Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

Yeah, I'm a little confused.  The people who could, and don't, I have no sympathy for.  She's someone I have all the sympathy in the world for.

Me too, possibly. Depends on the back story of how she got herself in the position she is in. Now the kids? I absolutely feel horrible for them. They had no choice in anything.

there is a middle ground in this sentiment... 

first off, complacency is a bitch.  every person to a man i spoke with talked of bertha, fran, matthew, floyd, ophelia, ect... it's what they have to compare conditions to, and they 'weren't worried'.  those old enough to recall hazel packed up and left.  hazel is the benchmark.  it was nearing 70 years ago.  

this is just the way people think...  akin to young crowds ushering socialism- they've zero idea what they're asking for as they ignore the practice's outcome and just stare at the theory.  academic types do this too much and have too much impact of decisions made, in my opinion... theory and practice are far despair.  akin to people wanting war or armed conflict- 99.9% of them have never seen combat or anything approximating it- and those that have that want it are lunatics.  

"history is doomed to repeat itself as the NATURE OF MAN DOESN'T CHANGE"... most important take-away in caps... 

people in this storm really WANTED the storm to not be that big a deal- and selectively listened to those downplaying it comparing it unfairly to lessor examples.  they should have listened to those familiar with Hazel. they scoffed at those urging caution selectively, as they just didn't want to weigh that in their decisions.  

people ought maybe have compassion for those who made bad decisions, and understand it could have been them in a similar situation...  

Most of the time things like this don't just happen. It's brought on by a series of poor choices and decisions. I hate those "shit happens" bumper stickers.

I agree with this too some degree. I think your understating how fast someone can fall into a hole and how hard it can be to dig out of it. Like if a steady job disappears and a family member suddenly gets sick, things can go sideways if you're living on the edge like a lot of folks. I'm sure some bad choices factor in, but I think it can go well beyond that. 
There's a good book about Milwaukee that takes you inside some lives and you see how pricy it is to not have much money. The cycle can really suck people in, especially ones with kids. 

part of my job is emergency management, training and exercises.  i'm decently familiar with these things.

the only reason i left was because my wife wouldn't be able to fly out of there- otherwise, i'd be sitting tight.   understand i have provisions and supplies- generators (propane not gas), and everything required to be okay.  if it was just me, there i'd be.  my wife and kid changes that hugely.  

a reason why:  last night when winds were gusting over 115 and sustained over 90, rain falling in literal sheets, a uhaul comes driving down the road.... why?  guess... they stopped in front of my house and as soon as they did my neighbor and his neighbor, both friends, painted him with laser sights- as soon as he was painted he hauled some ass out of there with a quickness, his truck swaying this way and that... bastard.  they're good people and defused the situation... i'd have waited for him to get out and start looting... it would have ended differently for him.  

it's reasons like this i want to be there, and will be as soon as i can.  

This is a perspective I get and understand.   Still not worth risking your families life (as you noted), but I get elements of our society look to these storms as opportunities.  You'd have to predetermine.. do you find ways to keep people out or stay home to protect.  

This is one of the most insightful things I've seen on the board (and it goes beyond storms).
  
In a lot of cases, we WANT something to be, and we make it so. Earlier we were arguing climate change, who to believe, et al. And I can away thinking, people on both sides really WANT to believe one or the other, likely for reasons that aren't all that clear. Fans everywhere WANT to believe their team's issues can be solved by either benching someone or scheme changes.

Indeed.  This is why Theranos happened (was able to keep BSing people for so long).

So they should build a dam?

Yeah, if anyone asks why you would ever need an AR-15 for home protection, it is to fend off looters during a natural disaster.