Recently, Hurricane Milton took a serious toll on communities in Florida. While many families were fortunate enough to evacuate, others did not have this privilege. Many people in poor communities, people stuck behind hospital walls or jail bars, people in the line of defense, and animals did not have the opportunity to escape. So, before shaming someone for not evacuating despite several warnings, it’s important to look into the reasons why they had to stay behind, and there are many.
Lower-Income Citizens
Lower-income residents in Florida have an especially difficult time evacuating during disasters such as Milton. First of all, travel is certainly not free. Whether it be a plane ticket, a more luxurious way to evacuate, or a car, which still requires many gallons of costly gas to reach a safe destination, leaving Florida is quite expensive. Then there’s the additional price for a hotel, food, and other necessities.
Of course, the further away people are from safety, the higher the cost of leaving their homes, both literally and figuratively. Hotels and highways fill up quickly during disasters such as Milton, and being stuck outside with only the roof of a car to protect you from a hurricane is likely more unsafe than staying at home and taking serious measures to protect oneself.
People with Illnesses or Injuries
People with disabilities and those who are too ill or injured to evacuate are often in grave danger during natural disasters. A hurricane is obviously a risk to one’s life, but so is a delay in treatment for patients with cancer, for example, which would take place if doctors or patients chose to evacuate. Patients in hospice are also likely unable to evacuate, confined to a bed in their last days, which are meant to be special and spent with loved ones.Â
Facility Residents
Other people are simply not allowed to escape their confines despite being in evacuation zones, such as people in mental hospitals, correctional facilities, or prisons. For example, while Manatee County Jail was in an evacuation zone, all 1,200 inmates could not escape. These people had no control over their mobility in an incredibly dangerous situation, and this jail was certainly not the only one to prevent its prisoners from reaching safety.
First Responders
Another community of people that has no choice but to remain in hazardous areas are those in the line of defense. Many police officers and firefighters can’t leave during hurricanes because they need to be on duty to respond and help people and animals in horrific weather conditions. Some examples of jobs that need to be done by the line of defense are search and rescue missions, directing traffic, and restoring power lines. We should seriously appreciate this group of people for the selfless sacrifices they make to protect others at the risk of their own safety.
Animals
Finally, the last group I’ll mention, but certainly not the least to struggle with evacuating Hurricane Milton, are animals. It’s especially sad to see animals left behind during disasters because they have no idea why their owners are disappearing or what tragedy lies ahead. Farm animals especially suffer as they are often larger than pets and more challenging to transport. However, I believe that if you own these animals and live in coastal areas, you should have the vehicles necessary to transport them to safety. Other animals that live in shelters and zoos don’t have a choice as to whether or not they evacuate, and wildlife is additionally at risk depending on whether they have the physical ability to leave quickly (ex, a bird has a clear advantage over a deer). Even if these animals survive, they are often displaced, and it is difficult to trace them back to their owners.
Before passing judgment on people who did not evacuate Florida despite several warnings, remember to consider that it is truly a privilege to pay for travel, be physically capable of leaving, and be capable of transporting animals to safer areas. I wish the absolute best to anyone recovering from this disaster and pray for those who must do so in the future.