If your family hurricane preparedness plan includes evacuation to a safer
location, then it is important to consider the following points:
If ordered to evacuate, do not wait or delay your departure.
If possible, leave before local officials issue an evacuation order for
your area. Even a slight delay in starting your evacuation will result
in significantly longer travel times as traffic congestion worsens.
Select an evacuation destination that is nearest to your home. In choosing
your destination, keep in mind that the hotels and other sheltering options
in most inland metropolitan areas are likely to be filled very quickly
in a large, multi-county hurricane evacuation event.
If you decide to evacuate to another county or region, be prepared to
wait in traffic.
The large number of people in this state who must evacuate during a hurricane
will probably cause massive delays and major congestion along most designated
evacuation routes; the larger the storm, the greater the probability of
traffic jams and extended travel times.
If possible, make arrangements to stay with the friend or relative who
resides closest to your home and who will not have to evacuate. Discuss
with your intended host the details of your family evacuation plan well
before the beginning of the hurricane season.
If a hotel or motel is your final intended destination during an evacuation,
make reservations before you leave.
Most hotel and motels will fill quickly once evacuations begin. The longer
you wait to make reservations, even if an official evacuation order has
not been issued for your area or county, the less likely you are to find
hotel/motel room vacancies, especially along interstate highways and in
major metropolitan areas.
If you are unable to stay with friends or family and no hotels/motels
rooms are available, then as a last resort go to a shelter. Remember, shelters
are not designed for comfort and do not usually accept pets. Bring your
DISASTER SUPPLY KIT with you to the shelter.
Make sure that you fill up your car with gas, before you leave.
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