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Based on what your neighbor said, I would not stay in the house for a Cat. 3. If you have trees that can fall on the house, then I would leave it for a Cat. 2.
Depending upon the lay of the land, I don't think flooding should be a big concern. I wish I lived 200' above sea level.
As I see it, your two big concerns consist of the wind flipping/damaging your house, and overall disruption, with power outages, blocked roads, lack of running water, lack of emergency services etc.
Based on what your neighbor said, I would not stay in the house for a Cat. 3. If you have trees that can fall on the house, then I would leave it for a Cat. 2.
Depending upon the lay of the land, I don't think flooding should be a big concern. I wish I lived 200' above sea level.
As I see it, your two big concerns consist of the wind flipping/damaging your house, and overall disruption, with power outages, blocked roads, lack of running water, lack of emergency services etc.
I think ill plan on staying for a Cat. 1 just to experience a Hurricane but no greater than a Cat 1. And...i would most likely stay in the garage i just had built since it is rated for a Cat 3. I do have a good size Generator for electricity which can also power the Well Pump for water. Anything greater than a Cat. 1, ill jump in the small RV and head into Alabama a ways.
I think ill plan on staying for a Cat. 1 just to experience a Hurricane but no greater than a Cat 1. And...i would most likely stay in the garage i just had built since it is rated for a Cat 3. I do have a good size Generator for electricity which can also power the Well Pump for water. Anything greater than a Cat. 1, ill jump in the small RV and head into Alabama a ways.
Just keep in mind that hurricanes spawn tornadoes too. Even a Cat one can destroy a mobile home or stick built house with a spawned tornado. I live on the ridge in C FL and have seen mighty oaks rooted up and broken like tooth pick during Charley. I watch some of these trees snap while I rode it out. Charley's sudden change in direction took thousands of us by surprise....Just some more things to consider. HTH...
Just keep in mind that hurricanes spawn tornadoes too. Even a Cat one can destroy a mobile home or stick built house with a spawned tornado. I live on the ridge in C FL and have seen mighty oaks rooted up and broken like tooth pick during Charley. I watch some of these trees snap while I rode it out. Charley's sudden change in direction took thousands of us by surprise....Just some more things to consider. HTH...
Oh yeah...I forgot about Tornados coming from hurricanes. I think ill just jump in the RV and take off.
Also remember that storms don't stay a particular category....the strength is a prediction as much as the trajectory is. So if you think you would "definitely" leave for a Cat 2 but stay for a Cat 1, it may be too late to evacuate if the storm becomes a Cat 2 before coming on shore.
I agree with previous posters that there are a lot of individual factors on whether your particular house migh be safe durign a hurricane. Personally after being through the eye of three hurricanes and on the outskirts of about that many more, I would not stay in a mobile home for any hurricane, regardless of category.
Also I think you asked at the very beginning about the underground storm shelters. Those make sense to me in Oklahoma, Kansas, etc. where the issue is "dry" tornadoes. I would be afraid of drowing in one during a hurricnae or having something fall on top of it and not being able to get out.
My house is a 1984 Mobile Home, and my neighbors is a 1980's Mobile as well. Both have been updated with straps under the Mobile every 4 feet and anchored into the ground. No shutters, just double pane windows. My neighbors house is about 600' from mine . He rode out a Cat. 3 (Ivan) and said it was a bit scary as he could feel the Mobile trying to lift up. He had some roof damage but not extensive.
So you are in a mobile home, no way would I stay in a mobile home for even a cat 1 hurricane. Tornados are part of hurricanes and it only takes one to come over your home. Here in Miami, all residents in a mobile home are under a mandatory evacuation during a Cat 1 hurricane. Please take your valuables and goto to friends in a CBS home with shutters or go to a shelter please...better yet file your RV up and get out of the area.
So you are in a mobile home, no way would I stay in a mobile home for even a cat 1 hurricane. Tornados are part of hurricanes and it only takes one to come over your home. Here in Miami, all residents in a mobile home are under a mandatory evacuation during a Cat 1 hurricane. Please take your valuables and goto to friends in a CBS home with shutters or go to a shelter please...better yet file your RV up and get out of the area.
The garage i just had built is made for a Cat. 3. so ill stay in that for a Cat. 1 or less. But anything more than Cat. 1, and ill head up to Alabama in my small RV.
Hurricanes are capricious and you have to deal with much more than just wind. A Category 3 may come into your area and do relatively little damage, but a Category I may dump 4 ft of rain on you. Plus, there is the issue of "guessing" it's strength at landfall. Remember Wilma, the most powerful hurricane ever seen in the Gulf? It went from a Cat 1 to to Cat 5 in less than 24 hours and hit the coast as a high end Cat 4. Katrina, on the other hand, dropped from a Cat 5 to a low end Cat 3 just before landfall but still killed 1500 people.
My advice? Why risk it? Get out. If it turns out to be nothing, you've only spent a little time and money. If it turns out worse, you may have saved your family's life.
Hurricanes are capricious and you have to deal with much more than just wind. A Category 3 may come into your area and do relatively little damage, but a Category I may dump 4 ft of rain on you. Plus, there is the issue of "guessing" it's strength at landfall. Remember Wilma, the most powerful hurricane ever seen in the Gulf? It went from a Cat 1 to to Cat 5 in less than 24 hours and hit the coast as a high end Cat 4. Katrina, on the other hand, dropped from a Cat 5 to a low end Cat 3 just before landfall but still killed 1500 people.
My advice? Why risk it? Get out. If it turns out to be nothing, you've only spent a little time and money. If it turns out worse, you may have saved your family's life.
Its difficult to argue against your rationale. Thanks. Ill heed it.
Back in 2001, Tropical Storm (TS) Allison hit Texas, and is the only TS in history to have its name retired because it caused unbelievable damage, mostly flooding if I remember correctly. Actually, my dad was trapped at work during the storm because the freeway was flooded.
And hurricanes can spawn tornadoes, so that's a whole 'nother thing to have to worry about...
I live pretty far inland. When Ike hit us, we mostly had downed trees, roof damage, power outages, and the like. A lot of areas didn't have power for a month, and it was pretty miserable.
If you plan to stay, it might not be a bad idea to invest in a generator, but power outages, in my opinion, aren't the number one thing I would personally be concerned about.
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