evacuation: stay or go?

[RonG]

c'mon, you surf, right? you're already a risk-taker - it's just a question of degree

life as an evacuee is no picnic, either: where do you spend the next week or two? friends? relatives? that gets old quick...or the expense of a motel...or, god forbid, a shelter?

the inconveniences are relative: the aftermath is gonna suck no matter what, so where would you rather be?

No, it's no picnic. Our friends and relatives are happy to have us stay, but we all know that gets old pretty quick.

Leaving was no easy decision, at least not for me. I'm able-bodied, and since I surf I'm obviously not risk-averse. But for me one of the biggest issues was being able to work. My wife and I both work out of home offices - if we were still on the island we'd have no power, no internet, no way to earn. Seems like the wrong time to be without income for a week or two.

[dlrouen]

I think it all comes down to location, level of preparation & the degree of the storm. Here in NC, we have 5 seasons: fall, winter, spring, summer & hurricane season. Although we pride ourselves on being prepared & hurricanes are expected here, the storm itself is not a joking matter. We (NC) have been very fortunate over the last few years, as hurricanes seem to "miss the target." I was not here for Hazel & Hugo, but I have seen the pictures & I have heard the stories. Of course both of the storms were pretty high up on the category chart, but you should never be too comfortable with "charging a storm," if you will. At CB, the town will close the bridge if the winds are too high. What if the storm increased in speed & wind strength? In other words, the storm grows from a Category 1 to a Category 3 - then, you're stuck riding it out. The chances are slim, but you never know. Take a look at the thread about the car washing away - the storm was barely a 1 & it still ravaged the NE coastline. I'm sure that dude wished he went inland a bit - he would be driving his car to work, rather than riding his bike. Just as we should not take the ocean for granted, we should not take storms for granted. I'm not saying we should load up the car and drive for the hills, but we should consider all the possibilities. I know everyone hates beach re-nourishment & the governemnt is slashing its funding, but dunes will save beaches. Take a look at OBX after every hurricane - props to those who manage up there. This post is way longer than I was planning, but I hope there are some decent points in my rant. I also hope everyone is safe, whether they chose to ride it out or if they took Christie's advice and evacuated.

Hanna makes a great point for CB locals - the Marriott is the safe house.

[hanna]

No, it's no picnic. Our friends and relatives are happy to have us stay, but we all know that gets old pretty quick.

Leaving was no easy decision, at least not for me. I'm able-bodied, and since I surf I'm obviously not risk-averse. But for me one of the biggest issues was being able to work. My wife and I both work out of home offices - if we were still on the island we'd have no power, no internet, no way to earn. Seems like the wrong time to be without income for a week or two.

no, that's a good point. i'm a corporate drone - i would be able squeeze a certain amount of paid time off under these circumstances, but i could see where that would be an issue for others.

At CB, the town will close the bridge if the winds are too high. What if the storm increased in speed & wind strength? In other words, the storm grows from a Category 1 to a Category 3 - then, you're stuck riding it out. The chances are slim, but you never know. Take a look at the thread about the car washing away - the storm was barely a 1 & it still ravaged the NE coastline. I'm sure that dude wished he went inland a bit - he would be driving his car to work, rather than riding his bike. Just as we should not take the ocean for granted, we should not take storms for granted

well, the other part of my game plan is moving the car(s) to high ground (i think the rec center parking lot is the highest ground on the island). but i agree overall with need for caution, preparation, carefully evaluating the situation etc. my basic premise has always been that the odds of actually getting hurt in your house, during a hurricane, are actually pretty slim - but certainly there are many other factors to consider.

[dlrouen]

well, the other part of my game plan is moving the car(s) to high ground (i think the rec center parking lot is the highest ground on the island). but i agree overall with need for caution, preparation, carefully evaluating the situation etc. my basic premise has always been that the odds of actually getting hurt in your house, during a hurricane, are actually pretty slim - but certainly there are many other factors to consider.

Rec Center is good, but there are a lot of trees & other possible airborne debris. Last weekend, I thought about parking my car at Food Lion. Nice open parking lot that will be well lit & right next to the bridge. I know a lot of people parked at Harris Teeter for Irene. Given that I'm oceanfront North End, my biggest fear is a surge - my house could wash away. A few hurricanes ago, the ocean did surge and I came back home to a garage full of fish & one small shark. I took a few pictures of the scene, I will look for them and scan them onto the forum later. I stayed in Wilmington for that hurricane - not worth risking it.

[hanna]

Rec Center is good, but there are a lot of trees & other possible airborne debris. Last weekend, I thought about parking my car at Food Lion. Nice open parking lot that will be well lit & right next to the bridge. I know a lot of people parked at Harris Teeter for Irene. Given that I'm oceanfront North End, my biggest fear is a surge - my house could wash away. A few hurricanes ago, the ocean did surge and I came back home to a garage full of fish & one small shark. I took a few pictures of the scene, I will look for them and scan them onto the forum later. I stayed in Wilmington for that hurricane - not worth risking it.

if i was oceanfront anywhere in CB (or anywhere else, for that matter), that would dramatically increase my willingness to evacuate. but i'm five blocks from the ocean...it would take a 20 foot surge to reach my living space - if that ever happens, CB will cease to exist.

it's a rhetorical question at the moment for us...but as you know, every couple of years it gets real. in the meantime, our thoughts are with those who are living it right now.

side note: we stopped paying for tv service (dish and cable) several years ago, but at times like this, i really missed having CNN or something like it to keep up. for anyone else with the same problem, go here: http://www.epctv.com/ click the link, find the station you want, just say no to whatever download they are pushing and watch whatever channel you want.