First class too, or a Gulfstream...

Buy a proper bottle of Scotch, a first class malt like Laphroaig will do nicely, instead of the Cuban Whiskey, which is just awful. Worse than even the Cypriot Ouzo brew, which is used to clean the windows. The last hurricane I was in was called Irene. I was drunk. All I remember was the water dripping on my head in the dark sitting on the toilet, laughing, finding the whole situation highly amusing whilst finding the noise of the freight train outside actually quite comforting. I actually quite liked the WOOO, WOOO, WOOO sound. Reminded me of the weather back home in Scotland whilst having a holiday in Cuba. Only difference, the rain was nice and warm. Woke up the next morning to find a letter under the door advising me not to consume any alcohol during the hurricane. What did they know!!

While the entire time kicking yourself for waiting so long, rather than getting out of dodge 12 hours ago.

Having gone to college in Miami, and survived a couple of close by hurricanes, I find this interesting. When Andrew hit, I was in NY state, bailed out early.

I lived in a double wide trailer, and in a apartment (3 story concrete building) both near water. I had a very nearby rental storage unit that held my emergency supplies. At that time I owned a 24' trailered boat, that held 90 gal gas (kept full), 40 gal fresh water tank, and food storage. The plan was at 48 hours out to grab the GF, hook up the boat trailer, load up from the apartment, stop by the storage unit, and "get out of Dodge" heading for friends north. The boat fuel tanks were set up so I could siphon from them if needed.

I spend a lot of time in Houston, and have a well overbuilt homemade teardrop style trailer (6000# axle, 2-5/8 bulldog hitch) packed and ready as a mobile shelter. It has extra gas, water, food, and emergency supplies.

I always try to anticipate WHEN an evacuation will be ordered and LEAVE before the order is given.

If I get caught short, which happened once, I get prepared to bug out and then wait until the herd has gone by (watching the interstate from a discreet location) and then outrun the bugger with the roads open. This creates logistical problems, at times, depending on the size of the evacuation.

Has anyone at FEMA, or in the Congress ever considered requiring Interstate gas stations, or stations located on evacuation routes, to double the size of their fuel storage tanks??

"...requiring Interstate gas stations...to double the size of their fuel storage tanks??..."

That wouldn't make enough difference. I used to have to stand out on I-5 in central CA on the Wed. before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after (the two heaviest traffic days of the year), directing traffic off of the frwy and back on at one of the main fuel stops for about a hundred hundred miles. Every station there had tankers coming in several times a day, trying to keep up, and that was nothing like a mass evacuation. In a real traffic jams the tankers would be jammed up with everyone else...

OBG, where on earth did you work, Coalinga?

Sue

Yup, Coalinga. Home of the 1983 6.4 earthquake that destroyed a big chunk of the town, the 1991 Thanksgiving weekend I-5 dust crash (over 100 vehicles, 17 killed), the 1995 I-5 bridge collapse, (six killed when their vehicles went into a raging river). But only for twenty plus years.

You must have been there sometime in your past, got to smell the cattle at the second largest feed lot in the country...

Interesting reactions...

I note that few people wanted to change the rules. (i.e. I'd be long gone) But, for the exercise, you are assuming that you are still there.

There is a follow-up to this exercise, if anyone is interested

Teacher

You never ruled out joining the paniced mob trying to go north too late.