http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26637482?GT1=43001

Wow. I had no idea that the number who refused was so high. I honestly thought I heard the figure of 1000 or so. Which is still relatively significant. But TENS of thousands?

Doubly tragic as it is avoidable. Go ahead and nit-pick the degree of ease to evacuate. I don't care. The point remains; It would be a terrible way to go. Dark waters. No power. Drowning. Jesus.

I say leave people alone. They shouldn't be forced to move. This is supposed to be a free country. If they want to die, let them. That's freewill!

There's sadly gonna be a few people die tonight...this is going to be a bad one with the storm surge overnight...God help the Texas coast!

WHAT A BUNCH OF SUICIDAL S.O.B'S!!!

Are they really that stupid?? talk about a death wish!

I feel even more bad for the poor pets (dogs and cats) that are probably left behind. They are much smarter than those DOLTS who are ignoring the warning!

Weather Channel reports 1/2 a Million with out power at this point.

God help the Texas coast!

Fraid not. And why should She?

CNN is now reporting a 1,500,000 with no power.

" I say leave people alone. They shouldn't be forced to move. This is supposed to be a free country. If they want to die, let them. That's freewill!"

A 4 year old girl and her father, both in critical condition. Burns over 80% of her body because they didn't evacuate.

Sorry to play that card. But even more sorry that it's actually happening.

Freewill is swell in this case, eh?

Parents of kids could be charged with child abuse.

The NWS warned yesterday:

"Persons not heeding evacuation orders [for Galveston] in single family one or two story homes will face certain death.

If parents kept kids with them, CSD in Texas needs to go in and take the kids just to make a point.

....................

The hurricane offically struck Galveston at 12:10 AM our time.


Other "breaking" news from the Houston Chronicle:

About 40 percent of the city's [Galveston] 58,000 residents ignored calls to evacuate. And now they're phoning for help and getting this response, "We can't help you."

And this on wasted tax dollars. Hopefully no federal money involved:

Five years ago public officials spent millions of dollars to renourish starving beaches on the western end of Galveston Island, adding acres of shoreline. That summer, a minor hurricane, Claudette, made landfall in Texas near Port O'Connor.

Although the storm only produced about 45 mph winds in Galveston, it stripped away one-third of the new beach. It will all be gone by early tomorrow [today].

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Sadly though, federal money IS being spent to rebuild much of New Orlean, much of which is BELOW sea level -- a condition that doesn't exist at Galveston.

Ike

Ok Chickenjuggler you win. Send in your troups, force them out of their homes. They'll want to stop you of course with guns. Will you return fire if children are in the way? How will you deal with rounding up the hoards? Where will you house 58,000 mad and rowdy citizens?

No, you're right. Your way is better. I don't feel that people should be forced to leave. But it seems that others being forced to STAY should carry some recourse.

If parents have kids and they refuse to evacuate than those Parents should be thrown in jail. This is child abuse at its worst! I don't care if the stupid parents want to die by staying put, but the kids shouldn't have to stay.
I really hate stupid people, and apparently there are plenty of them in Texas!

apparently there are plenty of them in Texas!

Just now finding this out, eh?