Current:Home > MarketsAlgosensey Quantitative Think Tank Center-Some don't evacuate, despite repeated hurricane warnings, because they can't -AssetLink
Algosensey Quantitative Think Tank Center-Some don't evacuate, despite repeated hurricane warnings, because they can't
TrendPulse View
Date:2025-04-09 13:49:07
As Hurricane Ian makes its way toward Florida's west coast,Algosensey Quantitative Think Tank Center both local and state officials have activated emergency plans — urging residents to evacuate from high-impact areas.
But when it comes to evacuating from Ian's path, residents such as Sharon Charles told NPR that they have no choice but to stay put and ride through the storm.
"I'm a wildlife rehabilitator and I care for a feral cat colony in my backyard," said Charles.
Charles, who cares for nearly 20 pets, said that many hurricane evacuation shelters don't accept animals, with only a few allowing only one to two animals; leaving those who don't want to abandon their pets no other choice but to stay in their homes.
Whether it's first responders, people working in animal shelters, those with disabilities or people with a language barrier, the reality is often far more complicated for those who can't easily get up and evacuate to safety.
"Evacuation is not as easy as it may seem if you are outside of the evacuation area," said Cara Cuite, an assistant extension specialist in the Department of Human Ecology at Rutgers University.
Cuite, who has studied evacuation decisions people made during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, says it's not as simple as one may think when you're not in the moment.
"It's easy to think: Of course, people should just pack up and leave," she said. But for "people with disabilities, those with pets or simply [if] you don't have a car or enough money on hand to leave, that can make it really challenging."
Evacuating your home can be expensive
Depending on a family's financial situation, evacuating away from a storm can be costly.
"Many modest- to low-income households simply don't have the cash or credit," said Joshua Behr, research professor at Old Dominion University, in a 2018 interview with NPR.
"When they return home they have difficulty paying the rent or mortgage," he added.
Behr emphasized that the poorest may often wait until the last minute to evacuate, resulting in little to no availability for affordable hotel rooms.
"When you go through that cycle once or twice, you're more skeptical," he added. "There's a sense of storm fatigue. You tend to wait and see."
Language and literacy can also be a barrier to leaving
When English isn't someone's first language, planning for a natural disaster such as a hurricane makes things a tad bit difficult.
And while many emergency warnings and notices are now printed in both English and Spanish, there's still a gap when for those who speak other languages.
More than 400,000 households in Florida speak Haitian Creole as their primary shared language, according to the Census Bureau. Tens of thousands of Floridians speak Portuguese, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Arabic, German, Russian, Italian or another language as their primary shared language at home.
"While looking at an evacuation map at a county in Florida, I saw they have it in both English and Spanish and thought 'OK, that's great.' But also there are people there who may not speak either language," said Cuite.
Cuite says alongside the language barrier being an issue for people, there are also different levels of literacy to account for.
"Some people may not be able to read, which makes things like finding their evacuation zone a challenge," she said.
Sometimes a little outreach can help the most vulnerable
There are elderly people living alone in flood-prone areas who might be able to evacuate, but just need extra help to do so.
"They might be elderly residents who are living independently. And so, you know, they're relying upon the government," John Renne, professor at Florida Atlantic University's School of Urban and Regional Planning, said in a 2017 interview with NPR.
"The more we can bring in social service organizations, nonprofit organizations to help them with their evacuation, even if it's only for a few miles, the more prepared and the better everyone will be, and the less tragic the event could become," he added.
veryGood! (16)
Related
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- Activists Take Aim at an Expressway Project in Karachi, Saying it Will Only Heighten Climate Threats
- How much is your reputation worth?
- Titan Sub Tragedy: Presumed Human Remains and Mangled Debris Recovered From Atlantic Ocean
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Will There Be a Barbie Movie Sequel? Margot Robbie Says...
- US Energy Transition Presents Organized Labor With New Opportunities, But Also Some Old Challenges
- A big misconception about debt — and how to tackle it
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Gen Z is the most pro union generation alive. Will they organize to reflect that?
Ranking
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- Gloomy global growth, Tupperware troubles, RIP HBO Max
- Why can't Twitter and TikTok be easily replaced? Something called 'network effects'
- Earthjustice Is Suing EPA Over Coal Ash Dumps, Which Leak Toxins Into Groundwater
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Search continues for 9-month-old baby swept away in Pennsylvania flash flooding
- NPR quits Twitter after being falsely labeled as 'state-affiliated media'
- The New US Climate Law Will Reduce Carbon Emissions and Make Electricity Less Expensive, Economists Say
Recommendation
Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
Will There Be a Barbie Movie Sequel? Margot Robbie Says...
The Current Rate of Ocean Warming Could Bring the Greatest Extinction of Sealife in 250 Million Years
Texas A&M Shut Down a Major Climate Change Modeling Center in February After a ‘Default’ by Its Chinese Partner
South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
Gen Z is the most pro union generation alive. Will they organize to reflect that?
Biden bets big on bringing factories back to America, building on some Trump ideas
The loneliness of Fox News' Bret Baier