Is EVERYONE evacuating

[jes]

Am I the only person that will be left in Mobile? I'm kidding - I have lots of friends who are staying. But, seriously I'm noticing lots of people on this board talking about leaving town. Do you all live in mandatory evacuation areas?

[PTPatrick]

The reality is that if this is a cat 4 there is NO safe place in Jackson, Mobile, Baldwin, or Escambia counties. People will ride it out and probably survive...but they wish they hadn't. They need only ask the people that road out Andrew and Camille in the brick homes 10 and 15 miles inland. Most people I have spoken to that weathered Fredric said they would never do it again...and this could be worse.

[Southern4sure]

We are leaving at 3 am in the morning....hopefully the traffic wont be to bad. A storm this intese isn't safe no matter if it's mandatory or not...which I'm not under the mandatory evac.

Southern4sure

[WeatherNLU]

We are leaving at 3 am in the morning....hopefully the traffic wont be to bad. A storm this intese isn't safe no matter if it's mandatory or not...which I'm not under the mandatory evac.

Southern4sure

We are doing the same thing. If the turn has not happened (which it won't) by 4AM we are going to leave just to be safe. The meteorologist in me wants to stay, but the father of two in me says better safe than sorry.

P.S. Sorry to crash the Mobile thread!

[Chilly_Water]

I can ditto what PTPatrick said. My GF and her family stayed for Hugo about ten miles inland and twenty miles south of eye landfall on Sullivan's Island and my GF(be it only 12 at the time) said she'd never do it again. Their house didn't get much damage either.

[TSmith274]

I just posted reccomending someone in Biloxi to leave. If I were in Mobile I would definitely leave. Judging from the forecast, this seems to be a worst case scenario for Mobile.

[jes]

I was here for Frederick. Frederick was a weak 4 just before landfall and then became a strong 3 when it came in. Of course the bad winds only lasted 4 or 5 hours. So Frederick and this storm are similar in strength. I guess the bad part is the amount of time we have to endure the winds from this storm. For some reason I just don't think we will have 140 mph winds for the entire 10 hours or so. Am I wrong? Maybe I should go - I just can't decide. They say Montgomery is also in a state of emergency- they have opened shelters etc. -- they are expecting lots of tornados -- so that doesn't sound good.

[PTPatrick]

Jes...we are unfortunately in the too late group. Too late to get far enough for it to really matter. We got lucky and got a motel room, but there is nothing left inland AL or MS. So you should probably hunker down if you live in a brick home...but be prepared to be crouched in the closet with matress over your head.

[GuffMorlix]

If Ivan comes ashore as powerful as forecasters are predicting, comparisons to Frederic are off. Frederic was an extremely dry hurricane that hit at low tide, minimizing the tidal surge and the flooding potential. Frederic also became disorganized right before landfall, which caused the drop from Cat 4 to 3 and shortened its duration. Mobile caught a break 25 years ago. It might not be so lucky this time.

I fear Ivan is no Frederic, which makes me worry for my hometown.

[kokomo]

Hot ocean prompting eyewall replacement, he's going to rock and roll soon like kat4mandu soon.

<img src=http://marine.rutgers.edu/cool/regions/gulfmexico/sst_comp/noaa/2004/img/040908.252.comp.lnt.jpg>

[MBismyPlayground]

Jes, If you are having problems leaving I have a few friends in the area that will be leaving soon......Could make a call for you if you need help??
But Mobile is NO place to be!!! Over 100 mile hour winds......seriously, you should of already packed up you and your pets and POOFED out of there!! Please let me know if you need help, this is very very serious, probably not like anything you have ever experienced. They expect the winds to last a VERY long time. Think about how long it will last with no electric and how afraid your little animals will be.

[vespersparrow]

I'll be 'evacuating' right into work. I work at a nursing home so I haven't really got a choice. Our admin even passed around a news article about nurses in S. Florida that were fired when they failed to show up for work during the canes...threats during a storm, that's what we get.
My house will be flooded when I get back, I live right off a bayou behind NAS Pensacola, I truly hope you all stay safe. May Christ walk with you.
And if you don't believe in Christ, may He walk with you anyway.
Safety to you.

[baygirl_1]

Jes--

We got out yesterday and made it here to Auburn. My mother is elderly with some health problems and I wanted her away from the worst. But, we need to be close to get back. If you do leave, I'd suggest going east, perhaps. North is really busy. If we hadn't had a place to stay up here, we would've headed to Orlando, believe it or not! The effects up here should be bad, but not as bad as alsong the coast.

My sister and her family are riding it out in West Mobile. Also, we have many friends riding it out. Some of those are south of I-10, esp. in Baldwin County. Some are like you-- not sure what to do. You have got to make a decision very soon. Listen to what authorities are telling you and act accordingly.

Stay safe and everyone down there is in my thoughts and prayers (esp. those trying to get out as a type this).

Take care!

[charleston_hugo_veteran]

Am I the only person that will be left in Mobile? I'm kidding - I have lots of friends who are staying. But, seriously I'm noticing lots of people on this board talking about leaving town. Do you all live in mandatory evacuation areas?

This is near the pressure of Hugo. You DO NOT WANT TO BE AROUND FOR THIS!

[TideFreak]

I was here and 19 at the time when Frederic hit, and is there really a chance that this could be worse? Not trying to ask a stupid question, but Frederic was unlike anything I have ever experienced.

[Brent]

I was here for Frederick. Frederick was a weak 4 just before landfall and then became a strong 3 when it came in. Of course the bad winds only lasted 4 or 5 hours. So Frederick and this storm are similar in strength. I guess the bad part is the amount of time we have to endure the winds from this storm. For some reason I just don't think we will have 140 mph winds for the entire 10 hours or so. Am I wrong? Maybe I should go - I just can't decide. They say Montgomery is also in a state of emergency- they have opened shelters etc. -- they are expecting lots of tornados -- so that doesn't sound good.

This is no Frederick. Sorry. This system is HUGE and moving slower. The coastline has the potential to recieve hurricane force sustained winds for up to 18 hours. The strongest winds should last for many hours too.

I hope the surge can't get to you either.

[Islandgirl]

I have family on Santa Rosa Beach, near Destin. They will not leave. Said they have been through lots of hurricanes. So, I will just pray for them , as well as anyone else in the path of this storm.

[stu]

I am in mobile right now and I am shocked by the amount of people who are still in mobile.