[Charlie]

I left the Beaumont/Port Arthur area yesterday and drove to my place in the woods. It's about 90 miles inland near a little town called Warren. My parents and some friends will be here later today... now that the Beaumont/Port Arthur area has issued a mandatory evacuation. I don't expect to see them till later in the late afternoon because of the congestion on the road.

I won't have any water issues here... I'm a few hundred feet about sea level here. I'll probably have plenty of rain, but no surges. Winds will likely take out cel service and maybe power.

I've been preaching to everyone for years that leaving early BEFORE area officials call for evacuation is the best thing to do. When I drove up here yesterday, there was some congestion, but i think it was also due to 5 oclock rush hour. It took me an extra 10-15 minutes to get here. Normal drive time from my home to the camp is right at 1 hour. Had I waited till today, it would likely take me 3-6 hours to make the same drive. This is based on past evacuations. This is why I always tell people here they should leave earlier... do not wait for city or county officials to tell you to leave.

Leaving earlier also helps your car/truck. If you're stuck in traffic for several hours, there's a good chance of the temperature guage creeping up on you (and we all know there's a certain group of human beings that don't even know what that guage indicates). So being stuck in traffic, in hot weather (yesterday it was 97), running the a/c, and got the car loaded with people or belongings can be a strain on your car. Next thing you know, you're stuck on the side of the road. So keep that in mind as well for evacuations. If you leave early before everyone else, you'll be a lot better off.

Early preparation is the key. Get everything you think you would need when the hurricane season first starts. Don't wait till a cat 5 storm is 200 miles away.