Althouse: "'We ain’t doing no damn good right here,' said Utesch. Brad wondered if the homeowners suspected they were looters."

August 30, 2017

"'We ain’t doing no damn good right here,' said Utesch. Brad wondered if the homeowners suspected they were looters."

"They passed other boaters with similar experiences. The few homeowners who were evacuating from this corner of Houston preferred to do so in the back of huge trucks. Back on the highway the two men found Wayne and Juergen and loaded their boats back on to the pickup. 'Well, we tried,' said Brad, dejected. 'The effort and desire were there, the results weren’t,' said Utesch."

From "'We ain’t doing no damn good': volunteer rescuers struggle in Houston/The ‘Cajun navy’ force of helpers from Louisiana are hitting an unexpected problem in the Harvey-flooded city – residents declining to evacuate" in The Guardian.

14 comments:

rhhardin said...: Old New Yorker cartoon, guy with tanks and hoses walking into kitchen, "Got anything you want welded, dear?"; 8/30/17, 6:44 AM
Danno said...: Not many pictures for a UK tabloid article.; 8/30/17, 6:48 AM
Stephen Taylor said...: The trouble with evacuation is that once you leave you place yourself at the mercy of some bureaucrat as to when you can return. If you stay, you can a) have some of the comforts of home b) guard your stuff and c) do some damage control.; 8/30/17, 6:49 AM
Kevin said...: People acting independently and denying offers of help is big news in most of the world.; 8/30/17, 6:52 AM
Rob said...: I blame the Dunkirk movie.; 8/30/17, 7:09 AM
Bob Boyd said...: What's a "traffic hydrant"?; 8/30/17, 7:10 AM
Delayna said...: If you're able to load your stuff into a truck and leave in said truck, you probably don't need a stranger in a boat to rescue you.; 8/30/17, 7:12 AM
Bay Area Guy said...: Hey, at least they tried.,,; 8/30/17, 7:33 AM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: My part of the world has had two major floods since '96 and, yes, a lot of people stay put and fight the effects of flooding on their property to the best of their ability. Some do it instinctively, some because they feel they have nowhere else to go. It's very much a matter of degree, which can vary widely from block to block in some areas. Calculating your chances will often trump blanket calls for evacuation.; 8/30/17, 8:47 AM
AllenS said...: Watched some videos yesterday of looters breaking windows, and, well, looting. The people who do not want to leave know this also. Wanna guess who is looting?; 8/30/17, 8:53 AM
CStanley said...: Hopefully these guys got the word that Port Arthur and Beaumont are in need,; 8/30/17, 9:26 AM
Stephen Taylor said...: Port Arthur and Beaumont are on their way home.; 8/30/17, 10:51 AM
Rabel said...: Impressive rig in the third picture down. He is obviously a Tool Time fan.; 8/30/17, 1:36 PM
mockturtle said...: Wanna guess who is looting?

Middle-aged white women?; 8/30/17, 2:32 PM