Thanks for posting this, Martin. My take-away is pretty much as you stated in your original post: good idea to be prepared to evacuate with key documents, etc. at the ready. I need to do this now.

Regarding evacuations, my personal tendencies are:

1. comply with authority
2. distrust authority

I realize specific situations require on-the-spot decisions. I realize foolish or distraught people sometimes rush into harm's way and thereby put rescuers' lives at risk.

But I am VERY wary of militarized public servants as well as hired mercenaries (e.g., Blackwater during Katrina) who are conditioned to think of citizens as "civilians" whose rights can be suspended "temporarily" for their own "protection."

Part of my readiness preparation is to plan routes, understand local laws, and to monitor local and state emergency plans.

Kudos to fellow citizens who serve honorably and who volunteer to serve.

Nishabotna, I'm with you. I'm troubled at how quickly free people relinquish their liberty to "experts" and "officials." I'm gravely concerned about the national character of the U.S.A.
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"Government is good at one thing: It knows how to break your legs, hand you a crutch, and say, 'See, if it weren't for the government, you wouldn't be able to walk.'" - Harry Browne, April 11, 2002