HonuPineapple
New Member
Maybe some of you who do ATC in hurricane locations could give me some info that I've been wondering about lately.
A little background: I lived in pre-Katrina New Orleans, but haven't gone back since the storm. I've been homesick for NOLA lately and want to move back, but my family down there still struggles a bit. It may not be the time to move back yet, but it's getting there. I am interested in several geographic preferences (when the time comes) in New Orleans and Florida, which got me thinking about the storms and what would happen on-the-job if a bad one comes.
If a city evacuates, do the ATC staff stay on or get to evacuate? My guess is that some stay, since after a bad storm you need air transport into the city and it may be impossible for controllers to get back into the city (my family wasn't allowed back into New Orleans for weeks and then it was only for a few hours, and the area was not suitable to live in anyway). Is this the case? If some controllers do in fact stay, what does the local FAA and ATC do to keep them safe at the facility and at home?
Thanks for answering. I know it's a heavy topic, but I've been wondering about it a lot. I really want to go back to NOLA, but don't know when to do it. My family there wants out, but with the levees still not really stable, the flood insurance is too high for anyone to buy their house. Things for them are OK but not normal, but I think I could deal with that ... but I want to know if I do have to move back that if another bad storm comes, that the FAA would be on my side and not fire me or something if I evacuate or force me to stay for a really bad storm without some sort of protection.
Thoughts?
A little background: I lived in pre-Katrina New Orleans, but haven't gone back since the storm. I've been homesick for NOLA lately and want to move back, but my family down there still struggles a bit. It may not be the time to move back yet, but it's getting there. I am interested in several geographic preferences (when the time comes) in New Orleans and Florida, which got me thinking about the storms and what would happen on-the-job if a bad one comes.
If a city evacuates, do the ATC staff stay on or get to evacuate? My guess is that some stay, since after a bad storm you need air transport into the city and it may be impossible for controllers to get back into the city (my family wasn't allowed back into New Orleans for weeks and then it was only for a few hours, and the area was not suitable to live in anyway). Is this the case? If some controllers do in fact stay, what does the local FAA and ATC do to keep them safe at the facility and at home?
Thanks for answering. I know it's a heavy topic, but I've been wondering about it a lot. I really want to go back to NOLA, but don't know when to do it. My family there wants out, but with the levees still not really stable, the flood insurance is too high for anyone to buy their house. Things for them are OK but not normal, but I think I could deal with that ... but I want to know if I do have to move back that if another bad storm comes, that the FAA would be on my side and not fire me or something if I evacuate or force me to stay for a really bad storm without some sort of protection.
Thoughts?