You guys are killing me. I have a new baby, and the wife WILL NOT HEAR OF me going shooting. I have about 500 rounds of 8mm and 5.45x39mm on strippers and in magazines just dying to head downrange. A good friend just asked me to hunt his land with him, and I am going to have to refuse the invite. This hurts. Damned if I don't love that little girl though.
Hey man. I've already reached the decision that I'm not bugging out again unless the wife absolutely demands it. Allstate told us after Gustave that next time they weren't going to pay the evacuation rider on our homeowner's policy, and State Farm already told my wife's aunt that they weren't paying it anymore ($5,000 deductible per named storm, etc. What the hell am I paying for, I wonder?). Well I did the math, and I realized that an $800 generator can power my whole house for about $60 per day. With hotel rates running about $75 - $120 per day (if you can find one south of Louisville), and gas, wear and tear on the cars, daily evacuation expenses, and my own sanity thrown into the mix, the generator is a much cheaper alternative.
I live in Old Metairie, and several of the husbands in the neighborhood asked me if they can come over and stay with me if an evacuation is ordered. My elderly mom and one of my brothers wants to stay too. I plan on sending the wives and kids off to Austin to stay with friends, and the men will stay and watch the neighborhoods along with the police. Newell Normand, our chief of police lives a few blocks from me, as does David Vitter. My neighbors and I agree that we'll notify them that we're staying, and we'll tell them exactly where we'll be, so they won't worry about those neighborhoods. I think two armed guys with radios and cameras at the entrances to the neighborhoods should be enough to deter any would-be evil-doers. We can take 4-hour shifts. I have plenty of hardware to equip the men as you all know, so that shouldn't be an issue.
As always I want the police to know what I'm doing, and I want them to know that if they need equipment they can come to me. I love those guys. They protected my property twice during evacuations, and I appreciate it.