The evacuation dilemma: stay or go?

As of Saturday evening, Hurricane Dorian is making a big right hand turn, moving the storm’s threat north. So now it seems Georgians and South Carolinians are facing the evacuation dilemma: stay or go? I’ve been there. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew was heading arrow straight for the border between Broward and Miami-Dade counties. We lived a mile north of that. We boarded the house up as best we could, moved our valuable stuff (a lamppost, a stereo, a rocker we bought on our honeymoon) into the downstairs bathroom, where it would be best protected. And we sat on our couch and cried. We knew what we owned was junk, but it was our junk. It was everything we had, and we knew we would never see it again. Then we left. Too many people take the chance and stay behind. Travelers Insurance surveyed people living in hurricane-prone states. The survey found:

Men (23%) were more likely than women (11%) to ignore a mandatory evacuation order. Millennials (21%) were more likely to ignore an order than Gen Xers (16%) or Baby Boomers (11%). People in the most cane-prone states (Florida, Louisiana, Texas’ Gulf Coast) were the stubbornest. Georgians, Alabamians, Mississippians, Virginians and North Carolinians were most likely to heed the order.

Back in 1992, my wife and I were lucky. Hurricane Andrew drifted south, and we returned to a home intact.

Even so, we made the right decision, and I’d urge anyone in the same position now to leave. After all, insurance can help you recover the stuff you’ve lost. But no one can replace you.

I.I.I. has some tips for what to do when a hurricane threatens.