If you have an auto responder on your e-mail address then perhaps if you evacuate your area under mandatory evacuation requirements prior to a catastrophic and large category hurricane then it would be wise to alert everyone who e-mails you that you will not be able to the mail them back for quite a while.
It is important that you consider this and since people are also watching the television news they will know how big hurricane was and how much damage was caused then cut you some slack on your obligations whether they be for business or personal.
It is advised that you leave on your email that you are safe and have left the state and will attempt to pick up older e-mails every so often but you cannot guarantee it yet.
Essentially you want to let everyone know that you are sorry that you can do nothing about the return of the e-mails but you thank them for e-mailing you can assure them that you will try to pick up your e-mails at a later date and respond.
This is proper e-mail etiquette and it is the right thing to do.
It also alerts acquaintances and distant family members that everything is okay and although there is a severe hardship and adversity having to leave your home that you are okay.
Please consider all this in 2006.