How Far Inland Do You Go?

[HurricaneQueen]

Well said, Wxman! I hope everyone here at least heeds your warning. We can be quite certain those without the knowledge and passion shared here will be less inclined to leave until the last minute, if at all. Better to be overly cautious and "get out of Dodge" than wait until everyone else decides to go. I hope most of us learned that lesson from previous storms (i.e Floyd, Andrew, etc.)

[Steve Cosby]

Bumped because the below was good info. to retain:

Before any more of you reply, you might want to look over at the NHC web site for some inland wind projections. I used their calculator to generate a graphic for inland wind penetration with a Cat 3 127 mph storm:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/wind/ne_127.shtml

Note that the graphic is not from ONE single storm, but multiple hits along the east U.S. coasta to give you an idea as to how far inland the high winds could penetrate. Figure about a 15-20 kt movement at landfall. Note that sustained 50kt winds could penetrate as far inland as central PA/NY and western VA. That means 58 mph winds with gusts of 75-100 mph several hundred miles inland! Feel safe at 50 miles from the coast now? You'd be safe from the storm surge, but may still be without power for days.

Here's the main inland wind generator page:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/wi ... reas.shtml

Oh, and I voted for "The nearest desert". Really it all depends upon your main goal for the evacuation. If you want to retreat just far enough inland so that you're out of the storm surge and don't mind trees flying by, then 50 miles may be ok. But if you want to be outside the radius of winds that can knock down power poles and trees, then 200 miles isn't far enough.