A Florida-based company is shaking up hurricane season. Instead of scrambling for flights at the last minute or getting stuck in highway gridlock, residents can now buy PriorityEvac memberships. For $1,250, you lock in a guaranteed seat on one of their evacuation flights out of Tampa or Sarasota, covering you for two storms a year.
Their pitch is clear: the chaos of a hurricane isn’t just wind and rain. The real challenge is figuring out how to move parents who shouldn’t be driving, gathering up pets, managing kids and medicines, and deciding under stress.
Commercial airlines sell out within hours after the National Hurricane Center issues a warning, and ticket prices can shoot up past $2,000. The highways? They turn into traffic jams lasting more than a day. Meanwhile, private planes vanish. When hurricanes roll in, which often happens multiple times a year, all options disappear. By the time most families decide to evacuate, they’re out of luck. The company’s point is to secure your escape early, or you could get stranded.
The $1,250 fee gets you two storm evacuations per person from the Tampa Bay area. If you want to include pets, add $125 each. Florida’s divided into regions for the service, so West and East Coast residents have separate coverage. The target market includes families, retirees, snowbirds with parents living locally, and anyone who worries about getting out in time.
One catch is that the fee doesn’t cover bringing you back. Return flights from Atlanta, the company’s usual evacuation destination, aren’t part of the package, mostly because the length of the evacuation depends on the storm’s aftermath. Some head home after two days; others might have to wait a week or longer if their homes are damaged or experience power outages.
If Florida gets lucky and your area avoids hurricanes for a season, you’ll need to buy a new membership the next year. Why pay if you don’t use it? PriorityEvac says it’s the cost of having planes on standby, ready whether or not they’re needed. To them, the payoff is peace of mind.
The idea came from personal experience. The founder and owner of the West Palm Beach-based hurricane air evacuation company, Jason Murgio, watched friends fail to get out, fighting for overpriced tickets, sometimes ending up on different flights from family members. He felt there must be a better way.
To get the timing right, the company relies on serious experts. A retired U.S. Air Force Colonel (who once led NORAD operations) and a former National Hurricane Center lead forecaster are part of the team. They track storms closely to keep the planes, operated by Global Crossing Airlines, a step ahead, and members get evacuation alerts before dangerous winds arrive.
Some people will say that the membership isn’t cheap. But Murgio argues it is less expensive than what many people paid for last-minute commercial flights during major storms, and families can fly together without the hassle.
There’s a bonus: part of your membership fee goes to Project Dynamo, a local nonprofit known for rescuing Americans from disasters and war zones. This group handles evacuation logistics for PriorityEvac too.
If you live in Florida, or worry about someone who does, this membership could be the lifeline you need when the next hurricane threatens.
For more information about PriorityEvac, click here.
