from my experience in hur. elena, stuck in keesler as a dependent in '85, they really do mean 'mandatory' when they say so. I think the AD personnel and their dependents are so much better off in this case, i.e. they still have a job, basic facility care, etc.
Unfortunately, it seems those that heeded the "mandatory" are the ones who survived. The base had it's emergency plans in place and functioning and ALL are accounted for, unlike so many other places. Thank you God.