Looking to buy evacuation home. Any ideas?

[ido]

I'm still living in New Orleans, but with hurricane season fast approaching, I don't want to evacuate and spend days on the road or in a strange motel with all of my pets. I was thinking of buying a small piece of land with a mobile home/trailer, but I wasn't sure where I'd be safe. Mississippi? Arkansas? I don't want to have to travel more than 1 day, either!

Any ideas?

Tia!

[brunota2003]

well...dont live on the coast with a mobile home...I can tell you that, they get flipped to easy...but maybe someone who knows more about the area can help you better...

[Brandon007]

well as a point of reference I live in Meridian MS in Lauderdale county and we are usually pretty safe this far inland. We were however without power for about 5 days after Katrina and there was a decent amount of damage in the area so I wouldn't buy anything any further south than here but anywhere here or further north I think you would be ok as well as not being tooo far away from home. plus land/homes around here are pretty reasonable

[yzerfan]

Don't go due north or northeast. So many times, that area still ends up catching the tornadoes, downed trees, and power outages from the same storm that hits the coast. I'd go for somewhat due east or somewhat due west, maybe just north of Pensacola, FL or inland on the TX/LA border.

[Recurve]

Yikes, a trailer? I'd rather spend a hundred nights in a motel 6 than a night in a trailer if you're still in the path of the storm. You'd have to go pretty far north -- not east or west -- to be in an area where even a Cat 5 would be down to a depression, and therefore safe to ride out in a trailer.

A sturdy home in the BR area would be ideal, but the housing crunch there must be unreal now.

All in all, I found Studio 6 to be a good evacuation motel during Rita in Florida. If you want a place for cheap, and it has to be a trailer, I would go at least as far as Arkansas.

[LSU2001]

Baton Rouge or Livingston Parish would probably be fine if the home is zoned for hurricane area and properly tied down. While you may be better off finding somewhere to stay during the storm, I think having a trailer set up and ready would be a great Idea. My fishing camp is a zone 2 trailer 14X80 3br 2 bath located in CUTOFF La. I lost a few shingles and some of the plastic decorative shutters on the trailer in CINDY, KATRINA, AND RITA that is all the damage I had. However, I would not stay in the trailer during the storm but would and have stayed in the trailer immediately after the storm ie next day.
Tim

[Dionne]

If your going to evacuate north into Mississippi, you need to go at least as far north as I-20. Copiah county (just south of Jackson, MS.) was the northern most declared disaster county.

We have already decided to evacuate this location in the event of another strong storm in the northern GOM. We're 160 miles north of N.O. Our home in Forrest county, MS. was about 65 miles from the coast......it got slammed.

[ido]

To all who replied:

Thanks so much!

In reading the posts, I think it would be a good idea to ride out the storm in a motel, but I guess I'm worried about after the storm. Being evacuated from my home for 5-6 weeks put a strain on everyone (3 dogs, 3 cats) and another extended stay in Motel 6 would send me over the edge!

I'm probably looking at the glass half empty; nothing will likely require another extended evacuation, but researching the issue gives me peace of mind, kinda like I'm doing something to now to help ease the pain of my last evacuation. Make sense? Therapy-ish. But I can't get the idea out of my head of find a small place just in case....

[alicia-w]

Don't go due north or northeast. So many times, that area still ends up catching the tornadoes, downed trees, and power outages from the same storm that hits the coast. I'd go for somewhat due east or somewhat due west, maybe just north of Pensacola, FL or inland on the TX/LA border.

I'd rethink that. There's a guy in our office who lives in Cantonment and got more damage than the rest of us.

Go west or northwest.

[BayouVenteux]

A sturdy home in the BR area would be ideal, but the housing crunch there must be unreal now.

There's actually a fair number of houses for sale and rental properties available in the Baton Rouge area if, like in much of the U.S. at present, you don't mind paying an overinflated price.

IMHO, if I were from New Orleans and looking to buy a residence to evacuate to, the Baton Rouge metro area is just not far enough in from the coast to avoid the possibility of damaging high winds from a decent-sized major hurricane making landfall within 60-100 miles to the south. Just as it did after the small but potent Andrew in '92, much of the area lost power for a number of days after Katrina, which Baton Rouge was on the weak side of, a good 90-100 miles (!) west of where the center made landfall. Put a Katrina, a Betsy, an Ivan or other comparable storm on a general northerly course from a landfall say, around Houma or Morgan City, and anyone evacuating to the Baton Rouge area would likely encounter conditions similar to those found in the Hattiesburg, MS area last year. Ample numbers of downed trees and power lines, no power, no gasoline, empty grocery store shelves, long lines for ice...in general, anywhere from days to weeks of all the many discomforts and hardships you'd expect in a town that's just been pummeled by hurricane-force winds.

That said, I guess it's definitely a far favorable alternative to staying put and having to hatchet your way out through the attic roof of your flooded home.

[alicia-w]

have you considered getting an RV?

[ido]

Interesting thought.

What's the difference between an rv and a trailer? Other than rv drives and trailer is pulled

[vbhoutex]

Alicia is right on the W or NW as most of these storms are curving N to NE at or just after landfall. You are right about the difference between and RV and a trailer. If you have a truck with a tow package or that can be fitted with the right tow package I would get a trailer if you're seriously considering that route. Caveats here that come to mind. How far do you go? You are driving a mobile home so damage possibilities arise depending on final location. Gas availability during a mass evacuation. For comfort you must find an rv park or other place with proper hookups for water, sewer and electrical.

[GeneratorPower]

A terminology update is helpful here...

RV - Recreational Vehicle. Refers to a bunch of different types including motor homes, travel trailers, fifth-wheels, truck-campers, even RV conversion vans.

Motor Home - An RV with its own engine that looks and drives sort of like a small bus. The larger ones indeed are built on a bus chassis.

Travel Trailer - Pulled behind a car, SUV, or truck via a bumper hitch.

Fifth-Wheel - Pulled behind a pickup truck with a large, in-the-truck-bed hitch.

Truck Camper - An RV insert that is installed in a pickup truck bed and gives sleeping quarters, bathroom, etc. These are quite small as they must fit in the bed.

RV Conversion Van - A simple van converted and outfitted with sleeping area, bathroom, etc.

Manufactured Home - A home built in a factory that is moved to its final location via big truck on temporary wheels. It is usually put on a permanent foundation.

Trailer House or Trailer - A manufactured home made to remain somewhat more portable. Usually placed on a semi-permanent foundation and fastened to the ground with metal straps. Commonly single-wide (16")

FEMA Trailer - A travel trailer made for FEMA. Usually NOT a trailer house or manufactured home. Almost always a travel trailer. Usually without markings.

Hope this clears up more confusion than it causes!

[Shoshana]

What about somewhere you'd like a vacation place? Where do you go on vacation?

Along with everyone else, I'd go N or NW. Of course it all depends on landfall location and ferocity...

[MomH]

If it were me, I'd head for the North GA mountains. Yes, you would have some heavy rains (maybe) but, the area is beautiful, would make a good vacation home, and prices are very decent.