When faced with any natural disaster or survival situation, one of the most critical decisions we must make is whether to stay or go. Unfortunately, deciding between hunkering down or bugging out often isn't an easy choice, and making the wrong decision can have devastating consequences.

Trying to ride out the disaster may put your family in mortal danger, or leave you stranded without adequate food, clean water, or medical care. On the other hand, hitting the road means abandoning your home and most of your possessions for an unknown amount of time. There's also the risk of looting and vandalism following the disaster. If the disaster worsens, your choice to evacuate may be vindicated; if it quickly blows over, you may be left feeling as though you overreacted.

As a result of this conundrum, many people in the evacuation zones for Hurricane Florence and other major storms choose to ignore the warnings and remain in their homes. In the following video, the BBC asked author and disaster expert Robert Meyer for some insight into why this occurs. He provides three reasons: optimism, uncertainty, and herd thinking.

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Have you ever been advised to evacuate due to a natural disaster? What choice did you make, and why? Let us know in the comments below.

Written by Patrick McCarthy