Even when a life-threatening hurricane is headed your way, there are many reasons you can stay. You may have dependent family members who cannot leave due to disability or other health-related reasons; You may not have reliable transportation to get to a safe area, and what’s more, no gas to get there. Sometimes, you just refuse to leave your home and everything behind you.
There is also the reality of not being able to afford it.
In 2021 University of South Florida surveyMore than half of the state’s residents said whether or not they evacuated from the hurricane would have a financial impact, with nearly 43 percent saying they had less than $1,000 for emergencies. People fleeing both Hurricanes Milton and Helen — a Category 4 hurricane that heavily impacted the southeastern United States in late September — report cost hundreds of if not Thousands of dollars to get security
Connie Vickers, 63, usually lives about an hour outside of Asheville, North Carolina. It cost him about $5,000 to book the first available Airbnb to evacuate from Hurricane Helen. He considers himself lucky — he can pay it out of pocket, hoping his insurance will cover some or all of the cost. “I’m thinking about socio-economic differences,” she tells Vox. “Some people literally have nothing.”
Horrifyingly, anecdotal of human sightings objectionable flight, the hotelAnd rental car As Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm, prices spread like wildfire on social media.
On TikTok, A woman in southwest Florida Explains why leaving home with six kids and four dogs is so difficult. Many shelters Do not accept pets. “I have to book an Airbnb or something,” she says a video. “I can’t afford it.”
Flights, hotels or gas can be expensive — if they are available
The longer someone waits to move, the more expensive the move can be. one 2011 study Estimates suggest that evacuation costs for a Category 3 hurricane could increase from $454 3 days before expected landfall to $526 just hours before landfall, which is about $632 to $732 in today’s dollars. The cheapest one-way flight from Tampa to Atlanta in mid-November can be found for just $39, according to Google Flights. On Oct. 8, the cheapest the search engine showed was $321. The cheapest one-way ticket from Tampa to NYC, usually available for $45 to $90, was $458.
Plane ticket prices are determined dynamically, usually shooting during busy travel times and when you are booking at the last minute. A United spokesperson told Vox that the airline implemented the fare cap last Sunday. “Since then, the average cost of a one-way economy class ticket to our hubs from the affected Florida market has been below $500,” the spokesperson wrote in an email. They also mentioned that Viral screenshot The $1,000-plus fare from Tampa to St. Louis includes two stops. Early Tuesday, though, it was hard to find any nonstop flights from Tampa. Delta And American Airlines The rent has also been reduced.
Whether those tickets actually existed is a different matter — going directly to airline websites often showed that no flights were actually available, since airports were closed and many flights were canceled. By Tuesday when many eviction order Options for Floridians on the way to Milton are becoming increasingly limited — and expensive — viable There were many airports off. As of Wednesday, FlightAware data showed 90 percent of flights out of Tampa International Airport had been canceled.
Rental car locations were either out of cars or closed for safety as of Tuesday, and According to GasBuddyA site that helps people track prices and availability at nearby gas stations, was Fuel scarce. Finding accommodation is also an uphill battle. At the time of writing, many hotels Northwest Florida was full Although there are free shelters throughout Florida counties where evacuation orders have been issued, they are free as well Shuttle service or other Free transportation optionNot everyone may be in an area where they can access them. There are also several reasons why people choose Don’t go to the shelter: They may not be sure exactly where it is located, whether it is full, or may not be able to bring their pets
Being poor and having few job security makes it harder to survive the storm
People with minimal money also often Chances of being able to escape are slim a natural disaster. They are less able to leave work in advance before selling traffic or lodging and flights, and, in the long run, are less able to permanently move to an area with lower hurricane risk—another example of how this can be It’s more expensive to be poor. The Gulf Coast faced some Highest poverty rate In the United States, and the combination of extreme poverty and High rates of poor health (often due to racial disparity and environmental factors) leaving the region’s inhabitants particularly weak time of disaster
Carson McPherson-Krutsky, a research associate at the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder, is currently studying the factors that motivate people to evacuate and shelter in place for hurricanes and tornadoes. “A huge resource limitation,” she tells Vox. “You have to make accommodations where you’re going. You may need social support if you want to stay with family and friends who live outside the area. You must have the ability to quit your job.”
Even in normal times, hotel and flight prices can be hard to stomach. Average hotel prices in the United States are: increased this year; Across the country, it has become increasingly common to provide it Above $200 per night A room also has the cost of buying, maintaining and insuring the car rose quickly In the last few years then there are higher food prices to consider. Eating out can quickly become expensive if you move into temporary accommodation and don’t have a stove.
A quarter of Americans had Less than $500 In their checking account last year, according to a CNBC Select survey, and more than half of Americans have less than $1,000 saved for emergencies. A Fox Business reports from 2017 It is estimated that hurricane preparation and evacuation can cost an average household $5,000; A The New York Times reports From 2018, when Hurricane Florence devastated North Carolina, a family reported having to cough up more than $2,000 to evacuate. Surviving a storm can be prohibitively expensive.
Risk of loss of wages or other for some consequences absent work May affect them decision to stay. During Hurricane Helen, a Factory named Impact Plastics Erwin, Tennessee, told workers to continue working despite flood warnings for the area. The company denies it has discouraged workers from leaving, it said in a statement Video statement Last week they were told to leave “at least 45 minutes before the force of the flood hits the industrial park”. It is currently being investigated after at least 11 workers went missing five Among those found dead.
How governments – and some companies – are trying to help
To reduce some of the costs of moving to the state of Florida Suspended road toll and encouraged hotels Pet fee waived. Uber, for which it famously came under fire Wave value In New York during Hurricane Sandy, people are fleeing Milton Free ride to the shelter. Major US airlines, including United, americanand is delta Some fees are waived If you want to rebook a flight. Some hotels have also been offered “hardship rates” for evacuees, with A Myrtle Beach Resort Charges as low as $39 per night before taxes, and a room at A Orlando area hotel chain Starting at $69 before tax.
The supply-demand explanation for why things like flights and hotels can cost more in an emergency is that many people are trying to snap them up at the last minute. That doesn’t mean it’s in a company’s best interest to raise prices, especially when people are promoting their sticker shock online. In some cases, it may even lead to illegal price increases.
“A price increase is different than a general market price increase,” said Teresa Murray, director of the Office of the Consumer Watchdog, a public interest research group. This usually occurs during some type of emergency, and only applies to essential items. A clear example of price increases, according to Murray, occurred during the infant formula shortage in 2022.
right now, 37 states There are some types of anti-price gouging laws on the books. Florida’s anti-price gouging laws don’t go into effect unless a state of emergency is declared, which Governor Ron DeSantis did. This is the past at the weekend. For example, if the price of food, water or gas is “substantially higher” than the average price seen 30 days before the emergency, it’s illegal — but it’s not clear what “substantially higher” means. Some states Set a price increase threshold, such as anything more than 10 percent above the normal price. Florida’s attorney general’s office has urged residents Report any price increases They see; It already was Investigate potential price increases After receiving hundreds of complaints during Hurricane Helen. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg X said The Department of Transportation is “closely monitoring flights in and out of areas affected by Hurricane Milton” to ensure there are no price increases, and the department now Communication with airlines About the problem
Usually, adds Murray, we see a lot Price increase — whether it’s water, food, or supplies needed for cleanup and repairs, like chainsaws — happening after a disaster. With Milton, too, we can see more of this happening as recovery efforts begin. “It’s just absurd that some companies may be taking advantage of this crisis by jacking up their prices,” Murray said. “We’re talking about people’s lives here.”
