Outbound flights during evacuation? (flood, storm, season, traffic)

[HowdyYall]

Suppose there is a Cat 3-5 heading straight for me and i decide to quickly leave via airplane. Does anyone have any experience with the airlines during evacuations? The airlines said they add extra flights but the agent didn't sound too confident. I'm sure the airport is a mess, but i am wondering how bad does it get and if they do actually add extra flights.

Thanks

[Lisa_from_Debary]

I think if your visiting a place its definetly a good idea. I remember when the hurricanes were headed here they got all the visitors out of the Keys, many via plane.

However I would be driving out rather then flying if it was headed where I live. I have pets and a daughter...if you leave a car behind and the hurricane is bad enough...your car is a total write off. I also keep things like family pictures stored in water tight storage tubs that I would want to take along with me. I would have room to pile it all into my SUV and get out of here.

[HowdyYall]

i don't own a car. Even if i did, i hear it is bumper to bumper all the way to south georgia and gas stations run out of gas.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Originally Posted by HowdyYall

i don't own a car. Even if i did, i hear it is bumper to bumper all the way to south georgia and gas stations run out of gas.

That is true...however you would have to head out at an early time. I also have gas cans so I can carry 20 gallons of gas if I HAD to.

I can drive 400 miles on a full tank of gas not including what I would have in the cans.

Since moving here, I have learned about alot of backroads that you could take a LONG way if you needed to rather then the highway.

[Ladywithafan]

Originally Posted by HowdyYall

Suppose there is a Cat 3-5 heading straight for me and i decide to quickly leave via airplane. Does anyone have any experience with the airlines during evacuations? The airlines said they add extra flights but the agent didn't sound too confident. I'm sure the airport is a mess, but i am wondering how bad does it get and if they do actually add extra flights.

Thanks

They shut down the airports and I-75 & I-95 become parking lots. It gets very expensive very fast to evacuate. You can make all the preparation in the world, but your generator won't work under 10ft of standing water and neither will your ATM/credit cards when power is out...oh, & imagine the thought of walking around Florida with cash in your pockets; the thugs love it!

If you thought New Orleans was bad, should our storm of the century decide to hit us up, it has the possibility to become a nightmare here as well.

[Prichard]

i don't own a car. Even if i did, i hear it is bumper to bumper all the way to south georgia and gas stations run out of gas.

No question about it. When hurricanes threaten, we keep our cars full of gas. I'd drive out. We have two cars, and a couple of large gas tanks. I'd siphon the gas out of one of the cars into the tanks. Fill up if/when I could as traveling. But, I know from experience that I can make it from Orlando to north of Macon on one tank. Cut that in 1/2 due to traffic problems, and I should be able to get to I-10 on one tank. The reserve tanks will get me further if need be. Destiny would be N. Georgia.

I'd take everything I could cram in my car and some stuff I'd strap down on the roof.

Been through three hurricanes and flooding was never a problem where I live in central Florida. Lack of electtricity for 2+ weeks was a problem. I'd just enjoy a little time off in N. Georgia and come back when things calmed down. That's my plan.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Maybe I'm an optimist but things will have to get AWFULLY bad before I would evacuate. I am not in a flood zone, nothing got anywhere near to me when there was flooding.

Of course if they ordered an evacuation, I would leave but people from this area evacuated during the 2004 season really for no reason.

I have to say after hearing about and reading about the lawlessness that went on in South Florida after Andrew hit, I think one thing you need to have in your hurricane kit is a shot gun, rifle or handgun. Its sad that these kinds of events bring this out in people but its also a reality.