Hurritrax wrote:Ixolib, how far do you live inland, and how far inland did the surge go?
I don't live on the ocean but I'm about 1 mile from a river and sound....if a cat 4 or 5 hit us directly, the surge maps show my home as staying dry. After seeing the impacts of Katrina and Rita, I'm not so sure it would stay dry. The surge could be driven up the sound and river and cause a major flooding problem. BTW I'm about 18 feet above sealevel.
Well, post-Katrina, I'm certainly not a fan of pre-conceived surge maps. I'm at 30 feet above sea level and would never have imagined getting storm surge in my home. But I also live right in the middle of the Biloxi peninsula, so perhaps my expectatioins were unreasonable.
For our residents who live further inland, but still live on a river, they had minimal impact from the surge. But you say you also live on a "sound" at 18 feet above MSL.
That may be cause for concern!! I believe I'd listen V-E-R-Y closely to advisories from the NHC and, depending on where you are in relation to landfall, base your decisions on that. If you're right of the landfall, head for the hills. But if you're on the left side, other considerations should be taken. At only 18 feet, I'd ALWAYS be concerned...