Are you planning on getting out of dodge ahead of the storm?
I'm getting my family out, but my f-i-l is staying so I'm staying to keep an eye on him.
In recent history, whenever an evacuated area has been totally trashed by a storm, it has typically required 5 DAYS before authorities permit residents to return. Genuine helpers have to wait even longer.
I know, I know - public safety and looter prevention - I've heard all that. But time and time again, I see this and keep thinking "Gee, you're trying to encourage people to get out of harm's way, and then don't let them come back to help assess their own damage!" Such a plan doesn't exactly encourage people to leave if they know they can't return.
In these situations, it certainly seems that everybody involved turns 'Republican.' By this I mean the thoughts of "nobody's gonna be here to help me, I'm going to have to take care of myself, my family, and my property. And that is true to a great extent. But when the local authorities -- under the guise of safety -- prevent people from doing that very thing, they undermine the very pioneer spirit that I speak of.
There has GOT to be a way to get people back home quicker: without this, people will try and stay -- and people will die.
</ rant>