I wasn’t sure where to classify this…

Let me paint a worst case hurricane picture based upon my experience of living in south Florida for 20 years (yes, through Andrew), and my "cat duty" with my then employer, an insurance company. The means I got to exist in an area devastated by a natural disaster and process insurance claims.

Your 1988 house is not built to the current hurricane building code written after Andrew showed how weak the pre-1992 building codes were. Since you are on the top of a hill, storm surge may not get you, but winds can peel your roof like a grape. And if the roof is gone and the windows on the top two floors are blown out, water will be everywhere in the lower floors from the windblown 12" of rain. Hurricanes also spawn tornados, so you want to be able to access that below ground portion of the lowest level.

Internet for your computer? Try no cell service either. Water & sewer will be off line. Two cases of water? Think 20. Freezer full of food, eh. Are you going to feed all the neighbors you let into the garage who no longer have a home?

Where are your valuable papers (birth certificates, passport, bank records, insurance policy), inventory of the household goods for an insurance claim? How much cash is on hand? Banks and ATMs will not be working and neither will any online payment systems. No cash-no gas/food/water. Got flashlights, batteries and a radio? How about a gun? You may be the only lights for miles and bad guys roam after natural disasters. There was a great Twilight Zone episode about this...

Pop the $10,000 for a 27.5 KVA automatic generator and a 500 gallon propane tank (you can bury it it you don’t like the looks). Stock up on water and seriously consider evacuating if a hurricane is coming.It’s just stuff.

If you are in an area hit by a hurricane and remain in place, realize your goal will be survival, not whether your internet or cable comes on and what frozen steak you’ll prepare.

@asvjerry ​​​​and @thecarpathian ,

I’m in Winston-Salem, or "The Dash" as we locals call it. Shelton Vineyards, along with Raylens Vineyards are wonderful places to visit, along with the multitude of Breweries that have opened up in the Triad. Nowhere near the explosion of Suds in the Asheville area -- last count there were almost 70 breweries in Western North Carolina, rivaling Portland, Oregon, as the new Brewery Capital in the U.S.

Jerry, you should check out the two fine Audio stores we have here in Winston-Salem now -- Ember Audio + Design and Custom Home Hi-Fi. Ember carries Wilson Audio, Dynaudio, KEF, Naim, Vinnie Rossi, Octave, Rega, Clearaudio, SME, and Dr. Feickert. Custom Home reps Rega, Pro-Ject, Marantz, PrimaLuna, EAT, Focal, Wharfdale, and Paradigm. I know both owners, let me know if you make a trip down and I’ll introduce you.

@mwjones I have no doubts that what you are stating is true, and I can’t imagine dealing with all of what you listed.  I have a few advantages (assuming they were done right).  My roof is 3 years old (I’m assuming it was damaged and replaced due to Sally).  I’m near the top of a hill, but I’m an hour drive from the beach, and I have a metric ton of trees between myself and the coast.  They are my best friend and worst nightmare of course, as a tree coming down could take out the roof and part of the house.  That said, once again, all the trees that are still standing, withstood the constant pounding of Sally, and while it was only a Cat 2 hurricane, it was slow moving and sat for 24 hours which is why it did so much damage.

all of that said, you are right.  Newer homes are built to higher standards.  In addition to the new roof, I have the advantage that I’m in a very hilly area that helps break up the wind, which also reduces risk of tornado.

lastly, any kin I have is in San Diego, CA, so evacuating and trying to find somewhere that I and my dogs can stay, at an exorbitantly higher price, combined with not knowing if the hotel I stay at also gets a good hit, or even hit harder from where I left, doesn’t really seem feasible.  I have just as much chance that the storm ends up passing me and hitting someone else, as I do, leaving and going somewhere that ends up getting hit harder by the storm as it avoids where I’m at.

in the end, there is no right answer.  At least I know, standing my ground means I have resources at my availability.  I have all needed supplies for

myself and some to help my neighbors.  My goal isn’t to take care of all of my neighbors, but if I can offer some respite and share some resources, so be it.

I said worse case scenario. Please understand  I was not referring to your shingles; I meant losing the entire roof down to the rafter. 

And you are correct; storms miss most people. But you cannot prepare after the storm.

I hate to sound too cynical, but a cat two; who cares unless you live in a mobile home? It's a cat 3 and above. In Tennesse where I now live, we're had remnants of of hurricane wash out the interstate between Tennessee and North Carolina merely from the rain .It looks months to repair. And those trees are not your friend; for as you have noted they fall on houses. Distance from the storm is your friend.

Standing your ground is great... if you are prepared. But please do three things; get more water, realize trees do not break up 150 mile per hour winds and you are in Alabama, not California. Like Florida, the rules are different.

Good luck.

Mike