Poll

Would you cancel your plans?

No, it will be fine, I'd still go to the wedding
14 (9.4%)
Yes, I would cancel my plans
135 (90.6%)

Total Members Voted: 147

Author Topic: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?  (Read 19692 times)

Another Reader

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #50 on: September 11, 2018, 09:18:17 PM »
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at1+shtml/212435.shtml?gm_track#contents

Current track is directly to your destination, but as a tropical depression.  Winds arriving Friday at 5 PM.

Have you been in communication with the bride and groom?  Any hint from them about canceling or moving the date/time to accommodate Florence?

meerkat

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #51 on: September 12, 2018, 06:31:58 AM »
Reserve plan is to now go to Chattanooga and then Greenville, which is out of the way of most of the storm.

Still dumb?

Yes. It's nice that you want to see your friends and support them when they're getting married but realistically:
- you will be taking up room on the highways when other people need to be evacuating or obtaining critical supplies,
- you will be using gas when gas stations will be overtaxed by people trying to get their loved ones to safety and provide fuel for their generators. By the way, generators don't make the whole house have power, it's usually for running the fridge, essential medial equipment, and the like while we deal with sweating out the humidity in 90+ temperatures in the days after a hurricane because it can take a week or more to get electricity restored.
- you will be taking up a hotel room that would otherwise be used by people who are fleeing the hurricane and are unsure if they will have a home to safely return to.

Your trip is optional. Visit your friends another time.

A friend of mine was supposed to get married at this time last year in Orlando. Orlando is in the middle of Florida, hours from either coast. They cancelled the wedding which freed up hotel rooms. Even with those rooms available at the last minute, there were still no available hotel rooms anywhere within several hours of Orlando (aka most of the entire state of Florida). The wedding was rescheduled for December and everything went smoothly.

Please, please be considerate of others. Do not go.

SillyPutty

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #52 on: September 12, 2018, 08:20:22 AM »
Driving straight to Greenville is eleven hours. Again, my wife is about 14 weeks pregnant, so we were trying to break up the drive.

Speaking of that, anyone have any thoughts on the pregnancy angle of all this? I know every expecting mom has a different experience, but it’s giving me a lot of pause.

I think you're fine as far as the pregnancy. I mean, I'm only 25 weeks into my first pregnancy, so maybe not the best source. But as long as your wife's not freaked out (and sounds like she's not, because she wants to go), then I think mom and baby will be fine. She's still pretty early (so, not huge yet, I'm guessing), so the long drive shouldn't affect her much.

That said, still would keep track of the hurricane and make sure you're not driving into danger.

MayDay

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #53 on: September 12, 2018, 08:24:12 AM »
I think it's a major asshole move to drive into an evacuation area for fun. You are clogging highways, using gas, and taking up a hotel room. Don't do it.

If it is about visiting your in laws, go literally any other weekend.

ReadySetMillionaire

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #54 on: September 12, 2018, 10:10:32 AM »
Just so I'm perfectly clear, we all get how far inland Greenville, SC is?  I mean, we've obviously scrapped the Statesville portion of our trip, but the forecast for Greenville is 86 and sunny on Saturday. It's 250 miles from the coast (for reference, the Florida peninsula is about 150 miles wide). Local news isn't concerned about it hardly at all.



I appreciate the concern, and I'm obviously concerned given that I've posted, but I'm not going to be anywhere near evacuation zones.  I was coming at this more from the "my wife is pregnant, what would you do" angle, and further seeing if anyone this far inland has ever had any terrible experiences.

Another Reader

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #55 on: September 12, 2018, 10:20:21 AM »
I think you should look at what the meteorologists say:

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at1+shtml/152637.shtml?mltoa34#contents

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at1+shtml/152637.shtml?cone#contents

It isn't just about Greenville.  It's about the right half of the state evacuating to the left half.  Not one of the roads there will be pleasant to drive and places to stay will be non-existent.

Again, what do the bride and groom say?  Are they going forward in tropical force winds?

LifeHappens

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #56 on: September 12, 2018, 10:22:54 AM »
Look, it sounds like you've made up your mind to go, but I'm going to make one last attempt to convince you otherwise.

This isn't about the weather in Greenville. It's about you and the wedding party taking up resources that evacuees will need. By going into that area at all, you are going to be using gas, food and lodging that will be needed by the 1.5 million people currently under mandatory evacuation orders. During the Irma evacuation last year, there were no hotels available for several days in Georgia and Alabama due to the number of people evacuating. There was almost no gasoline in Florida for several days after the storm passed.

Also, Greenville is predicted to get 4-6 inches of rain due to the storm. That may not seem like a lot, but in a water saturated area that is already prone to flooding, it could be hazardous.


Khaetra

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #57 on: September 12, 2018, 10:25:16 AM »
I would cancel.  You and your wife being there on the roads are two more people emergency folks would need to worry about when they will already have their hands full with the people who live there.  Don't add to the traffic and don't take resources that the locals will need to start recovery.  Also, depending on how bad it turns out to be, they may not let you anywhere near where you're supposed to go.  Roads may be closed, businesses may be closed, etc.  Stay home!!


Free Spirit

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #59 on: September 12, 2018, 10:30:51 AM »
I highly encourage you to cancel this trip. Here is a fantastic blog if you want lots more detailed information.

https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/Florence-Expected-Stall-Near-Coast-Bringing-Extreme-Rain-Surge-and-Wind-Damage

rockstache

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #60 on: September 12, 2018, 10:53:06 AM »
My relatives are evacuating to Greenville. Please do not go and take up space.

Schaefer Light

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #61 on: September 12, 2018, 10:55:02 AM »
If I was driving to this area, my biggest concern would be the ability to find gas.

saguaro

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #62 on: September 12, 2018, 11:00:46 AM »
My cousins in Florida had to evacuate Irma last year.   This was their experience: they left early and got a hotel for several days way out of the evacuation zone plus they got there with no issues, but in the days following hotels in the area booked up, lines at gas stations, gas stations running out of gas, and bumper to bumper traffic where they were staying (northern GA).   So even if the weather is okay where the OP will be at, and it seems to be a safe distance, there's still the issue of evacuees on the roads, in hotels, needing food, water and gas coming into the area. 


Sailor Sam

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #63 on: September 12, 2018, 11:09:48 AM »
Just so I'm perfectly clear, we all get how far inland Greenville, SC is? 

This is what contraflow looks like: 






That's from hurricane Irma, which was projected to be a large, category 4 storm when it made landfall. Florence is a above-average large storm, which is projected to hit land as a strong cat 3 or low cat 4 at landfall. Look at all those people on the road. The 1 million people who have been ordered to evacuate ahead of Florence aren't stopping 20 miles from their origin. They are headed hundreds of miles inland. They need resources - fuel, food, shelter, water. During the Irma evacuation, fuel tank trucks were escorted by police cars. That's how tenuous the supply chain is.

I'm certain you're not the kind of person who would snatch the last bottle of water issued in an emergency situation. You, being kind and rational, would hand that bottle right over. A hurricane evacuation is so large it looses the personal feel, but rest assured that staying home is exactly the same as handing that bottle of water over. You won't get to witness some family gratefully collapsing into the hotel room bed you would have rented, but the moment will still happen. You can be a hero, just by staying put.

OtherJen

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #64 on: September 12, 2018, 11:14:26 AM »
Just so I'm perfectly clear, we all get how far inland Greenville, SC is?  I mean, we've obviously scrapped the Statesville portion of our trip, but the forecast for Greenville is 86 and sunny on Saturday. It's 250 miles from the coast (for reference, the Florida peninsula is about 150 miles wide). Local news isn't concerned about it hardly at all.



I appreciate the concern, and I'm obviously concerned given that I've posted, but I'm not going to be anywhere near evacuation zones.  I was coming at this more from the "my wife is pregnant, what would you do" angle, and further seeing if anyone this far inland has ever had any terrible experiences.

It seems like you've made up your mind, so I'm not sure of the point of this thread. Almost 90% of us have told you to cancel, and people who actually live in the targeted region have given you very good reasons.

I'm assuming the wedding is on Saturday morning and you'll be on your way back out by late afternoon Saturday? Because the Saturday night forecast for Greenville currently states "tropical storm conditions possible". Good luck, and I sincerely hope that you don't get flooded in place.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #65 on: September 12, 2018, 11:22:43 AM »
Why do people ask for advice, receive input from experts both via personal experience and professional credentials, and then ignore it all anyway? Psychology is alarming and fascinating.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #66 on: September 12, 2018, 11:22:56 AM »
Just so I'm perfectly clear, we all get how far inland Greenville, SC is?  I mean, we've obviously scrapped the Statesville portion of our trip, but the forecast for Greenville is 86 and sunny on Saturday. It's 250 miles from the coast (for reference, the Florida peninsula is about 150 miles wide). Local news isn't concerned about it hardly at all.



I appreciate the concern, and I'm obviously concerned given that I've posted, but I'm not going to be anywhere near evacuation zones.  I was coming at this more from the "my wife is pregnant, what would you do" angle, and further seeing if anyone this far inland has ever had any terrible experiences.

So this question is just "would you go anywhere with your pregnant wife?" 
Because the angle here doesn't seem to have anything to do with her being pregnant, it has to do with the hurricane.

If that's the question, and you want to ignore everything everyone is telling you- sure 14 weeks is an excellent time to go on vacation for many pregnant women.  Avoid areas with Zika outbreaks or potential natural disasters.
« Last Edit: September 12, 2018, 11:24:46 AM by I'm a red panda »

charis

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #67 on: September 12, 2018, 11:28:10 AM »
Several people have asked what has been communicated by the couple getting married - what are they (or their families) saying about the situation?  This sounds like something they can't ignore. 

I wouldn't be concerned about a healthy 14-week pregnant woman needing medical attention anymore than any non-pregnant person of similar age and health.  But everyone needs water and a medical emergency can happen to anyone at any time (more or less) and I wouldn't want to be stuck in that traffic or out of gas on the side of the road when it does.  Would you be fine with the risks mentioned here if she wasn't pregnant? 

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #68 on: September 12, 2018, 11:31:47 AM »
Several people have asked what has been communicated by the couple getting married - what are they (or their families) saying about the situation?  This sounds like something they can't ignore. 

I wouldn't be concerned about a healthy 14-week pregnant woman needing medical attention anymore than any non-pregnant person of similar age and health.  But everyone needs water and a medical emergency can happen to anyone at any time (more or less) and I wouldn't want to be stuck in that traffic or out of gas on the side of the road when it does.  Would you be fine with the risks mentioned here if she wasn't pregnant?

Mouthy nurse here. To be fair, what can happen is rain -> flooding -> potable water contamination and increase in tropical diseases via mosquitos -> much more of a problem when you're pregnant than not. Giardia isn't a problem if you're treated promptly if you're not pregnant, generally. But acute dehydration is much riskier for a fetus.

RWD

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #69 on: September 12, 2018, 11:36:02 AM »
Just so I'm perfectly clear, we all get how far inland Greenville, SC is?

And yet the Saluda river, which has a dam right next to Greenville, is expected to have ten times the usual streamflow.

dougules

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #70 on: September 12, 2018, 11:43:09 AM »
I'll preface this by saying that I agree that you're possibly displacing evacuees and risking getting caught in flooding.

If you are dead set on going, why Chattanooga?  There's not really any good way from Chattanooga to Greenville.  Two of those routes involve windy roads through narrow gorges that are already painful without flooding and landslides.   The other option is driving out of the way through Atlanta traffic. 

Khaetra

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #71 on: September 12, 2018, 11:53:36 AM »
Just so I'm perfectly clear, we all get how far inland Greenville, SC is?  I mean, we've obviously scrapped the Statesville portion of our trip, but the forecast for Greenville is 86 and sunny on Saturday. It's 250 miles from the coast (for reference, the Florida peninsula is about 150 miles wide). Local news isn't concerned about it hardly at all.



I appreciate the concern, and I'm obviously concerned given that I've posted, but I'm not going to be anywhere near evacuation zones.  I was coming at this more from the "my wife is pregnant, what would you do" angle, and further seeing if anyone this far inland has ever had any terrible experiences.

And the storm is huge.  Yes, inland will be getting it pretty hard and the forecast now is for it to go north, so no, you will not be safe.  Trees come down, power goes out, flooding is almost certain, especially if it moves as slow as it's forecast to.  Dude just stay home.  Send a nice gift and consider making a donation to a local food bank in NC/SC.  They will need it after all is said and done.

Le Poisson

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #72 on: September 12, 2018, 11:56:17 AM »
Hey @ReadySetMillionaire - your signature reads "No more zero days. Promise yourself that you will do one thing every day that takes you one step closer to your goal."

This trip points you in the opposite direction of the message in your signature. The extraction costs will be tremendous when things go wrong. The survival costs will be tremendous if things go as expected by the posts here. The cost of success will be incredible if your vacation goes as planned. I see no way for this trip to bring you closer to your goals unless your goals are to lose incredible amounts of cash, your credibility and leadership in your family, and possibly your family itself if things turn tragic.

Your call.

ETA: See here for just how many hurricanes have blown through there - I get a total of 25 tropical storms with one bonafide hurricane in the county you are visiting. Yes. That far inland. https://coast.noaa.gov/hurricanes/
« Last Edit: September 12, 2018, 12:28:12 PM by Prospector »

Noodle

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #73 on: September 12, 2018, 12:00:31 PM »
At the time the question was asked, it was pretty reasonable--at the time it wasn't clear exactly where Florence was going to make landfall and where it was going to go, and if it had ended up farther north and made the usual right turn up the east coast, Greenville could have been just fine.

At this point, with the western track over SC looking much more confirmed, I'd skip it. High wind and a lot of rain will likely do a lot of damage upstate, and locals are going to need the hotel space. That's assuming the couple doesn't go ahead and cancel anyhow...

CalBal

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #74 on: September 12, 2018, 12:07:40 PM »
You say yourself you are a hurricane noob, please take seriously the warnings of all the people on this thread who have lived through significant hurricanes. It still sort of sounds like you are planning (hoping?) on going.

Everything everyone is saying is accurate:
  • Resources such as hotel rooms will be scarce hundreds of miles from the evacuation zone. Taking up a hotel room is like laughing at evacuees and saying, I got mine, screw you. And speaking of evacuees...
  • A million people are being evacuated. (Or being advised to, if not ordered to.) Think about that for a minute. Yes, some of them will go to shelters or stay with friends or family, but a million people is a LOT of people
  • Contra flow on the highways is a real, and significant thing. See the above photo.
  • If the region experiences "only" tropical storm or tropical depression force winds, these are still significant winds. Hell, when we get sustained 20mph winds where I live now trees and powerlines are downed. They are not significant in the sense that roofs will blow away, but some property (and tree) damage is likely.
  • Trees and powerlines may be downed. Downed powerlines are no joke. The power grid across the entire region may be disrupted for days. No power in an eastern coastal state immediately after a hurricane will probably mean sweltering, humid conditions.
  • Even if the winds don't materialize that far inland, the predicted rainfall amounts is serious. Even "just" 4-6 inches of rain in saturated soils is hazardous. Streams and rivers may be at or above flood stage. It is very dangerous to drive through flooded roads, even a few inches of swiftly moving water can sweep a car away. Roads or bridges may be washed out simply because of water and not wind. (In fact, some of the most damaging hurricanes were because of rainfall and water damage, not wind. Last year's Hurricane Harvey damage in Houston was primarily water.)
  • Gas stations may be out of fuel hundreds of miles from the predicted landfall area.
  • As many people have pointed out, this is not a "normal" hurricane.

I've lived through several major hurricanes in southern New England (Bob and Gloria, one of which spawned tornadoes the next town over from us, 100 miles from the coast). I was evacuated from the eastern shore of Maryland during Hurricane Bonnie - although that one ultimately made landfall in North Carolina, for a while, we were in the landfall bulls-eye. Once it made landfall it stalled and moved up the coast extremely slowly. So much rain fell.

Hurricanes are no joke. Hurricane forecasting is a difficult thing, and no, they can't predict very accurately where it will make landfall, or when, or what the condition of the storm will be at that point. However, it is extremely important that people heed evacuation warnings when they are called. There is real risk, and authorities do not take such significant action lightly unless they thought the danger was real. Yes, sometimes conditions change and in retrospect evacuations seems foolhardy. Hindsight is 20/20. Authorities take this into account and don't issue notices blithely. It's not a game. However, when people ignore evacuations (or simply can't get out, or wait too long) that's when tragedies like Katrina happen. Heading into an area "as far away as" 250 miles from the coast is foolhardy.

Just the opinion of a random internet stranger.

mm1970

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #75 on: September 12, 2018, 12:23:34 PM »
My sister is one of the people being evacuated, and my aunt too.  I wouldn't go anywhere near there, seriously.

Look, we don't get hurricanes where I live, but we do get fires and mudslides.  Many people did not evacuate when we had a massive rain storm last year, and a number of people died in the resulting mudslides.  There are still the bodies of two CHILDREN missing.

Don't mess with flooding.

ReadySetMillionaire

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #76 on: September 12, 2018, 12:32:15 PM »
Several people have asked what has been communicated by the couple getting married - what are they (or their families) saying about the situation?  This sounds like something they can't ignore. 

I wouldn't be concerned about a healthy 14-week pregnant woman needing medical attention anymore than any non-pregnant person of similar age and health.  But everyone needs water and a medical emergency can happen to anyone at any time (more or less) and I wouldn't want to be stuck in that traffic or out of gas on the side of the road when it does.  Would you be fine with the risks mentioned here if she wasn't pregnant?

The locals are not at all concerned about the hurricane.  The couple has not even bothered to announce anything on their wedding website.

If we go, we will make sure we have a full tank of gas, our own water, etc.  We are staying at an AirBNB of friends who are already going and 100% are not cancelling anyway.

Sailor Sam

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #77 on: September 12, 2018, 12:36:59 PM »
And that, friends, is why the United States Coast Guard will never go out of business. Semper fucking Paratus.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #78 on: September 12, 2018, 12:47:52 PM »
Several people have asked what has been communicated by the couple getting married - what are they (or their families) saying about the situation?  This sounds like something they can't ignore. 

I wouldn't be concerned about a healthy 14-week pregnant woman needing medical attention anymore than any non-pregnant person of similar age and health.  But everyone needs water and a medical emergency can happen to anyone at any time (more or less) and I wouldn't want to be stuck in that traffic or out of gas on the side of the road when it does.  Would you be fine with the risks mentioned here if she wasn't pregnant?

The locals are not at all concerned about the hurricane.  The couple has not even bothered to announce anything on their wedding website.

If we go, we will make sure we have a full tank of gas, our own water, etc.  We are staying at an AirBNB of friends who are already going and 100% are not cancelling anyway.

I'd bring a gas can with gas for your return trip too.

It's very likely you will be totally fine. But my thought is that if you are not fine, it's going to be in a shit-hit-the-fan kind of way, and not a mild inconvenience kind of way.
« Last Edit: September 12, 2018, 01:11:07 PM by I'm a red panda »

405programmer

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #79 on: September 12, 2018, 12:54:22 PM »
I'll buck the norm and say you're probably going to fine. Just be sure to keep an eye on the weather and adapt accordingly. If you have family living in Greenville I'd send them some money for them to get some extra gas to keep at home. That way if a gas shortage happens you can fill up easily from 5 Gallon jugs.

NOTE: I've never lived through a hurricane but I do have coworkers in Greenville SC and they're just getting some extra gas and ice in case the power goes out. Not really a need to batten down the hatches since it's so far from the coast.


Hvillian

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #81 on: September 12, 2018, 01:00:57 PM »
I stand by my original assertion that you will probably be fine.  Keep an eye on the predicted storm path and be prepared to change your plans accordingly.

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Another Reader

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #83 on: September 12, 2018, 01:37:45 PM »
Maybe this will be a good life lesson for the OP.  He can learn to listen to other people offering sensible advice when the trip goes terribly wrong.

frugaliknowit

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #84 on: September 12, 2018, 01:45:01 PM »
Too much has to go right and TOO MUCH can go wrong.  I wouldn't.  Maybe try to catch up with them later, either between the wedding and the honeymoon or visit them when they get back.

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #85 on: September 12, 2018, 02:06:57 PM »
Several people have asked what has been communicated by the couple getting married - what are they (or their families) saying about the situation?  This sounds like something they can't ignore. 

I wouldn't be concerned about a healthy 14-week pregnant woman needing medical attention anymore than any non-pregnant person of similar age and health.  But everyone needs water and a medical emergency can happen to anyone at any time (more or less) and I wouldn't want to be stuck in that traffic or out of gas on the side of the road when it does.  Would you be fine with the risks mentioned here if she wasn't pregnant?

The locals are not at all concerned about the hurricane.  The couple has not even bothered to announce anything on their wedding website.

If we go, we will make sure we have a full tank of gas, our own water, etc.  We are staying at an AirBNB of friends who are already going and 100% are not cancelling anyway.


Have you checked whether the Airbnb you are staying at is at risk of flooding?  Have you checked whether your routes in and out are at risk of flooding?  (I bet there are pinch points which are.  Because there always are, given the geography of building roads.)  Have you checked whether the wedding venue is at risk of flooding, whether the bride and groom's homes are at risk of flooding and whether the parties to the wedding will be able to get to the venue?

Are you bringing enough tinned food and bottled water and bug spray to be self-sufficient for a week?  Are you bringing dead tree reading matter for when the internet is down and your batteries are drained?  Have you told work that you may be out for two weeks if you get stuck in South Carolina?

Even if all the above checks out, don't make any final decision to go until an hour before you leave, and make sure you have the latest news and weather.  There's a decent chance that the inevitable pictures of disaster, death and misery will change you mind.  If they don't, I suspect I'll spare my prayers for Sailor Sam rather than you.

Frankies Girl

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #86 on: September 12, 2018, 02:19:33 PM »
Several people have asked what has been communicated by the couple getting married - what are they (or their families) saying about the situation?  This sounds like something they can't ignore. 

I wouldn't be concerned about a healthy 14-week pregnant woman needing medical attention anymore than any non-pregnant person of similar age and health.  But everyone needs water and a medical emergency can happen to anyone at any time (more or less) and I wouldn't want to be stuck in that traffic or out of gas on the side of the road when it does.  Would you be fine with the risks mentioned here if she wasn't pregnant?

The locals are not at all concerned about the hurricane.  The couple has not even bothered to announce anything on their wedding website.

If we go, we will make sure we have a full tank of gas, our own water, etc.  We are staying at an AirBNB of friends who are already going and 100% are not cancelling anyway.

The locals are not concerned because most of them likely have never seen a hurricane like this. According to CNN, the last time anything close to this size/strength was 29 years ago - Hugo. And the area is more densely populated, likely built up (which makes flooding worse when they cover the areas with concrete and dump way more people into the area).

This is a monster, the entire Carolinas is already saturated, and they are forecasting the hurricane to hit, and then stall, pounding most of the state (you do realize that the bands will reach out easily to Greenville?) with insane amounts of wind and rain for well over 24 hours. This is not going to hit Friday and then end up with a tiny little drizzle contained to the extreme coastal areas the next day.

« Last Edit: September 12, 2018, 02:21:06 PM by Frankies Girl »

deborah

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #87 on: September 12, 2018, 04:02:28 PM »
As someone who has experienced several hurricanes, the probability is that nothing will happen because you will be far from the epicentre.

However, nobody ever knows just where the epicentre will be. Look at what happened to Darwin when Tracey changed course.

There are also all the evacuees - who are all trying to get away from a moving object.

I am absolutely certain I wouldn’t be going, and adding to the mess.

startingsmall

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #88 on: September 12, 2018, 09:10:08 PM »
I work in a suburb of Charlotte. Today, there were gas stations out of gas and the gas stations that still had gas had LONG lines.

Duke Energy told the NY Times that their models predict that up to 75% of their NC/SC customers could lose electricity during this storm and that restoring electricity could take weeks. I serve on my county Board of Health and we learned last night that our county is being asked to take in 35,000 displaced individuals from the coast... which is laughable, as we barely have shelter space for our own residents who live in unsafe old trailers or near creeks that will flood.

I grew up in Florida and I'm no hurricane newbie... but our cars are fully fueled up, we got 2 new tanks of propane for cooking on the grill, our pantry is well stocked, our freezer is being gradually filled with ziploc bags of water, we're filling all of our reusable water bottles and putting them in the fridge, and we'll fill the bathtub and a few rubbermaid bins with water "just in case." I'm not panicked, but I think it's important to be prepared. In your case, preparation means staying away so that more resources are available for those who have to be here.

letired

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #89 on: September 12, 2018, 10:15:32 PM »
Central Texas is ~200mi inland from the coast. When Harvey hit, there was flooding and significant power outages that far inland.

Candace

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #90 on: September 13, 2018, 03:18:17 AM »
Seriously, don't go. It's just irresponsible. Power will be out or go out over a large area. Even without the "refugee" issue, that should be enough to keep folks from traveling TO the area and adding to the problem. Unless you're rescuing a sick or elderly person, it's just ridiculous to go towards a hurricane. Coming in for a wedding is just the height of cluelessness.

Samsam

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #91 on: September 13, 2018, 07:59:08 AM »
Looks like it's going right at SC now.

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at1.shtml?cone#contents

FLBiker

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #92 on: September 13, 2018, 09:22:04 AM »
Interesting thread.  I live in Tampa, and we thought about leaving during Irma but stayed.  It turned out fine (other than no power for a week) but it made me take hurricanes more seriously.  Personally, if I lived in Greenville, I certainly wouldn't evacuate, but I don't think I'd go there.  Full disclosure: I don't like weddings or relationships that carry a sense of obligation, so saying no comes easily to me. :)

I wish you the best, and I agree with the folks who suggest that (so far inland) things will probably be fine, but you could absolutely still run into some flooding, shortages, traffic, etc.  During Irma, I had coworkers who couldn't make it back for days from Tennessee / Georgia because they couldn't find gas.
« Last Edit: September 13, 2018, 11:43:33 AM by FLBiker »

historienne

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #93 on: September 13, 2018, 01:23:26 PM »
Current forecast has the eye going right through Greenville, sometime Sunday morning.  If you go, I would start the drive home after the wedding on Saturday, and drive for at least 3-4 hours west.  You'll want a prebooked hotel room for the Saturday overnight, and enough gas to make it there.

I would also keep an eye on the radar and be ready to pull out early and start driving west if it looks like the forecast is changing and the storm might get there sooner.  Despite what the weather forecast says, the flash flood warning still starts on Saturday morning, so the experts seem to think it's possible. In fact, NOAA has the area with about a 40% chance of getting tropical storm-level windspeeds, and the earliest reasonable arrival time for those is on Friday.  Greenville might be totally fine, but that's not at all certain, and it's possible that the bad stuff will come before the wedding. 

Finally, be prepared to be stuck in traffic on the drive west, whenever you start.  You won't be the only people trying to get out of town.  It might suck, kind of a lot.
« Last Edit: September 13, 2018, 01:29:19 PM by historienne »

honeybbq

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #94 on: September 13, 2018, 01:33:23 PM »
Let him go and be miserable-- stuck on the side of the road for hours or trapped in a sticky hot hotel room with no electricity or AC. Ran out of gas because there is no gas, and no restaurants will be open, and no grocery stores will be open. Hope you like being hungry.



ReadySetMillionaire

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #95 on: September 13, 2018, 01:41:52 PM »
Let him go and be miserable-- stuck on the side of the road for hours or trapped in a sticky hot hotel room with no electricity or AC. Ran out of gas because there is no gas, and no restaurants will be open, and no grocery stores will be open. Hope you like being hungry.

It's perfectly fine if you disagree with my ultimate decision, but this seems a bit over the top.

Le Poisson

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #96 on: September 13, 2018, 01:47:21 PM »
Let him go and be miserable-- stuck on the side of the road for hours or trapped in a sticky hot hotel room with no electricity or AC. Ran out of gas because there is no gas, and no restaurants will be open, and no grocery stores will be open. Hope you like being hungry.

It's perfectly fine if you disagree with my ultimate decision, but this seems a bit over the top.

Let us know next week.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #97 on: September 13, 2018, 01:49:35 PM »
Let him go and be miserable-- stuck on the side of the road for hours or trapped in a sticky hot hotel room with no electricity or AC. Ran out of gas because there is no gas, and no restaurants will be open, and no grocery stores will be open. Hope you like being hungry.
Waffle House will -probably- open.  If it's not, things are like the worst kind of bad.

patchyfacialhair

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #98 on: September 13, 2018, 01:53:44 PM »
Let him go and be miserable-- stuck on the side of the road for hours or trapped in a sticky hot hotel room with no electricity or AC. Ran out of gas because there is no gas, and no restaurants will be open, and no grocery stores will be open. Hope you like being hungry.

It's perfectly fine if you disagree with my ultimate decision, but this seems a bit over the top.

Nah, that's a reality in areas that get hit with catastrophes.

ReadySetMillionaire

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Re: Would You Cancel Travel Plans (Wedding) Down to NC/SC This Weekend?
« Reply #99 on: September 13, 2018, 02:00:27 PM »
Before this thread turned into a hive-mind about calling me a dumbass (which this forum does on so many occasions), the general advice that grounded my fears was to keep very close track of things and make up my mind at the end of the week.  So that's what we've done.

The storm slowed down.  The precipitation was originally expected Friday.  Now it's moved back to Sunday.  It is predicted it may slow down even more.

Forecast is 82 and sunny Saturday.  Winds ranging from 14-24 mph.  No precipitation expected.

Rain is expected to begin around 7AM Sunday.  Winds ranging from 10-22mph.  They are expecting about 4-6 inches over a five day period.  We just had three inches of rain here in Ohio this past weekend...I'm not too worried about 4-6 cumulative inches over a five day span down there when I'm only going to be there for a brief period on Sunday.

The only people in this thread from Greenville have said they expect me to be fine.  A few others have indicated this is where their relatives are going for safety.  The bride and groom are not concerned about any of it, and neither are any of their friends (from what they tell me).

We will be out of there early Sunday morning.  We are bringing a case of our own bottle of water and a ton of food.  My car has an 18 gallon tank and I will fill up about three hours away, and I'm bringing 2.5 gallons just in case, meaning I should be able to get all the way well into West Virginia before needing gas again.

We will be taking Route 77 to Route 81 and Route 26, taking us further west and a bit out of the way; this is opposed to Route 77 all the way to Charlotte and then taking Route 85 west to Greenville.  On the way back, we will monitor traffic via apps.  If things are bad we will head west to Knoxville and then take Route 75 up north (taking us toward Cincinnati, where we have relatives).  If things are that bad that far west, with just a couple inches of rain, then we are all going to die soon anyway.
« Last Edit: September 13, 2018, 02:04:51 PM by ReadySetMillionaire »