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December 2, 2008 7:21:26 PM CST

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Some Can't, Won't Flee Gustav

Posted Aug 31, 08 10:19 AM CDT in US 

(Newser) – As Gustav roars toward the Gulf Coast, and New Orleans’ mayor calls it “the storm of the century,” there are some in the city who can’t—or simply won’t—evacuate. “Most people don’t have cars to leave, don’t have money for gas. Pay for a hotel for that long? I guess I’m gonna stay and work,” a 26-year-old dishwasher tells CNN.

“I don’t leave for nothing,” said a man who’s worked in the French Quarter since 1985. “I didn’t even leave for Katrina.” But for some, even those with the means, leaving New Orleans just 3 years after Katrina forced them out is simply too much to bear. “I am in love” with this city, said an antique store owner who had briefly relocated to Houston. “And so I make my choice.”

Source CNN

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Though the French Quarter is near-deserted, there are some residents who aren't leaving.   (AP Photo/Rob Carr)
Bill Espy puts the finishing touches on securing his shop as a neighbor walks her dog in New Orleans, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2008. The city is preparing for the approach of Hurricane Gustav.   (AP Photo/Bill Haber)
Evan Hayes boards up the windows at his restaurant in New Orleans, on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2008.   (AP Photo/Rob Carr)
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If I left, I'll probably lose my job. I really don't have anywhere to go if I could leave. I could go home, but that doesn't seem like the thing to try. Too far, I guess. - Jeremiah O'Farrell, 26,
a dishwasher who is staying put

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Hurricane Katrina • New Orleans • Hurricane Gustav • evacuation • French Quarter


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