Question about evacuating

I'm not talking about bowels this time!

I didn't evacuate for Frances, although I seriously considered it when I discovered we had two refrigerated tractor trailer trucks parked at the fairgrounds for all the dead bodies. They sure didn't post that on the hurricane news stories all week!

I wasn't in a mandatory evacuation area and by the time I knew for sure it was headed here it was too late to leave and it was so big it looked like there was nowhere in the whole state that was safe anyhow. My house is block construction which held up well under Frances, but she was only a cat 2 storm. My electricity was restored quickly, maybe because I'm near a fire station, so we weren't as inconvenienced as most other folks in town. We were well prepared with food and water.

I can't decide whether or not to leave the next time - which might be soon depending on Ivan!

I have a toddler and the thought of staying at a far off motel for several days with her (and the drive) is unpleasant. Our house is nice and comfy and has all the comforts of home and routine for both of us. Plus with the curfew we wouldn't have been able to get back for a few days afterwards.

But on the other hand...

I'm wondering just how safe it is to stay home? The media says if you're not in a mandatory evacuation area you should STAY PUT to avoid further congesting the roads. But is it really safe to stay if the hurricane is heading at you? How conservative/accurate/arbitrary are the evacuation area lines anyway? I've seen the news footage of the houses blown apart but I noticed this time - because I know the area - that they showed mostly neighborhoods on the beach. I'm about 5 or 10 miles inland.

I can't really get a feel for just how dangerous it is for regular people in fairly sturdy boarded up houses to "ride it out." Seems like people don't really make a rational decision, it just depends on their temperament.

On the one hand I don't want to risk my life for the sake of convenience, but on the other hand I don't want to overreact and waste a week and a lot of money on a motel if it's not neccesary.

So how do you decide? Tweet