Hurricane Florence

[RV_]

From Nick Russel's Gypsy Journal Blog today:

Excerpt:

"Don’t Stay, Go!

 Posted by Nick Russell at 12:58 am  Nick's Blog

Sep 102018

  After reading yesterday’s blog in which I said we didn’t plan on evacuating our home here on the Florida coast unless a real biggie of a hurricane is headed our way, I was surprised by the fact that I got not one, not two, not even four, but five emails from people yesterday who are at RV parks in the path of Hurricane Florence on or near the Carolina coast asking me if I thought they should do the same thing – just ride it out.

Hell, no! Trust me, RVs offer little or no protection from violent weather. You have wheels under your house. Take it and get as far inland as you have to go to get out of the hurricane’s path. Pretend you’re a gazelle and that the storm is a pride of lions coming at you. Run, gazelle, run!

It’s not just the wind and rain and flooding that will come with the storm; even if you and your RV somehow escape major damage, you are going to be in an area where facilities such as power and water may not be restored for days, or even weeks. And there will be roads closed, power lines and trees down all over the place, which could make it difficult to leave afterwards.

Not only should you go, but don’t wait until the last minute. If we were in that area in an RV, we would be heading out this morning. The longer you wait, the worse the driving conditions are going to be, the worse the traffic jams are going to be, and the harder it may be to find fuel."

Source: http://gypsyjournalblog.com/

Nick goes on in that original blog to tell of his experiences when RVing in similar circumstances. Nick's blog is full of great travel tidbits. Nick and his much better half live in Florida in a stix n brix. 

 

From CNN today with updates and maps of the landfall path of this strengthening storm .

"Hurricane Florence prompts mandatory evacuations

As Hurricane Florence approaches the East Coast of the United States, the governors of Virginia, North and South Carolina have issued mandatory evacuation orders affecting hundreds of thousands of residents in coastal areas.

Florence was upgraded twice Monday to Category 4, prompting numerous warnings from state officials to not underestimate the threat the storm poses. The size of hurricane-force winds doubled over 12 hours from 30 to 60 mph, the National Hurricane Center said Monday afternoon. The wind field is expected to keep growing, which will increase the storm surge and inland wind threats, the service said in a statement.

"The bottom line is that there is high confidence that Florence will be a large and extremely dangerous hurricane, regardless of its exact intensity," the NHC said.

A mandatory evacuation order takes effect Tuesday at noon in eight counties along South Carolina's 187-mile coastline. Starting then, all roads on I-26 and Route 501 will be directed away from the coast, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said.

 

"This is a real hurricane we have coming," McMaster said Monday. "We don't want to risk one South Carolina life."

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/10/us/florence-hurricane-season-wxc/index.html

 

[Ranger Smith]

I'de of been already been gone. I don't risk my family's lives for nothing like that.

[MilesAndSmiles]

Fortunately it looks like Flo is going to pass quite a bit south of me. I'm camping in northern Delaware. But it looks like we'll still get a good dose of rain. If the storm changes track and heads up this way I've got a couple of options, depending on how close she's going to get. If it just shifts a little north, I can leave the motorhome and hang out with some friends in their sticks n bricks. If it shifts way north, I'm heading inland as fast as my little wheels can take me!

Now an interesting question: If you had to abandon your motorhome to get to a place of safety, would you rather leave it a) in a heavily wooded campsite where the trees will act as a wind-break, or b) in the middle of a field where there's no chance of a tree falling, but the wind will hit full force and might blow it over?

[Kirk W]

9 minutes ago, MilesAndSmiles said:

If you had to abandon your motorhome to get to a place of safety, would you rather leave it a) in a heavily wooded campsite where the trees will act as a wind-break, or b) in the middle of a field where there's no chance of a tree falling, but the wind will hit full force and might blow it over?

Yes!

Actually, it is kind of a lottery type of question and one near to me since we had a large tree limb fall, grazing our truck and only about 20' from our RV last summer. The limb had about a 6" diameter and was quite long. It took two men to move it away from our truck and in glancing left just a small dent at the edge of the roof but would have done major damage had it hit our RV. That said, I still think that your odds are probably better in the shelter of the trees.

 

[JRP]

20 minutes ago, MilesAndSmiles said:

Now an interesting question: If you had to abandon your motorhome to get to a place of safety, would you rather leave it a) in a heavily wooded campsite where the trees will act as a wind-break, or b) in the middle of a field where there's no chance of a tree falling, but the wind will hit full force and might blow it over?

Neither, you want to take advantage of the weeks advance warning that you always get these days when a hurricane is coming your way and get the heck out of Dodge. It may jog 100 miles one way or the other at the last minute. But by then you should be long gone & far away. Hurricane force winds topple trees like matchsticks and pick up RV's and slam them down in pieces. 

At least in the US, hurricanes don't sneak up on you or come as a random surprise like tornados. With todays technology and tracking, the path is well known several days in advance. 

[RV_]

Amen!

The choice is not whether you will have the rig, or yourself, or both, damaged or destroyed. It is too easy to break camp and do the boot scootin boogie.

We live far from coast and quake, and are soon moving even further from coast and quake to Colorado. Hurricanes are blown out by the time they get to us, just some breezes and rain. Like the folks living in New Orleans, or the Florida Keys. It isn't if those places will get slammed, it's when.

Remember that storms strengthen with warm temperatures, and temperatures are warmer, thus the increase in the violence of storms these days.

Like New Orleans, which we love to visit, and did water rescues when Katrina hit. But would never move there.

Stay safe!

[rynosback]

People do what they do against the obvious.

 

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

7 hours ago, MilesAndSmiles said:

 

Now an interesting question: If you had to abandon your motorhome to get to a place of safety, would you rather leave it a) in a heavily wooded campsite where the trees will act as a wind-break, or b) in the middle of a field where there's no chance of a tree falling, but the wind will hit full force and might blow it over?

C) In a parking lot, as close to a large, solid building that can block the wind as I can get it.

[markandkim]

Another great reason to be a Nomad.

I can't wait.

[k4rs]

We relocated from coastal Virginia to Western North Carolina.  It now appears we didn't go far enough.  Leaving in the morning.

Run, Forest, Run!

Safe Travels...

[kb0zke]

RV'er: Where should I go when a hurricane comes?

Florida resident: Michigan.

Seriously, I would think that it is a bit late to be talking about where to go. You should have already left. We actually made it a couple of miles into Florida in January before we had to suddenly head back to the midwest for a funeral. Had we been able to stay, though, we already had a plan of when and where to go should a hurricane be discussed. Of the two, the "when" was more important. "Where" is determined by where the hurricane is predicted to come ashore.

I just heard that there are actually four storms that are being tracked, so anyone on the eastern or southern coasts ought to be paying attention to the weather.

[Mr. Camper]

So many hurricanes hit us our last year in FLAUSA that we started to believe it was personal.  Now we are looking at buying a home on the coast, somewhere in Eastern Tennessee. 

[RV_]

Now the weather heads are predicting Florence will become a category 5 storm by the time it makes landfall!

[Pappy Yokum]

On 9/10/2018 at 5:57 PM, MilesAndSmiles said:

 

Now an interesting question: If you had to abandon your motorhome to get to a place of safety, would you rather leave it a) in a heavily wooded campsite where the trees will act as a wind-break, or b) in the middle of a field where there's no chance of a tree falling, but the wind will hit full force and might blow it over?

 

Why would you have to (or want to) *abandon* your Motor Home?

Not running? No wheels?

If the MH is still a functional vehicle that can "motor down the road", common sense dictates -  heed the *advance warnings*, say adios - and hit the road!

.

 

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

You know, some people actually live in a motor home while working a full time job.  They may not have the option of bugging out.

[FL-JOE]

We had just returned from summer travels to our SW Florida sticknbrick last year when it became obvious that Irma was going to run up through Florida.  We locked down the house, filled up the coach and headed back north 3 days before it hit and even then the roads were packed.

What we discovered was the return trip was a planning nightmare.  Many gas stations were either out of gas or didn't have electricity to stay open.  We waited 3 days after it went through the state but should have waited at least a week.

[Kirk W]

When we were fulltime our hurricane plan was to leave as well but only had to do that one time. But the original question was not of staying in the RV but only where to park it if you must leave it behind. I'd think that even a part-time RV person would leave early and with the RV if it was at all possible. We have friends in FL who have done so on several occasions. 

[RV_]

9 hours ago, Optimistic Paranoid said:

You know, some people actually live in a motor home while working a full time job.  They may not have the option of bugging out.

John,

This is a mandatory evacuation in most areas. That means the folks living in a stix n brix are ordered to leave too. Any employer that has half a brain would encourage their workforce to get out so they will survive to man their jobs after. An employer that discourages employee evacuations is a fool. Folks that stay with them have to step back and weigh death or possibly serious injuries, against a loss of a few bucks looking for another job. Foolishness is not courage.  Here at Barksdale AFB we are seeing hundreds of aircraft coming in from east coast bases. Those bases will need living military personnel to come back to work or cleanup or both in whatever aftermath the storm leaves behind.

Get out!

4 hours ago, Kirk Wood said:

When we were fulltime our hurricane plan was to leave as well but only had to do that one time. But the original question was not of staying in the RV but only where to park it if you must leave it behind. I'd think that even a part-time RV person would leave early and with the RV if it was at all possible. We have friends in FL who have done so on several occasions. 

No Kirk, the OP was get out. And a reprint of Nick's blog about this from a couple of days ago. If someone is still there and wasting time trying to minimize damage park it near a building, today is the last day to comply with mandatory evacuation orders.

If someone has to leave their RV behind, get out now in your car or truck. From news reports, water and other supplies were cleaned off store shelves by yesterday, and fuel supplies on the road are running out.

When we did water rescues in N.O. for Katrina, we had no fuel but what we brought in my 64 gallon Transfer Flow tank because we knew the stations within 50 miles or more would be out from the evacuees. Once the storm hits and the power goes out, the pumps at all stations won't work as they all use electric pumps to pump fuel. If there is flooding it will get into the underground tanks and that fuel you don't want. We went the day after Katrina and stayed three days. There was no fuel anywhere along Interstate 49 until we were 20 miles from home!

Houston still has not recovered never mind Puerto Rico.

This storm has the potential to be far worse.

Once you are safe with or without your RV, then it is time to review your insurance to be sure it is covered. If you have to leave your rig you still only have two options, fly out, or drive out. once all flights are  booked, and all the indecisive deniers get on the road, some may get trapped on the road when it hits! Get out now.

If a hurricane is coming today we have time to pack a bugout bag in case we have to abandon our RV/Vehicle. Have your legal package including but not limited to your last will and living will, medications list, and health advisories on a thumbdrive in your pocket/Handbag. Have your insurance docs, medications, gun/s if a legal ccw holder. Before you leave shore power with or without your rig, charge all your devices and back up power packs. If cell towers are down having a radio with fresh batteries and spare batteries can help a lot. My bugout bag is city centered and includes two MREs, two 16 oz waters, one change of clothes, pocket rain gear, whistle, mini high power flashlight, spare sneakers and some energy bars. My home disaster prep is two weeks of freeze dried meals each from a top rated survival food manufacturer, and cases of water. Don't forget the probability of flooding and the dangers of that for returnees.

Click For Full-Size Image.

I'm the guy with the hat, T-Shirt, and .40 cal strapped on.

Some folks never made it out.

Click For Full-Size Image.

We were evacuating out a couple and their little girl of about seven. The weather was a humid 98 degrees and the stench made it clear where the unfortunates were. That little girl had to see and smell that for a couple of days.

These things are deadly serious. When the fuel along the exit and return routes run out it could be a few days before fuel is replenished within a large radius from the storm.

Get out now.

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I don't mean to be contentious. But let's just note that:

It's a mandatory evacuation in some places, voluntary in others.

Some people who live in RVs are the working poor, people who literally are getting by paycheck to paycheck.  (I remember being in that boat 30 years ago.)  They may not have enough reserve funds to pay for, as someone here put it, 3 tankfuls of gas.

Some employers NEED their help to stay to help get ready - to board things up, to fill and stack sandbags.  I saw one tv report of a coastal business that literally removed EVERY stick of furniture and everything else that was on the ground floor and relocated it all to someplace safer until the storm is past.

Of course, that's all easy for me to say.  I'm not in the path, I'm retired, and I can afford to get into my truck and turn the key and go.  I'm just glad I'm not faced with such choices, as I once would have been.

 

[RV_]

The storm path is shifting as they all do. I'm watching the news and the business owners finished boarding up yesterday getting their property set for the storm and the stragglers are just now leaving after boarding up today. I don't know about the city and state evacuation plans for hospitals, old folks homes, and for the poor. But if they listen to local evacuation instructions they may or may not be covered.

All have, and had, news and fully working infrastructure all week. The mandatory areas are well publicized, there are free rooms and camping being offered by business owners along the evacuation routes and even as far away as here.

They just lifted the mandatory evacuations from some areas as the storm path shifted.

I'm not being contentious either. The Carolinas either do, or don't, have evacuation plans covering their poor too. Sorry that is above my pay grade.

All I can do is repeat to get out of there.

I'm sure their local news will give instructions as they do every time, and some will ignore it.

I'm addressing our members who can move, and are under mandatory evacuation orders. I was shocked at how many folks did not leave N.O.! But worse that without power, or fuel to run generators or boats, there is nothing to be done except by rescue boats fueled by a Sheriff Department like we were sponsored by pure luck. Our first rescue was the Sheriff's parents without us knowing until later. Until you've been in one of these hurricane/Long term flooding recoveries, it is inconceivable to have nothing to fall back on, nothing to buy, no way out in fetid water with a mixture of sewer tanks, gas, oil, diesel from flooded underground fuel tanks and every chemical in peoples storage sheds, vehicles including battery contents, and the flotsam from the wreckage from wind damage and loose boats everywhere.

Good points. Bad moon rising.

[chirakawa]

2 hours ago, RV_ said:

The Carolinas either do, or don't, have evacuation plans covering their poor too. Sorry that is above my pay grade.

 

It is a federal mandate that all State and local jurisdictions have documented and approved workable emergency readiness plans.  Those plans must include all practical and foreseeable threats and must address all aspects of safety for it's inhabitants.  That would include evacuation plans, if applicable, for both indigent and non-ambulatory persons such as found in nursing homes, hospitals, etc.

Not picking on New Orleans, but one thing which was learned during Katrina is that when State and local authorities pencil whip those plans, people die.  One month later when Rita hit the upper Texas coast, tens of thousands of the poor and sick were evacuated using school buses, charter buses, National Guard aircraft, etc. using a workable plan which had been in place for years.  Thousands of those evacuees had also been Katrina evacuees to Texas.

All of that being said, there will always be a percentage of folks who just ignore the evacuation orders.......some will die.

[Pat & Pete]

I hope everyone has left the Carolina coasts to Florence .

Be smart . Be safe .

[RV_]

Amen Pat,

I could write pages on what Gov. Blanco and her General  Russel L. Honoré just plain screwed up. But I won't. I hope all have evacuated in the path of Florence.

[Ronbo]

On 9/11/2018 at 3:02 AM, Optimistic Paranoid said:

C) In a parking lot, as close to a large, solid building that can block the wind as I can get it.

I remember the walls falling down on a Home Depot store in Galveston 

[Kirk W]

If you are having to leave an RV behind when running from a hurricane, I think that no matter where you choose to leave the RV you need a lot of good fortune and a really good insurance policy. Even if you find a spot that is high enough to be clear of any flooding, and something strong to protect it from the prevailing winds, and perhaps even a roof to make things better, hurricanes often spawn tornadoes and such that may reach out to even the most protected locations. Hurricane Harvey hit the coast and wiped out several RV parks, yet I remember pictures of one park where here and there were RVs pretty much unharmed while all around were others that were wrecked. With protecting an RV from storms it is probably more luck than knowledge most of the time.

At least with hurricanes, the main attraction is predicted and tracked well in advance of the storm's arrival and even though it isn't an exact science,  early prediction is quite accurate and pretty much everyone has time to prepare or leave. I find the violent storms of the middle section of the country more worrisome since they seldom have more than a day or two of warning and often it is only hours and they are far more unpredictable. The wind storm that we experienced last July in ND was predicted to stay at least 50 miles to our south and was expected to be much less violent. Winds were recorded at 70 mph with gusts over 85 just a few miles from the park where we were staying. Yet our RV site in the park employee area was right below a steep bluff in the direction the storm came from and in very heavy timber so as a result, we dodged a bullet from what could have disastrous. Like so many weather situations, it was more a matter of luck than of knowledge.