h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

While setting-out my experiences & thoughts on the recent (&ongoing) earthquake in Canterbury (NZ), I recalled another of nature's spats that I'd been there for (but had not included in 'Memories' - see The Post archives):

1979 Florida (having been seconded to the Cape) & while settling in in Cocoa Beach, hurricane (David?) loomed and the place was to be evacuated.
All moveable objects onto the floor, masking tape diagonally across all windows (just like WWII).
Carving knife & mallet under the front seat (we'd all heard stories of piracy and there were petrol shortages) and child on back seat, we headed off, aiming at the spine road and up the middle of the state.

Getting late and we were surprised to find a motel room first try. In the morning, after much wind and rain and creaking & groaning from the building, we arose, broke our fast - and discovered that we'd made our way back towards the coast, well north, to a quiet rural town in pleasant countryside reminiscent of rural UK.

We even found petrol easily.

A very pleasant day or two before told we could head back - to a damaged town.