I drove through Homestead a few months after Andrew hit. The place still looked like Beirut. Awful amount of damage.
I have a sister who lives in Brandonton. Just moved there, in fact. I asked her if she was leaving, and she said no, because (1) it didn't seem that bad in the forecasts, and (2) the nearest place for them to move their dogs was Fayetteville, NC!
I obviously can't get a hold of her right now, but I'm hopeful everything is alright there.
CA....
I was there in Homestead too a few months after, drove past literally miles of stacked up debris that had placed there during the cleanup, I'll never forget that as long as I live.
You just hit on one of the biggest reasons why people will not evacuate and go to a shelter. Their animals. There are no shelters that will allow a person to take their pets, and many people, especially the elderly, will not leave them behind.