Not long.

So many reasons.

Firstly, I kind of feel like for all Max was in the position to make the decision, in a just world it would be Chloe's choice. I would not have been in favour of sacrificing Chloe had she not been on board with it- and not only was she on board with it it's her idea. The only reason Max has a choice here is because Chloe pointed out this possibility.

Secondly, while it would be sad that Max would lose her Chloe, if the town is sacrificed if you look here [https://imgur.com/a/pzp23] that's at least 11 families mourning. That's at least 11 people who have lost the people who are as important to them as Chloe is to Max. I say "at least", but we all know every dead body won't be on that road. It's hundreds. For Max the choice was does she go through something terrible, or make hundreds go through that terrible thing? Just because we don't know them doesn't know they're not people.

Thirdly- art. Life is Strange is a tropey narrative, but tropes aren't bad when they're well used and the ending uses it's tropes very well (before anyone says anything, I'm not referring to "bury your gays" here- I think that one was sadly stumbled into when using the other ones in play) Max's character arc is a coming of age story revolving around a special friendship- those typically end in the death of said special friend (in the most heartbreaking way possible) because coming of age stories are rooted in tragedy. Chloe was saved by time travel, so travelling back and letting her die at her lowest point is the most tragic end death she could have. Chloe's arc is a redemptive arc- for her arc the typical end is her making some grand act at great cost to herself that helps those she feels the people she regrets being less than nice to- dying to save them certainly counts. Finally the Storm itself is a time travel narrative- of the "you went back in time to save a life and now crazy disasters happened. The only way to put this right is to go back and unsave that life" (see Star Trek City at the Edge of Forever, and Doctor Who Father's Day for ones that are actually referenced by the game). I know some people don't see the storm like this, but it was obvious to me that this is what was happening in Episode 2. That's every story line that's still in play at the ending- and due to how skillfully written the game is they can all share a big emotionally devastating climax. I kind of owed to Dontnod to see that emotionally devastating climax.