Hurricane Irma

[48Fire]

We got lucky and found a room at Disney with wife and MIL Traffic on I-4 from west coast was normal. After Irma continued to drift west, we needed to minimize our risk, and traded 100 mph winds and storm surge for 60 mph. Plus, Disney had all the conveniences here if we need food, etc.

 

[W2R]

Trying to evacuate the whole state has been crazy . All the east coast people moved over to the west coast and now the west coast has no where to go . We are going more inland since we live on the water to a hotel that I would never go to except it is available . If it is truly awful we will go to my SO's sons house .

Good luck, Moemg! We are all hoping for the best for you and yours, and for everyone affected by this hurricane.

Same for you, 48Fire - - hoping for the best for you and yours. Glad you found a room.

 

[ivinsfan]

W2R..now that Irma is here can the mods start a thread for posters in its path..just them posting updates for the rest of us to read?lots of us in harm's way...like a FB safe check in for FIRE board..lots of O T stuff here after 13 pages

 

[socca]

The outermost cloud bands of Irma gave the Sarasota area a nice sunset this evening. This was the view from my backyard. This will probably be the last nice thing that Irma does for us for quite some time.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

Had an unexpected video chat with my brother PaulinKeyWest sitting in the key west high school. I thought I'd share his comments
- The bleachers are rock hard and I'm sore (not verbatim)
- There are some dogs not getting along
- A fellow took off his clothes ran around (kids were present) and had to be rounded up by the police
- a woman came over and asked if he would "join us" he politely asked what would I be joining you with. Praying to some unfamiliar deity for the storm to abate... "I'll join you later"

I hope my brother and all those there are alive tomorrow to laugh about all this...

Im howling right now. The tears are rolling down my face as I type this. If Im ever told to evacuate Ill remember this post , and opt for fleeing the area instead of the bleachers.

Ray tell him if things get boring at the shelter, religion, sex, and politics are great topics for discussion between strangers.

 

[retired1]

Good Luck everyone. It's going to be in FL soon !! Hang tight.

 

[Lisa99]

We have friends there who've not responded to emails.

Are most Villages residents riding it out in place?

There is a mandatory evacuation of mobile and modular homes here. The historic side has a number of them.

If their home is site built they are able to stay. Having said that many in our immediate neighborhood have left.

 

[Lisa99]

Based on where that's located, it would be unnecessary for them to evacuate based on current conditions.

Anyone in a mobile or modular home in most counties have a mandatory evacuation.

 

[Huston55]

Good luck, Moemg! We are all hoping for the best for you and yours, and for everyone affected by this hurricane.

Same for you, 48Fire - - hoping for the best for you and yours. Glad you found a room.

+1

Sending dry, safe thoughts your way.

 

[Aerides]

Anyone in a mobile or modular home in most counties have a mandatory evacuation.

I thought the villages was all developed homes, not mobiles, sorry. Yes, Mobiles in a Watch or Warning always are the first required to evacuate.

 

[Samething]

As of the 11pm update if you enlarge the local map on the Weather Channel app the projected path of the eye passes literally 4 blocks from my house. I know it could shift one way or another before it gets here but I'm very concerned. It's forecast to be a Cat 3 when it gets here.
I have a brick house with boarded up windows so we should be ok.

 

[MichaelB]

The eye has now reached the Florida Keys and hurricane winds have reached Miami. Cable news shows have reporters in Miami on the street or beach, doing live broadcasts in winds that are already 40+ MPH. Fools, all of them.

Folks on try west coast of Fl didn't have much warning or time to prepare. Hopefully everyone has made it to shelter or is safe for the duration. We have good friends who live in Plantation (near Miami) and evacuated to Tampa 4 days ago. They returned home last night.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

We decided (today) to stay put and "Shelter in Place" our home is concrete and rebar so we do have some "safe" spots. We still have water and electric. But we are on a barrier island so "Fingers Crossed". I have a UPS that can keep internet up for 453 Minutes. Assuming there is still something in the cable.

 

[Ronstar]

The eye has now reached the Florida Keys and hurricane winds have reached Miami. Cable news shows have reporters in Miami on the street or beach, doing live broadcasts in winds that are already 40+ MPH. Fools, all of them.

Folks on try west coast of Fl didn't have much warning or time to prepare. Hopefully everyone has made it to shelter or is safe for the duration. We have good friends who live in Plantation (near Miami) and evacuated to Tampa 4 days ago. They returned home last night.

DW has a friend on the west coast in Cape Coral. At last contact, she was staying put until today, then moving to higher ground. She's had some bad luck - a tornado leveled her Illinois home in 2015. She sold the lot and moved to Florida, where a tornado narrowly missed her last year. Now this.

 

[socca]

I'm hoping that Irma gets indigestion when it reaches Naples/Ft. Myers and weakens to "only" a Cat 2 by the time the eye is in the Tampa Bay area. The current forecast is for Cat 3. Ouch.

 

[MichaelB]

Some live cam links

Miami

Orlando.

Sanibel island

 

[Amethyst]

IRMAGURD! (that's South Baltimorese for OMG)

Some live cam links

Miami

Orlando.

Sanibel island

 

[MichaelB]

From one of the webcams it looks like Miami is already flooding. Friends in Kendall (west of Miami) have already lost power.

ETA - looking at the FPL outage map, about 1/3 of South Florida is now without power. http://www.fplmaps.com/#

 

[retired1]

Wow. It seems bad weather events like to follow her Good Luck.

 

[IMATERP]

The eye might fully miss the Florida Coast and wind up in Alabama. It certainly looks like the larger Florida cities can withstand the winds, hopefully the surge water will be minimal.

M

 

[Bestwifeever]

We were north of Palm Beach the last week of August, gorgeous hot weather, and DH said he could see living there part-time; he's backtracked on that. Good friends just bought a house just north of Naples in late August; their movers came this past Tuesday to their former Illinois house, they closed on the sale of that house this past Weds. and are staying with Illinois friends, and the moving van is idling nearby. One of them didn't even really want to move.

Watching the Weather Channel guy risking his life in Miami on a hotel's patio? Sooo much water there!

 

[Meadbh]

The eye might fully miss the Florida Coast and wind up in Alabama. It certainly looks like the larger Florida cities can withstand the winds, hopefully the surge water will be minimal.

M

Here is a screenshot from Fox News showing potential storm surges in Khan's neighbourhood (9 feet). I hope she and DH are safe. Thank goodness they built their new house on stilts!

 

[calmloki]

Friends we met on our Canada trip - fellow landlords of like path, philosophy, and skills - have rental properties on the beach in Treasure Island Tampa. We are considering a trip there next week to lend a hand. If they have anything left.

 

[simple girl]

Realized I should check in when someone PM'd me to see how we are faring. We decided to evacuate from Sarasota, FL Friday when the models suddenly shifted west. We live in a townhouse - first floor is concrete block but upstairs is wood frame. Built to the latest code - but - we don't have shutters nor a way to get boards up that high. Our elevation is good in terms of surge, but the ability to handle hurricane force winds was very sketchy, IMO.

It's been a whirlwind of driving frantically and trying to find hotel rooms. People sleeping in their cars in hotel lots, no vacany signs everywhere, no gas many places and long lines for stations with gas. 3 lanes of I-75 north turned into 5 when both berms were converted into lanes. Mass exodus. Quite an experience. Stayed Friday night in Valdosta, GA (extremely lucky to book it while driving north Friday afternoon), then had to leave Sat a.m.. Started driving north with no idea where to stay. Finally found a place in Columbus, GA. Got it for 2 nights, then realized we'd have to leave the day the storm is slated to come through here - Monday ....it's like Irma is literally chasing us.

Got on a wait list for another night here Monday - and they called to say someone gave up their reservation for evacuees who might need it - like us. So thankful for that generosity.

So we are all safe and sound here through Tuesday morning. Not sure of what we will be going back to, and when. Right now the eye looks like it will literally be going straight over our house in Sarasota. We'll see.

Yep, have insurance - reg and flood.

Thinking of all of those who were unable to evacuate. There was little time to act after it shifted west and a frightening prospect - wondering if you'd run out of gas and be stranded in your car somewhere. Evacuation is not easy, and one does not always have much notice.

 

[NW-Bound]

Here is a screenshot from Fox News showing potential storm surges in Khan's neighbourhood (9 feet). I hope she and DH are safe. Thank goodness they built their new house on stilts!

They are predicting storm surge of 10-15' in some areas which is terrifying, even if one has a 2-story house or one on stilts. I wonder how strong a house on stilts is with respect to the wind.