Leaving WDW for NY on Friday am: WWYD, will we outrun Irene??

[gk90]

So we're here at WDW and trying not to let Irene spoil our fun but keep hearing dire warnings. We were planning to leave at noon on Fri, drive to Santee SC (have a hotel booked), then leave early Sat am and keep driving to NY (Long Island) We did the same drive 2 years ago, also in August, and got home after midnight because of bad rain in NC and VA.

Now we're wondering about leaving by 9:30 on Friday (am EMH at Epcot, we want to run and catch Test Track and Soarin) and driving as fast as we can as far as we can. Also wondering about alternate routes, as in this thread: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2786694. Any advice or ideas would be welcome!

 

[maxiesmom]

As of this morning it looks like New York is going to take a direct hit from Irene. If you plan on trying to get home and lock everything down, you will be cutting it very close. The weather chanel is saying SC will be hit on Saturday. New York in the wee hours of Monday morning. Don't forget the roads will likely be very busy as people scramble to evacuate, or just go out and get supplies.


It sounds like you need to sit down and make some serious decisions. I wouldn't put it off.

 

[kydisneyfans]

I completely agree with the above poster, I would have left Disney last night and had lots of coffee in the system to beeline it to Long Island, or I would wait until it passes. Traffic will be horrendous, and the rain and wind bands extend well outside of the eyewall.

I'm not sure trying to "outrun" a hurricane is a good idea.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Checking the latest hurricane reports, you will be driving right into the storm. You should have started home yesterday. If you can't leave now, wait until at least Saturday evening, when the storm is predicted to be above SC.

http://www.weather.com/weather/hurr...ression-nine-storm-hurricane-irene_2011-08-20

 

[disneymom06]

You will drive right into the storm. Stay where you are for at least a day maybe 2 because of clean up. We left Disney once as the storm had passed thru the day before and drove right into the storm. It was a tropical storm. We got as far 20 minutes into Georgia and I was never so scared. You couldn't see 6 feet in front of you. We found a hotel and spent the night. The next day the drive still was not pleasant. Driving in and out of bands of rain the entire trip. We were exhausted.

Long Island now has evacuations and NYC is anticipating stopping all mass transit throughout the city, as well as zone A evacuations.

I wish you well. Be careful but IMHO, you should ride the storm out in Disney.

 

[Tozzie]

It think the window for a safe trip home has passed and you need to wait. Watching the news this afternoon there were two paths they think the storm will take, NYC will take a direct hit from the eye of the storm and it will slow slightly and head out to the island or it could still skirt the coast and the island will take the direct hit from the eye of the storm. Additionally the Governors of NY, NJ and CT have all already declared states of emergency and the National Guard is on alert. I am not someone who panics and I blow things off but I would not advise driving into what is headed this way, I also don't want to seem like the grim reaper but you will be traveling on roads with trees, last september when we had the tornado hit, only one person died in that storm and they were killed by a tree falling on there car on the GCP. Stay in Florida if you can and leave Sunday that would be the safest thing to do at this point.

 

[LilyWDW]

You would be IN the storm. Saturday into Sunday is when the storm is predicted to hit the New York area... and you wouldn't be getting home until LATE. That pretty much means that those plans will have you driving into, through, and with the storm.

As of now, the safest thing to do is to wait it out. They are contemplating evacuations of low lying areas in New York where bad flooding may occur. It is quite possible that, depending on what areas do, you will not be ALLOWED through.

 

[smidgy]

So we're here at WDW and trying not to let Irene spoil our fun but keep hearing dire warnings. We were planning to leave at noon on Fri, drive to Santee SC (have a hotel booked), then leave early Sat am and keep driving to NY (Long Island) We did the same drive 2 years ago, also in August, and got home after midnight because of bad rain in NC and VA.

Now we're wondering about leaving by 9:30 on Friday (am EMH at Epcot, we want to run and catch Test Track and Soarin) and driving as fast as we can as far as we can. Also wondering about alternate routes, as in this thread: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2786694. Any advice or ideas would be welcome!

the bolded sentance really frightens me. doesn't sound safe at all. not for you and your family, and not for all the unsuspecting families around you.

sometimes weather does affect your plans.... it sucks... look at it this way, at least you are stranded in fla, not the other way around.

one year, we had to cut our trip a day short, leave a day later than we wanted. the weather in northern Illinois was beautiful! we were to leave the nexy morning. but there was an ice sotrm predicted in a giant swath across tenn, ky, Indiana.. NO way around it. hubby did NOT want t o wait another day.. (car was all packed and ready to go.)

we waited. the following day, as we drive through KY, the ice jsut hung off the trees, lines were down all over, cars were off and abandoned on the side of the road. many tires marks. stopped at the gas station, rest stop.. locals talked about how horrible it was.
while we hated to delay our trip one day. we made the right decision.

stay another day in florida.. and please don't drive "as fast as you can".

 

[Missytara]

While I know it would be horrible to sit there an extra day or two and wonder what is going on with your own house, you have definately missed the window of oppurtunity to leave.

There are already road closures starting in the Northeast as coastal communities are starting to evacuate already in anticipation of Saturday's storm.

DE has already declared a state of emergency as of last night and MD closed Rt. 1 at the DE/MD line for the evacuation of Ocean City, MD at midnight.

You are better off staying put by now.

 

[francie57]

As the others have said, you should have left by now. The NY Govenor was just on TV and he is literally shutting down the Garden State Parkway South from Exit 98 tonight so they can use that to evacuate people. No way I would be trying to get home is all of this. At this point I would be more worried about what I will be coming home to, depending on where you live. Listening to all the NY/NJ news conferences is very interesting and they are in the middle of major evacuations with many many more to come - all hospitals/nursing homes on Long Island are being evacuated. I'm in CT and praying everything will be okay.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Since OP has not posted since yesterday for all we know he's driving "as fast as possible" into a storm. Kind of scary but...

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Since OP has not posted since yesterday for all we know he's driving "as fast as possible" into a storm. Kind of scary but...

Insane. I hope that extra ride on Soarin' and Test Track was worth it. Why take the risk?

 

[kacaju]

my brother left Orlando at 7am and they are another *driving as fast as they can* to get home to NJ. They actually made good time, got into NC by 2:30 and then got hit with blinding rain. DB feels that they will still outrun the storm and plan to drive until they get home.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Insane. I hope that extra ride on Soarin' and Test Track was worth it. Why take the risk?

I'll paraphrase the Cape May County (NJ) emergency services coordinator's comments on those who choose not to evacuate.

Please take out a 3x5 card and write the following on it an indelible ink pen:
your name, ssan, address, name of next of kin or emergency contact and their phone number. Put the card inyour shoe, not a flip flop, not a loafer - a tie shoe, laced tight. We will then know who to notify when we find you.

 

[ironz]

I'll paraphrase the Cape May County (NJ) emergency services coordinator's comments on those who choose not to evacuate.

Please take out a 3x5 card and write the following on it an indelible ink pen:
your name, ssan, address, name of next of kin or emergency contact and their phone number. Put the card inyour shoe, not a flip flop, not a loafer - a tie shoe, laced tight. We will then know who to notify when we find you.

I'd write it on my arm, myself.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

WHY? Why would anyone in thier right mind drive INTO a hurricane? Is it just that those of you in the NE have not had one in so long you have forgotten what you are getting into?

As someone who has fled a few and done "relief" work at a hosptial after Andrew 19 years ago.. GO THE OTHER WAY... Just trust us in the south we have expereince on this!

 

[kacaju]

WHY? Why would anyone in thier right mind drive INTO a hurricane? Is it just that those of you in the NE have not had one in so long you have forgotten what you are getting into?

As someone who has fled a few and done "relief" work at a hosptial after Andrew 19 years ago.. GO THE OTHER WAY... Just trust us in the south we have expereince on this!

cannot answer you. I tried to talk my brother into staying until the storm passes. They are at the end of their vacation and just want to go home. They have driven so fast and have gotten very far today. I just pray they make it home tonight safely.

 

[maxiesmom]

cannot answer you. I tried to talk my brother into staying until the storm passes. They are at the end of their vacation and just want to go home. They have driven so fast and have gotten very far today. I just pray they make it home tonight safely.

I'll pray for them too. And anyone else who is trying the same thing. I may think they are out of their minds (sorry, but I do!), but I will pray for them.

 

[Tozzie]

I'll pray for them too. And anyone else who is trying the same thing. I may think they are out of their minds (sorry, but I do!), but I will pray for them.

I agree they are nuts to drive into a hurricane especially since they maybe following it all the way up. There are so many evacuations and roads that were closed I don't know if they will be able to get to NY even if they are trying to outrun the storm. NYC is preparing for an armagedon, evacuations and traffic tieups that I have never seen before, they even suspended toll collection on bridges and tunnels to facilitate the evacuations. I wish them luck and if they tried it and hope they don't get stranded ont he road.

 

[kacaju]

well, my family is in Maryland already. They left at 7am from Orlando and have been driving nonstop (well, a stop every two hours to switch drivers) I am going to bed and praying they make it home safely.