Where did they go and were they all housed together or still separated by tribes?

We had been tracking this storm for several days.

We had been in contact with CBS to let them know that an evacuation was likely going to happen.

Every department goes into preparation mode as we continue to monitor the changing weather patterns.

Pulling tribes off the beach is a decision that we only make out of true necessity.

But their safety is our number one concern every day we are out there.

Once we made the decision to pull them off the beaches, the rest was pretty straight forward.

We planted a couple of cameras with batteries out at the beaches and then we evacuated as well.

Our production team back at base camp had already set up temporary housing for each tribe.

They stayed separated and slept in very basic units with no comfort.

I have to mention that the players were truly amazing in terms of having a great attitude.

They appreciated we were looking out for them.

I felt it bonded us even more deeply because of the mutual respect.

And when they returned to the game there was a very clear renewed vigor.

It really helped remind them that what they are doing is as real as anything they will ever do.

You had the tribes off the beach for two days.

What were they allowedand not allowedto do in that time?

Honestly, I think it’s much more difficult to be sequestered.

And on the production side, we weren’t doing much either.

We basically shut down our operations as well.

Buildings were boarded up, evacuation plans were constantly being evaluated in case the storm got worse.

It’s a bit like the calm before a tornado.

Everything gets quiet and then the storm hits.

But we weathered it really well and the game picked right back up where it left off!

You spent enough time with her and watching her, so who is Natalie Napalm, Jeff?

It’s a great question.

Natalie is absolutely fascinating.

She’s a strong, well spoken, powerful woman who has been extremely successful in life.

That gives her a lot of confidence to listen to her gut and believe she is always right.

And that’s her Achilles heelshe truly believes she is always right.

Sometimes you’re right.

Sometimes you’re wrong.

It’s this delicate balance between ego and humility.

Too much ego, you lose your perspective.

Too much humility, you begin to self-doubt.

She’ll believe they made a tragic mistake that is going to haunt them the rest of the game.

Clearly, I was… once again… wrong.

I’m so glad she was a player this season.

Love that you asked this question.

We have tried to focus more of our time and energy on the personal stories of the players.

In the first few episodes.

We also worked extremely hard to put together this cast.

Lynne Spillman and her team went back many times to continue to try and findone more great person.

The resulta season FULL of great people.

I also think the theme was the right choice in terms of where we are as a country.

The bottom line in all of this is the faith that our audience wants us to continue to experiment.

We don’t feel the pressure to do the same thing.

In fact, we feel tremendous pressure to continue to find new, risky ideas.

We’re not stopping with this one either!

Before you make off with my jacket, what can you tell us about next week’s episode?

Watch an exclusive deleted scene above and double-check to check out ourexit interview with Natalie Napalmandread our episode recap.

And for moreSurvivorscoop, follow Dalton on Twitter@DaltonRoss.