Florida residents react to timing of evacuation orders after Hurricane Ian

69 comments

Officials in Lee County, Florida, are facing criticism over why the first mandatory evacuations weren’t ordered until a day before Ian’s landfall, despite an emergency plan suggesting evacuations should have happened earlier. CNN's Carlos Suarez reports, and Jim Atterholt, a Fort Myers Beach Town Council member, joins Jake Tapper to discuss. #CNN #News

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69 comments

  1. The reality is Florida is a hot spot. When you make that decision to live in a high risk area unfortunately this can happen. Condolences to all for loss of life and or property. It’s a double edged sword to live in the sunshine state .

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    1. So whenever a politicians makes a deadly mistake, it’s called being “political” so people just look the other way?

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  2. It’s time to blame someone else!!…there are many people who thought they could deal with a hurricane of that magnitude and did not evacuate in time.I live in Puerto Rico and we have been dealing with huracaine every year as soon as I heard that a hurricane category 4 almost 5 was headed directly to Florida I knew that Southwest Florida would be destroyed

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    2. @Hidden Anyone who lives in hurricane Areas know there is no way to predict this exactly. I have lived in Florida since I was 6 this is how it has always been. Local news was telling people in Orlando where I live to leave if you lived in flood zones or are in mobile home . I can not imagine people were not warned in Lee county. Even if they weren’t warned by officials the hurricane center was warning everyone. This is such garbage.

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  3. Must be the first hurricane to hit Florida. I expect the people of Newfoundland not to be prepared for a hurricane but folks in Florida have lived through many hurricanes and know how unpredictable they can be.

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    1. Where I live they were driving around in flood evacuations zones all of Monday and Tuesday morning going door to door trying to pick people up in flood zones and some people refused. Local news stations were warning people constantly. We all knew this was coming but some people think it cant happen to them. I have lived in Florida since I was 6 this always happens we all know we have to prepare and if you live in a flooding zone be ready to leave. But people have an optimism bias.

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    3. @Nick M there’s no natural disasters in central NC except maybe getting choked by cobwebs 😂

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  4. The hurricane was expected to hit Tampa. Some Tampa residents evacuated and went to Ft. Myers. By the time it became apparent Ft. Myers and Port Charlotte were going to get hit, it was too late for a mass evacuation. Trying to evacuate a few hours before landfall could result in your being stuck in a traffic jam and having to ride out the hurricane in your car.

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    1. @Laurie Lewis you realize that a hurricane isn’t just a coastal problem right? It went through Florida, flooding Orlando and then into the Atlantic and made landfall in South Carolina. Ian didn’t catch a flight from fr myers and land in myrtle beach, it killed people inland as well who didn’t expect it. Please rethink before sounding like such an a&$

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    2. Where I live they were driving around in flood evacuations zones all of Monday and Tuesday morning going door to door trying to pick people up in flood zones and some people refused. Local news stations were warning people constantly. We all knew this was coming but some people think it cant happen to them. I have lived in Florida since I was 6 this always happens we all know we have to prepare and if you live in a flooding zone be ready to leave. But people have an optimism bias.

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  6. It’s very difficult to have sympathy for people who didn’t evacuate. Don’t blame others for your dumb decision making. The rest of the country knew for a week it was coming. Then Floridians act as if they didn’t know. Personal responsibility, is that a Floridian mantra. Though I do have much sympathy for the people who evacuated and lost everything.

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  7. If you don’t know when to leave, when a hurricane is barreling down on you, you’re probably not even smart enough to find the door, to get out of your own house.

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    2. I begged my neighbors to leave. CAT claims is my profession. We live off US 19 Gulf, Port Richey. I was the only 1 on my street to leave. They got lucky the wind changed on US..and it was the week I had an offered on my house too. People just don’t listen. They think they are going to save the house under 10 foot of water with 155 mph wind…crazy. Hope we all learn from this. Never assume it hit next door, leave if your on the coastal or near water. Even 2 hours Way 2 days before it hit..my boss asked why am I leaving..lol. True, won’t mention name, but that was funny! Are you kidding me lady.

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  8. I would count on nobody to tell me when my safety could possibly be at risk,weather or otherwise. I do my best to stay alert to detrimental possibilities,but there is still no guarantee.😔

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    3. @solarman tint I don’t think you should politicize it. It is Floridians.
      People in the Fort Myers area don’t care about politics when they give help or get it.

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  9. if you’re elderly/disabled, why would you choose to live in a place that gets hit with major storms frequently… or the potential is very high… creating a situation where you are basically stranded & can’t get out, nor anyone get to you?? i know people like to retire to FL but it’s just not smart. i still feel bad for everyone but i don’t understand their logic

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    1. Wait till you’re elderly and start to “feel the cold in your bones”.
      Then maybe you’ll get a grasp on their decisions.
      I’m getting close to that age and believe me, warm air year round makes you feel like you’re alive.
      Cold air makes you feel like you’re dying, like a constant hangover, like you’re constantly trying to fight the elements to stay alive especially if you have a joint disease like myself and many other elderly in Florida.
      It’s a place worth dying for.
      Comprehend ?

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    4. @FLYBOY And possibly no water pretty soon. Certainly more expensive. A decent home in Florida can be had for under a couple hundred thousand.

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    5. Some are relatively new and didn’t do the homework to understand that their new homes were 50/50 to be destroyed in the next 5 years, and some are lifelong Floridians without the capacity to move elsewhere even if they wanted to leave their friends, families and communities. Then once you become disabled it’s really hard to move, even just across town, because you can’t pack for yourself. If you don’t have a squad of able friends with time on their hands, paying someone to sort your stuff into boxes and then unpack in your new place is both really stressful and incredibly expensive. I don’t live in Florida but when I became disabled I had to move a few times (divorce, move closer to family, stint in a rehab facility, permanent home🤞) and realized I had to buy over renting because I could lose a rental home and don’t have the funds or energy to move again.

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  10. People who live in areas that are susceptible to natural disasters should have to sign a waiver if they choose not to evacuate. When they are rescued in the end, they should also have to pay out of pocket for the helicopter ride and coast guard wages. No sympathy for people who want their freedoms, but also want to be absolved of any personal responsibility.

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  11. Just once I’d like to hear somebody admit that they made a mistake in waiting too long and not blame others. Living on the coast always carries heightened risk.

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    1. If a truck is speeding toward you at high speed do you wait for the government to tell you to move out of the way?🤔

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    5. Where I live they were driving around in flood evacuations zones all of Monday and Tuesday morning going door to door trying to pick people up in flood zones and some people refused. Local news stations were warning people constantly. We all knew this was coming but some people think it cant happen to them. I have lived in Florida since I was 6 this always happens we all know we have to prepare and if you live in a flooding zone be ready to leave. But people have an optimism bias.

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  12. The evaluation order is used as a major indicator of the severity of the storm. If the order is not made, it indicates that the storm is either weak or damages will be minor. Of course people knew it was coming and can choose to stay but it is the governments responsibility to make the order to inform people on their decision to stay.

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  13. I feel sorry for the folks that were unable to leave due to lack of money, health or resources. The rest of them should be ashamed to try and blame the local authorities for their own stupidity. Had there been a mandatory evacuation order and the hurricane not hit this area, those same people would be complaining about how they wasted time and money.

    My folks live in a mobile home park that was in a mandatory evacuation zone and went to the Miami area for three days. Many of their neighbors stayed and gave them a hard time before and upon return. They were just lucky that the storm tracked south of them. Fortunately, their home was ok.

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    2. I have lived in Florida since I was 6 this and have been through many many many hurricanes. There always shelters near by…I have gone to them before they are usually within driving distance and thy take pets. Also many hotels this time accepted pets and took people in. I can tell you some people don’t pay attention to the warnings it always happens sadly. I use to live in the keys and I can tell you people always think it won’t happen till it does.

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    3. @Kathy Tait you dont live in Florida clearly. What are you talking about? Where I live they were driving around in flood evacuations zones all of Monday and Tuesday morning going door to door trying to pick people up. Local news stations were warning people constantly . They even went in boats trying to pick people up after the winds had calmed down and they still choose to stayed. I have lived in Florida since I was 6 and have been through many hurricanes. I cant tell you this always happens people think it cant happen to them until it does.

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    4. We were told of the storm in the news from the prior week. We were all talking about it and getting ready for days. We then had the 24 hour notice and left. I live in Fort Myers, and have for 30 years. We know how they change direction and can not predict their landfall. The 24 hour notice was plenty. We had days of notice prior. Let’s not blame others for our own casual attitude. We knew. Thank you.

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    5. ​@Kathy Tait Are you kidding me. Most seniors are stubborn and don’t want to leave. Who do you know that couldn’t evacuate and wanted to?

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    2. Where I live they were driving around in flood evacuations zones all of Monday and Tuesday morning going door to door trying to pick people up in flood zones and some people refused. Local news stations were warning people constantly. We all knew this was coming but some people think it cant happen to them.

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  15. Sounds like residents of Florida don’t have TVs, internet, or radios. I live in Oregon and watched reports on the progress of the hurricane for a week or more before hurricane Ian got to Florida, which included updates on its increasing strength, updates refining its projected landfall, and copious warnings by news stations of every major network along with multiple posts I saw on Facebook pages in Oregon recommending Florida residents should evacuate. I highly recommend that Florida residents are introduced to Television and maybe someone can show them what a computer is and how to get on the internet. There are radios in most cars manufactured since the 1950s and I suggest classes should be offered to show Florida residents how to turn these on. I think with helping Florida residents learn how to get information and make decisions for themselves would help solve the evacuation issue. .

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  16. That young lady has a point about the elderly and those without vehicles…. How could they evacuate without assistance from the city/state/community. It’s easy to judge. Tragic on every level.😞

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    2. All areas that are in flood zones were evacuated. All of them the winds are a different story when your dealing with 155+ winds you have to hope you are in a newer building because they have to meet hurricane zoning laws. Where I live they were driving around in flood evacuations zones all of Monday and Tuesday morning going door to door trying to pick people up in flood zones and some people refused. Local news stations were warning people constantly. We all knew this was coming but some people think it cant happen to them. I have lived in Florida since I was 6 this always happens we all know we have to prepare and if you live in a flooding zone be ready to leave. But people have an optimism bias. Hospitals and nursing homes all have generators its Florida we prepare the best we can just like California does the best they can with fires and earthquakes. Nature it hard to be fully prepared for unless you have lived through a Cat 5 you dont fully understand the power of those winds not to mention the tornadoes that form inside hurricanes. Its tough

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  17. The man he is interviewing is speaking absolute truth. It shouldn’t take someone else to tell you it’s time to evacuate.

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  18. As someone who lives in the Philippines and has seen on average 26 typhoons a year, I know how quickly the path can change. The latest typhoon to hit here went from a minor tropical storm into a super typhoon (Cat5) within 4 hours. If they evacuated everyone 72 hours before landfall, there would also be critics complaining that the wrong places were evacuated and looting happened. your safety is in your hands, if you know something is heading your way, YOU make the decision, NOT the authorities.

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  19. I live in Sarasota FL. We made hotel reservations 2 days before Ian even made landfall in Cuba to evacuate our mobile home and just stayed in a hotel in Sarasota we drove 5 minutes from our home. Anyone who lives in Florida and pays attention to the weather and the warnings and has some common sense heeded the evacuation warnings. When the cone of uncertainty covers the entire west coast it’s time to get the hell out or hope to live another day. It is by no means easy or convenient to evacuate we are seniors and my husband has medical conditions, but you’re either going to evacuate before the storm or after. The choice is up to you. I’d rather put in the work before hand to preserve my life, home and personal belongings then to risk my life like so many people did. The only person(s) to blame are those who did not heed the warning that Hurricane Ian is heading into the Gulf along the west coast of Florida and that Ian’s landfall is unpredictable. After living in Florida for over 25 years. I have never seen a hurricane make landfall where is was predicted to land. So stop playing the blame game.

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