kidsmoke Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 Fresh from the horrors of Harvey, the country now needs to brace for Hurricane Irma, which has just been declared a category 5. It is starting to appear as if Florida will be a likely landfall. All of you in that direction, take good and prudent care of yourselves. Get out if it seems advisable, and if it's possible for you.Members, check in with us when you can. Prayers for Florida, but I am still privately hoping that Irma will do a surgical strike on Mar-a-Lago, and then pivot and leave. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Doug C Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 Thanks, Donna. Heading to Walmart tomorrow to add to our bottled water and canned goods supply. Also need some gas for the grill and the camping stoves. But if it stays a Cat. 5 and headed for Tampa, we're gone. I'm afraid our 1928 2 story bungalow wasn't made for these times. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted September 5, 2017 Author Share Posted September 5, 2017 Jeez, Doug, be careful, be safe. I hear the Walmarts are a real zoo right now so be careful there too! Do check in with us. What a mess the country (world?) Is right now. Quite apart from the political lunacies, we've got half the country on fire and the other half submerged. Anybody seen 4 horsemen? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted September 7, 2017 Author Share Posted September 7, 2017 I seriously hope Floridians and others have enough time and the means to get out of her path. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Doug C Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 People are definitely more concerned than usual when a storm is coming. Since Tuesday 70s era lines at gas stations and empty shelves at stores. Usually, people rush out a couple days before projected landfall, not 5 or 6. It has to be Harvey being so fresh in memory. Schools closed today and tomorrow, so I'm (trying) to use the extra time to prepare more. Ha. My wife is in Cincy with our oldest and our grandson for his last of 4 summer trips to the Children's Hospital there. They arrive 8 PM Saturday, so I'm solo. I keep an eye on the storm. I wish it would hurry up and make that northern turn, or not, so we have a clearer idea of the impact here. I'm trying to not let my hope for the best keep me from proper planning. 4 more hurricane seasons to survive before we get the hell out of this God forsaken sauna. Fingers crossed.Thanks, Donna. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted September 8, 2017 Author Share Posted September 8, 2017 You've got your hands full. Be careful, and safe. Where are you? What part of FL? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ih8music Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 And Jose is now a Cat 4 storm and pretty much following the same track as Irma? Those islands are going to be wiped clean... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 We're still in "watchful waiting" mode here in SW Florida (Tampa). No evacuation order coming down yet, but it's looking pretty dicey. Might have to hit the road, though that will be a parking lot. Stay safe, everyone! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Doug C Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 I'm also in Tampa. Everyone in Zone A had a mandatory evacuation at 2 PM today. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 I'm also in Tampa. Everyone in Zone A had a mandatory evacuation at 2 PM today.Yeah, I guess there's a big concern about storm surge, flooding, etc. Up in New Tampa, it's more about wind, and I find it kind of weird they haven't even discussed evacuation yet. Governor Skeletor says, "Everyone should be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice." To where? The I-75 parking lot? Or a shelter? Be glad when this is over and we can set sights on Hurricane Jose. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted September 10, 2017 Author Share Posted September 10, 2017 Hey Doug and Mike, and any others of our members who are in Irma's path, we are thinking of you and pulling for you. Do whatever you can to keep yourselves safe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted September 10, 2017 Author Share Posted September 10, 2017 Hey Doug and Mike, and any others of our members who are in Irma's path, we are thinking of you and pulling for you. Do whatever you can to keep yourselves safe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Doug C Posted September 10, 2017 Share Posted September 10, 2017 Hi Donna, Elizabeth and I are soon to leave for our oldest's house. It's north about 30 minutes and more inland, but the main reason is that their house is concrete! Less likely to have a 3 Little pigs scenario. Our youngest, 30, is going to also. The entire immediate family, us, daughters, grandchildren and son-in-law will be together. Plenty of food, water and camping gas for the stoves. Being a family of campers and backpackers pays off. The rain is just now constant, but not pouring. Wind has started to pick up. Tropical storm conditions for afternoon, so time to go. Hopefully, we don't return to ruin, but if so, that's why we're fully insured for wind, hurricane and flood.Thanks. Stay safe, everyone! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted September 10, 2017 Share Posted September 10, 2017 We hightailed it out of there yesterday. Will start working our way back tomorrow. Good times. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 good luck mr heartbreak Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted September 11, 2017 Author Share Posted September 11, 2017 It's good to know you guys are safe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Doug C Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 Heavy, non-stop rain and strong winds and still a few hours until hurricane winds. No loss of power yet in Land O'Lakes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted September 12, 2017 Share Posted September 12, 2017 Thanks guys. We're working our way back over a two-day period, as we drove about eight hours north. To give you an idea of how big and bad this thing still is, even now, we drove through torrential rain and wind today heading from SC down to GA. I've lived in FL for almost 23 years, and we get major heavy thunderstorms with pounding rain every summer...but when you're on the highway doing 70 or 80, you only get blinding rain for a few minutes here and there. This thing went on for miles and miles, and the wind felt like it would blow the car off the road. It was unreal. If that's tropical storm level, I'd hate to experience hurricane force! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted September 12, 2017 Author Share Posted September 12, 2017 Thanks guys. We're working our way back over a two-day period, as we drove about eight hours north. To give you an idea of how big and bad this thing still is, even now, we drove through torrential rain and wind today heading from SC down to GA. I've lived in FL for almost 23 years, and we get major heavy thunderstorms with pounding rain every summer...but when you're on the highway doing 70 or 80, you only get blinding rain for a few minutes here and there. This thing went on for miles and miles, and the wind felt like it would blow the car off the road. It was unreal. If that's tropical storm level, I'd hate to experience hurricane force! Hey you crazy man, stop driving 70 or 80 in torrential rain! Your friends need you in one piece. That rain sounds unbelievable. Let us know what home looks like when you get there. A friend's house in Ft. Myers made it through relatively unscathed so I hope you find yourselves equally lucky. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Doug C Posted September 12, 2017 Share Posted September 12, 2017 Nothing but good news. The laws of meteorology, physics and other sciences coincidentally were in our favor. When we got home yesterday we were elated to see that our soon-to-be 90 year old house was unscathed. Our garage apartment tenant said that we lost power for only about 5 minutes. Some relatively small limbs and branches down, but Garrette, our tenant, had kindly piled them up and set them out for the City of Tampa to pick up in advance! Elizabeth and I put all of our front porch furniture and front yard plants, lawn art, etc. back out. We also picked up a lot of Spanish moss. No worries. Plus, schools are not opening until Thursday! It was nice spending the storm day and night with the immediate family. No issues for them, either. I've lived in the Tampa Bay Area since 1969, and this is the first time I was truly worried. Expecting a Category 4 or 5, possibly dead-on, and getting a 1, with the eye an hour to the east, was quite a relief. Now we just have to get through the rest of this hurricane season and then 4 more. Hope you return to good news also, Mike! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted September 12, 2017 Share Posted September 12, 2017 Thanks, Doug. LOL, Donna!All is well here, too - no damage. I love living in Tampa.Glad we are all safe and sound. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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