OK - apparently, a shelter is a place that's off-limits for tools and weapons now. I didn't get the memo on that one, but from what I've read, they confiscate, airport style, any "weapon" they want. I wonder WHERE the stuff ends up? In the pockets of the guards to some extent, no doubt.

But this raises an interesting issue. If they are taking lighters and tobacco as well as hammers, crowbars and anything "pointy" like a knife (not to mention shotguns and handguns) upon entry to a shelter, I can assure you that I want no part of such a shelter. Which leads me to the idea of alternative sheltering through a local network of like-minded individuals who share an ethos of personal responsibility, equipment mania and a strong belief in the right to self-defense.
After looking at the shelter options I'd need to use here in Bucks County, which would (most likely) be in the event of a large forest fire or major chemical release, I've decided that I'm not going to use them and instead I've found freinds in other parts of the country who will serve as a shelter location. Similarly, I've invited freinds along the river to stay here. .

Great idea.

After the earlier thread about the conditions in shelters, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be using one. Seeing the Superdome thing, there's no way. I'd rather live in my car, if I still have a car.

In my situation, this means I have to make the decision to leave a day or two earlier than I would have otherwise. If you know you aren't going to use local shelters, you don't have the time to wait around to see if conditions will be bad enough to leave.

Was the Red Cross involved in that at all, or was it strictly a government run shelter? Anyone know if the Red Cross will be altering their shelter policies to match?

One potential problem that might be encountered is the same one, many faced in the current hurricane-affected zones, which was the inability to evacuate. Either due to a lack of transportation or more likely for members of this forum, road closures and traffic gridlock, your plans to evacuate to friends in nearby areas/states may not be possible. Unless you have the forethought to leave well before the call for evacuation, you will likely encounter massive traffic issues and possible fuel shortages to complete the evacuation to safe-havens (friends).

Too many, wait too long to evacuate safely and effectively. Unfortunately, due to the numerous close calls or minimal damage/impact various adverse weather situations, have had on people, there has been the tendency to try and wait it out, to determine the storm’s path or severity.

For many, it has become almost commonplace to receive severe weather warnings and evacuations notices, only to be “fooled” by a lack of damage/impact. This can lead to a false sense of security or “the little boy who cried wolf’ syndrome, in which future adverse weather conditions are ignored or down played until it is too late to respond.

A hurricane generally has impact on a large region, so it is hard for many to evacuate to an area significantly away from the affected area, resulting in either shelter-in-place or evacuation to nearby shelters. If you want to avoid either of these two options, you must be prepared to evacuate very early and recognize you may be “fooled” many times.

Pete

This and related discussions have caused me to rethink the advisability of including one of my backpacking 3-person tents (just my wife and I) in my car-kit. This represents an upgrade in longer-term comfort and performance over the lightweight tarp now included. Like any gear, the "best" shelter is what's available when you need it.

Huh. I hadn't thought of that. If the Event is over but you can't go back to your house, I can see where camping somewhere would be much better than going to a shelter.

That's where my thinking is. I like the flexibility, portability, and redundancy afforded by having something along that's not-too-spartan-but-not-too-bulky. And the bonus is: my wife is a happy camper (pun intended) <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

a use other than "it's nifty" for the map?

Probably on E-Bay like the TSA confiscated items? At least so far they don't fine you, confiscate your property, then turn around and sell it? Yet??

About the Superdome as a shelter:

It is adjacent to a poorer part of the city, and many of the evacuees show up at the last minute with nothing more than a temper. Second, they opened the 'Dome as a shelter last year diring Ivan, and it was a diasater - fights, vandalism, and general mayhem.

They had reason to resirict items coming in. I have not heard of other shelters making such searches.

.....CLIFF

After this experience with Katrina I have decided to prepare myself for camping in the event of an emergency. I am going to start a new bag just for housing my family.