Anybody evacuate with a camper? (Tampa, Orlando: real estate market, oceanfront, rental)

[Skeens84]

Call me crazy but we are looking at the affordability of the beach side property in Brevard and realize hurricanes and evacuation are likely.

I had friends in SC when we lived there who hauled a camper inland from their oceanfront home during hurricanes. They stayed while power was off and came back home afterwards.

Anybody have experience evacuating their family with a camper and if so how do you gauge how far to go?

I realize storms make all sorts of last minute flips and turns

But if we are going to live beachside and invest eventually in a home, we want a real plan.

During IRMA my dad spend two days on the highway evacuating in the parking lot of I-95 , I have two young girls and a wife that would lose her mind, so evacuation for us means getting out early.

Thank you

[sware2cod]

I evacuate to a hotel. The particular hotel can vary based on the path of the storm.

[Skeens84]

Originally Posted by sware2cod

I evacuate to a hotel. The particular hotel can vary based on the path of the storm.

That’s what we did last time we had to but it was very expensive and boring for the little ones.

Do you evacuate locally in the county depending on the storm or do you try to get out of the path completely?

Did you have trouble finding a room or getting back home afterwards?

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by Skeens84

That’s what we did last time we had to but it was very expensive and boring for the little ones.

Do you evacuate locally in the county depending on the storm or do you try to get out of the path completely?

Did you have trouble finding a room or getting back home afterwards?

If you are going to evacuate from beachside, most tend to go to Orlando or Tampa, but if it is not predicted to hit South Florida you might even go South.

Getting out on I-95 is usually a 12 hour backup the day before predicted to hit the area. For Hurricane Francis we worked till 9 PM and then took off later. We got out of the state going US1. We ended up with family in Tennessee since it was Labor Day weekend and figured we might as well kill 2 birds with 1 stone. We left there to get back when the storm was still in middle counties of Florida and we saw Jim Cantore reporting from our neighborhood. Coming back the signs in South Carolina and GA. started saying gas up now since everything was closed in Florida. Miserable, rainy, tornado warned drive back with no where to stop to even go to the bathroom on the way in. Our ride back was mostly with the National Guard and Electric Company trucks coming into Florida to help. We had to recognize our exit because there were no signs. Now the exits are painted on the road too. In town they wrote the names of streets on the pavements, too. They were setting up the road blocks as we came into town. That was the last time we evacuated because it was more nerve wracking than the hurricane. We stayed with friends in Palm Bay for Jeanne.

A lot of people beach side just come across the causeway and stay with friends in block homes with shutters. The hard part is the no electricity but more people are getting the whole house generators than in storms past.

[Skeens84]

Originally Posted by Rabflmom

If you are going to evacuate from beachside, most tend to go to Orlando or Tampa, but if it is not predicted to hit South Florida you might even go South.

Getting out on I-95 is usually a 12 hour backup the day before predicted to hit the area. For Hurricane Francis we worked till 9 PM and then took off later. We got out of the state going US1. We ended up with family in Tennessee since it was Labor Day weekend and figured we might as well kill 2 birds with 1 stone. We left there to get back when the storm was still in middle counties of Florida and we saw Jim Cantore reporting from our neighborhood. Coming back the signs in South Carolina and GA. started saying gas up now since everything was closed in Florida. Miserable, rainy, tornado warned drive back with no where to stop to even go to the bathroom on the way in. Our ride back was mostly with the National Guard and Electric Company trucks coming into Florida to help. We had to recognize our exit because there were no signs. Now the exits are painted on the road too. In town they wrote the names of streets on the pavements, too. They were setting up the road blocks as we came into town. That was the last time we evacuated because it was more nerve wracking than the hurricane. We stayed with friends in Palm Bay for Jeanne.

A lot of people beach side just come across the causeway and stay with friends in block homes with shutters. The hard part is the no electricity but more people are getting the whole house generators than in storms past.

Very detailed account , thank you very much. I definitely and stowing away a rainy day fund specifically for installing a whole house generator once we purchase or next home. In addition to some shutters as well.

We are waiting to see what the real estate market is doing but we may come on down from St Johns county and find a rental until something that interests us comes available.

My wife wants to buy in Suntree or elsewhere but to me it’s part of living here and it’s something we have to deal with. If all else fails we will break the bank and stay at a Disney resort for a couple days and hopefully be able to get back home to our house.

I’ve notice the beachside of the space coast seems to have tons of houses away from the storm surge zones which in comparison to other areas we have looked at seems to be outstanding. I don’t think I would mind a 70s or 80s block rancher with a pool near the beach and in flood zone X. Seems a fair deal.

Thank you for your feedback!

[FireStation46]

We were on the west coast when Irma initially was expected to due the run up the east coast. Wrong. It swung up the west coast.

We got evacuated to a local high school but when that facility got overwhelmed we knew we has to bug out.

The drive up the west coast to Tampa was stressful as so many gas stations had no gas or electricity to run their pumps.

The hotel we got to did have some damage but was able to run at a more modest level of service ( breakfast/lunch/dinner menu was eat what we have or forgetabout it.) At least their A/C was running as well as the plumbing for toilets/showers. What a change from the evacuation HS we left !

We are considering a whole house generator at our home, just have not done it yet.

Even if we had to rely on a generator I will be very selective on what power we would use (fridge, chest freezer, lights) and refrain from using it for everything i.e. I would open the lanai sliders and using a Indoor High Velocity Fan in lieu of a/c.

If you do use a camper i hope it has enough fuel to get you far out of harm’s way.

The 2019 Florida hurricane season will officially begin on June 1, 2019, and end on November 30, 2019.

Good luck

[quattrohead]

Personally I think it is crazy to buy a home in a dangerous location like the beach. Save the high buying cost and insurance and use that money for a few days stay in a beach front hotel and take day trips to the beach with a picnic, no stress.

[Nypafl4u]

Originally Posted by quattrohead

Personally I think it is crazy to buy a home in a dangerous location like the beach. Save the high buying cost and insurance and use that money for a few days stay in a beach front hotel and take day trips to the beach with a picnic, no stress.

I think there is something special, beautiful, and comfortable about living with a direct view of water. There are risks involved and the cost is high (price, insurance and flood insurance). But nothing compares quite like it for many.

[Skeens84]

Originally Posted by Nypafl4u

I think there is something special, beautiful, and comfortable about living with a direct view of water. There are risks involved and the cost is high (price, insurance and flood insurance). But nothing compares quite like it for many.

I agree completely. There’s also something to the serenity and grandness of the ocean. Call me paranoid but I’m very concerned with social media and devices ruining my little ones. Even at their young age, the beach commands their attention without pause. There’s no argument over iPads or phones at the beach. Mom might read a book or take some photos , but we are a family when we are there.

The beach for us is a place that we can step away from the hustle of life. It’s like when you cross the dunes , you leave it all at the beach signs. With everything becoming developed, once you cross those dunes , it’s like it all stops even though you can see it if you turn back and look.

There’s something natural and visceral about being in nature, something I feel like is just in our DNA. I think even young children feel it.

The pool is great, the playground and the lake are nice. But the beach is a wonderful place to cool off in the heat. (If you do it right) to each is own. The ocean is living an breathing and the amount of activities you can take part in with your kids gives us another tool to ward off social media and smartphones.

The risks can be negated somewhat by planning a strategy that’s practical and achievable. That’s why I asked this question . We will want to evacuate early so doing so will mean a very high lodging bill at a hotel inland. I was hoping to gain some perspective from others who Have experience with negating this cost and leaving early with a camper, before the gas wells are dry and the roads are parking lots.

We are considering Oviedo outside of Orlando for this very issue as my wife is terribly paranoid. But I have also somewhat convinced her that a concrete home with shutters and a back up generator out of the flood
Plain could also be a safe option . This could in Melbourne or Viera. We just have to watch school ratings and housing costs.

[City Guy997S]

40+ years in SE Florida always within just a couple miles of the coastline. Never evacuated even when the eye passed within 50 miles of my house.

Current house, full shutters/whole house standby generator.