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Just doing what you're told can work against you. Parts of Zone B in Manhattan were flooded, which authorities said were safe from the storm surge. The authorities also had predictions about power restoration which turned out to be way too optimistic, et cetera. That said, it is wiser to evacuate than not to evacuate, especially when the government tells you to - if anything the government is too optimistic, so when they tell you it's going to be unsafe, you'd better listen. Nothing, aside from perhaps your bank account, will be harmed by erring on the side of evacuating, but there are all sorts of dangers from not evacuating. The government has no right to prevent people from returning to their own property just because they deem it unsafe. If I, as an owner, understand it's unsafe and take on that risk, that is my risk to take. However, if I had anything valuable I was concerned about protecting (as these people seem to have) I would take it with me when I evacuated. So if I evacuated, I wouldn't have any problem staying away until the all clear is given.
I'm prepared to evacuate if necessary from my location*. If there's the potential for massive damage and long-term power outages (and the associated oppression, such as curfews), I would leave without hesitation, and stay in a contingency location outside of the disaster zone for as long as necessary. Then again, I'm in a better situation than many of these people affected by Sandy. I have a car, I'm not on an island, I have some supplies on hand, and I have enough spare cash for travel expenses. In other words, I'm prepared to evacuate and can afford a decent lifestyle while staying elsewhere.
*My location is very unlikely to have a disaster that requires evacuation, but it's always best to be prepared. Power outages that last for a week or more can occur anywhere.
I lived on the Mississippi coast during Katrina and for three years after. Katrina was my first, I had just moved down. I had one rule. If the spelling begins with a "H", I leave.
One of the big problems with this storm and evacuation was Hurricane Irene in late August of last year. It was closely watched, hyped up on the news and then hit with far less of an impact on the coastal areas than anyone thought. Enormous amounts of damage did occur with Irene, but it was more inland. Because of the amounts of rain dumped down, inland towns near rivers and creeks that had never before had flood problems were swamped. One of my coworkers lived near the Passaic River for more than 30 years, always had flood insurance, and never once hand experienced any danger of a flood until Irene came along and the river came into her house four feet deep. (She just got the last of everything fixed about three weeks before Sandy, and the water came back in.)
But, to some of the people on the coast, especially on Staten Island, Irene was a lot of noise over nothing, and many of them believed Sandy would be the same thing. It WASN'T the same storm though, at all, and there are a lot of dead people from SI to demonstrate that.
Down here(Louisiana) they say for every 10 times they tell u to evacuate, only one time will u really need to. It's trickey stuff, and no 2 storms are the same. Course I live 5 ft below sea level behind a levee so when they say leave, I leave. And it cost a boat load of money I might add.
I'm in South Florida.
When we're finally informed we're a target, it's too late.
Too many people are on the roads heading north...
At that point, you'd just end up being in your car while the hurricane hit.
I'm in South Florida.
When we're finally informed we're a target, it's too late.
Too many people are on the roads heading north...
At that point, you'd just end up being in your car while the hurricane hit.
My sister-in-law lives in Punta Gorda. A few years back when Charley was heading up the Gulf, supposedly toward the panhandle, it took a sudden turn inland. They had about a 20-minute warning that the hurricane was going to make landfall in their area. My SIL called her sister, who was inland, and said, "We're going into the master bathroom with blankets--if anything happens, look for our bodies in there."
Luckily, they only lost the roof to the other bathroom and their lanai, but they did lose their little restaurant on the river, too.
Hurricanes always seemed really kool till the first time you are stuck in your home with the wind howling super loud outside rain coming in through every crack and crevice in the doors and windows and debris smacking your home as you watch the neighbors roof blow off and the water lapping at your doorstep which is 4 feet off the ground then you become a wee bit scared as to when yours will be coming off too and u too will gain a new found respect for mother nature and a need to change your undies!
Because I've been through many hurricanes and they don't scare me. We only get category 2s at the strongest anyway. Most of the rest are TSs or Cat 1s, so they're no big deal. However I wouldn't stay for a strong Cat 4 or a 5.
I'll stay for a Cat 1 or 2, even maybe a Cat 3, but anything higher I'm out of hear. I don't live directly on the ocean, I live in a Concrete Block Home and I have hurricane shutters, all these factors help me. I'm a Hurricane Andrew survivor, so I've been through a bad hurricane. I will say this though, Sandy taught us that even a Cat 1 hurricane can do major damage.
I don't because 3/4th of the time it's a Pain to get back in. Plus they are usually just rain makers. I stayed through Andrew, Charlie and Wilma (Wilma being a direct hit and Cat 4 just before land fall) never even had damage. I think what people don't realize is Katrina was devastating in its own right because the housing there is old. That is obviously a smaller issue in the grand scheme of things but look at the houses on the videos. Tin roofs, wood siding, old windows etc. Florida housing is mostly cement and reinforced buildings, we have strict building codes and our homes are more or less built to withstand high wind hurricanes. Most houses are built standard with hurricane shutters already ready to install. My husbands work building is Cat.5 approved. Not to mention when u have pets u can find a place to stay when u evacuate.
The storms are unpredictable . With hurricane Charlie we were under mandatory evac( I did not) and brace for a direct hit. I fell asleep thinking I should get some as I might be up all night with the storm and by the time I woke up roughly 3hours later the path had changed and we hardly got wind or rain.
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