Not about to leave their big screen TVs alone.

''Hurricane Sandy: Dorothy Shields (80) Pres. of Red Hook East Residents Assoc., in her Red Hook apt. She refuses to evacuate.'' - Photo Caption

Whether it was intended or not, when I saw the large picture of this ''black'' woman as the New York Daily News example of a defiant tenant, images of Hurricane Katrina ''flood'' back. Was that intentional, or am I a closet racist who had better repent by Sunday before voting next Tuesday? And, with Daylight Savings Time ending this weekend, head sure to be swimming in confusion.

They are real brave until the water is climbing up the walls. Then they don't mind putting someone else's life at risk to save them.

What do they have to lose?
Besides Willy Wonka being elected again?

They know if they leave there will be nothing left when they come back. Or perhaps they are thieves themselves and just waiting for an opportunity.

And when they fail to take responsibility for their own lives and the devastation hits, somehow it will be George Bush's fault.

Look at the state of public housing. These people haven't obeyed rules (even when the roof over their heads is free) so why start now?

Shades of Katrina.

I remember an interview with a middle aged woman who stayed in her house during Katrina. She said that she lived in an area with a lot of criminal activity so she stayed to guard her possessions which was all she had.

On the other hand, have you dealt with an 80 yr old relative?
The word STUBBORN barely describes them.

If the building can stand up to the storm these folks may be safer than sitting in the gym at some public HS.

And why did the Daily need to send reporters out and take her picture?

Jeez, let them be.

I hear you about the stubborn elderly. Remember Harry Truman who wouldn't leave even though Mt. St. Helen's was about to blow up right on his doorstep?

As hurricane Charlie approached, my 80+ year old widower neighbor poopooed my ofers of help, saying something like, "honey, Iv'e been through worse than this". And of course he had as a WW11 pilot. However, in the dark wee hours of the morning, he couldn't take it anymore and tried to drive his big old caddie out, downed trees stopped him, he laid on the horn, was unable to breath (didn't have his oxygen), I was somehow able to find it in his Liberache-like highly dangerous candelabra situation he had left burning in his house. ER crews took forever to get to us due to 100s of trees down. It was fun, and yes poster #10, old people can be stubborn.

New Orleans mentality. They will be screaming for 'somebody' to save them before it's over.

If they leave the tenants who stay might rob them.

There are always some people who refuse to leave their homes in a storm. Just because these people are black and poor doesn't make them any different than anyone else. Maybe they feel they are better at keeping themselves safe and protecting their possessions than being in some shelter with people they don't know. Good grief, some of the comments here are just nuts and jaded.

Hate to be so cynical, but these people are bound to recall the prepaid debit cards and other bennies the Katrina "victims" got.

At least part of the problem is the weather apocalypse reporting that would have the entire country fleeing our homes every time it rained hard or snowed or got windy. And in bad neighborhoods it's common knowledge that you can't leave home without your stuff being stolen. On the other hand, I think authorities need to be bluntly honest about their inability to save you if the worst happens.

These people don't move. In Katrina these people were finally forcibly moved. And wherever they landed is where they stayed. They did not return to New Orleans because that would mean they would have to move and they don't move.

The reason these people are poor is because they don't move.

It takes a thief to know a thief.

Shades of Katrina.
Some do stay back to loot come hell or high water (pun intended).
The other is the poor don't relocate or care to. Their freebies come to the mailbox and they don't know how to do a change of address.

Ima jus gonna call FEMA on my Obamafone, it's all good!

One person said, I'm scared, but if anything happens the police will come get me. Maybe they would go if they were disabused of that notion.

This may be a situation that will thin the herd.

one woman quoted in the article said it was okay because even if her situation became imperiled the police would rescue her...

Potential looter group alert.

There is this element of people in every large city - and some smaller. They don't trust anyone because they've seen what happens to unoccupied homes.

just like Katrina. Wait for someone to save them. Wait for someone to feed them. Wait for someone to provide power for their big screen tv. Wait for someone to buy them a new car. Wait for someone to do something for them.

It's a horrible situation, I wish them well and pray for their safety.

Good Old Harry Truman of Mt St Helens. Not the same as Katrina. No one had to foot the bill for rescue. Old Harry died the way he wanted; with his beloved mountain...burying him for ever. Not a bad thing for the "old salt."

Disgusting, yet sad. Fifty years of Leftism has created four generations of people who are not just stuck on stupid, but helpless to have an original thought, even when Nanny tells them to just pack up and move for a few days.
Oh yeah, just like New Orleans and Katrina.
Wonder where Nanny will send these hopeless souls? Most of Katrina's were sent to Houston. As others have noted, they don't really care, as long as they are still on the rolls of doles and their new address is noted by Nanny.
How about giving out free money-cards to hold them over until the new addresses kicks in?
I have lived too long and seen too much, over and over and over again.

All racist comments on here can and will be used against the GOP by some liberal hoverer.

Poverty may be in play because it is near the end of the month and if you aren't one of the 43% who live paycheck to paycheck it might not occur to you that some have no place to evacuate to.

And the old factor. My town was evacuated twice for runaway wildfire (@$#^%%&^* environmentalists who make the policies that others have to suffer by) I evacuated to my son's house. An oldster who knew better than the fire bosses stayed home as a 5 day inferno raged on mountains less than a mile away. He was right though-never got him. Hopefully the water in New York doesn't get the stayers but 911 is getting 20,000 calls per hour-city folk plain need more government, that's why they vote that way IMO.

Seem to remember a hurricane heading for Galveston, TX (post Katrina). Police went around to evacuate folks and when they refused to leave they were handed a Sharpie with the instructions to write their SS number on their forearm so they could be identified and don't expect anyone to come back for you if you get stranded. I think maybe they were told they would have to pay a hefty fine if someone had to come rescue them.

This remind me of the story of the man in the flood:

There was a terrible flood and a man stood on his porch watching the water rise. A boat came by and the rescuers said, "Get in, we'll save you.".
The man turned them down, saying, "The Lord will save me."
Soon the water rose high enough that the man was hanging out his second floor window. Again, a boat came by and offered to rescue him. Again, he turned them down. "The Lord will save me. I have faith."
Finally the water rose so high that the man was clinging to his chimney. A helicopter hovered overhead and dropped a rope. He was urged to grab it and be pulled to safety. Again he refused. "I have faith that the Lord will save me.".
Shortly after the chopper left, he drowned and went to Heaven. He said to the Lord upon seeing Him, "Lord, I was in trouble and prayed for help. I had all of the faith in the world that You would save me and yet I drowned. Why???"
The Lord replied, "I sent you two boats and a helicopter! What more did you want??!!"

Many good remarks. Yes, the old can be stubborn and make mistakes. Sometimes they misjudge and regret. No other age group does that.

In a big apartment building why evacuate if you are healthy and the building is structurally safe?

Stock up lots of water in bottles and a full bathtub. Use candles. Dried fruit and energy bars suffice and won't spoil. And read.

Water is essential but even total lack of food isn't a concern for a couple of days, people have been hungry before and lived.

Cat litter is cheap and so are zip-lock bags. No one likes odor but you will live.

What to do for those with known health concerns should be decided by case.

The media goes crazy and labels every event as the Apocalypse. And authorities issue one-size-fits-all warnings and orders because they can't do otherwise. Judge for yourself and help others when you can.

I agree with those posters who point out the very real fear of having their place stripped by looters. I also agree with those who point out the low credibility of the media and politicians.