Consequently, emergency management public awareness programs encourage people who wish to leave the region, to do so before they issue an evacuation advisory. Unfortunately, the public will find they have to make that decision before there is a reliable storm forecast. Evacuation decisions are local decisions. However, there is some effort to coordinate those decisions among jurisdictions in the region. Normally, jurisdictions within the region participate in conference calls for weather briefings and status updates from each jurisdiction and state agencies.
People have several choices for their evacuation destination.
They can go to a hotel or motel outside the storm surge zones, or home of family or friends, or they can go to a public shelter . Evacuation and shelter openings usually happen simultaneously. This information was provided by the Hampton Roads Emergency Management Committee .