Shelter From The Storm

Im not a native Floridian, so I generally pay great attention to local weather forecasts when they include the words tropical storm or hurricane followed by someones first name. And because Ive never seen such weather-beyond the occasional tropical low that spreads relatively benign wind and rain across the state-Ive decided its a life experience I can do without. So it was in September with Hurricane Irma.

Editorial Staff

Sunday, October 22, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The author successfully evacuated Florida by private plane ahead of Hurricane Irma, navigating logistical challenges like changing forecasts and hurried preparations.
Despite the evacuation flights being mostly uneventful in terms of incidents, the author encountered significant weather, airspace restrictions, and observed other pilots and ATC operating under stressful conditions.
A key takeaway is that pilots evacuating ahead of natural disasters face significant self-imposed risks from stress and fatigue, which can seriously impair judgment and decision-making during flight.
The author demonstrates how awareness of these heightened risks directly influenced critical in-flight decisions, such as disagreeing with ATC on weather avoidance or foregoing a fuel stop to reduce complexity.

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I’m not a native Floridian, so I generally pay great attention to local weather forecasts when they include the words “tropical storm” or “hurricane” followed by someone’s first name. And because I’ve never seen such weather—beyond the occasional tropical low that spreads relatively benign wind and rain across the state—I’ve decided it’s a life experience I can do without. So it was in September with Hurricane Irma.