Hurricane Irma

[Jantrix]

I'd just like to pass along my best wishes to any of our folks here who may be or will be effected by Irma. 

Please stay safe people. If they tell you to evacuate GET THE HECK OUT! This isn't like other storms that we've gotten used to in Florida. This ones a killer. We will see Katrina level destruction from this one. 1836 people died in Katrina. If everyone does what they're told, when they're told, hopefully we can avoid that catastrophe. You don't want to see what 150 mph winds can do with a trash can, 2x4 or deck chair. 

I've no idea where this ones going, but right now Idaho seems like the place to be. My folks in Tampa FL. have already high tailed it to Tennessee. Forecasts say she'll still be at least a tropical storm when she gets there.

Stay informed. If you are in this storms way, may whatever god you feel akin to, watch over you.

https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/hurricane-irma-florida-georgia-south-carolina-north-carolina-forecast-path

[High octane]

Good luck to all of you living in Florida, as you're in my prayers.

[smhardesty]

I have absolutely NO experience or first hand knowledge of a hurricane. I do have similar experience as I was a storm chaser in Southern Illinois and Indiana. I drove right through 2 different tornadoes during my chasing years. The stronger of the two was an EF2 with winds of approximately 120 mph. A tornado only briefly hits one specific area, where hurricanes or so large they dish out punishment for considerably longer periods of time. 150 mph winds for sustained periods of time just scares the BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH out of me! You guys that are down there follow the warnings and get the heck out. If you're forced to stay for some reason, find yourself an extremely well built storm shelter to ride it out.

Best of luck to any and all in Florida. Our thoughts are with you!

 

[58 Impala]

I've lived here for 32 yrs.,been through a dozen or so hurricanes. I never take any of them lightly. But I'm getting too old for this s**t.Lol.

[Dann Tier]

We will be praying for all of you as well!!

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

Thanks, we 're prepping and sweating. Good news today is that it appears Irma is not going to make a big Northerly swing up into Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. A couple of days ago it was looking like we would get a direct CAT4 hit (we may still, but looking less so now). We are still planning on plenty of rain and wind, a few days with out power (no more than four, please???). Stocked up with six 5-gallon cans of gas, (generator tested after being in a 'pickled' state for about 8 years, dropped the oil out of the float bowl and she fired up after about 5 pulls. Thank you Briggs and Stratton) a dozen 5-gallon bottled waters, Florida's finest Zephyrhills spring water (and filled 10 empties with tap water and a smidge of bleach) got lots of food, a case of beer, 1.75 ml of Tito's...extra propane tank...am I missing anything??? My sanity right now, it's been an intense week... -RRR

[MrObsessive]

Well, I was in touch with Luis Ayala in PR (Papin67) and he tells me that there are about 700,000 homes and businesses there on the island with no power. They didn't get the full force of the hurricane, but tropical storm winds about 60-70 MPH. Nevertheless, there are trees down, roads flooded, etc.

He was able to get in touch as his job has power and he used their computer and whatnot, to see what's up.

You folks down in FL.............look out! If you haven't left by now, I sure hope you got a REAL safe place to hunker down! This hurricane is no joke, and I've never seen anything like it as far as how powerful it is! Even if it skirts FL, the rain these things can produce can be still devastating!

Edited September 8, 2017 by MrObsessive

[crazyjim]

It doesn't really matter anymore if people want to evacuate.  Gas stations are closed because there's no gas.  The roads out of FLA are slowly moving parking lots and it gets worse as people get close to the GA border where those folks are evacuating.  The only choice is to hunker down and ride it out.  We have plenty of gas for the generator and cords strung out through the house; yard projectiles have been removed and stored; lots of water, food, wine, Jim Beam & RC Cola.

[Tom Geiger]

You don't want to see what 150 mph winds can do with a trash can, 2x4 or deck chair. 

Agreed.  In Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey  our vinyl siding had what looked like bullet holes in it from projectiles.  Our house there is nine blocks from the water, and all we had was some roof and siding damage.  One town over they got hit full force and the first dozen blocks of homes had to be demolished. Some of them had weathered storms there for 100 years.  Power was out for two weeks, my daughters wound up at our house in Pennsylvania.

Good luck to everyone in Florida.  

[Snake45]

My wife's sister and her husband hit the road from Ft. Myers early this morning. I hope they have enough gas to get to where they can get more gas. They were planning to hunker down somewhere in Georgia. I told them they're probably going to need to come even farther north.

[Arjay 396]

They were planning to hunker down somewhere in Georgia. I told them they're probably going to need to come even farther north.

+1

I heard news reports that a significant number of counties in Georgia have already implemented orders to evacuate.  I hope they make it to safety, sir.

[Snake45]

+1

I heard news reports that a significant number of counties in Georgia have already implemented orders to evacuate.  I hope they make it to safety, sir.

We got word they made it to Albany, GA. I looked it up and that's only barely out of FL, but at least they're out of FL and maybe have some head start on others.

I've been keeping an eye on the various predicted tracks and models, and it doesn't look to me like there anywhere completely "safe" east of the Mississippi and south of the Mason-Dixon line. In other words, this thing could bring death and/or destruction pretty much anywhere in the southeast quarter of the USA. Cazart!

[mikemodeler]

Here in Charlotte, it's looking like we dodged Irma as it's projected to go west towards Georgia. I saw a lot of Florida vehicles headed north out of Charlotte today, no doubt a sign of people heeding the message to evacuate. A business associate made a last minute decision to stay over in Charlotte this weekend and had a heck of a time finding a hotel room as many were filled with people who evacuated.

I sure hope those that chose to stay behind or had to stay behind are safe and do not see damage like we saw two weeks ago in Texas.

[1930fordpickup]

I wish you all safe haven in this big storm. 

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

We are as buttoned up as we can be (which is to say not all that much)....bring it on, bitch!!! -RRR

[Snake45]

Good luck, Rodney!

[Rob Hall]

I lived in the Florida Keys for 6 years in the 80s...remember evacuating several times for hurricanes...beautiful place.  

[bobthehobbyguy]

Good luck to all affected by Irma. Be save. You are in my prayers.

[Snake45]

We got word they made it to Albany, GA. I looked it up and that's only barely out of FL, but at least they're out of FL and maybe have some head start on others.

I've been keeping an eye on the various predicted tracks and models, and it doesn't look to me like there anywhere completely "safe" east of the Mississippi and south of the Mason-Dixon line. In other words, this thing could bring death and/or destruction pretty much anywhere in the southeast quarter of the USA. Cazart!

Sis in law says they're now in TN (or headed for there, I forget which). IMHO that's not far enough. Told The Lovely Mrs. Snake to tell her to KEEP DRIVING NORTH.  The forecast maps I'm looking at showing the stupid storm pretty much PARKING over TN or thereabouts for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday!

Not that anyone really knows, of course.

[crazyjim]

Neighbor up the street decided they're going to SC.  Actually she decided and he's driving.  I was able to borrow his generator for the neighbor across the street.  Neighbor across the street had extra lumber so we boarded up the big front window of my house.  Marcia feels better with the window boarded up.  Happy wife. Happy life.

[Belugawrx]

Hope to hear from ALL of our Florida friends real soon,...

Hang on brothers....

.

 

 

 

 

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

So far just a few wind gusts and some spordaic showers here in the southeast. I expect our power to go out sometime ovenight.  It looks like Ft Myers and Tampa are going to get the brunt of the weather now... -RRR

[GT4494]

Recommendation to all that moved to Florida but weren't raised there. I came up from Jax to SC averaged 50-60 mph.  learn the back roads. i-95 and hwy17 are not the way out.

Oh yeah, turn the GPS off and get a good map.  all the GPS devices show the same routes and everyone is using them.  spend a few minutes with a paper map and do some "flight planning".

Edited September 9, 2017 by GT4494

[Ace-Garageguy]

Storm hysteria, even here in the suburbs of Atlanta, well OVER 300 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, and 250 miles from the Atlantic.

Went to the grocery store, my normal Saturday night excitement (). NO WATER. NO BREAD. NO MILK.

WTF? If it wasn't so pathetic, it would be funny.

I lived on the Atlantic coast most of my young life, lived through some pretty wild storms..

Yes, if you're on the shore or close to it, subject to storm surge and the very high winds as a storm moves from warm water to land, it's rough. You can lose everything.

But if you're 300 miles inland, all you're going to see is a lot of rain and high wind, maybe some local flooding, that's about it.

I have real compassion and concern for those who live in low-lying coastal areas, and who leave (and maybe come home to a vacant lot), or those who stay to ride it out, and maybe lose their lives.

But HERE? Please, give me a break.

Edited September 10, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[GT4494]

Storm hysteria, even here in the suburbs of Atlanta, well OVER 300 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. 

Went to the grocery store, my normal Saturday night excitement (). NO WATER. NO BREAD. NO MILK.

WTF? If it wasn't so pathetic, it would be funny.

I lived on the Atlantic coast most of my young life, lived through some pretty wild hurricanes.

Yes, if you're on the shore or close to it, subject to storm surge and the very high winds as a storm moves from warm water to land, it's rough. You can lose everything.

But if you're 300 miles inland, all you're going to see is a lot of rain and high wind, maybe some local flooding, that's about it.

I have real compassion and concern for those who live in low-lying coastal areas, and who leave (and maybe come home to a vacant lot), or those who stay to ride it out, and maybe lose their lives.

But HERE? Please, give me a break.

Isn't that the same place that went ape shxx when they had some snow a couple of years ago???