Poverty. The answer is always poverty. Evacuation is not free and never has been.
Currently sitting in the Tampa Bay area while a category 5+ hurricane comes barreling at me. I'm in flood zone D next to E so I shouldn't have any issues there. In a building that is solid brick/cinderblock construction, built like a bunker. Don't worry about me. I got water, food, and enough fat to get me through the winter as they say.
The one thing I don't have is the hundreds or thousands of dollars it would take to drive 2+ states away and get a hotel for a week. I simply don't have it. Then you have all these people in places like Missouri or Montana posting this question about why people would not evacuate. We don't have the goddamn money. It's not hubris. We SHOULD evacuate. I don't see any of the people saying this offering up a spot on their couch. We should always evacuate... somewhere other than the house of the person who thinks we should, apparently.
Also in Tampa and not leaving. Be safe comrade
I would have to stay no matter what to staff a local hospital, but I'm not in any evacuation zone and my condo is also a bunker. So i know I'll be ok, at worse uncomfortable. Honestly glad it's hitting us and not Cuba.
Yeah I'm on SP side near the bay, not gulf. We didn't even lose power or internet during Helene. I was surprised because we always lose both.
Best of luck. You're doing good work.