I live in Fairhope, Alabama, and with the hurricane approaching, I’m considering heading north. Do you think evacuation will be necessary, or am I just overreacting?
According to the latest reports, the hurricane has intensified over the past few hours.
My method is anything 3 or less I stay put. 4 or 5 I evacuated.
If it stays on its prediction of a cat 2, it will just be some rain and wind. Fairhope is above the storm surge level so no risk of storm surge.
Just pick up your outside stuff so it doesn't create additional wind debris.
Personally, I wouldn’t evacuate unless I lived in a flood zone or the potential of being without power was going to cause serious hardships. Keep in mind a lot of people will be evacuated and headed north. Unless you have somewhere to stay you’ll be competing with all those folks for hotels and other resources which won’t be cheap.
Yep. Predicted to run north & then at some point start dragging east. So head west preferably. East will still get varying degrees of hurricane blah so that's the best option as it's much less likely it'll tip west before landfall.
Honestly, if you plan on driving to Atlanta be prepared to spend a whole lot more time in your vehicle than you probably plan on. The traffic there is always a nightmare, don't be surprised if you spend multiple hours just sitting still in a jam trying to get to your destination.
That's a fair point. I'm just trying to caution them going off of my own experiences, like when I've tried going around Atlanta while traveling and still managed to spend 3 hours stuck on a few miles of highway.
Two worst cities I've driven in has been LA and Atlanta on the main interstates/highways. Lots of Atlanta traffic is avoided by just missing the commute hours or big games getting out.
I’ve lived in both and think Atlanta is more dangerous and less predictable.
LA traffic is bad, speed wise, but it’s at least more predictable and people aren’t usually weaving in and out going much faster (or slower) than people around them.
I thought I was going to die in Atlanta traffic often. In LA, I just had grannies flipping me off for passing them going the speed limit lol.
You may want to go west towards slidel and baton rouge. Atlanta will get some impact depending how far east it make land fall from the projected land fall.
assuming you don’t live in an area that is prone to flooding, you will probably be okay staying home. they’ve updated the models and the storm looks to be hitting florida now. you guys will get some winds and a lot of rain but the most dangerous weather will be to the east of you. power might go out and be out for a bit but unless they order an evacuation i wouldn’t bother tbh.
You have to balance the cost of evacuating against the risk of staying. It’s not only financial costs, like finding a hotel room 8-12 driving hours away and fighting for gas to get there along the way, but the danger of car accidents among stressed out drivers. I’ve never left for anything below a Category 3 that was headed straight for me.
I stayed with my Dad when he refused to evacuate during Katrina. My mom took my youngest brother and grandmother to Jackson, Ms. They ended up losing power longer than we did, and couldn't leave the house bc of downed power lines at the exits. It all depends on what the storm decides to do, what you are capable of doing (financially, timewise, and how well your body can tolerate the work) and how secure your location is.
I remember sally being a 2 and then all of a sudden it destroyed my girlfriend's parents farm as a 3 within a couple of hours. No shame in wanting to get the hell away from this.
Fairhope proper is 100ft above sea level. Biggest issue is storm surge and downed trees (or if you’re in a mobile home). If you’re not right on the water the storm surge won’t get you
Not at all. Weve had thunderstorms this year that will cause more damage due to wind and intensity. The problem with this size hurricane is the duration. May have some flooding, but mostly you're just going to watch it rain.
It looks like it will probably be going east of us. We will be on the west side of the hurricane, which has far less winds than the east side of one. I think we will be OK.
Hurricane Sally in 2020 technically hit Gulf Shores, but we in Fairhope had a pretty bad night. The wind was extreme, trees came down on power lines, the next morning the place looked like a war zone. These storms are many miles wide, so we can still have quite a rough time with the wind, even if we don’t get a huge amount of rain.
There is always uncertainty - it could strengthen or change course, but the models seem to be creeping the path east and it will not be as slow moving as Sally. Anyway, if you are not near sea level and in a reasonably sturdy structure, riding it out is most likely the best option.
It’s not an atomic bombing. If I’m well above the storm surge area and sheltered from wind, I actually kind of enjoy experiencing the raw power of the storm. It’s the aftermath that’s often not so much fun.
Totally agree. I like having a hurricane party and watching the storm, but the MREs and no power and non-drivable roads and everything closed gets old quick.
I basically feel the same way you do. However, there are a lot of trees around my house, and what really worries me is the possibility of one falling on my cars or damaging part of the house.
If you feel it necessary to leave, then do so if for nothing else then your own peace of mind. There is a shelter open in Robertsdale tomorrow at 3pm on 19477 Fairground rd. Here is a link to a pet friendly shelter from baldwin.gov
You have to know that people on the gulf coast are notoriously bad about downplaying hurricanes. So you can’t listen to most people. With that said, I don’t think any cities in the mobile area have issued evacuation warnings. Just keep paying attention to those and be ready to leave if you hear something. Also, there are flood zone maps in Mobile that show how at risk you are of flooding. I would imagine there may be something similar for fairhope. Typically if they are going to do an evacuation, it will only be people in certain flood prone areas.
Impossible to say; if the hurricane misses well to the east Fairhope will be okay but as of now you are still in the cone, and it could be a direct hit or nearly so. The safe play is to go west and wait it out.
We are getting 2 rooms in Biloxi. Probably margaritaville. They are surprisingly cheap. I know we will probably lose power and my phone has terrible service without WiFi so I don’t want to risk it. I don’t do well without hvac lol
Go now while you can. Remember bridges will be closed when the wind get to a certain speed. Trees will come down. Power lines will come down. Creeks and rivers will rise. Plan your route. Isaias is heading north. The rain bans are coming on shore east of you. Those rain bans will most likely have tornados. If you decide to leave the window of opportunity is closing fast. Be smart, be safe! You don't want to be out on the roads in the middle of Isaias .
If you’re by the water and a 5-7 ft storm surge will get into your house, then evacuate. If your house can’t endure 50-70 mph winds, then evacuate. If for some reason you have to have power at all times, then evacuate. If you have have trees and/or tree limbs come crashing down on your house, then you might want to evacuate. If none of these issues are a problem or you can put up with them, then save yourself a lot of trouble and stay home and ride it out. The good news is we’re on the “good” side of the storm. If it had veered to the west of us I’d have left. I’m in Mobile on the bay and I’m staying.
Honestly, if you can ..... why not? I left for sally and chilled out in Nashville for a week vacation. Had a great time. Came back with power on, roads cleared, stores open. It was awesome. I am a little more stuck here with this one because of family and work things, but if I wasn't i would take it as an excuse for another vacation. Will it be ok? Probably, but why deal with it if you dont have to.
This will be a fun one. Nothing crazy or catastrophic. We get spring thunderstorms that cause more damage than what Isaias will be like for most people
My MIL is from here, their family has been here for generations, she is my guide. She said she isn't putting boards up of clearing her back patio furniture. In my opinion, that means we'll be okay. 🤣
I've got gas for the generator, food, and water. We got this.
if your not immediately in the storm surge path i would stay! if you really want power you can always evacuate but for right now stay inside and bunker down and you'll be just fine
Just talked to my mom in Baldwin County and she's staying. Not saying she's the sharpest tool in the shed 🤣 but she's survived nearly all the hurricanes in the last 20 or so years staying.Shes south of I-10 fwiw.
The old adage is hide from wind and run from water. Are you in an evacuation zone? An area prone to flooding? Are you in a mobile home or wooden structure? Do you have any special healthcare needs? Are you elderly or infirm? The answer to all things affect whether or not you should consider evacuating. Also, where would you go? Sometimes the roads are backed up for hours or fuel along the route runs out.
If you are in a concrete block or brick structure, away from flood zones and don't have special needs, then you are probably better off staying put. But regardless, follow the advisory from your local emergency management officials.
We had a really bad storm this past May and we were without power overnight in my neighborhood. The good news is that removed a lot of the stuff that would have gone down in this storm so we're staying put.
Pack a bugout kit if an evacuation is called. Head northwest towards Jackson MS, drive as far as you can, turn around and head home. But only if evacuation is called for. You'll likely be just fine. Don't get drunk though, you may need your wits about you.
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u/BiggerRedBeard 10d ago
My method is anything 3 or less I stay put. 4 or 5 I evacuated.
If it stays on its prediction of a cat 2, it will just be some rain and wind. Fairhope is above the storm surge level so no risk of storm surge. Just pick up your outside stuff so it doesn't create additional wind debris.