What are the reasons people don’t evacuate when advised to do so?

This is a tough one because everyone has their own reasons, of course.

But it’s exactly the question law enforcement and emergency personnel have been asking themselves when they notice how many people seem to have chosen to stay behind despite the governor’s call for an evacuation.

I asked Facebook for their thoughts on this. And I asked them for factual reasons people are saying, not just the old “They’re crazy” and “They’re smart” type of thing.

Here are the responses, I got:

“One friend told me she’s staying because it would be too hard to evacuate with three cats. Also, if a tree falls on her house, she can put a tarp on it ASAP. Pets and houses seem to be the main reasons people are staying.”

“People either don’t think it’s going to be that bad or they want to ‘protect their house.’ Which doesn’t make much sense, because if a hurricane can damage your house, I don’t know what you can do to stop it.”

“Here in Sun City, many of us oldsters have nowhere to go. I (am) staying to help my neighbors but will be ready to flee. Nervous!”

“Our security minded neighbor got some thick steaks and a box of ammo and will defend the neighborhood — after the storm, he’ll be on his roof with a shotgun. I know this, because I’ve seen it before.”

“I’m staying because the model run consensus keep curving Matthew farther off our coast and away from us. I’ve been watching the models for the last 8 days ... judiciously, since I’ve been a liveaboard sailor (Skull Creek Marina) since 2008 and these type of events keep us on our toes (boat shoes?) during hurricane season. The Space Coast will get murdered by Matthew, but once he ejects off JAX, he’ll be pulled further away and his impact will be far less than the state has predicted. It’s that simple.”

“My friends are staying because ‘returning is going to be the most difficult part.’ They also enjoy the quiet beaches and streets once the storm clears.”

“(A friend) is staying because of her many pets. It’s hard for those who love fur babies.”

This story was originally published October 6, 2016 at 11:44 AM with the headline "What are the reasons people don’t evacuate when advised to do so?."