Bugging out when the Fit Hits The Shan

[daytomann]

Bugging out requires a destination, and early decision making just like hurricane evacuation.

My wife had her truck packed with all our necessities before I got home.
I figured the storm would do the SOP and move E-NE right towards where we live. We headed south around two hours before the storms made it to okc. It was smooth sailing all the way to Norman. Then, as the storm completely ditched SOP and moved E-SE, that's when the panic occurred. It was surreal. People driving into oncoming traffic, hopping curbs, etc. everyone was just jamming 77. I just headed east out of Norman towards Dirty Bird then south on back roads. It was pretty smooth sailing and we stayed ahead of winds and rain without dodging people and going break neck speeds.

Even the having a plan and a head start doesn't always account for the unexpected.

Now tornadoes and hurricanes are one thing and until we get a fraidy hole, we're bugging out because you do usually have plenty of warning and smart people get out of the way early. We've never run into what we did last night because we always bug out way early and the storms normally move where they're supposed to lol! So tornadoes and hurricanes are not part of my point. What happened last night just got me to thinking about it.

Real SHTF is a situation that happens w/o warning. There's no planning the event and even though you might have a bug out plan, it will be little if any good unless you are willing to risk ALOT!!
I'm just sayin...
Depending on what the SHTF event is,
...if your plan is to immediately get to your bug out location??? Well, good luck with that.

I've always told the family we would hole up and bug in until things settle down. I'm with turkeyrun on this.

 

[vvvvvvv]

and the storms normally move where they're supposed

The first El Reno tornado looked lost.

Source: https://twitter.com/NWSNorman/status/340659172033064960

 

[SMS]

Even the having a plan and a head start doesn't always account for the unexpected.

Indeed. Nothing accounts for the unexpected...but you had a plan and executed it early, giving you time to adjust to the unexpected.

People sitting in their homes waiting for Gary to tell them to head south didn't have that time to adjust to the southern jog of the storm, especially given the time of day and the normal traffic situation in the area like others mentioned.

 

[turkeyrun]

Try living south of Houston and having a hurricane moving in. Yes, you have days notice, not minutes. But you also have a storm 400 miles wide that can turn at any time. Along with 5 million people on the roads. Seen people sitting on the freeways until they ran out of gas because they couldn't move. Prepare to bug in, know alternate roadways, NOT main roadways, be prepared to adjust your plans.

We had an evac back in '80. I was released from work at 8am. Wife had truck loaded and we left at 8:30, arrived in Austin at 1pm. Just a few minutes over normal drive time. My brother was released at noon and he arrived at 7pm. Dad was not released until 4:30, he arrived at 1 am. He sat at the same stoplight until 7, waiting for traffic to move through another stoplight 6 miles up the road. He looked at his map, while sitting there and when he could turn and get off the main road, took to the back roads. Storm turned east and missed us by 100 miles, but we learned a valuable lesson.

 

[jakerz]

I was in Beaumont Texas when Rita hit in 2005. I knew I-45 was going to be locked down. People were having to abandon their cars on the interstate because local law enforcement blocked off the exit ramps and they ran out of gas. I ended up saying screw that, and had a US map with me and took 2 lane highways into Louisiana and headed north until I hit I-20 to get back to I-35 and finally back home to Oklahoma. I didn't even live in that area and I knew everyone was going to take I-45 out and you would be rolling the dice if you took that route. Luckily I had a map, or I would have been screwed. I didn't have a smart phone then, hell, I don't even think they were around.

Having a plan is awesome. Having a backup plan is even better. Sometimes you have to do things on the fly.

 

[rlongnt]

I was in Beaumont Texas when Rita hit in 2005. I knew I-45 was going to be locked down. People were having to abandon their cars on the interstate because local law enforcement blocked off the exit ramps and they ran out of gas. I ended up saying screw that, and had a US map with me and took 2 lane highways into Louisiana and headed north until I hit I-20 to get back to I-35 and finally back home to Oklahoma. I didn't even live in that area and I knew everyone was going to take I-45 out and you would be rolling the dice if you took that route. Luckily I had a map, or I would have been screwed. I didn't have a smart phone then, hell, I don't even think they were around.

Having a plan is awesome. Having a backup plan is even better. Sometimes you have to do things on the fly.

I got caught in Rita’s traffic mess coming out of Lake Charles on I-10 heading west. The big rest stop just across the Texas state line before Beaumont looked like a third world refugee camp. I took the first farm road I could going north, got to see lots of small towns I’d never been through as a result and made it back to Oklahoma before I could have even made it to Houston at the rate traffic was flowing.

 

[turkeyrun]

^^^^^^^^^^^

I love the freeway system. It keeps all the traffic off the roads I use.

 

[BadgeBunny]

If I haven't left well ahead of the panic I see no reason to leave during ... That's always been my game plan. Based on some of the stories I've heard it's still the best one for me.

 

[RickN]

I just can't figure out where everyone is bugging out to?

If I have the time and money, the big island, if not I am staying home.

 

[AKguy1985]

I'm keeping myself at home.