Hurricane evacuation tip

[Lorien]

One thing I learned while evacuating from the hurricanes of 2004; it's best to stay off the main highways. I was stuck for 12 hours on I-75, and 60 miles from my reserved hotel the traffic came to a dead stop. It took me over an hour to move five miles. So I took out my map and found several rural roads that headed towards my destination about 25 miles to the West (I was headed North). I got off I-75 and had no difficulty heading West with only light traffic. By the time I got to my two lane highway which lead North, I was the only car on the road! I put a compass on my dashboard and navigated by it instead of the map (because the roads were so small they were unmarked). It took me about three hours to drive the 120 mile detour. Drove 40-60 mph most of the way except when driving through tiny villages. I hardly saw any other traffic on the road until I headed back into the city. When I finally crossed I-75 again it was STILL at a dead standstill with evacuation traffic 60 miles North! There are no guarantees, but I feel fairly certain that you DO still have time to evacuate if you just grab a compass and head for a path well off the beaten track. You'll see some beautiful rural areas and avoid all the stress-and possible dangers-of getting stuck on the interstate.

[WolverineDG]

1. I agree

After spending 5 hours going from Corpus to San Antonio in I 37 during Hurricane Brett, I made it my job to map out a route using lesser used & known county roads to get out of town. Sure, it's about 90 miles out of my way to go to Freer & take 16 up to San Antonio, but at least I'll be moving & not a sitting duck.

dg

[Lorien]

4. Have you made use of it yet?

Did you run into any traffic on the country roads? I barely saw another soul!

[WolverineDG]

5. no, not yet

I moved shortly afterwards to a place somewhat inland, but I've told my friends who still live in Corpus the route I mapped out so they can use it.

dg

[faithfulcitizen]

2. exactly, I always use the sun when needed. But a car compass is a very good idea.

I would never ride out a storm. I would rather drive and beg at people's doorsteps if need be.

[Lorien]

3. And people are generally very helpful toward evacuees

this all happened in Georgia. While I was stuck on I-75 my poor kitty Oberon wet himself and cried over being stuck in his own mess. When I was well into the rural areas of GA I found a vet clinic and pulled over. I went inside and explained my situation. The women running the place offered to clean up Oberon and keep all three kitties in their own exam room while I went out for some food. When I came back I found my cats enjoying their own room with a litter box, food and water all provided by the staff. They were SO helpful and even refused the money I offered them as payment for their help. I did get lost once and the guy at the podunk nowhere gas station I stopped at gave me very through and exact instructions for getting back to where I needed to be. There's no reason in the world for anyone to ride out a storm. You can't fight Mother Nature or save your stuff from her if you are in the path of a hurricane!

[Lorien]

6. Kick

:kick:

[emmadoggy]

7. I've always wondered about this....

You always see all the congested interstate highways on the news and I often wonder if EVERYONE is just using the freeways and ignoring the secondary and back roads? Or are the secondary roads all full and backed-up, as well? No one ever says anything about this. If it were me, my first thought would be to take smaller secondary roads. I've never understood the seeming mentality that freeways are the only ways out.

Of course, I'm from rural Iowa and have zero experience with evacuations, so that shows what I know.:dunce:


:shrug:

[davsand]

8. Here in Illinois we have smaller roads too.

I always kinda wondered about that "highway mentality" too. If we ever need to evac, my kith and kin are loaded in a car and I am headed out via lesser used County and Township roads. You can make WAY better time on those roads when the interstates become parking lots...


Are we just rural fools?


:shrug:



Laura

[Lorien]

17. I think that it's because they are official hurricane evacuation routes

and also because people think of the interstates as the fastest way to get anywhere; it's just habit. I was shocked that I saw virtually NO other traffic on the rural roads. I think one of the keys is finding a country path that is ten or more miles away from any major highway. The more inconvenient it seems, the less likely anyone will be on it. And extra ten miles of detour can save you ten hours of driving!

[Bluebear]

9. Post this in DU's Emeregency preparedness forum too.

Oh...we don't have one.

[wildflower]

11. I wonder why that is?

I recall a lot of interest in one a while back.

[Cooley Hurd]

10. This is where GPS is a lifesaver!

:thumbsup:

[Lorien]

18. Very true! But it's great to keep a good atlas and compass in the car

just in case. Once the storm clouds roll in there's little chance of using the sun to get your bearings if the GPS goes out for whatever reason.

[ddeclue]

12. Actually this is very dangerous.

The roads least likely to be flooded are the interstates. They are intentionally built up on berms or on bridges to avoid flooding. State highways and local roads are much more likely to flood out in these situations and you are much more likely to be drowned by taking a "shortcut".

STICK to the published evacuation routes. The civil engineers and traffic engineers who planned them know more about what is safe and what is not than you do unless you got out there yourself and measured the elevations.

Doug D.
Engineer.

[Edweird]

14. Because we all know it's better to be stuck on the highway when the storm hits...

Right?

[ddeclue]

20. Better to be stuck on an elevated highway 20 feet above

the local elevation than drowned on a side road 3 feet above the local elevation!

:eyes:

[Edweird]

21. Because the elevation at which you die is critical.

That way their next of kin can put on their headstone.. "He didn't make it out, but he died 20 feet above the local elevation, and for that we're proud!"

I don't know where you're getting that 20' reference from. Here in South Florida EVERYTHING is Sea Level more or less except for overpasses. There is no significant elevation difference between the Turnpike and local roadways. Actually, the Turnpike seems to flood quicker than some smaller roadways. Either way, dead is dead. If you can get out by taking side roads, and the highways are gridlocked, then DO IT!

[Lorien]

16. Not dangerous if you leave well before the storm hits

If you take the small country roads it may take you three times as long to get there, but you'll get there. If you take the interstate you may end up doing what I saw hundreds of people doing; camping on the side of the highway. :crazy:

[WolverineDG]

19. I sure didn't think so

when I was on I 37, the sky was jet black, the traffic moving under 5 mph, & the refineries started exploding......

and Brett at that point was just a bunch of wind....

dg

[Behind the Aegis]

13. A-fucking-men!

At one point, it took us THREE HOURS to drive 15 MILES!

Tip: Listen to local radio because they do give alternate routes.

[aikoaiko]

15. I did what you said for Hurrican Floyd.

Sat in traffic for an hour just trying to get on I-16 in Savannah so instead I pulled off the on-ramp and got on a 2-lane highway and headed north. I had no idea where I was going, but I knew it was north and I was moving. I wasn't the only one with that idea, but I got to Conyers, GA and motel after 6 hours of driving (normally it would have taken 4).