The problem isn't just the hurricane, it's surviving the aftermath.

Let's look at the scenarios for evacuating the state.

If I leave now (without any vehicle to my name), I'd need to arrange for a car rental. Assuming any vehicles are even available to be driven out of the state, and they'd rent one to someone who is half-blind and doesn't have a driver's license, by the time I got into one, I'd be looking at several days of traffic jams and statewide gas shortages. The odds of being stuck on the road when the hurricane hits is too significant to ignore, and I'd rather be in a house than a car.

Then I would need a place to go. AirBNB, hotels, etc. are all expensive as hell, and probably saturated with evacuees.

Finally, I need to do all that while taking more time off of work than I am allowed to take every year, which calls two things into question:

  1. How will I pay for the evacuation and stay?
  2. Will I even have a job after all this? (I work remote.)

This isn't even considering the fact that I need to make a decision with 5 other adults (the people I live with, and care about the most, all of whom have decided to prepare and weather the storm).

Evacuation sounds good in theory, but honestly, it's not so simple.

In the off-chance that the storm kills me: Pragmatically speaking, I'm basically a nobody who has done practically nothing noteworthy, so no one outside my immediate circle of friends will care (if they even know). I encourage everyone in the path of the storm, all of whom probably matter to the community much more than I ever will, to make their own decisions and not follow my example.

> I'm basically a nobody who has done practically nothing noteworthy

You've done at least one noteworthy thing: you posted the above comment. I, for one, noticed.

Good luck to you.

This is one of the major downsides of living in a dense city without your own car and relying on the "transportation as a service" model. It works fine until it doesn't, and then you're screwed. The system is fragile with very little resiliency. (This is just a general comment, I don't mean it as a criticism of your personal choices.)

Greetings fellow nobody :)

You'll be in my thoughts and prayers this week. Stay safe

Serious question: why don't you fly out? I just checked on Google Flights and there are seats out of Miami today for <$200. Even adding ground transportation on each end it seems to me you could get out of Dodge for <1k including temporary housing at the end. You're a software engineer, surely you can afford that?

[UPDATE:] Just saw this:

http://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-irma-evacuation-jet...

It's a four hour drive to Miami from here.

Ah. Where is "here"? Miami is not the only major airport in Florida. Orlando->Atlanta and Tampa->JFK are both available for $114.

Northwest Cape Coral.

Looks like your area is now in a "mandatory" evacuation zone. Are you still staying put?

Yes, I stayed put. I'm also okay/alive/etc.

Glad to hear it. When you're fully recovered let's chat about security some time.

Ah. I see the problem. Good luck. Please let us know how you fare.

For what it's worth, I hope you make it through with life, limb and property unscathed.

upvoted for the info. Not the nobody part. Good luck to you