He told me then that he regretted leaving his home and that he figured that “9 feet” was probably an exaggeration. I shook my head and said “Boyd, your floors were buckling, your dog couldn’t get around. Why stay under those conditions?”

He gave me a gentle smile and said, ” ’cause I’m a homebody.”

His story is not unusual. Each time a disaster threatens and authorities try to get people to evacuate, a certain number refuse to leave their homes. They each have particular reasons; but in the face of impending doom, the arguments can sound thin.