Katrina was a prime example of when you SHOULD bug out. People stayed behind because of their pets. An axe in the attic and a canoe strapped to the roof in case the levees broke. They weren’t worried about 100+ mph wind. It’s a pervasive myth that 2000 people drowned. In fact all those bodies were autopsied, and most died of BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA from collapsed structures and flying debris.
After the storm, animal rescue volunteers came from all over the US and found thousands of pets surviving on the decaying flesh of their owners.
I returned weeks later. The smell of those dead bodies will never leave me.
The day before Katrina hit, I will never forget the FOX News report. Shep Smith was walking around the French Quarter, telling people a Cat 5 was off the coast, and asking why they were still there? They cursed at him on live TV, and were drunk.
They say the "poor" could not afford to leave, but that is really not true. Many of the stupid remained as well, and I think that whole situation helped created this "bug out" culture. Again, there are times to leave. Katrina would have been one. But hitting the highways too late or at the wrong time can be deadly too.
Blunt force trauma - I have to remember that one.
Some did but the vast majority stayed behind because they were too stupid to take heed of the advanced warnings.