Traffic

[GoodWitch58]

is bumper to bumper on 331 North. I left Sowal at 10:50 to go to DFS. traffic was moving at 5 mph--I called the Sheriff's office and they said no crashes, just volumn...and that it was that way all the way to DFS.

I turned around and came back home

all I can think of, is what happens if we have a storm during the busy season?

Where were the infrastructure planners when the local government was approving all this development...a two lane highway into (and out of) "the world's most beautiful beaches...."

 

[yippie]

When Hurricane Opal hit in 1995, it took me 10 hours to get to Andelusia (sp) Alabama. That's only 60 miles up the road.

No one has changed or improved the hurricane evacuation routes and our population has grown much larger in the last 12 years.

Also, I think the local officials should ask the tourist to leave early, but for some odd reason, the tourist are not asked to leave early as they are in the Keys.

I have thought about this so many times and frankly, it frightens me.

Just getting the masses out of harm's way in case of a storm is going to be a major thing, could you imagine the insanity if there was an accident to contend with as well?

 

[GoodWitch58]

yes, I can imagine it, and it frightens me too.

This morning the traffic was creeping along, bumper to bumper, with SUVs hauling boats; campers; vehicles loaded up with kids, etc. And, certain people get impatient, try to see or get around the congestion...and it's a crash just waiting to happen.

When I asked the woman at the Sheriff's office why there weren't cops out directing traffic, she said, we have one at the intersection of 20 and 331..I said yes, but he/she is not out of the car directing traffic...the car is sitting with the lights flashing...she hung up on me!

No one has improved the roads, no one tells the tourists to leave early in a storm, no one asks the companies to stagger their check-in/check-out times during the season...our local government and law enforcement seem determined to arrest people for transpassing on the beach in the case of the sheriff's office; and never finding a development order or a small scale amendment they won't approve on the part of the County Commission. All while the TDC spends hundreds of thousands of dollars luring more tourists...it is insanity!

 

[rocket136]

is bumper to bumper on 331 North. I left Sowal at 10:50 to go to DFS. traffic was moving at 5 mph--I called the Sheriff's office and they said no crashes, just volumn...and that it was that way all the way to DFS.

I turned around and came back home

all I can think of, is what happens if we have a storm during the busy season?

Where were the infrastructure planners when the local government was approving all this development...a two lane highway into (and out of) "the world's most beautiful beaches...."

You beat me to the post!
If you left at 10:50 I was right with you. we didn't get up 331 to I10 for well over an hour. Then heading east there was a wreck near pensacola -- another 45 min --- then accross the causway over Moblie Bay we lost another hour due to traffic volume.

All I could think of is what a hurricane evacuation would be like.

 

[BeachSiO2]

Actually in the case of storms the EOC does make mandatory evacuations for tourists. If Hurricane Dennis is what we can expect in the future it was great. Mandatory evac's for tourists started 72 hours out and as I was driving around with 24 hours to spare it was a ghost town and that was July 4th week! In the past however, I agree it was a nightmare.

I would be curious though if anyone had problems with evacuating for Dennis in 2005 as I believe that will be the new standard.

 

[yippie]

In both Hurricane Ivan and Dennis, no one ordered mandatory evacuation for tourist any earlier than for the locals. The tourist were driving all around cloggin up traffic watching the locals try to secure their property. They only left when it was ordered for everyone to go.

When I evacuated for Ivan, I went to Jacksonville. It took me about 12 hours and I did not wait until the last minute. Also, had I stayed on the "evacuation route", it would have taken much longer.

Fortunately, I picked up a few back roads that got me to I10 much faster than following the marked route. Almost ran over a Walton County Deputy because he wanted me to go one way and I went the other.

I didn't evacuate for Dennis. Just couldn't take it. Don't know if I would make the same decision again.

 

[Darwin]

One cop on 331 and 5 cops cuffing and arresting a peaceable trespasser seems like a poor focus of county resources. I have not seen one deputy on 30A to slow down the crazed drivers after being here for over a week. Deputies spending their time removing 10 year old trespassers from beaches but no one watching the dangerous drivers.

As a tourist I would agree that getting us out of the way so residents can get their stuff in order is more than reasonable. What reason would a tourist have to remain other than get in the way.

 

[GoodWitch58]

BeachSI02, do you have anything official on the EOC telling tourists they must leave early? If so, I don't think it was being done last time we evacuated....I would like to know what the official statement is. Thanks.

 

[North Lake]

BeachSI02 is correct. We did ask the visitors to leave earlier in the evacuation for Dennis. Our biggest problem is our evacuation time, up to 28 to 30 hours, which we've been told is second only to Key West. At that point, we've still got bright skies and calm weather, making it hard to convince folks they need to get on the road.

Hopefully the Freeport Bypass will shave some time off that when it's opened soon, but it's still a long time before landfall that we have to encourage folks to leave. The county has been urging the state and the feds to four-lane 331 since the 1970's -- to little avail. There is some progress, but FDOT is working it in segments. The PD&E (design and engineering) was done for the whole thing in 1995 (from U.S. 98 to I-10). On the U.S. 98 to the bridge segment, you should see bulldozers working soon. The segment from SR 20 in Freeport to the north side of the bridge is still in right of way acquisition, and so on.

At Hurricane Conference this year we learned that the State emergency response folks are trying to get away from "voluntary" and "mandatory" evacuations. Evacuation is what it is -- get out. Of course, the insurance companies and hospitality industry still want to know exactly when evacuation is ordered, not suggested, since there are financial considerations.

A little personal responsibility goes a long way. We all know about the road in and out, so if you're able, leave early. Hopefully, the beach will still be there after the storm is over.

 

[Destiny]

I live to visit the beach but you can bet that if a storm is brewing, I will high tail it north as soon as I know it. Homeowners should be provided the courtesy of closing up their properties and having roads clear of tourist traffic.