Hurricane Evacuation (problems/solutions)

[beachmouse]

yippie, we headed towards Jax for Dennis, and made great time as well by staying on 20 as long as possible. One traffic jam near Tallahassee when we got on I-10 on the way out, and one going back home at, IIRC, the 20-79 intersection. Other than that, smoothly flowing traffic.

 

[GoodWitch58]

SJ, this kind of thinking is exactly what I was talking about in the traffic thread. If the county officials would manage the traffic whether it's the holiday week like we just experienced, or a hurricane evacuation, then things would be much better. But, North Lake, reflecting the County's talking points, keeps insisting "there's only one way out!"

We need the county officials to coordinate with each other and have some vision about what is going on. It's not as though holidays packed with tourists and hurricanes come upon us without some warning!

 

[30A Skunkape]

SJ, this kind of thinking is exactly what I was talking about in the traffic thread. If the county officials would manage the traffic whether it's the holiday week like we just experienced, or a hurricane evacuation, then things would be much better. But, North Lake, reflecting the County's talking points, keeps insisting "there's only one way out!"

We need the county officials to coordinate with each other and have some vision about what is going on. It's not as though holidays packed with tourists and hurricanes come upon us without some warning!

I know it seems easy, but contraflow is an incredibly labor intensive thing to accomplish. Imagine cops at every artery leading into Hwy 331 managing flow;at the very least, they would have to place barrels at said arteries, and that is a time consuming task. Then you have the issue of inevitable chaos at the distal termination of contraflow where abnormal traffic patterns merge with normal ones. Trust me when I tell you you want the police patrolling evacuated areas instead of managing traffic jams. The best plan has always been and remains to exercise personal responsibility and GET OUT EARLY. Have a free place to stay at least as far north as Montgomery and take only what you need to rebuild your life with you-family, pets, vital documents and three changes of clothes is all you need-everything else is evacuation clutter!

 

[Smiling JOe]

I know it seems easy, but contraflow is an incredibly labor intensive thing to accomplish. Imagine cops at every artery leading into Hwy 331 managing flow;at the very least, they would have to place barrels at said arteries, and that is a time consuming task. Then you have the issue of inevitable chaos at the distal termination of contraflow where abnormal traffic patterns merge with normal ones. Trust me when I tell you you want the police patrolling evacuated areas instead of managing traffic jams. The best plan has always been and remains to exercise personal responsibility and GET OUT EARLY. Have a free place to stay at least as far north as Montgomery and take only what you need to rebuild your life with you-family, pets, vital documents and three changes of clothes is all you need-everything else is evacuation clutter!

and thousands of people being stuck in traffic for 15 hours to go only several miles when a Hurricane is coming is not time-consuming? what happens when many of those cars run out of gas or overheat while stuck in traffic?

Noticing three patrol cars at the intersection of 30A/283 on the night of July 4th, with none of them directing traffic which was backed up to Western Lake, I decided that the Sheriff's Office must not like to work traffic.

 

[30A Skunkape]

and thousands of people being stuck in traffic for 15 hours to go only several miles when a Hurricane is coming is not time-consuming? what happens when many of those cars run out of gas or overheat while stuck in traffic?

Noticing three patrol cars at the intersection of 30A/283 on the night of July 4th, with none of them directing traffic which was backed up to Western Lake, I decided that the Sheriff's Office must not like to work traffic.

Yes, it is terribly time consuming. But that is in large part a result of poor planning on the part of those contributing to the traffic jam. When we left before Katrina we did it a full 72 hours before landfall...the only traffic I hit was the red light before getting on I-10. I am telling you, you can't expect the cops, county, feds or anyone else to 'do something' and have efficient traffic flow when the majority chooses to wait until the last second to leave. I know there are difficulties with work, etc, but everyone including employers need to be on the same page regarding the need to let people off early. Then it is up to us to take all of 15 minutes to load what we need in the car and skeedattle north.

 

[scooterbug44]

No, what causes it is poor planning, insufficient roads and moronic politicians. Again, if I get stuck when landfall is imminent, I'll simply head to the nearest shelter until the storm passes. IMO, that is much safer than trying to navigate a two-lane road with 40,000 imbiciles in big SUV's trying to evacuate.

Take a look in the mirror whenever you mention poor planning. While I definitely agree that a lack of roads and a cohesive evacuation plan certainly don't help with the problem, a lack of personal preparation and expecting others to do things for you are also contributing factors.

You should always be aware of any potential storms and take steps to secure your home "just in case". Having a plan already in place prevents last minute confusion and frantic packing.

I can make the decision to evacuate (2 or above is official scooterbug policy), pack everything I need, and be on the road within 4 hours and will be at my guaranteed lodging 8 hours after that. Traffic has yet to be a major issue (knock on wood) as I take backroads, head west or east instead of directly north, and time my departure to avoid the highest traffic times.

I stay at this preplanned location until the media, or a neighbor or coworker (who all know exactly where I am and how to contact me) gives me the "all clear". In case of any major problems, I can then return w/ additional resources (uncles armed with chainsaws and generators etc) and any supplies I need to help me and my neighbors.

By taking responsibility for my own safety I not only guarantee it, I free up local resources (such as shelters) for those who truly need it.

 

[GoodWitch58]

I don't disagree with the personal responsibility thing...and I do pretty much the same as stated above. However, the local officials are charged with the responsibility of "protecting the health, safety, and welfare" of the population and so I expect them to do as much as possible to make an evacuation smooth for everyone.

I was told by one of the sheriff's officers a few years ago that "we don't do traffic". So, then some work was done, and they received extra money to hire extra deputies, to "do traffic"...and now we see them sitting at intersections when traffic is backed up. perhaps they were remotely changing the traffic signals (that's what one told me), but I am not sure that the evidence of the backlog of cars supports their statement.

I am not advocating an expectation that the local government would be totally responsible. I am advocating that they have a duty to do the very best they can using common sense and all their resources to make the situation safer and more efficient for everyone involved.

 

[JB]

Take a look in the mirror whenever you mention poor planning. While I definitely agree that a lack of roads and a cohesive evacuation plan certainly don't help with the problem, a lack of personal preparation and expecting others to do things for you are also contributing factors.

You should always be aware of any potential storms and take steps to secure your home "just in case". Having a plan already in place prevents last minute confusion and frantic packing.

I can make the decision to evacuate (2 or above is official scooterbug policy), pack everything I need, and be on the road within 4 hours and will be at my guaranteed lodging 8 hours after that. Traffic has yet to be a major issue (knock on wood) as I take backroads, head west or east instead of directly north, and time my departure to avoid the highest traffic times.

I stay at this preplanned location until the media, or a neighbor or coworker (who all know exactly where I am and how to contact me) gives me the "all clear". In case of any major problems, I can then return w/ additional resources (uncles armed with chainsaws and generators etc) and any supplies I need to help me and my neighbors.

By taking responsibility for my own safety I not only guarantee it, I free up local resources (such as shelters) for those who truly need it.

Not sure where you got the impression I don't take responsibility for my own safety. Of course I do. I'm an informed, educated guy. Matter of fact, I rely on NO ONE other than myself in situations like these. I can look at computer models and predict a storm's path with pretty much the same accuracy as the NHS. The average person has access to more information than ever before (as long as that info isn't coming from County or State officials).

Heck, I made a trip to Destin ten years or so ago for a convention. The Panhandle was under a tropical storm warning when we arrived. There was not a cloud in the sky and the gulf was flat as a pancake. Turns out the storm missed the area entirely. Just goes to show that sometimes it's prudent to exercise your own judgement.

 

[scooterbug44]

I am not advocating an expectation that the local government would be totally responsible. I am advocating that they have a duty to do the very best they can using common sense and all their resources to make the situation safer and more efficient for everyone involved. [/B]

I definitely agree with this. My beef is with healthy and able people sitting on their hands and expecting assistance.

From past reports it appears "traffic control" has done more to create it, then resolve it. If the sheriff's department has a prearranged plan, I'd love to hear about it, and publicizing it more would certainly help.

Is the offical FEMA hurricane plan still the same one they used for Katrina? I know the new one wasn't going to be ready for the start of this season..........and the hurricane center director just got fired for questioning the age of equipment and their preparedness level.

 

[beachmouse]

Yes, it is terribly time consuming. But that is in large part a result of poor planning on the part of those contributing to the traffic jam. When we left before Katrina we did it a full 72 hours before landfall...

Mr. Mouse and I are fortunate to have always had employers who were good about giving their worker bees a lot of leeway for hurricane evacuation if we felt like we needed it. But there are a lot of businesses that do not, or will give 24 hours at best, and will threaten employees with disciplinary action or termination if they do evacuate too early, especially when the storm ends up missing.

And we're not talking people in jobs essential for hurricane prep either. I think that there are a lot of people who would leave earlier, but they're scared for their jobs if they do so.