cat 4 or 5 question

[Derek Ortt]

To be fair, when we had to evacuate for Frances here in Dade, the traffic seemed LIGHTER than the normal rush hour (I actually left RSMAS stupidly for that one... only thing I gained was seeing ND lose to BYU, but thats for another time).

It was a wild ride here during Wilma though, with gusts over 110 m.p.h.. Can tell you, hearing the shutters being ripped off of the windows can get scary, but the buildings held up very well, with a couple only having minor roof damage

[SouthFloridawx]

To be fair, when we had to evacuate for Frances here in Dade, the traffic seemed LIGHTER than the normal rush hour (I actually left RSMAS stupidly for that one... only thing I gained was seeing ND lose to BYU, but thats for another time).

It was a wild ride here during Wilma though, with gusts over 110 m.p.h.. Can tell you, hearing the shutters being ripped off of the windows can get scary, but the buildings held up very well, with a couple only having minor roof damage

Yeah derek. I got to see a shingle fly past the house... then another... then a few others and all of the sudden pieces of wood and all kinds of stuff fly by. Someones boat ended up in the street and there were tons of trees on the ground and it was a crazy day.

[Derek Ortt]

remember at 9 a.m. as I was going into the MPO conference room for a 90 minute nap, seeing large pieces of debris flying through the air... it was Miami Seaquarium, which was closed for about 3 months after Wilma

[DanKellFla]

I live in a CBS house constructed in '92. The roof has straps and other upgrades. If I knew a Cat 4 was going to be here I would leave. But, as the National Hurrican Center always says, predicting wind speed still needs to be improved. The analytical tools aren't mature yet. So, I will most likely end up at the elementary school around the block with my wife and kids. It is about a 10 minute walk from my house. Then, I would probably leave for a few days and visit my relatives. They owe me a few visits.
I would also leave if the water stopped running. My brother lost his water, and that is what really made the post storm unlivable.

Hmmmmm..... That aquarium in Atlanta looks cool.

[jujubean]

I think the question is moot.

IF you are anywhere near the coast, where it would actually make landfall as a full-blown 5, or even high-end 4, and you stay, it seems to me that would be taking a foolish risk. That said, were I to live more than 30 miles from landfall, and well above any flood zone, and in a sturdy home that does NOT have massive trees that could fall on my roof/house, I, too would ride it out. The thing is, that by the time the storm would reach that far inland, it is HIGHLY unlikely sustained winds would still be a strong 4, much less a 5. I don't believe there is a wind profile of ANY storm that maintained winds of such speeds more than a few miles off the coast, because if you have "sustained" winds of over 150 mph, you simply are NOT safe, unless you live in something akin to a bomb shelter. Just look at the pictures of Gallatin Tennessee, today--estimated winds of 150-200 mph and you'll have a good idea what these kinds of winds can do! Flying debris, and the potential for roof/home destruction would be extremely high, and I doubt that would be a wise choice of action.

Ask any person who has actually HAD the misfortune to have been in an actual strong 4, or 5 right near the COC at landfall, (not just any person who happened to be somewhere in the path of the wind fields of Andrew or Camille or even Charley --but actually right there at ground zero for landfall) and I doubt you would find ONE, who would say they'd ride out that kind of storm again--it is beyond terrifying. I know, as I know folks who were in Homestead for Andrew, and they would NEVER stay for ANY kind of major storm again. I've heard pretty much the same from many others who've actually been in the heart of a landfalling 3--IN the COC.

Again, I reiterate: despite what some would like to believe, winds in the high end of 4, to full 5 do NOT last very long after landfall, and if you're well inland, no matter what the storm is at actual landfall, (and I know a lot of folks would still claim they rode out a 4 or 5) you will NOT be in a Cat 5 when it gets to you--and that is a GOOD thing.

A2K

well as an andrew survivor i can tell u that was the worst night my familys ever been threw!it was truly a very scary situation all u could here was those howling winds that would simply would not go away,my husband spent almost the whole night with his back to the door so the wind would not bust it open we lived in a moble home and we chose to stay which was truly a horrible mistake we ended up losing almost all of our roof 1 sofa my bedroom was a total loss i mean it was like a nightmare!once the sun came up and i went outside for the first time it was like a BOMB was dropped in my area!iam very thankful we made it threw that experience because material things can always be replaced but u only live once thats why i truly feel always tell your loved ones that love them very much because tommorow is not for sure.and in 2005 i lost my sister in NEW ORLEANS because of hurricane katrina so its really been very hard to move on after these hard times ive been threw but thankfully now me and my husband live in a 2 bedroom house with my princess which is my daughter.

christy just wanted to say sorry for your loss and as a fellow andrew survivor I was just amazed that your home even stayed together....most of the parks I saw south of coral reef dr were leveled ..... thank goodness everything turned out ok.... as for if I would stay, cat 3 and lower I will stay in my home if a 4 or 5 heads this direction I will still have to stay in the area but will evacuate to my workplace with my family which is well inland.