I Refuse to Evacuate My Five Kids for Hurricane Irma

From Redbook

One of the first things my neighbor told me when we moved to Coral Springs, Florida five years ago was that if you have to go through a natural disaster a hurricane is the "best" type because you have so much time to prepare. And now, with hurricane Irma, a category 5 storm, bearing down on us, I can see the wisdom in her words. My husband and I have had a solid week to prepare our home and our five kids for the storm - which is important since we live a mere 10 miles from the southeast coast.

So when Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for Florida on Monday and then mandatory evacuations for some parts on Tuesday, our family had a decision to make. And we've decided not to evacuate. We'll shelter in place, no matter what.

Moving to Florida, we knew that hurricanes were just part of the deal. We get some of the world's most gorgeous coastlines, endless sunshine, and a wonderful culture - but we also have to deal with crazy weather. (Oh, and alligators in strange places!) But Floridians are a tough bunch and they know how to handle storms.

We've had hurricane warnings before, but they've never turned into anything beyond high winds, lots of rain, and minimal flooding. Our kids - aged 15, 14, 13, 12, and ten - were scared at first, but they've learned to take all the weather in stride. The more prepared we are, the less afraid they are. They've also seen how often the warnings come; this isn't their first drill. And there's still a 50/50 chance that Irma will still change course and miss us.

While others in the state are fleeing, we're making preparations to stay put. And our kids play a big part. Today, the older boys are helping us put up all the hurricane shutters, checking the roof for loose tiles, and taking down the patio furniture and trampoline. The younger kids are helping to clean up yard debris, count batteries, find flashlights and candles, and get out board games and books. They all helped us clean out the garage to make room for our cars, make sure our extra gas cans are full, and that the generator is working. As the storm approaches and we get more information, they may also help us move furniture upstairs to minimize flood damage.

My husband and I have withdrawn cash in small bills since credit cards won't be an option if we lose power. We already have a decent amount of food at home, but it never hurts to get more so I went shopping today. Many store shelves are already empty and some places have been out of bottled water since Saturday. When Irma gets closer, we we'll fill bathtubs and any available pitchers or water bottles, too.

All of this preparation isn't to say the kids aren't nervous, but helping us get the house ready helps them feel more secure. They know firsthand all the precautions we've taken.

Even so, lots of people still see the risk as too high and lots of well-meaning friends and family have asked if we will evacuate. Honestly, I don't know that anything would change our minds at this point. If my kids were younger, like toddlers or babies, I might be tempted to evacuate, but right now they're old enough to be more of a help than a hindrance. We can handle this.

If we do get hit by Irma, we - as a family - want to be right here to do what we can to help others after the storm. With Hurricane Harvey in Houston, we saw how the people that were best able to respond were locals, neighbors helping neighbors. It was incredibly powerful to see how much people have worked together to recover after Harvey instead of abandoning the ship. The community that we've come to love so much will need us if the storm hits close to home, so we're staying right here. Bring it on, Irma.

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