Hurricanes are -EV.
If I ever sit down at a poker table and I've Katrina on my right and Rita on my left, I'm leaving.
But this isn't about poker. It's about the worst kind of gambling. It's about mother nature's version of Russian Roulette. It's about ignoring the warnings and gambling with your life.
Thousands of people gambled with Hurricane Katrina like they were Gus Hansen holding 3-4 offsuit. Katrina was holding the nuts. More than a thousand people died. Hundreds of those likely could have gotten out if they wanted to. They made a choice, and it cost them. Everything.
Hurricane Rita did not have as many fish at her table. When the storm approached, people fled in droves. They picked up their bankroll, toked the dealer and politely said goodbye to the rest of the table. Very few people decided to gamble this time.
When the word to evacuate comes down, it's not a bluff. It's deadly serious. When the Hurricane arrives, it will be making poker hands with a Euchre deck... the rest of the cards are yours. Who do you think is going to win?