As Hurricane Milton approaches many cities were largely deserted but some people decided to shelter in place

Most left when they were told to. But some chose to stay, even though officials warned Hurricane Milton would turn their homes into coffins.

Along Florida’s Gulf coast, where millions of people were urged to get out of harm’s way, cities were largely deserted on Wednesday afternoon as time ran out to evacuate. Those who remained were advised to shelter in place as best they could. Others who fled spoke of their dread at what, if anything, they would return to once the storm had passed.

William Tokajer, police chief of Holmes Beach, told islanders who planned to stay to write their names, dates of birth and social security numbers on their limbs with Sharpies to help identify their bodies after the storm.

  • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Ok, but when they are standing on their own roofs waving at helicopters, I want rescuers to just wave back. Let their gods come down and risk life and limb to save their stubborn asses.

      • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Am I? I care about the lives of people who help people. The people who obstinately refuse to leave when given ample warning because they think they know better are not deserving of the sacrifices made by emergency personnel.

        • machineLearner@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          this is why I hate liberals. So high all the fucking time. People have circumstances, and maybe sometimes can’t afford a starbucks every day or to leave their houses. More than likely in america, they were failed by their education system. Yet you still revel in their suffering.

          • Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            This is either a strawman argument or a complete misunderstanding on your part. Given that conservatives are biologically incapable of being honest, I’m going with the former.

            No one is suggesting that people without the means to evacuate should suffer. No one. Not a single fucking person.

            Every word uttered by a conservative is either deception or manipulation.

            • vala@lemmy.world
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              1 month ago

              Just because someone is talking poorly about liberals doesn’t make them a conservative.

              There is a whole other side of politics to the left of liberal. For example, socialists, communists anarchists etc.

              Thinking liberal=“the left” is American propaganda. Liberals are basically centrists.

              • Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world
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                1 month ago

                You were referring to another commenter as a “liberal” in the exact same way conservatives refer to everyone left of Trump as a liberal. You are transparently bad at this.

                • vala@lemmy.world
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                  1 month ago

                  I wasn’t doing anything. You are confusing me with another person.

                  For the record I’m probably what most would consider “a leftist”. I’m absolutely not not a conservative, but also absolutely not a liberal.

            • machineLearner@lemmy.world
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              1 month ago

              Im not a conservative at all actually. But suppose that the people not evacuating had the means to and were dumb as fuck. Eating popcorn while watching them suffer instead of praying or wishing them well is monstrous.

              • Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world
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                1 month ago

                Im not a conservative…

                This sounds like deception.

                suppose that the people not evacuating had the means to…

                You are moving the goalpost. What happened to all those evil “liberals” laughing at those who couldn’t afford to flee? Why does your story of these imaginary evil liberals change so easily? Could it be because you are just throwing things at the wall to see what will stick? That’s the most common conservative strategy for attacking non-conservatives this year, so that makes sense.

                Eating popcorn while watching them suffer instead of praying…

                More conservative strawman nonsense. Who is doing that? Is the scary godless non-conservative in the room with us right now?

                Every word uttered by a conservative is deception or manipulation. Your comment thread here seems to be an illustration of that.

      • Clasm@ttrpg.network
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        1 month ago

        Not heartless at all. If anything, they’re respecting the religious freedoms of these suicidal-death-cult members.

        • Crismus@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          You cannot assume that all the people unable to evacuate were obstinate religiously minded conservatives. Very few people have the means to leave their residence when the time comes.

          Not everyone owns a vehicle. Not everyone can walk their way out of the path of a storm. What about all the people left in nursing homes. Katrina saw a lot of people forced to stay. Unless there are no homeless people in that section of Florida, I’m ptlretty sure there a lot more forced to stay than those who choose to stay.

          Letting everyone die isn’t a good way to get people to learn and change their minds.

          • Clasm@ttrpg.network
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            1 month ago

            It’s perfectly okay to have sympathy for those who have no means of escape.

            That’s not who was expressing their desire to stay due to some belief that their deity has a duty to protect them.

    • ladicius@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      I think the helicopter people shouldn’t only be waving.

      An additional thumbs up could deliver so much inspiration and motivation!