Filling Coastal Zones With People Complicates Hurricane Evacuation

The Tampa Tribune ^ | 5/5/08 | Unknown

[Wicket]

Signs of increasing risk along the shore are apparent from space. Satellite photos released by NOAA show steady development of coastal lands between Texas and North Carolina.

The space and weather agency lists Hillsborough County among the top 10 areas in the South in the amount of visible new development.

A closer look confirms that the trend picked up in the high-altitude photos and is cause for concern. The Hillsborough coast, south of the Alafia River and west of U.S. Highway 41, has grown by 71 percent from 2000 to 2007. The more people who live in zones that must be evacuated when a hurricane approaches, the longer the time it will take to get everyone to either safe territory or a shelter.

[Wicket]

Captain Obvious reporting for duty

[ladyjane]

Filling coastal zones with idiot people who refuse to evacuate complicates hurricane evacuation.

Oh, yes, and when they become refugees they demand to be called evac-u-ees!

[contemplator]

This just in - The sky is blue, I repeat, The sky is blue. - Developing

[Corin Stormhands]

In tonight’s other leading story, water is wet, fire is hot.

Film at 11.

[NativeNewYorker]

Captain Obvious reporting for duty.

[CindyDawg]

Move people from the coast, and out of earthquake fault area and away from mountains. No more living in tornado alleys, fire risks or areas that flood. What else? Or yeah....No living any blizzard or ice areas either.

Maybe instead of evacuating..we need to figure out how to hunker down and ride them out.

[Hatteras]

"The more people who live in zones that must be evacuated when a hurricane approaches, the longer the time it will take to get everyone to either safe territory or a shelter."

Are you sure about this? Mebbe we should form a taxpayer funded committee to look into this...

[KarlInOhio]

This just in - The sky is blue, I repeat, The sky is blue. - Developing

In that case we don't have to worry about evacuating.

[backhoe]

Well, duh!
( Not you, neighbor, the writer... )

I've watched that Island I grew up on explode with new housing for years, and it's so overcrowded now that getting off at rush hour is iffy. In a hurricane, attempting evacuation? No way.

Ironically, the talk of building a much-needed ( for years and years ) second causeway always come to naught because of environmental and wetlands regulations.

[Southerngl]

And when they refuse to leave in an approaching storm, they call Bush evil.