Hurricane Irma - SE Florida, Carribean Islands, Carolinas, _possible Gulf Coast US

[iLander]

Will do, of course, iLander! Please stay on-line for as long as you can. I am so very sorry to hear this. Are you at least on high ground?

Hugs,
Deb

Our yard is 4 feet above sea level. The house is on stilts, 8 feet over that. Any foot of storm surge that was over 4 feet = that amount in our yard/garage.

 

[december-fire]

If you are so inclined, pray for us. I think my screen name pretty much explains why.
So far, we are directly in the path.
We already went through this in 2004. Really don't want to do it again.
Gonna start prepping soon.

Sending lots of prayers your way!

To you and everyone else who finds themselves in Irma's path.

 

[whitewave]

Whitewave...one of your last post mentioned Brevard County. I live very close to there. We could be neighbors!

Next time I visit him, I'll holler at ya!!

 

[whitewave]

I will be going out in about an hour to get a few things so I don't have to rush around. I wish I didn't have all these meetings this week, but thats life. Because I don't want to wait too long, I'm going to make some decisions by tomorrow night. There's no way in hell I'm sticking around for a 5. I'm hopeful you can get your horses to a safe place.

Yes, the people who stayed for Katrina (hit as a 3) said never again would they stay. They thought they might die.

 

[Bonfire]

Our yard is 4 feet above sea level. The house is on stilts, 8 feet over that. Any foot of storm surge that was over 4 feet = that amount in our yard/garage.

Stay safe @iLander! You sound particularly vulnerable in your situation.

 

[tyty333]

Went and did my regular grocery shopping + hurricane needs. Grocery store was low on soups and out of water and propane.
I need PROPANE!!! We just ran out about 2 weeks ago...bad timing! I checked 2 other places and called one and everyone is
waiting for shipments ...what will I do for coffee???

 

[soxfan]

Oh I need to clarify, he was talking specifically about Connecticut. Even though we have gotten snippets of hurricanes our state as a whole hasn't experienced a major hurricane in a long time.

ETA: The most devastating year for storms for us was 2011, we were hit with a freak snowstorm in October. So it was cold, no power (we have electric heat) and I had a four year old and a foster dog recovering from spay surgery. The DH was sent out on storm so he was gone, it was freakin miserable. I told him this time around with another kid in the mix and more pets to worry about we need a plan in place if he isn't going to be here.

WHY did I think you lived in Mass?

 

[whitewave]

 

[AGBF]

WHY did I think you lived in Mass?

I thought you did because of your username, but then you mentioned Vermont. Which state are you in, soxfan? And could you have thought StepahnieLynn was in Massachusetts because of the "Lynn" in her username? There is a Lynn, Massachusetts. But that's just my stream of consciousness!

Deb/AGBF

 

[soxfan]

I thought you did because of your username, but then you mentioned Vermont. Which state are you in, soxfan? And could you have thought StepahnieLynn was in Massachusetts because of the "Lynn" in her username? There is a Lynn, Massachusetts. But that's just my stream of consciousness!

Deb/AGBF

I'm a M*******.

 

[soxfan]

It edited it! LOL! I live in mass.

 

[AGBF]

It edited it! LOL! I live in mass.

I have no idea what you edited. I wish I had seen what you wrote. I think I missed something funny!!!

Deb

 

[soxfan]

I have no idea what you edited. I wish I had seen what you wrote. I think I missed something funny!!!

Deb

 

[soxfan]

To clarify, that is NOT my car. It was in a parking lot. My son really enjoyed it....

 

[AGBF]

You are funny!!!

 

[AGBF]

To clarify, that is NOT my car. It was in a parking lot. My son really enjoyed it....

Of course he did! And well he should! Smart boy!

 

[YadaYadaYada]

That title usually refers to drivers of MA but I don't think CT is much better. One of our classic moves is riding right on top of the car in front of you on the highway so they can't cut you off, because you just know they are conspiring to do just that! LOL!

My name is my real first and middle name because originality is not my strong suit

 

[autumngems]

I know last week there was talk of it hitting us (NC coast) and it could still change back to that, but I hope not. I don't want it to hit anyone but that's impossible. If it comes this way and is a Cat 4 or 5, I am outta here

 

[Arcadian]

Went and did my regular grocery shopping + hurricane needs. Grocery store was low on soups and out of water and propane.
I need PROPANE!!! We just ran out about 2 weeks ago...bad timing! I checked 2 other places and called one and everyone is
waiting for shipments ...what will I do for coffee???

You know there's no sunshine without coffee!!! I have three tanks. I think 2 were leftovers from last year's hurricane. One is on the grill now, and I think about half full. Since I usually grind mine every morning I had to lower myself to get the prepackaged ground stuff...oh the horrors! nevertheless, it should taste pretty darn good (I got chocolate and caramel!) The things you do in desperation...lol

Its absolutely crazy in my area traffic wise, but people are being very nice though. Most stores are currently out of water. Like way out. I went to Publix to get a little turkey for the next couple of days and the line was out the door (turned around and went home)

Lots of lines for gas too. I have a hybrid so thankfully don't use a lot of gas and didn't really need any, but did fill up gas jugs. Its mostly for his car not mine. I had some empty water bottles in my car (yah I know I know) but I rinsed those, put water in them and stuck them in the freezer as a defacto freezer packs (which you also cannot get right now!) Later this evening we're hitting up the liquor store. They're open until 10 which should be a heck of a lot quieter.

Mandatory evacuation for Monroe County.
http://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/AlertCenter.aspx?AID=MONROE-COUNTY-TO-ISSUE-MANDATORY-EVACUAT-10

I read on some new site that Miami also had mandatory evacuation but its not even on their website
http://www.miamidade.gov/emergency/

Broward had a facebook live video, they said no evacuations at this time
http://www.broward.org/Pages/Welcome.aspx

Looks like it will be a SE Florida event. There's always a chance it could go elsewhere but it ain't looking likely.

 

[soxfan]

Welp....

 

[YadaYadaYada]

DH said they got the call to get a roster of crews available for Florida. I think he said they are looking for 7,000. They will leave tomorrow.

 

[HS4S_2]

Glad to hear everyone is getting ready and has a good plan. It's a mess here with the stores and gas stations being overloaded. Smaller town living ☺I am thinking at this point that no matter where you are in Florida it will probably be nasty out. We are pretty drenched right now from recent rain. I know we are as ready as we can be. If we cannot get all of the horses evacuated then we will not leave. We need to be there. We were not able to evacuate last year because it was a logistics nightmare to move so many horses off property and trying to find a safe location is tough. We are working on it but some horses may not load. We will evacuate the kids with our parents if it gets to that point. We will definitely move more inland from the house because of the risk of surge and intracoastal levels rising if it comes up the East coast.

 

[tyty333]

Good thinking Arcadian...I need to freeze some jugs of water for ice. I also need to get some gas for the car. I might head out later this evening
when hopefully things will have quieted down.

 

[AGBF]

Lots of lines for gas too. I have a hybrid so thankfully don't use a lot of gas and didn't really need any, but did fill up gas jugs. Its mostly for his car not mine.

I spoke to my great-nephew this morning for the first time since Harvey hit Texas. I have spoken of him on Pricescope before. He once lived in Cambridge, then moved to San Diego while his partner finished a fellowship in interventional cardiology, but has now moved to Dallas. He e-mailed me that they were fine before the storm hit, but that Dallas might be getting refugees. Today he said that there were fewer refugees than expected, but that false rumors of there being a general gas shortage in Texas made it impossible to buy gas for several days. He said that people in Texas drive huge cars and trucks (and of course drive long distances). When they heard there was a shortage, they kept topping off their tanks, and they filled up cans of gas and stored them in their trucks. So people used up the gasoline quickly and got into fights over gas. Eventually employers in the Dallas area (like his) told workers to work from home if they couldn't make it in. He had been riding a motorcycle in San Diego for the past few years and had just bought a car a week or so ago (a BMW, no less). He will have to get used to the Texas culture!

Fill up your cars early. I always do that before a bad snowstorm/blizzard in case the pumps don't work during one.

 

[iLander]

Spent the day putting up shutters. Did half, too old and too pooped to do more. Will have to do more tomorrow.
May be time to sell this place, if this happens again in a 5 years we will both be past our physical abilities to cope. We will probably have to start looking for somewhere on the mainland soon. sad
Lines at the pumps already. So tired.

 

[AGBF]

Spent the day putting up shutters. Did half, too old and too pooped to do more. Will have to do more tomorrow.
May be time to sell this place, if this happens again in a 5 years we will both be past our physical abilities to cope. We will probably have to start looking for somewhere on the mainland soon. sad
Lines at the pumps already. So tired.

No matter where you live, there will be something about the climate that makes getting older hard. Unless there is someone one can hire or someone young and strong in the family who will take care of the physical chores, one has to modify the environment or move. Or at least it appears that way to me; perhaps there is an ideal climate where one can live forever independently without help. I have to say that some of my Connecticut neighbors have done it into their mid nineties here with the most minimal help...perhaps accepting some help from itinerant shovelers when the snow got very deep. But often managing on their own or having neighbors stop by with snow blowers. I hope you can enjoy island life for as long as you wish!

Deb

 

[elle_71125]

Well, there are no more flights out of Orlando before Saturday. I've been reading the forecast like a crazy person. To anyone that lives in FL or the islands, I don't know how you do it. You are all amazing. I'm beyond nervous.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

There is another hurricane behind Irma, Jose.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/weathe...l-storm-hurricane-jose-forecast-atlantic.html

 

[Arcadian]

Spent the day putting up shutters. Did half, too old and too pooped to do more. Will have to do more tomorrow.
May be time to sell this place, if this happens again in a 5 years we will both be past our physical abilities to cope. We will probably have to start looking for somewhere on the mainland soon. sad
Lines at the pumps already. So tired.

When I bought this house I was totally stoked that it had impact glass windows and doors. The inspector what very impressed (guess its a good brand?) I felt it was just a requirement. Are you in the keys?

Once this is over (and assess that still have a roof!) I'll be looking at solar panels. In Mass, I had them and they covered 40% of the electric bill in the summer which was nothing to sneeze at! Down here I get all day sun on the roof so it could lower electric cost considerably, Plus, I'd have some additional power storage to charge my car. Down here I won't do big panels but something that pretty much is the actual roof. (not telsa tiles, too expensive) There's a company that has a process that they marry the roofing material (usually a metal) to the solar panel, and they're one piece Nothing ugly sticking up and nothing to void the roof from hurricane insurance!

@deb, I'm good, I've got over 480+ miles left in my tank. On a full tank + full charge I get about 530 miles. I don't charge every day, but I will do so before I either leave if staying do it before the storm hits. Plus I have an outlet in my car Yes I've cooked in there before (nothing major, just used a George foreman grill!)

His car on the other hand gets terrible gas mileage, but it also has much bigger engine (bigger everything! But he can't cook in it

 

[Arcadian]

Tolls have been suspended statewide in Florida. And for those who need to, you can get prescriptions refilled earlier than normal.

http://www.floridadisaster.org/index.asp

09/05/17 - Gov. Scott Directing the Suspension of all Tolls Across Florida
Governor Rick Scott directed the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to suspend tolls across the entire State of Florida in preparation for Hurricane Irma. By suspending all tolls, Floridians and visitors will more easily be able to prepare for any potential storm impacts, access important hurricane supplies, and quickly and safely evacuate when necessary.

Governor Scott said, “In preparation for the potential impacts of Hurricane Irma, I have directed the Florida Department of Transportation to suspend all tolls across the State of Florida to keep traffic flowing. They will be suspended for the duration of the storm’s impacts to Florida. Ensuring the safety of Florida families and visitors is our top priority and suspending tolls statewide will help people quickly evacuate and make it easier for all Floridians to access important hurricane supplies to ensure they are fully prepared. FDOT has been in constant contact with local districts and stands ready to provide traffic assistance alongside the Florida Highway Patrol and their law enforcement partners. We are continuing to closely monitor the developments of Hurricane Irma and will continue to take aggressive action to keep our state safe.”