Where do you evacuate to?

[jes]

How many miles wide is Florida at the Ft Lauderdale point? Where do you in South Florida evacuate to since it doesn't appear you can go inland. How many miles up the state do you have to go when there is a storm like this that should turn North at sometime. I think the airlines should come get all of you - 3 scary, tiring trips in the last month or so is just too much.

[inotherwords]

Well, just for instance, where I live is just 3.5 hours from N. Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area. Go across Alligator Alley and up 75 to mile marker 195. We are supposed to get sustained winds of about 25-30 on Sunday.

Sure beats Cat 2 or 3, and yeah, there's always the outside chance that the storm could track due west and across the state, giving us Cat I or possibly II conditions. But I still think this would be preferable to toughing it out on the east FL coast in a pretty much given Cat 2 or 3.

[Buck]

Key West.

[schmita]

Let's see. I would go south. Key Biscayne for a little R & R.
Seriously my sisters are at 26.6 (WPB) and they are going south to Pembroke Pines.......
That's just what we think.
I am in Sint Maarten. Come on down!

[Zadok]

If you run this storm could chase you down like a dog.

[Terry]

We're all comin' to your house, Jes. Hope the pets won't mind.

[Ixolib]

IMO, the decision to evacuate should be based on several things - not just the category of the storm. For instance, for me, I consider:

Am I in a surge area?
Is my home solid?
Have I boarded appropriately?
Am I surrounded by tall tress like pines or are there large oaks right over my roof?
Do I have the means to support my existance in the short term?
etc... etc... etc...

I just believe sometimes it is as safe to stay at your home as it might be to go elsewhere - considering the factors above, of course.

[jes]

Schmita - I'd love to come, but I try to stay off the interstate system and with all the trees on the back roads from Mobile to South Florida the trip would take too long. Terry - you are all welcome, but remember one of my cats we think is half Bob cat.

[crice]

The state officials discourage out-of-state evacuations for S. Fla because of the unique geography. You should first consider the shelters in your own county. An advantage to this is that you will be able to get back to your house to either begin repairs or at least survey the damage quicker than if you go hundreds of miles away. The state emergency management folks have nightmares about tens of thousands of evacuees stranded on I-95 riding out a Cat 3 or worse storm in bumper to bumper traffic. Too bad Jeb refuses to build the Bullet Train we voted for in 2004!

[Canelaw99]

We live in Homestead, basically where the Turnpike meets US1. When we evac, we go to my hubby's parents' house up by The Falls (Sw 136th and US1). They're not in a flood zone, and since their house backs onto a canal, it's built up more than others in the neighborhood.

[inotherwords]

The state officials discourage out-of-state evacuations for S. Fla because of the unique geography.

Well, that's interesting (and I disagree with you), because a couple of weeks ago, when we were in the direct sights of Ivan, a Sarasota County Emergency Management representative went on local TV saying that anyone in Sarasota County who doesn't really need to be here should evacuate to Georgia. I'm not saying that this is always the best solution, but sometimes it is. You have to use your judgement.

You should first consider the shelters in your own county.

Well, again a nice idea, except some of us have pets, and many shelters do not accept them.

An advantage to this is that you will be able to get back to your house to either begin repairs or at least survey the damage quicker than if you go hundreds of miles away.

Travel through Punta Gorda or Port Charlotte today, and you'll still see a sea of blue tarps over roofs. More than five weeks later, people are still waiting for insurance adjustors or for people who can repair their homes. I am currently renting to victims of CHarley whose mobile home was destroyed. They have yet to talk to their insurance agent. Sorry, but it's a fact of life. Even if you evactate just a few miles away, it still may take you weeks to get help of any kind. So to me, better to be safe than sorry. It's pretty easy to outrun a hurricane if you start early enough.

The state emergency management folks have nightmares about tens of thousands of evacuees stranded on I-95 riding out a Cat 3 or worse storm in bumper to bumper traffic.

Which is why you need to be smart and evacuate before orders go out if you are in coastal areas where it's inevitable. Or if you can evacuate in the middle of the night. Even a few hours can make a big difference if you can anticipate and react. Waiting until the last minute is the worst solution.

[HurricaneQueen]

Schmita - I'd love to come, but I try to stay off the interstate system and with all the trees on the back roads from Mobile to South Florida the trip would take too long. Terry - you are all welcome, but remember one of my cats we think is half Bob cat.

Schmita is in St. Maarten in the Caribbean not S. Fl. It's a little hard to drive there and the flights are very expensive. It would be nice if we could all evacuate there. Greatest place in the world and our second home!

[inotherwords]

The state officials discourage out-of-state evacuations for S. Fla because of the unique geography.

Well, that's interesting (and I disagree with you), because a couple of weeks ago, when we were in the direct sights of Ivan, a Sarasota County Emergency Management representative went on local TV saying that anyone in Sarasota County who doesn't really need to be here should evacuate to Georgia. I'm not saying that this is always the best solution, but sometimes it is. You have to use your judgement.

You should first consider the shelters in your own county.

Well, again a nice idea, except some of us have pets, and many shelters do not accept them. Shelters also have many disadvantages. Ask the people in Arcadia who stayed in one whose roof caved in. Or just ask those who try to get to sleep with all the ambient noise around them. A comfortable motel or hotel room in another state is far preferable.

An advantage to this is that you will be able to get back to your house to either begin repairs or at least survey the damage quicker than if you go hundreds of miles away.

Travel through Punta Gorda or Port Charlotte today, and you'll still see a sea of blue tarps over roofs. More than five weeks later, people are still waiting for insurance adjustors or for people who can repair their homes. I am currently renting to victims of CHarley whose mobile home was destroyed. They have yet to talk to their insurance agent. Sorry, but it's a fact of life. Even if you evactate just a few miles away, it still may take you weeks to get help of any kind. So to me, better to be safe than sorry. It's pretty easy to outrun a hurricane if you start early enough.

The state emergency management folks have nightmares about tens of thousands of evacuees stranded on I-95 riding out a Cat 3 or worse storm in bumper to bumper traffic.

Which is why you need to be smart and evacuate before orders go out if you are in coastal areas where it's inevitable. Or if you can evacuate in the middle of the night. Even a few hours can make a big difference if you can anticipate and react. Waiting until the last minute is the worst solution.

[jes]

Hurricanqueen,
Oh well, at least noone knows my real name - I feel somewhat silly. Too bad they don't have a ferry since the plane fare is so expensive. Actually, getting to know people even just a little bit on the board it nice, because if I ever did take a vacation there someday I could look her up.

[schmita]

Any time Jes. And MsBee is here too!!!

[SootyTern]

They definently encourage people in Dade co (and Broward, too?) to evacuate within-county; to friends or relatives first and then shelters if necessary. There's just too many people to get out of this narrow peninsula in time if a storm comes, and the authorities would prefer if evacuation routes are available for those that truly need it (ie trailers, beachfront, etc.)

[SeaBrz_FL]

...anyone in Sarasota County who doesn't really need to be here should evacuate to Georgia.

This Sarasota EM rep should be fired immediately! Because of false information like this, which caused undue panic among the citizens, we had a gas shortage through three storms that impacted emergency rescue personnel from getting where they were needed because they couldn't get gas.

It's a really easy formula -- leave mobile homes, manufactured homes, and barrier islands. Find sturdy hurricane-rated mainland shelter within your OWN community. Twenty miles inland in this type shelter is fine.

[Ixolib]

...as I said earlier - evacuation from a storm is typically not necessary unless certain factors exist (or don't exist).

Sheltering in a solid home, properly protected/boarded, and away from surge and HUGE trees is typically a reasonable scenario. There are numerous documented cases of people evacuating up to 200 miles away and ending up in worse shape than if they'd have stayed in thier own homes. Tornados and car wrecks are examples of dangers "away" from a storm's center. And other freak-type accidents have been noted as well.