Evacuating when told to by Government Officials

[Veggie PAK]

I live in a large metropolitan area. I know many people that plan to evacuate when the local officials tell them it's time to go due to hurricane or other cause. There is a hurricane evacuation route to get you away from this area when a hurricane strike is eminent. I wonder how many people would regret their decision to follow the official's direction once they leave their homes.

First point: The last hurricane that caused some evacuation also unexpectedly flooded the evacuation route farther away from here. So now, instead of being in your home with supplies and a bathroom, you're stuck in a vehicle on the interstate, surrounded by other vehicles that can't go anywhere. Multiply that stress factor by the number of people in the car.

Second point: If rush hour traffic is very bad normally when people are going to work, how much worse will it be when everyone is trying to leave the area, all headed for the same evacuation route? That includes retirees and housewives and any other category of person that doesn't normally go to a paying job all at the same time every day. Tempers will flare and accidents will happen. Vehicles will run out of gas just waiting in traffic.

Third point: If that isn't enough, we have four interstate highway tunnels around here that go underneath rivers, and all four have flood gates that the highway department closes when a hurricane strike is imminent. Imagine what that would do to the remaining bridge traffic.

Final point: When the time comes and they say leave, I'm staying right here. I'm well above the 100 year flood plain, I have my backup emergency/survival resources and defense right at my fingertips, and I don't want to be trapped in a car stuck in traffic that has no hope of getting anywhere.

How is it where you are? Do you have plans for weather emergencies like this?

 

[Wifezilla]

Blindly following orders is a recipe for disaster. How many people were stuck on roads during hurricane Katrina? Rita? How many people told NOT to worry later ended up under water?

You have to do your own homework. Know your possible routes out of your area. Realistically evaluate potential disasters in your area and prepare possible scenarios for leaving AND staying. Have emergency supplies in your house and prepare a bug out bag.

Biggest risks in my area are blizzards, flash floods, and fires. For a fire, that is an obvious bug out situation. Blizzard is an obvious stay put situation. For floods, if the roads are flooded I am stuck and street flooding happens often. If the roads are clear and there is notice, I would go.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

How many people stayed put before Katrina and then were stranded and had to get rescued by the government? I sort of feel like those who purposely ignore warnings to evacuate should have to pay back tax dollars used to rescue them when they need help. Intentionally staying behind when you have stockpiled food and resources is one thing, but to ignore warnings because you think "it won't happen to us" is perhaps not the best idea. If you need rescued when you were *trying* to evacuate, that's one thing, but to ignore repeated warnings to evacuate is a whole other thing.

 

[Wifezilla]

In Colorado, you do get billed for rescue. Usually it is tourists who climb on huge rocks and get stuck! LOL

Yes, there is a difference between ignoring warnings and making an informed decision to shelter in place. My suggestion is always to do your own homework.

 

[k0xxx]

For us, we looked at it from the perspective of our family. When it was just my wife and I, we didn't worry about staying during minor hurricanes and perhaps spending a few weeks without electricity and water. We prepared for those things. We did leave for most of the big ones (category 3 and higher) though. We also left for some of the minor storms, though it was mostly dependent on where they were expected to make landfall, relative to our location.

Once we had children, we didn't wait to be told to evacuate. We made it a point to leave, and to leave early. I didn't want my children to have to deal with the danger of the storm (the hurricane or the tornadoes that they spawn), the lack of electricity and the heat, lack of sanitation, and the possibility of flood borne illnesses.

Keep and eye on the storm and if you are considering leaving, then don't wait until you are told that you should, just go. Get out early and beat the crowd on the highways. If you stay, prepare accordingly and hope for no tornado.

 

[JRmom]

Living in Florida (and hurricane season just began), yes, I have evacuation plans. Of course, what we do totally depends on tracking the hurricane. Living in the middle of the state, flooding is not our main concern. The few times we have left our house was due to high winds and not feeling safe being surrounded by 100 year old oak trees. Usually we have people evacuating here from the coastal areas.

A few years ago we spent a week living without power... no big deal as we were prepared.

If we had to evacuate due to a direct hit, we would stay off the main highways and interstates. A shelter is not an option because of our pets, so we'd just pack up the car and get out of the way of the storm.

 

[valmom]

There isn't really anything up here to evacuate from, but we couldn't really evacuate because of the horses and chickens (and now pet bees!) and dogs. We have plans to shelter in place- and blizzards are just about the only natural disaster we are prone to. (although the Massachusetts tornado was only an hour south of us, so you really can never tell what will happen!)

 

[Wifezilla]

For tornados, you want to shelter in place anyway. You DO NOT want to be out driving around if a tornado hits!

I had to train hubby what to do in the event of a tornado. I was shocked they didn't have tornado drills at his school. We had them all the time!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

We had them all the time!

quick everyone! out into the hall ways! sit on the ground, face the lockers, cover your heads!

yep. we did that too.

the evacuation thing is tough - it probably depends on where you are in relation to the storm and confidence in your bunker. and i dunno - some of those storms you can see coming from a long way off. i'd probably skedaddle for some of those - but i'd let it be my decision - i tend to be over cautious tho and dont care of the neighbors made fun of me.

the only evac for us would be is if we had a forest fire in the national park near us. we laughed a couple summers thinking there's no way we'd ever need to bug out - until a huge fire was not far from us. zoikes!

and so we came up with a plan to hightail it out of here.

Bourbon Red doesnt know it but we're headed up to bunk in his barn with the cows. (Daisy loves me best anyway)

for everything else we'd just hunker down - tornadoes, winter storms etc.

 

[FarmerChick]

ditto what Ohio said....it is a tough call on evac.

top for me would be flooding....yup, if I lived in area prone to disaster flooding yes I would leave.

tornado, nah, hunker down and try to survive cause most times they are not 'mapped' and form whenever the conditions are just right so??

big snowstorm...hunker down but as usual be smart enough to prepare for long haul to survive.

I live right near a nuclear plant, evac, yea right, lol.

hurricanes rarely get this far inland but the biggie, Hugo did and cause massive damage but my friend was here thru it and no one died, but money damage was huge. again, prepare for normal power outages that can last a long time.


so...hmmm...ragin' fire heading right at me, yea, evac if possible
flooding, yup, for me evac probably, rest I will live thru and hope for the best outcomes