Stay or not - natural disaster

[Nyc10036]

I went through Superstorm Sandy almost 4 years ago.
Looking back I probably should have gone to a hotel in eastern PA and stayed for a couple of days.
Fortunately we continued to have running water even though the power was out for 4 days.

Now looking at Hurricane Harvey and Houston, how does one make the stay or flee decision with a natural disaster?

[VictoriaF]

The wrong way is to follow your gut feeling. After you should have left but did not you are more likely to leave next time. After several false alarms you are more likely to stay. The problem is that in each case the outcome is unrelated to the previous outcomes.

The right way is to develop a policy for dealing with natural disasters and stick to it while disregarding the gut.

Victoria

[RadAudit]

If a hurricane is headed for you, leave. Decision made.

[41Fin]

Just because the water is running doesn't make it drinkable.

Always leave, things can be bought again.

[dolphintraveler]

I'm in the always flee category as well. Everything but lives (people and animals) can be replaced.

[TxAg]

First responders are overwhelmed in Houston right now b/c people didn't leave. Living in the country with a truck and flat bottom boat is one thing, but living in the city means get out asap.

[ResearchMed]

First responders are overwhelmed in Houston right now b/c people didn't leave. Living in the country with a truck and flat bottom boat is one thing, but living in the city means get out asap.

The Mayor of Houston is still standing by his decision NOT to have residents evacuate.

We've spoken about this type of threat a few times, since Katrina and Sandy, and we'd leave, and early.
Worst case, we'd make a vacation out of it for a while, *elsewhere*.

After Sandy, we installed a generator, in great part to keep the sump pump running. However, that was in case of a localized storm, or blizzard, not something regional and catastrophic.

Tornadoes are scary, as they can appear "unannounced" (although radar these days can be remarkably helpful, as I found out on a business trip to Tulsa when there were tornado warnings and actual tornado touchdowns).
But hurricanes... they aren't particularly stealthy, even if the degree and duration aren't predictable.

RM

[itstoomuch]

I'd leave. Dead means that you don't get SS or retirement assets. I am currently collecting. Besides, that's why I have home insurance. Use it or lose it.

In our area, it's volcanoes, earthquake, and tsunamis. aka The Big One.
YDisasterMV

[Wildebeest]

I would stay.

However our house is on top of a hill, we are not in a hurricane alley. We have a well and a generator.

I am more concerned about man made disasters as in being victim of runaway truck or nuclear holocaust than hit by tornado,lightning or an earthquake.

[mouses]

A few hurricane warnings ago I changed to leaving. I worry about the house, and worry about what I'll find when I get back there, but I don't worry about dying. Tucked up cozy in a hotel room, snacks, a good book beats the heck out of watching for hours and wondering if the water is going to come over the seawall and slam into the house.

It's more complicated now that I have a pet, but the hotel I go to accepts pets. The stress would be on the cat in being in an unfamiliar place.

There's something irrational about staying in place when a disaster warning is in effect. Perhaps some shrink here could explain it.

[arcticpineapplecorp.]

There's something irrational about staying in place when a disaster warning is in effect. Perhaps some shrink here could explain it.

Not a shrink here, but I would guess the old thought of "That's something that happens to other people, not me" goes into effect.

There might also be a recency bias like "It didn't happen to me last time..." not understanding probabilities, black swans, etc.

Also, people who have been through it before (and survived) are probably much more likely to leave the next time, than those who haven't ever expereienced it yet. The latter have no frame of reference. It's always easy to say how dumb people are to try to drive through water (and get stuck) if it's never happened to you. Sometimes, you can't turn around and go the other direction (on a highway, etc) and sometimes water rises much faster than you might ever have expected and you're suddenly trapped.

just my 2 cents. Never happened to me. Hopefully never will. It's obviously best to get out of a path of a hurricane. I wasn't aware the mayor of Houston told people not to leave. He's going to have some answering to do. That was clearly not the right call.

[Dottie57]

I'm in the always flee category as well. Everything but lives (people and animals) can be replaced.

Agree. Safety is paramount.

[TxAg]

First responders are overwhelmed in Houston right now b/c people didn't leave. Living in the country with a truck and flat bottom boat is one thing, but living in the city means get out asap.

The Mayor of Houston is still standing by his decision NOT to have residents evacuate.

We've spoken about this type of threat a few times, since Katrina and Sandy, and we'd leave, and early.
Worst case, we'd make a vacation out of it for a while, *elsewhere*.

After Sandy, we installed a generator, in great part to keep the sump pump running. However, that was in case of a localized storm, or blizzard, not something regional and catastrophic.

Tornadoes are scary, as they can appear "unannounced" (although radar these days can be remarkably helpful, as I found out on a business trip to Tulsa when there were tornado warnings and actual tornado touchdowns).
But hurricanes... they aren't particularly stealthy, even if the degree and duration aren't predictable.

RM

I think you've got the right attitude about it.

Regarding the Mayor, I'll just say I disagree with him.

[JBTX]

I lived in the Miami area during Andrew. I went about an hours north out of harms way. Having seen he devastation when I came back glad I did.

I had friends stayed huddled up in bathroom and watched their roof blow off. I guess that is worth some entertainment value.

Chances are you will survive if you stay but then you get to live in a wasteland for some period with no electricity and everything is closed and chances are streets are blocked or shut down.

[Jackson12]

It's an individual decision but we'd play it safe. We have a special needs kid. He couldn't hang on to a roof, etc. We'd leave.

[OnTrack2020]

I am so surprised that residents weren't asked to evacuate. Not so much due to the hurricane itself, but due to the absolutely astounding amount of rain that was being predicted in areas. When we get 4 or 5 inches of rain, it is a lot of rain, but 24 inches!!!.......I can't even imagine staying around to find out about that. And I saw tonight that some places could receive up to 50 inches of rain! Wow!

And to still see people who have been out and about driving around in it.....

[LadyGeek]

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