When do you evacuate?
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When do you evacuate?
I'd be interested in your opinions of when to evacuate. What level of hurricane threatening your area makes you leave home?
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cajungal
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The only time I ever left for any hurricane threat was for Hurricane Katrina last year. All the others I rode out at home. I left because my parents practically forced me to saying they were going to drag me by the hair if they had to. I am the most stubborn person you will ever meet. I live in a coastal parish (Terrebonne) and now we have a mandatory evacuation of the whole parish if a Cat 3 or above should threaten.
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Opal storm
I will probably stay home and ride out every storm like I have always.I don't live in a surge/flood zone so wind is my greatest concern during a hurricane.I use to say I would evacuate for anything higher than a 3 but I've heard all these horrific stories about being stuck on the interstate for hours and not finding a hotel to stay at and etc.I think it would be best if I just boarded up the windows,stock up on a few days worth of food and just hunker down here.
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Jim Cantore
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beachbum_al
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jusforsean
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george_r_1961
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I would only leave if my area was expecting winds of Cat 4. I have a place I can go that was built to withstand a nuclear bomb. I planned on leaving for Floyd, because one of the official NWS forecasts we got was for winds sustained at 138+. But Floyd weakened significantly before landfall and I stayed put.
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CrazyC83
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If I lived on the coast:
I'd evacuate completely - as in go hundreds of miles inland - for a Category 3 or higher for sure, or a storm that has a chance of reaching such before landfall (judgement made 36-48 hours out).
I'd stay in the area for a weaker storm, but not necessarily in my house (depending on storm surge and structural considerations).
I'd evacuate completely - as in go hundreds of miles inland - for a Category 3 or higher for sure, or a storm that has a chance of reaching such before landfall (judgement made 36-48 hours out).
I'd stay in the area for a weaker storm, but not necessarily in my house (depending on storm surge and structural considerations).
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CrazyC83
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george_r_1961 wrote:Anything over a strong Cat 1 I have to leave. I live in a mobile home but am not so much concerned about my home being damaged as I am about the surge damaging my car. We typically get about 18 inches of water here from an Isabel type storm.
Mobile homes should evacuate for ANY storm that has any chance of becoming a hurricane of any intensity. Even a Category 1 would do major damage to a mobile home.
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george_r_1961
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CrazyC83 wrote:george_r_1961 wrote:Anything over a strong Cat 1 I have to leave. I live in a mobile home but am not so much concerned about my home being damaged as I am about the surge damaging my car. We typically get about 18 inches of water here from an Isabel type storm.
Mobile homes should evacuate for ANY storm that has any chance of becoming a hurricane of any intensity. Even a Category 1 would do major damage to a mobile home.
The one i live in is pretty sturdy and anchored and withstood Cat 1 winds when Isabel went thru.
Even on the Gulf coast I saw mobile homes that withstood katrinas wrath. Well away from the surge though.
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I would say that I would leave at a 3 or higher. It really depends how close the eyewall would land close to me. I've been through a 2 (I was new to Charleston) and why I can't speak for any other areas, Charleston seemed weel prepared for the 2's I was in. Miminal flooding (I wasn't living in a flood zone), but the city response seemed well cordinated. I was only out of power 4-5 hours each time. It seemed like they closed the bridges in a reasonable time period, and clearing of trees and restoring power was to me super-fast. I think there's something to be said for a city that is well prepared and well organized.
That being said, I wasn't there for Hugo or Floyd. I understand conditions were considerably worse and not as coordinated. Maybe it takes a major hit to properly prepare for the "next one". Not that I think any amount of preparedness can get a city through a bad 3 or higher without considerable damage.
That being said, I wasn't there for Hugo or Floyd. I understand conditions were considerably worse and not as coordinated. Maybe it takes a major hit to properly prepare for the "next one". Not that I think any amount of preparedness can get a city through a bad 3 or higher without considerable damage.
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When I think I might drown.
Here, it's a crapshoot. I'm only a few feet above sea level and a few blocks from the ocean.And the worst damage I've seen locally was from a tropical storm (Mitch-spawned tornadoes) and a far-away cat 2-3 (Wilma).
One of the simplest things to consider: Leave if you want to save your car.
Here, it's a crapshoot. I'm only a few feet above sea level and a few blocks from the ocean.And the worst damage I've seen locally was from a tropical storm (Mitch-spawned tornadoes) and a far-away cat 2-3 (Wilma).
One of the simplest things to consider: Leave if you want to save your car.
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Stormcenter
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Opal storm wrote:I will probably stay home and ride out every storm like I have always.I don't live in a surge/flood zone so wind is my greatest concern during a hurricane.I use to say I would evacuate for anything higher than a 3 but I've heard all these horrific stories about being stuck on the interstate for hours and not finding a hotel to stay at and etc.I think it would be best if I just boarded up the windows,stock up on a few days worth of food and just hunker down here.
All I can say is "good luck"! By the way, I evacuate now when it is a Cat.2 or higher. I been there and done that and it was NOT pleasant.
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Cat 2 to a very well built structure 10 miles north of my home. Cat 3, I get the heck out of dodge at least 200+ miles before stopping. No one has to tell me to leave. That is how I avoided all of the traffic problems...................I left when S2K team members here all felt that my area was in danger. Nuff said for me!
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