There’s a reason I live in Maine…

It’s no accident that my family and I live in Maine. I’ve spent time in other places; Texas, Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Wyoming.

I have visited many other places as well; Washington D.C. Florida, NYC, Boston, New Jersey, Baltimore, Fargo, Salt Lake City, and a few others along the way.

But for every place I have visited or stayed, there is only one place that is “home”, and that is Maine.

Alaska comes in a VERY close second…But not close enough.

I live in Maine, because of all the other places I have visited Maine is the only one where pretty much the only thing that will kill you is an angry relative, or somebody doing something stupid…And that kind of stuff happens everywhere!

Texas is still recovering from Hurricane Harvey, and meanwhile, Irma has her sights set on Florida, with 2 other storms gaining strength behind her.

There was loss of property, and people were killed because of Harvey, and Irma will do the same when she slams into Florida.

People have been told they should leave. Some have, some will, any many others wont. It has always been like that, and it always will be like that.

I don’t live in places like Florida, Texas, or The Carolinas, BECAUSE of things like that….As well as poisonous critters that might kill you, tornados, hostile reptiles, high crime rates, droughts, floods, fires, sink holes, mosquitoes, killer bees…I am sure I am missing something.

Like Alaska…As much as I love Alaska, and I am so happy I spent three awesome years there with the United States Air Force, making a home there is simply not a good idea…Earthquakes, volcanoes, avalanches, angry bears, angry moose!

Most states have things that will kill you, but you can survive them with common sense…The smartest thing to do would be like me…DON’T LIVE IN PLACES LIKE THAT.

I won’t even go into tornadoes, wildfires, and crime…If you live in places like that, you are on your own…But floods and hurricanes are a little easier to deal with.

It is very important that you DON’T live in a low lying area if for some reason you don’t follow the most important advice about not living where hurricanes are common. Hurricanes bring lots of rain, and high seas…And that means FLOODS!

Next, don’t live in a single story dwelling. A place with 2 floors and an attic with roof access works. And live in a brick house with a good roof! Then if you are not able to evacuate, you at least have a chance to survive.

That leaves us with the second most important decision you can make if you like to live on the edge…HAVE AN EVACUATION PLAN, AND USE IT!

If the storm is category 3 or higher, and there is even a SLIGHT chance it is going to hit your home….LEAVE! Seriously! How long can it take to drive from Florida to an inland Wal-Mart parking lot in north western Georgia?

I bet you can get there, WITH your dogs and/or cats, and a U-Haul trailer full of your most prized belongings in less than 5 days, no matter HOW much traffic there is!

Once you get there, you’ll be set! Most Wal-Marts welcome campers and truckers…Hurricane refugees will most likely be welcome too…Because you will probably buy things while you are there!

Not to mention, most Wal-Marts have some sort of fast food in, or nearby, as well as many other things people far from home might need.

There is ZERO need to die in a hurricane in this day and age, unless you are in a hospital, or some other long term care facility.

Get a bus ticket, hop on a train, car pool, hitchhike….GET OUT OF THE PATH OF THE STORM. Otherwise, you shouldn’t be surprised if you are listed among the dead or missing!

(By the way, I have friends and family that live in the path of Irma, and they all know I feel this way. Every adult person living in the path of the severe weather owes it to their friends and families, and MOST ESPECIALLY to their children who can not decide for themselves to LEAVE)

Doug Alley

About Doug Alley

I grew up in Bath, Maine in an upper lower class family with 3 step sisters, a step brother, and a little sister. After high school I spent 3 years serving in the USAF at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage AK. I've competed in, and won, demolition derbies. I've competed in, and never won, stock car races. I am the 47-year-old father of an 11-year-old boy who is pretty sure he is smarter than I ever was. We live on a little less than an acre of land in a 1973 mobile home in Stetson with my wife Jen, some cats, a few chickens, and rabbits, and a couple of goats. I hunt, fish, camp out, dabble in photography, gardening, and I cook in variable degrees of near success.