When a hurricane or natural disaster is heading your way, you have two options: Stockpile coffee and chocolate, hunker down, and hope for the best or grab the chocolate and hit the road, running for your life. My mantra is: if in doubt HEAD OUT!I’m not technically a Katrina “survivor,” because I didn’t have to live through that storm. I fled; I packed my Orleans coffee, loved ones and pets, grabbed important papers, necessities, and treasures and ran for my life. If you are in the path and indecisive, GO with your gut. I know the financial burden, the stress, and inconvenience. I know it may be for no reason but if it looks likely you’ll get hit- GO. If you have medical issues that require medication or access to doctors, GO. If you take care of an older person or a more fragile person- GO. If you have access to a place to go that won’t cost a thing- GO! And once you make that decision, don’t doubt it or second guess yourself. Make it and stick with it. Here’s why:
1-If it turns (as Katrina did), your window is precariously short to pack and traffic is chaotic. It may take nine hours to travel what normally takes two hours. And let me tell you, those hours are so much more stressful, praying you make it out and don’t have to ride a hurricane out at a rest stop or parked on interstate. Praying you don’t have a car problem while trying to evacuate (it happens even to cars in perfect condition, temperatures are hot, you’re parked on the interstate or inching forward, accidents happen with the stop and go).
2- Hotels are packed (often multiple states are in the cone so a lot of people are trying to leave). The longer you wait, the worse it will be and the farther you will have to go.
3- You have the opportunity to save what is precious to you if you leave– lives, important documents (scan them onto an SD and keep it with you at all times. Don’t depend on the cloud or laptop files. Scan Insurance papers, personal documents, health files, ANYTHING that can help you file claims later).
4- Those of us who left had support as we watched the news in the lobby with our stranger-neighbors (those who live in our areas but we never knew them). We had food, electricity, and health care (if you are not leaving due to health concerns, this, alone is a reason to go). We had help and started filing claims before those who stayed got evacuated.
5- Remember the images of those who stayed for Katrina- the ones waiting on interstate, and on the streets? You don’t want to be that person. GO if the storm is a big’un or if you feel threatened. We stayed for Ida, but we had a whole house generator and more than a month of food and supplies. The storms were entirely different with different sets of problems. If you’re going to stay, you have to be prepared for severe wind damages to your property or the infrastructure, extreme flooding (up to the roof tops for storms like Camelia, Betsy, and Katrina), and weeks of being entirely on your own. The neighborhoods are pretty vacant, everyone on your block is probably going to be gone. It’s a real raw feeling as the storm moves in to realize you’re the only family around for as far as your eyes can see.
6- At a certain point, you CAN’T leave and once the storm hits, you are at the mercy of the government (and they’ve proven time and again that they cannot handle it). You cannot get out until they start the post-storm evacuation. Those of us who left still carry the bruises, those who stayed still have forever scars.
3- You have the opportunity to save what is precious to you if you leave– lives, important documents (scan them onto an SD and keep it with you at all times. Don’t depend on the cloud or laptop files. Scan Insurance papers, personal documents, health files, ANYTHING that can help you file claims later).
4- Those of us who left had support as we watched the news in the lobby with our stranger-neighbors (those who live in our areas but we never knew them). We had food, electricity, and health care (if you are not leaving due to health concerns, this, alone is a reason to go). We had help and started filing claims before those who stayed got evacuated.
5- Remember the images of those who stayed for Katrina- the ones waiting on interstate, and on the streets? You don’t want to be that person. GO if the storm is a big’un or if you feel threatened. We stayed for Ida, but we had a whole house generator and more than a month of food and supplies. The storms were entirely different with different sets of problems. If you’re going to stay, you have to be prepared for severe wind damages to your property or the infrastructure, extreme flooding (up to the roof tops for storms like Camelia, Betsy, and Katrina), and weeks of being entirely on your own. The neighborhoods are pretty vacant, everyone on your block is probably going to be gone. It’s a real raw feeling as the storm moves in to realize you’re the only family around for as far as your eyes can see.
6- At a certain point, you CAN’T leave and once the storm hits, you are at the mercy of the government (and they’ve proven time and again that they cannot handle it). You cannot get out until they start the post-storm evacuation. Those of us who left still carry the bruises, those who stayed still have forever scars.
So how do you know whether to stay or go? It depends on your state and your location, which direction the storm is going to hit from, whether you will be on the wind side or the rainy side. But some questions to ask
- What category is the storm? If is higher than a three and you don’t have a generator (even a portable one), definitely consider leaving.
- Are we on the wet side of the storm or the windy side? (This is important to decide which direction to evacuate to, also).
- Is my home at risk for flooding? (if so, consider what you will do, how you will keep your family safe if the flood waters come up quickly)
- Is my house built for this? (Can I move to a higher floor, are the windows hurricane safe?
- If I lose electricity for a week, can my family and I survive? (If you have health issues, this is probably a decision maker right here).
- Do I have a generator or whole house generator (if so, losing electricity isn’t a big deal).
- Is my house based on gas? If so, it is easier to heat things on the stove.
- Is my family healthy enough to stay here safely? (if you or a loved one have/has a health condition, ask your doctor ahead of time)
- Do I have young children, elderly parents, or pets? (If so, you probably won’t want to take a chance of needing to be rescued from rising water. remember, once the storm hits no one can help you until it is safe to do so. You are literally, ALONE, during the storm
Remember, if you evacuate, you are more in control of the situation and the riskiness. If you stay and things get bad, you may wind up in a crowded shelter of last resort, being rescued (and put on a crowded bus), finding yourself on the interstate as they did during Katrina.
It’s overwhelming, no one wants to leave but hurricane states are given a gift earthquake, wildfire, and tornado states are not- we are given TIME. USE IT WISELY.
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