grounding flights?

[Deputy Van Halen]

Does anyone know what the usual time frame is for grounding commercial airline flights in and/or out of a city when a major hurricane is approaching?

I live near Houston but am supposed to be out of town on vacation next week. I'm wondering how feasible it would be to plan on flying back in to retrieve my irreplaceable belongings from my house should Dean be making a beeline for it.

I am, of course, prepared to endure ridicule from people here horrified that I would consider intentionally going toward a dangerous storm.

[secretforecaster]

They usually adhere to the NHC & it depends on the conditions.

If you remember before Rita (I was living in Houston then) the last flights out that day were scheduled to leave by noon & then they closed both Hobby & IAH. I am going off my memory, but my roommate at the time was a Flight Attendant & I remember she was called out that morning. Hopefully others will chime in.

You would be flying into Houston & then driving to Texas City, right?

[Deputy Van Halen]

They usually adhere to the NHC & it depends on the conditions.

If you remember before Rita (I was living in Houston then) the last flights out that day were scheduled to leave by noon & then they closed both Hobby & IAH. I am going off my memory, but my roommate at the time was a Flight Attendant & I remember she was called out that morning. Hopefully others will chime in.

You would be flying into Houston & then driving to Texas City, right?

Yes, flying into Hobby and picking up my car from a nearby lot.

I'm thinking it might be better just to quickly rent a storage unit in a safer location, and move in the sentimental stuff I couldn't bear to lose before I leave. I also have a cat. My stubborn pet sitter claims she would not evacuate, and could take my cat to her (somewhat safer) house, but I am less than sure of how her courage would hold up if a particularly menacing storm were on the way.

[secretforecaster]

Okay.

Just MAKE SURE to get insurance on the things you put in storage. Not trying to be negative, but I lost the ENTIRE contents of my place when I had a moving company to store it for me when I moved from Houston. All of my things were stolen & the compensation helps but my things were worth more than that. It was a disaster. Many things can be replaced, but the sentimental things cannot. If I were you & that situation arose I would keep as many important sentimental things with me as I could. Could you take your cat back with you?

Prayerfully you won't have to enact this possible plan.

[digitaldahling]

Yes, flying into Hobby and picking up my car from a nearby lot.

I'm thinking it might be better just to quickly rent a storage unit in a safer location, and move in the sentimental stuff I couldn't bear to lose before I leave.

If you don't rent a storage unit, pick up a rental truck at the airport instead of your car. Load all your sentimental and/or irreplaceable items in the truck and leave town in it, taking those valuables with you wherever you go.

[hiflyer]

First hint of timing on an airlines suspension of service will come from forecast winds over the airport....excess of 40 sustained usually means suspension of ops due to above wind loads for the jetways as well as the catering lift trucks. Secondly will be local evacuation/curfew orders....airport employees are people first and need to be home taking care of their families just like anyone else. Crosswinds on available runways is the final clincher....again above 35 will probably be a show stopper. In advance of that will be an ever increasing series of cancellations to reduce exposure and manpower needed at the field. Airlines usually start about 18-24 hrs out on a 'well behaved' storm but normally wait until about 6-8 hrs to really begin to pull the plug. The larger the carrier at the airport the more in advance they will go.

[Capella]

Also kinda depends on how much of your stuff you see as irreplaceable and exactly how irreplaceable it really is. If the load is fairly light, you could always just pack up a large box and take it with you in the cargo hold of the plane.

Fully packed up, we evacuated from Rita in a 2 seater sports car. Admittedly it was packed from window to ceiling and the cat was pretty darn uncomfortable - but the majority of it was actually clothing and stuff to keep us settled camping out at my father in law's- stuff you'd already have the basics of packed for a trip. Took the silver, the wedding photos, the baby books, and the financial records and that's about it.

Before you go, secure everything that's not nailed down- we put the crystal, china, and other breakables in the filing cabinet in an interior room with the lamps and the art that was just too large to take with us, moved several large boxes of replaceable stuff in front of the somewhat flimsy patio doors to help keep them closed, put a tarp over the piano and all of the kitchen appliances unplugged into cabinets.

Not much you can do in a true evacuation situation- it's not like you can take it all anyways. You're either going to lose the majority of it, or none of it.

If you think you do have to come back for it though, have it packed up before you leave so it's just a case of throwing the boxes into a car and getting out of Dodge. If you're cutting it close you mayhave difficulties getting out of the city anyways and any delays may cost you.

[thunderchief]

most flights will be cancelled many hours before the onset of TS strength winds, ahead of a hurricane. Yes the airliners can operate in winds of 35 knots, but the airline personel will be evacuating, and the airline doesnt want to cut it that close with a 100 million dollar plane, their flight crew in the line of fire. What if it has a mechanical issue with winds picking up through 35? They are screwed! The larger the storm the more likely the airline is to cancel flights well in advance.