caution- and that it ends up to be all for a false alarm. My favorite kind.

CoyoteFe said...

LOL! O STOP IT! People listen to me all the time. It must be the absence of a vein of wickedness running through my soul. :-)

CoyoteFe said...

Greetings, Hilinda! It's good to hear from you. I always hope that we learn from the lessons of the past (unfortunately, sometimes other things obstruct). Glad to hear your folks are going down. I saw a photo of the Ark. EMS waiting at the ready, and was heartened. I'd rather have a false alarm, any day. Be well.

Lori Skoog said...

Fe...Well written. And they must take their pets this time.

SJ, you are sounding more half-empty everyday. What do you mean nobody listens. NObody???? Would you not like to believe that SOMEbody has learned something from the last experience? And please don't get mad at me for getting on your butt.

A category 4 could flatten the entire area and then rebuilding would hardly be an option....you could never keep up. That part of the country will not stay above water much longer.

People have gone down from the Rochester area to help where needed. This time it will be taken much more seriously and perhaps the President is paying attention.

CoyoteFe said...

Thank you Lori.
You're quite the warrior queen. :-)

Linda Wyatt said...

I just heard on the weather channel that they are making arrangements to evacuate animals this time, at least some of them. And the shelters have dropped or reduced adoption fees for anyone wanting to take an animal with them.

All those abandoned animals from last time still haunt my dreams.

CoyoteFe said...

Hilinda - I'm with you. We don't always consider (or care) that the decisions we make have consequences for those who cannot. Add to that the incredible loyality the dogs showed in staying with their families, and then remaining "at post" when abandoned. It was wrenching.

Lori Skoog said...

Hilinda and Fe....me too. I was sick. When I think of what the animals meant to their owners and vice versa...I think of my own animals. I would not leave them.

Ken Mac said...

exactly how stupid are we? You aint seen nothing yet! Love that.

CoyoteFe said...

Lori - I will make a note: rescue Lori, WITH herd of horses, dog, cat. Got it. I got two words for you, girl: Evacuation Plan. :-)


Ken Mac - Thanks for visiting! I fear the best is yet to come...

Sindy said...

OMG, we were just talking about this yesterday. Our advice is the same. Pack your stuff, your family, your pets and get the heck outta "dodge" And don't worry about the looters, the military was called in to shoot looters during Katrina, I'm sure they're all set up for Gustav

CoyoteFe said...

Sindy - Wasn't that those errant Blackwater guys?