Civility Reigns at San Diego Stadium

[jokemaster]

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Like Hurricane Katrina evacuees two years earlier in New Orleans, thousands of people rousted by natural disaster fled to the NFL stadium here, waiting out the calamity and worrying about their homes.

 

 

 

The similarities ended there, as an almost festive atmosphere reigned at Qualcomm Stadium.

 

 

 

Bands belted out rock 'n' roll, lavish buffets served gourmet entrees, and massage therapists helped relieve the stress for those forced to flee their homes because of wildfires.

 

 

 

"The people are happy. They have everything here," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared Monday night after his second Qualcomm tour.

 

 

 

Although anxieties ran high, the misery index seemed low as the celebrity governor waded through the mob. Scarcely a complaint was registered with him.

 

 

 

"Oooh, I got a picture!" shrieked Olivia Beard of Ocean Beach, one of hundreds who pressed toward Schwarzenegger with camera phones snapping.

 

 

 

The fires destroyed some 500 homes and 100 businesses in San Diego County, the greatest swath of destruction in a series of Southern California blazes that began Sunday.

 

 

 

Of the more than 250,000 people forced from their homes, volunteer coordinators estimated that 10,000 took shelter at Qualcomm, home of the San Diego Chargers. Others camped out in hotels, with friends and family and in other shelters scattered throughout the city.

 

 

 

With the stadium housing evacuees, the Chargers were flying to Arizona Tuesday to practice at the Arizona Cardinals' headquarters for the rest of the week. The team is scheduled to host Houston on Sunday, but said it was too early to know how the fires would affect that game

 

 

 

At Qualcomm, thousands of tents, many set up by relief organizations, provided temporary roofs, while hundreds of people slept on open-air cots. Some elderly evacuees were housed in stadium club boxes.

 

 

 

Aggressive efforts by disaster-response officials to bring supplies helped ensure civility. A heavy police contingent and National Guard troops with automatic weapons stood by just in case.

 

 

 

The New Orleans evacuees had dragged themselves through floodwaters to get to the Louisiana Superdome in 2005, and once there endured horrific conditions without food, sanitation or law enforcement.

 

 

 

But these evacuees drove to the expansive parking lots in the San Diego suburbs. The worst that most endured in their exodus was heavy traffic and smoky haze.

 

 

 

But like those who fled in New Orleans, some will have lost their homes.

 

 

 

Several said they had narrowly escaped devastating fires in 2003 and shrugged off the inconveniences of sleeping at a stadium.

 

 

 

"You have to deal with it, right?" said Ashwani Kernie, who, along with six family members, had been evacuated from his Rancho Bernardo home.

 

 

 

"You can deal with it, or you can whine about it," he said while erecting a tent in Qualcomm's parking lot, as temperatures hovered comfortably in the low 70s.

 

 

 

Still, there was widespread anxiety about the fates of homes and belongings left behind. Many had packed up hastily as flames approached.

 

 

 

"They're scared, they're sad, they're losing their homes. They just want to relax and go to sleep," Megan Malan, a massage therapist, said as she rubbed the back of a man wearing a firefighter's T-shirt.

 

 

 

She had little in the way of material goods to offer to the victims, so she provided her professional services, for free, to nervous evacuees.

 

 

 

Television sets hung from the rafters for the benefit of football fans, but on this evening, it was anything but "Monday Night Football" that drew their interest.

 

 

 

Hundreds sat in the stands watching the sets, transfixed as news programs broadcast images of destruction. Among them was Bruce Fowler, whose home in the Scripps Ranch neighborhood had survived fires in 2003.

 

 

 

That fall, wildfires killed 22 people, destroyed nearly 3,600 homes and blackened more than 743,000 acres of brush and timber in Southern California, including blazes near Fowler's home.

 

 

 

"Every couple of years, you don't want to go through this worry," Fowler said, sipping a root beer. "I never thought I'd be in a place like this, getting handouts."

 

 

 

Most people seemed happy for the free food and drink. A Hyatt hotel catered one buffet, offering chicken with artichoke hearts and capers in cream sauce, jambalaya and shredded-beef empanadas.

 

 

 

Ester Francis, 90, clutched her cane as her son set up a pair of cots next to a large trash bin.

 

 

 

She does not know what she'll return to when the smoke clears, but said she was grateful for the generosity of strangers. Qualcomm did feel something like a party, she said.

 

 

 

"Everyone's so friendly," Francis said. "I guess it's making us all feel secure at a time when we all feel so insecure."

[Necromagus]

Good to see some people are still capable of occasional outbursts of decency...

[Bloodredsword]

My Aunts there....she's surrounded by fires :cry:

[Barihawk]

Most of those people are happy because they have fire insurance policies on their homes that will pay double.

[Bloodredsword]

Most of those people are happy because they have fire insurance policies on their homes that will pay double.

 

 

 

 

 

"Most" :-#

[Flametrooper]

I'm glad for them, really, and I really hope the fires go down - and soon. I'm far enough away that the fire itself isn't a big threat, but smoky air's a b*tch...Anyways it's a good thing that they are enjoying themselves, or at least are doing okay and getting along fine, in their new refuge. I really feel for them, I mean seriously try to imagine how much that would suck to be screwed over by fires like that.

[Flamecaller]

Most of those people are happy because they have fire insurance policies on their homes that will pay double.

 

 

 

Oh, the fun hasn't even begun yet!

 

 

 

Wait until their agencies deny their claims. THEN the fun begins!

[Barihawk]

Most of those people are happy because they have fire insurance policies on their homes that will pay double.

 

 

 

Oh, the fun hasn't even begun yet!

 

 

 

Wait until their agencies deny their claims. THEN the fun begins!

 

 

 

The majority of these people are the ones who chose not to live in Bel-Air because the property values were not high enough. I saw the aerial shots of their homes. Three-four stories Spanish-Med 800k-2.1 million dollar homes.

 

 

 

Those people probably have their insurance agencies in nooses. And trust me, every suburban home in SoCal has fire insurance.

 

 

 

You don't understand how rich these people are. Lets put on a monocle to demonstrate. These people aren't eating FEMA rations. They are drinking champagne and eating gourmet food.

 

 

 

Comparing this gathering to the Superdome in New Orleans is a travesty.

[Guthix_Girl]

I live in Nevada and we're getting smoke from the fires here even. My cousin has had to evacuate her large "payed by disability funds" house. Which does not matter to me, but it scares be because I have several family members in Southern California. I hope they get these out soon.

[Flamecaller]

Most of those people are happy because they have fire insurance policies on their homes that will pay double.

 

 

 

Oh, the fun hasn't even begun yet!

 

 

 

Wait until their agencies deny their claims. THEN the fun begins!

 

 

 

The majority of these people are the ones who chose not to live in Bel-Air because the property values were not high enough. I saw the aerial shots of their homes. Three-four stories Spanish-Med 800k-2.1 million dollar homes.

 

 

 

Those people probably have their insurance agencies in nooses. And trust me, every suburban home in SoCal has fire insurance.

 

 

 

You don't understand how rich these people are. Lets put on a monocle to demonstrate. These people aren't eating FEMA rations. They are drinking champagne and eating gourmet food.

 

 

 

Comparing this gathering to the Superdome in New Orleans is a travesty.

 

 

 

I'm aware how rich they are and stuff, but I was under the understanding that NO ONE was immune from the ebil insurance denial monster. :P

 

 

 

But like you said, it probably wouldn't even matter to them.

 

 

 

And there is no way I was comparing the two, I was just saying insurance agencies denying claims has been on the rise since...Whoever thought that would be a good plan made it so.

 

 

 

I think it was Captain Kirk. MAKE IT SO!

[Lenin64]

I'm glad for them, really, and I really hope the fires go down - and soon. I'm far enough away that the fire itself isn't a big threat, but smoky air's a b*tch...Anyways it's a good thing that they are enjoying themselves, or at least are doing okay and getting along fine, in their new refuge. I really feel for them, I mean seriously try to imagine how much that would suck to be screwed over by fires like that.

 

Expect global temperatures to rise another degree because of that #%#@ air...

[ember3579]

If estimates are to be believed, the GHGs these fires have produced OVERALL doesn't even breach 1% of Cali's total emissions/year. I don't think we have much to worry about from these in that department. For people downwind who hate fire-smoke, though, it's gonna REALLY suck. Lucky me, it actually smells kinda nice to me (don't even ask why, it just does). :-w On another note, have they figured out who started some of these infernos? I want someone I can give a good shot to the nuts with a sledgie. Let's just hope no one dies.

[Lenin64]

it actually smells kinda nice to me (don't even ask why, it just does). :-w

 

Yea, I love the smell of sulfur and burning objects. Except for styrofoam. Smells awful.

[CubeMage128]

 

You don't understand how rich these people are. Lets put on a monocle to demonstrate. These people aren't eating FEMA rations. They are drinking champagne and eating gourmet food.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice stereotype, there.

 

 

 

 

 

While it's true that a few rich communities were affected by the fires, the bulk of the damage took place in average neighborhoods. Just because Southern California has a few richer areas doesn't mean that the entire population "Drinks champagne and eats gourmet food" during a disaster.

[Biabf]

I live in Nevada and we're getting smoke from the fires here even. My cousin has had to evacuate her large "payed by disability funds" house. Which does not matter to me, but it scares be because I have several family members in Southern California. I hope they get these out soon.

I expect a lot of people are getting smoke, an image on the BBC site. Although, according to my really rough geography of US states, isn't Nevada to the east of California? Sorry if I'm wrong, we don't get taught the where-abouts of your states.

 

EDIT: Meant east.

 

[angryjoe]

I live in Nevada and we're getting smoke from the fires here even. My cousin has had to evacuate her large "payed by disability funds" house. Which does not matter to me, but it scares be because I have several family members in Southern California. I hope they get these out soon.

I expect a lot of people are getting smoke, an image on the BBC site. Although, according to my really rough geography of US states, isn't Nevada to the west of California? Sorry if I'm wrong, we don't get taught the where-abouts of your states.

It's unlikely since California is on the west coast :P

[Biabf]

I live in Nevada and we're getting smoke from the fires here even. My cousin has had to evacuate her large "payed by disability funds" house. Which does not matter to me, but it scares be because I have several family members in Southern California. I hope they get these out soon.

I expect a lot of people are getting smoke, an image on the BBC site. Although, according to my really rough geography of US states, isn't Nevada to the west of California? Sorry if I'm wrong, we don't get taught the where-abouts of your states.

It's unlikely since California is on the west coast :P

Yeah whoops, meant east*

[doogsidoof]

Most of those people are happy because they have fire insurance policies on their homes that will pay double.

 

 

 

Oh, the fun hasn't even begun yet!

 

 

 

Wait until their agencies deny their claims. THEN the fun begins!

 

 

 

The majority of these people are the ones who chose not to live in Bel-Air because the property values were not high enough. I saw the aerial shots of their homes. Three-four stories Spanish-Med 800k-2.1 million dollar homes.

 

 

 

Those people probably have their insurance agencies in nooses. And trust me, every suburban home in SoCal has fire insurance.

 

 

 

You don't understand how rich these people are. Lets put on a monocle to demonstrate. These people aren't eating FEMA rations. They are drinking champagne and eating gourmet food.

 

 

 

Comparing this gathering to the Superdome in New Orleans is a travesty.

 

 

 

The only reason that they are eating that good is because of all the donations that the rest of the people around San Diego gave to the evacuees. Dont assume that all the people living around San Diego are rich just because there are a few rich communities