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I can understand the drive to stay near your home, but when it comes to hurricanes, I'd leave the area.

It is very hard to leave the area. I have been down dodging these things for twenty years. Usually, your employer will not release you until the warning is issued and that leaves you with way less then 24 hours to get ready and get out. That is when the eye will hit land, but with large storms driving can start to get rough 8 hours before that. When you are looking at something like Florida, there isn't really anywhere to go. You have to drive up to eight hours in good traffic to get out of the state and you may be in the storms path the whole way. That doesn't leave you with much time to collect your family, seal up your house, and pack up your life; and, we are assuming that the thing actually stays on course and you get the full 24 hours of notice.

With Katrina, Broward county issued a hurricane warning, but Dade county did not. As a result people were ordered into work on Friday in Dade county. When the storm changed direction they actually ended up driving home in tropical storm winds. They would have been lucky to find enough time to put up their storm shutters.

Also, keep in mind that these warnings happen half a dozen times a year. You never know until the last minute what these storms will do. Who can afford to cut and run on every warning? You either have to develop a certain tolerance for these things or move away from the coast.

I recognize that there is some truth in what you say. I would suggest that it's a good idea to prepare before the boss says okay, and then jet immediately.

I realize that it's inconvenient to leave. If it's your life and the life of those you love, you have to bite the bullet and do it.

It's easy for me to say from the west coast. I'm not convinced I'd choose to live in NO or on the gulf coast. If I did, I'd have a second property in a more northern state. I'd keep it primed.

I know the people in NO love it there. This is going to be a very very very expensive tab because folks just happen to love it there.