I've only evacuated once and it was early in my life here on the coast (um...well, okay...so it was last year during Faye and I got worried
). I filled up the gas tank, went to the bank for cash, and then packed up my car with clothes, all my irreplacable family stuff (my parents are both deceased so that's all I have left), my tool box, my first aid stuff, and my hard drive. Then I left.
I had food and water already at home. And I didn't want to take the time to go to the crowded stores here on the island and fight over more bottled water. I wanted to get on the road. Plus I didn't want to haul all that since I didn't have room for it. The way I figured it was that, when all was said and done with the storm, I would be left with 3 possibilities.
1) If the storm did get strong and I came home to damage at my residence (as in, totally demolished), the food and water wouldn't be accessible anyway.
2) If the storm got strong, but not severe, I might come home to no electricity, no running water, and debris in the streets, but still livable conditions at my home and the food and water supply would already be there.
or
3) If the storm was minor, which she was, I would just return home and get back to life was I knew it.
My thinking was, if #1 happened and I already saw on the news how bad the damage was, then I would buy stuff while still in Dallas (my evac point) and then of course, I'd wonder why I'm going back to Galveston anyway. If #2 happened, I would still have shelter, food, and water...just no AC. Yuck.
So, my question is -- what do most of you do...or plan to do? Take it or leave it or buy it later where supplies (and cost) is less or what? Just interested to know.
Thanks,
~Duck