If you knew you were getting hit by a Cat 5 storm, sure almost 100% of the people would evacuate. But that's not often the case. I've lived here in Jax. for over 50 years and can't tell you how many times we were "supposed" to get hit with Cat 5 and it has always misses us all together, at worst we get tropical storm strength winds. We did get hit once in recorded history, in the 60's, but it was max. winds of 95 mph, Cat 2. Now, first we were going to get hit with the eye and a min. Cat 4, now it might be 100 miles away when it goes by and we might get either hurricane (Cat 2) or tropical storm or next to nothing - all 3 have been shown? If you are rich, yeah sure, evacuate, But when you have 4 animals that don't all get along together, what do you do - very hard to find a place that will take 4 pets and worse when 2 of the cats don't like the rescue cat and the rescue dog doesn't really like any of the cats or they him & harasses them periodically. We've only had him 8 months and he's improved tons, but this is still a work in progress. We also don't have a vehicle big enough for their 4 crates, especially since one of them is quite large for our big guy.

Our house is on high ground, we had our trees trimmed last year, and will be safe where we are, as long as the winds are not over 100 mph. They are now forecasting winds around 50 mph Tues pm.

at140

(6,110 posts)

6. bless the geography for protecting you and me

Reply to lark (Reply #5)

Mon Sep 2, 2019, 03:50 PM

Sep 2019

East coast of Florida runs quite a bit north-west starting from Miami. The hurricanes tend to travel more straight north from Miami area, which is why you in JAX and me near Palm Coast do not receive a direct hit. That direct landfall usually will occur in the Carolina's. Again because of the geography.

We are not in a evacuation zone, and will hunker down and pray the winds don't go crazy. I know we won't get flooded, but could suffer fallen trees.

smirkymonkey

(63,221 posts)

7. Yeah, I think I spotted a few Darwin Award recipients in that slide show.

Reply to at140 (Reply #1)

Mon Sep 2, 2019, 03:55 PM

Sep 2019

Especially those who were planning to stay on their boats and those who were enjoying the sun and "surf" and not evacuating or at least seriously prepping.

I really hope they make it.