Hurricane evacuation question

[Chiofam]

I've found every possible bit of hurricane prepardness information out there, but I still have a question for you locals. We have just moved to Freeport and are clueless as to when to evacuate and when to ride it out. Keeping in mind that we have children. Two people told us that anything cat. 3 or under is safe to stay. What would you do? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[chrisv]

Where in Freeport are you? How new is your home? Trees near the house? The Cat 3 advice is generally correct, although you also need to take into account where the storm hits. (Had Ivan hit closer, it would've been a lot uglier here.) Hide from the wind, Run from the water. If you are not on or near the water, you will most likely be ok with protecting your windows and hunkering down inside the home. The closer to the water, the more you need to consider leaving. It is not unsafe to live here, just smart to plan ahead.

[beachmouse]

What flood zone are you in, and how far above sea level are you? Are you near the bay or a bayou? When was your house built? Have you maintained any sturdy trees and eliminated weak trees on your property?

Also, it's hard to really judge what category a storm will be when they hit the coast. Some storms will bomb out and see a sudden increase in wind speeds as they approach the coast (see Opal) and others will go from being a monster to pretty much going *poof* before landfall (see the 2002 version of Lili).

It may sound odd, but probably the best thing to do is watch the bayous around you. If they start really filling up with anchored pleasure boats, then a lot of people are thinking it's going to be a bad one and preparing as such. For us, the Rocky Bayou boat count is a surprisingly accurate way of predicting just how bad a storm really is going to be, and what the locals really think.

[Smiling JOe]

also remember that a Cat 3 storm can grow in strength and size as it approaches land. Don't wait until it's too late to evacuate. With a family at risk, you might want to play it safe and get out of town.

[kurt]

You ask a loaded question and one you can only truly answer yourself from your education and instincts. The nature of the beast is hard to predict so play it safe! Especially with children! Even if you ride it out successfully you are likely to be without power and services for days or weeks and that is no situation to be in with a family. At that point you may find it hard to leave because of damage to roadways and bridges.

Usually, when a storm fully enters the gulf and you are within the 3-day (or less) cone, it is a good time to pack up and head for the hills.

[scooterbug44]

I leave whenever a Category 2 storm is predicted to hit as storms can strengthen rapidly and I would rather err on the side of caution and leave for a weak 2 than be stuck and SOL in a 4!

Part of my caution comes from living in a house near the beach I do not think could withstand a strong storm and part of it is that I would rather be visiting relatives than without power and water and wondering if a tree etc. is coming down on my head.

"Riding out" a storm is not a fun experience, especially with kids!

[30A Skunkape]

I have riden out at least a half dozen storms in Louisiana, the worst being Andrew. In Freeport, assuming you don't live too low, you will mostly be in danger from falling trees. Large pine trees cut through a house like a bat through pinata. But even in a weak storm, you can bet the electricity will be gone for at least two days...and since storms are worst in late summer, that is a hot, sticky experience, and your kids will go nuts. Just find a place to go north two days ahead of time.

[beachmouse]

No one wants to tell someone not to leave, and then have it all go bad, but 90% of the time, you're going to actually be safer to stay put in a well built and secured home that's surrounded by wind-tolerant vegetation (palms, properly-trimmed live oaks, longleaf pines=goof; shortleaf pines, laurel oaks=bad) and not in a flood zone.

Unnecessary evacuation makes it hard for people who live in truly at risk areas to leave those areas, and being on the road with so many other people is dangerous. I know people who live on the west side of Houston at a good elevation who evacuated for Rita, and that's far, far inland to begin with. All they ended up doing was clogging the roads even more. Not to mention a huge number of traffic deaths from a storm that eventually hooked north and didn't come anywhere close to Houston.

[florida girl]

If you stay during an evacuation order, "it's at your own risk". Just how brave are you, and how well do you trust the construction of your home? Are you a Pioneer type? Do you know basic survival skills? If not, perhaps it is better if you evacuate. Be advised though, that you may be gone for a while. The causeway was blocked for 3 days after Ivan by a sailboat that crashed in the middle of the road. People also had a lot of trouble finding some place to stay. Some had to leave the state entirely to find a room. If you are going to leave, go early. If you are going to stay, have rations for at least a week.

[Miss Kitty]

beachmouse...my father was one of those West Houstonians that evacuated in the wake of Rita. He was 80 at the time. He has lived through many storms and knows all to well what the aftermath brings. He also left Houston as soon as possible and missed the madness that occured later on the roads up here to Dallas.

[scooterbug44]

Plan ahead, be smart, and get yourself and your family out of harm's way whenever possible.

There are a lot of people who are convinced that THEIR home is safe and they are in no danger if they stay. This is reinforced in their minds every time they successfully ride out a storm. This is also the kind of thinking that provides the weather channel w/ "storm stories" and emergency personnel w/ things to do.

Your home and possessions are replacable. The lives and safety of your loved ones are not. Don't freak out and evacuate for every tropical storm, but don't take unneccessary chances just to avoid the hassle of evacuation either. I haven't regretted an evacuation yet, if only because I avoided the inconvenience of being w/o water and power.

[Chiofam]

Thanks everybody for your opinions. We will take all of them into consideration. :D