Good time to begin reviewing your evacuation plans in case the big one draws a bead on your area. Start by determining where you would evacuate to (friends and family ideal) if not an option, get a list of hotels you can call quickly to book a reservation if needed. Hotels fill up in about 3-4 hours of a threat being percieved as real.
Plan on long travel times and limited fuel supplies. We have seen many cases of 2 hour drives taking 20-24 hours. My plan is to bug out at 2:00 am after the road warriors who left at 5:00 am wear down and go to sleep!
Always remember, the chance of a major hitting any specific area are extremely low. Get your plans together now, because I promise you will have your hands full with other details!
Fight or Flight
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Fight or Flight
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southerngale
- Retired Staff
- Posts: 27418
- Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2002 1:27 am
- Location: Southeast Texas (Beaumont area)
When I evacuated for Rita, the people who left on Wednesday during the voluntary evacuation and on Thursday after the mandatory evacuation was issued were stuck on the road for those insane amounts of hours (10 miles in 4 hours, stuff like that). I left about 3am Wednesday night/Thursday morning and my normal one hour trip north took less than 1 1/2 hours. I'll do that again in a heartbeat.
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MGC
- S2K Supporter
- Posts: 5885
- Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2003 9:05 pm
- Location: Pass Christian MS, or what is left.
I left for Katrina when the first feeder bands were coming ashore. I under estimated the size of Katrina. Katrina was the first hurricane I had ever evacuated for. Next time, and hopefully there won't be, I'm going to try and get out the day before. But, with my work schedule that might again prove to be difficult.....MGC
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Okay folks, IMHO we have a great advantage that the masses don't......Storm2K. I knew well ahead of time that my location was going to be in imminent danger for Rita thanks to the pros and information right here. I knew that the evac orders were going to be given within hours and got out before the announcement was made. I made it with absolutely no problems or ADDED STRESS in an already stressful situation. I don't need a person to tell me to seek shelter and safety when a hurricane is approaching and neither do you. In my experiences here, we generally have a heads up on the local media sometimes by hours. 
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DanKellFla
- Category 5
- Posts: 1291
- Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 12:02 pm
- Location: Lake Worth, Florida
DanKellFla wrote:Is it just me or does anybody else find the "Get ready for the season" threads patronizing? After all, anybody in these forums is already aware of the situation.
NO, I don't. It wasn't all that long ago that the very information, tips and tricks I learned from the experiences of others here helped me to learn how to make even more improved and efficient preps. I appreciate the wisdom that is shared here because you certainly won't find it in a hurricane readiness pamplet.
If the Hurricane Prepardness makes you feel like you are being patronized then you can bypass them as they are generally very clearly labeled. As for myself, even after my life was flipped upside down for the past 8 months following Rita I still feel that I can learn more effecient and better ways to handle "the next one".
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DanKellFla
- Category 5
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- Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 12:02 pm
- Location: Lake Worth, Florida
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AdvAutoBob
- S2K Supporter
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- Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2004 5:03 pm
- Location: North Ft Myers, FL
- Contact:
DanKellFla wrote:Is it just me or does anybody else find the "Get ready for the season" threads patronizing? After all, anybody in these forums is already aware of the situation.
Absolutely not! I had been tracking hurricanes since I was 9 years old, and devoured anything and everything related to hurricanes, TV specials, books, etc. and thought I was well prepared. That is until Charley. I then found out how much I DIDN'T know. Now at the beginning of every season, I reread all the preparation tips, aftermath stories, etc. to drive that point home. I was consequently VERY prepared for Wilma, but fortunately for us, she went a bit south of the projected track. I'm still not 100% prepared for this season, due to the gas company being mired in red tape getting the tank for my standby genset in (love Cape Coral's permitting process...you practically need a permit to change the toilet paper in your bathroom!). My supply list is complete, and almost filled out. So any reminder is to me just that... a reminder.
8 days to go.... are YOU ready?
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Cookiely
- S2K Supporter
- Posts: 3211
- Age: 74
- Joined: Fri Aug 13, 2004 7:31 am
- Location: Tampa, Florida
DanKellFla wrote:Is it just me or does anybody else find the "Get ready for the season" threads patronizing? After all, anybody in these forums is already aware of the situation.
Are you joking? I was born and raised here in Tampa and must have read everything I could get my hands on concerning hurricane preparation. Yet I learn something new on Storm2K all the time. Thanks to all the great people on this website for sharing their expertise and professioanl opinions, not to mention the emotional support I receive when we are threatened by a hurricane.
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DanKellFla wrote:Is it just me or does anybody else find the "Get ready for the season" threads patronizing? After all, anybody in these forums is already aware of the situation.
Less is not more. I have learned and continue to learn from others tips and experiences. Keep the good information comming!
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Stormtrack
- Tropical Storm
- Posts: 112
- Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 7:11 pm
- Location: Angleton, Tx
southerngale wrote:When I evacuated for Rita, the people who left on Wednesday during the voluntary evacuation and on Thursday after the mandatory evacuation was issued were stuck on the road for those insane amounts of hours (10 miles in 4 hours, stuff like that). I left about 3am Wednesday night/Thursday morning and my normal one hour trip north took less than 1 1/2 hours. I'll do that again in a heartbeat.
Had your evacuation included traveling on the freeeways or beltway in Houston you would have found that there was no time of the day or night Wednesday or Thursday that you could have left and not spent incredible amounts of time stuck in traffic. Since I live south of Houston, I plan on traveling backroads next time and avoiding the Houston congestion.
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My .02
There is no such thing as being over-prepared...ask those who recently lived through Ivan, Katrina or, to a far lesser extent, Wilma (two weeks no power in here Broward County, Florida), etc.....
After Wilma, the weather was mercifully cool here and we still suffered through two weeks with no power, water or gas stations. It was like a camping trip from hell (and I had ice, water, gas grill and extra LP, florecent lamps - Coleman makes these great stand-up, battery-operated hand-lanterns that throw tons of light & run forever on 4 D batteries - highly recommended- get one for each family member - trips to bathroom at night etc - extra batteries, a battery-operated B&W tv/radio -purchased for $15 bucks- I had a generator, gas for the generator, full tanks of gas in all cars and cash on hand). Afterwards, folks everywhere were cranky and tired even though IT WAS UNSEASONABLY COOL...multiply that times 5 if its hot and humid and people can't sleep comfortably which is likely to be the case next time.
As prepared as I typically am, If I knew that there would be no power for two weeks the next time...I would just leave. Its just not worth it. Assuming you have an inhabitable structure after a storm (which you may not) the weeks that follow even an Cat 1 are still a relatively miserable experience (and again I am talking here about my experience after little ol' WILMA!)
There is just no sense in staying if you are not going to be able to work b/c your office has no power and you can't drive much b/c there are no street lights (something like 95% of all street lights in Broward were down for weeks) they can't pump the gas out of the ground and you have to allow for possiblity of extended generator usage on what you have on hand, no hot showers, cooking is difficult even with LP and generator power (ever try washing pots and pans without hot, safe water from the tap? It is not fun. How about doing that for two or more weeks with out ever screwing it up and getting someone sick from a water-born bug? You can use paper and plastic for place settings but not for pots and pans). How about washing your hands? Every little thing is more difficult. (by the way I recommend having bleach wipes and waterless hand sanitizer on hand).
Anyway, my point is that there is nothing honorable in toughing it out if you don't have to (especially if you have children or elderly in your care). Don't get me wrong, its doable, but why go through that if you can possibly avoid it...visit Aunt Virginia in Atlanta..whatever.
In short, my answer is an unequivocal FLIGHT if you have the ability to do so. (fyi, I spent week one after wilma cleaning up & the first day FLL airport opened I flew to an all-inclusive resort until the power came back on -- it was such a good decision missed no work and only spent around $1000 )
I realize that the all-inclusive and Aunt Ginny's isnt always an option for people, but next time, if I can, I ready the house and leave beforehand (with cell nos of neighbors and office personnel for damage assessment and security).
BTW note the lamps and the hand sanitizer, they are my best off-the-beaten-path tips!
Sorry for the length. Hope some of that helps.
There is no such thing as being over-prepared...ask those who recently lived through Ivan, Katrina or, to a far lesser extent, Wilma (two weeks no power in here Broward County, Florida), etc.....
After Wilma, the weather was mercifully cool here and we still suffered through two weeks with no power, water or gas stations. It was like a camping trip from hell (and I had ice, water, gas grill and extra LP, florecent lamps - Coleman makes these great stand-up, battery-operated hand-lanterns that throw tons of light & run forever on 4 D batteries - highly recommended- get one for each family member - trips to bathroom at night etc - extra batteries, a battery-operated B&W tv/radio -purchased for $15 bucks- I had a generator, gas for the generator, full tanks of gas in all cars and cash on hand). Afterwards, folks everywhere were cranky and tired even though IT WAS UNSEASONABLY COOL...multiply that times 5 if its hot and humid and people can't sleep comfortably which is likely to be the case next time.
As prepared as I typically am, If I knew that there would be no power for two weeks the next time...I would just leave. Its just not worth it. Assuming you have an inhabitable structure after a storm (which you may not) the weeks that follow even an Cat 1 are still a relatively miserable experience (and again I am talking here about my experience after little ol' WILMA!)
There is just no sense in staying if you are not going to be able to work b/c your office has no power and you can't drive much b/c there are no street lights (something like 95% of all street lights in Broward were down for weeks) they can't pump the gas out of the ground and you have to allow for possiblity of extended generator usage on what you have on hand, no hot showers, cooking is difficult even with LP and generator power (ever try washing pots and pans without hot, safe water from the tap? It is not fun. How about doing that for two or more weeks with out ever screwing it up and getting someone sick from a water-born bug? You can use paper and plastic for place settings but not for pots and pans). How about washing your hands? Every little thing is more difficult. (by the way I recommend having bleach wipes and waterless hand sanitizer on hand).
Anyway, my point is that there is nothing honorable in toughing it out if you don't have to (especially if you have children or elderly in your care). Don't get me wrong, its doable, but why go through that if you can possibly avoid it...visit Aunt Virginia in Atlanta..whatever.
In short, my answer is an unequivocal FLIGHT if you have the ability to do so. (fyi, I spent week one after wilma cleaning up & the first day FLL airport opened I flew to an all-inclusive resort until the power came back on -- it was such a good decision missed no work and only spent around $1000
)
I realize that the all-inclusive and Aunt Ginny's isnt always an option for people, but next time, if I can, I ready the house and leave beforehand (with cell nos of neighbors and office personnel for damage assessment and security).
BTW note the lamps and the hand sanitizer, they are my best off-the-beaten-path tips!
Sorry for the length. Hope some of that helps.
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