Iceresistance wrote:dspguy wrote:tolakram wrote:
If people are looking for a reason not to evacuate they will find one. Not sure we can fix that problem
Back in 2018(?) there was some hurricane bearing down on the Myrtle Beach area. I have an elderly relative that lives around the border of NC/SC less than a mile from the ocean. I was trying to explain that by the time he can make the call to evacuate, he can't evacuate. It would be too late. He'd find any reason to not evacuate. "Look, the cone shift a little east/west, I'll be ok." I tried to explain that by the time they actually have an idea where the NE quadrant will land, he won't have time to get out. Considering he lives in a patio home only a few feet above sea level, he'd be that guy trapped in his attic with flood waters rising.
By a miracle, I got him to evacuate. And since when he came back he only had two large pines down in his yard and only minor water damage, apparently I was "wrong" and he should have stayed.
When the next one comes, they'll be no getting him out of there.
It really is a matter of people interpret it the way they want.
If I lived in hurricane prone areas, I would take zero chances to ride this out and just evacuate if a powerful hurricane (such as Ian that slammed into Florida) is coming my way. Just like when I must be ready to be in a tornado shelter when there is a Tornadic Supercell coming in my direction.
It's really kinda tough and definitely unpleasant if you are in South Florida. Remember you're basically a five hour drive without traffic (this is key) just to get to Jacksonville from Ft Lauderdale. There are pretty much only three main roads to get out from either the west coast or the east coast and there are something like 6m+ people just in the Miami/Broward/Palm Beach metros, and gas can be crazy to find. Also, the storm is likely moving north at an angle and has a chance to go up either the east or west coast, so if it ends up going more south and then up the west coast it could come back north east across the state and make it so you can't get back for a while.
Add in if you have pets, now you're likely stuck in a hotel the whole time, cause otherwise your dog will potentially bark the entire time if you leave and who knows what crazy things your cats might do. Of course most hotels don't take pets, if you're lucky to find a hotel easily, cause again 6 million people and really it could hit anywhere in that range and you really don't want to be out of power for a week in the Florida heat, especially if you have a kid(s)...
Speaking of which, having a 3 year old with you for five days in a Howard Johnson and you can't leave because of your generally super chill but suddenly demon pets... oh and your wife is pregnant...Well that got strangle strangely specific.
Totally gallows humor, I'm laughing to keep from crying. This is such an awful situation and I'm haunted by that 11pm shift in the track Tuesday night and the idea people went to bed thinking they're fine and wokinh up to an expected strengthening cat 4 with massive storm surge and tropical storm winds already at your door.
I couldn't take it anymore, it was too stressful so we moved to Raleigh. Under no impression that we can't get a major fast moving hurricane here and the building codes are so much more lax in terms of weather, but at least now I can drive five hours and be in so many different places, plus we're a 11 hour drive to family in western and upstate NY.
The biggest thing was the three roads to get off the peninsula and only being able to evacuate ultimately in one direction to the north that really ended up being my motivation to look for a move (plus it was Sept 2020, and we weren't going to see any family for likely a couple years because we weren't flying so that was super isolating).
<- but I know what you meant. Rainfall looked possibly underdone in some areas per 12z QPF, but maybe mid single inches ends up right?
