I wasn’t sure where to classify this…

@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

@ebm , just trading survival notes without going off into deep end of the pool....

We will return to the regularly scheduled postings soon enough... ;)

@allenf1963 , thanks for the invite.  When I might get around to taking up on that is another moving target among many, since the business still takes priority.  Spouse is making moves to 'retire' me from the day2day, but there's aspects of my 'talents' that are still hard to replace currently.  Mind melds were never one of those... *G*

However, if the mountains call to you, feel free to roll up hill and pay a visit.  Can't say I'll create a sea change re audiophilia but there's more quaint breweries in AVL than any one human can withstand in a weekend. *L*

Half mile off 40, wrong side of the tracks from the Biltmore...and yes, we've done work for them....commercially and residentially.... *S*

So far, no 'canes in our time here.  The occasional flood events from heavy rains is another thing, but withstood enough back in HOU to be hip to what Not to do...

Always one idiot that'll drive into high water.  I did once after watching a Toy p/u plow through some....no rational reason why an engineer would put the air intake for the carbs low in the chassis, but they did.... 😖

Best advice for now: Check your insurance policy, and be of a mind to hold a huge BBQ if the freezer fails.  SOP in HOU when all went south....or came from it. ;)

Cheers, and back into Monday mode, J

@maverick3n1 ...uh, duck?

Watching a line approach....

I watch NOAA a lot.... *s*