Escaping Dorian: Thousands head through the DMV to avoid hurricane

As Hurricane Dorian heads north, so are thousands of people from Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas — all fearful of dangerous winds and life-threatening storm surge.

It means places like the rest stop on I-95 N in Dale City, Virginia, are busier than usual, with many people leaving their homes behind and others coming back home earlier than they’d like.

“Today was actually my birthday,” Jeff Lau said Tuesday, noting that he and his wife Jackie won’t get to spend it on the beach in North Carolina like they’d planned. “I was hoping to celebrate it down there with a nice seafood meal. Not gonna happen.”

“We came back from being on the beach and they had a notice for us, and yeah, we were all bummed out,” added Jackie.

The Lau’s aren’t alone.

“I was mad but it is what it is,” said Karen Wert, who also left her North Carolina vacation early.

Meanwhile the Sun family had to leave their home behind in Charleston.

“Piled sandbags and we’ve done all we could,” explained Qian Li Sun.

And Jennie Davis also stopped off at the Dale City rest stop Tuesday, saying her family decided to leave their home in Richmond, not wanting to take any chances.

As for the Lau’s, they’re considering this a lesson learned, saying they’ve been vacationing in North Carolina for 17 years, and this is the very first time they’d didnt buy trip insurance.

“Just like my wife said,” explained Jeff, “make sure you get the insurance when you go down there because the time you don’t is the time you’re gonna need it.”