Hurricanes that hit near me always drop to tropical storms soon before hitting, but from what I’ve seen, the vast amount of damage occurs within 1-2 miles of the shoreline.
You don’t need to evacuate 300 miles. Go see a friend or hang out at your church.
I helped with Hurricane Sandy cleanup a couple weeks after the storm. Mainland damage was negligible while the barrier islands were decimated.
Lived in Corpus Christi for many years. Evacuated only once and it was because of hype.
IF I LIVED on a barrier island, I’d get out of there, though.