# Hurricane Irma \[and Maria\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 4, 2017, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446 "2017-09-04T01:56:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/201 "2017-09-08T22:11:31Z")
Mr. Virgin dude [rode it out on](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/09/06/sir-richard-branson-is-riding-out-hurricane-irma-in-the-wine-cellar-on-his-private-island/) Necker, his private island. He had a sleepover with his people in the fortified wine bunker. That is, the fortified bunker full of wine, not the bunker full of fortified wine. He is calling for help/aid – not for himself and his own devasted island but for all the people in other places that need/will need it. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/202 "2017-09-08T22:21:03Z")
Just checking in. I’m basically done with everything but last minute prep. Tomorrow, I run the dish washer, turn off power to the hot tub, and fill my water containers. I’m cautiously optimistic. The last few forecast cones have shifted west, which is further away from me. If the forecast is _perfect_, I might not even have sustained hurricane force winds. But I’m prepared for Irma to be on the eastern part of the cone, and take a bad hit. Once…if…we know for sure…I’ll celebrate. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/203 "2017-09-08T22:26:07Z")
> [@whitetho](#): > > At work I knew both a Sandy, who understandably didn’t seem affected that a major storm by chance shared her name, and a Haiyan, who I was surprised seemed to be a little embarrassed when I mentioned the typhoon that hit the Philippines in 2013. The wives of two of my friends from the New York area are named Irene and Sandy. My friends got t-shirts that said “I survived Irene” and “I survived Sandy” and wore them to a party.😃 ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/204 "2017-09-08T22:35:56Z")
From the size of the storm, I don’t think it matters \*where \*in Florida you are, with the possible exception of Pensacola. It’s gonna be bad. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/205 "2017-09-08T22:47:44Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > From the size of the storm, I don’t think it matters \*where \*in Florida you are, with the possible exception of Pensacola. It’s gonna be bad. True..but there is a big range of bad in play here. I’m confident that my house will be ok in 10 hours of 50mph winds. 10 hours of 130mph winds is a a much tougher call. That’s the difference between the storm coming up the west side of the state and coming up the east side of the state, for me. It’ll also make an order of magnitude difference in how much of the county loses power, and how quickly we can get gas back to all the empty gas stations. ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/206 "2017-09-08T23:01:42Z")
DA, it’s probably a good idea to turn off the breaker on your water heater at the last minute. If you lose water service before power, you risk burning up the heating element in a traditional tank-style water heater. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2017, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/207 "2017-09-09T00:32:11Z")
My daughter & in-laws are safely heading north out of Tampa and highway 75 is apparently moving nicely. I think they plan to stop tonight when they hit I10. ---
**Author:** ![jkirkman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac8455/32.png) [@jkirkman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jkirkman)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2017, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/208 "2017-09-09T00:37:00Z")
> [@Flander](#): > > BTW, is the storm scheduled to hit Florida on 9/11? Geez. My kids’ birthday! They had a pretty somber one once, but then, on subsequent ones, it was like a mini-holiday and everyone flew flags for them. They liked that part. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2017, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/209 "2017-09-09T00:41:18Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > TBQH, if I had a jetski, I’d be running around saving people all day down there. It actually sounds like it would be fun to be able to drive your boats through the streets of your neighborhood, and the fact that you are saving lives is an extra bonus. I take it that you’ve never experienced flood waters. The stench is breathtaking. Also, rafts of fire ants, giant swimming lizards, etc., etc. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2017, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/210 "2017-09-09T02:24:33Z")
^ Plus, you’re never really sure how deep the water is or what’s being obscured underneath. We watch “Vet Ranch (channel)” on YouTube and “The Vet” and some friends went down to Houston with Jet-skis and ripped holy hell out of the bottoms. And almost ejected a cop off the back of one when they hit a submerged barrier. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2017, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/211 "2017-09-09T03:33:37Z")
The forecast has been drifting steadily west. The 11pm update has me out of the cone, amazingly. I’ll sleep better tonight. Hopefully I won’t be disappointed when I get up in the morning…but I’m not going to let my guard down until this is done. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2017, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/212 "2017-09-09T04:44:34Z")
It sure looks like Irma is going to wallop the Bahamas. I’ve been wondering about the possibility that the storm’s westward momentum keeps it going right thru and over Florida and then turns north… towards Houston. Or New Orleans. At first it looked like the Gulf current was gonna catch it and turn it north but now it looks like the westward momentum is pushing hard. I have family in central Florida (Orlando & Melbourne areas) that plan on riding it out; even my aunt who lives just a few blocks from the beach (on the 2nd floor). ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2017, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/213 "2017-09-09T06:04:33Z")
Well, BIL got out of Haiti and back to Jacksonville. He and my sister decided to stay put. I talked with my mom’s 99 year old cousin Bertha who is in an assisted living place in Jensen Beach. They’re also staying put. I worry about her but she doesn’t sound too concerned. And I can’t get the Key deer out of my mind. The path of Irma looks bad for them. Stay safe all. ---
**Author:** ![arles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71c47a/32.png) [@arles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arles)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2017, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/214 "2017-09-09T06:52:14Z")
> [@Lacunae\_Matata](#): > > And my 5-year-old: “I bet Aunt Irma (my father’s sister) is happy that they named the ‘hermicane’ after her. She’ll be famous!” Any relation to the cute Spokane couple - Harvey and Irma? [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/us/harvey-irma-couple.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/us/harvey-irma-couple.html) ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2017, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/215 "2017-09-09T07:22:05Z")
> [@arles](#): > > Any relation to the cute Spokane couple - Harvey and Irma? > > [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/us/harvey-irma-couple.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/us/harvey-irma-couple.html) No, my Aunt Irma isn’t that cute! (But she has her moments. Apparently, she believed in Santa until she was about 12, and also some bs story about babies being found in the cabbage patch even later. Even though she grew up on a farm. I suspect that my father and older aunt just humored her, to see how far her credulity would stretch. She’s weird, and hilarious, and sort of adorable.) Meanwhile back at the hotel\*, the neighbors are trying to figure out how to park their semi-truck and trailer rig. (Usually, they drop the trailer in Savannah during their week off. But they can’t this week.) So I’m taking down a fence post in the morning, to give them room to maneuver. If the post is out of the way, they’ll have about 1.5 acres to get the rig in and out, because I don’t especially care whether my grass gets tire tracks. (I have a pretty lawn, but I never seeded or sodded. It developed itself, within a few months of having the lot cleared of scrub growth. A few tire marks aren’t likely to be visible for very long. And I really don’t care very much anyway, as long as Charles doesn’t run over the septic tank.) \*One virtual nickel to everyone who gets the reference. ---
**Author:** ![Grumbacher\_Red](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@Grumbacher\_Red](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumbacher_Red)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2017, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/216 "2017-09-09T14:56:37Z")
I am totally out of the cone now, yet we are still under mandatory evacuation. None of my neighbors are leaving. Who knows where this thing is going to end up. Like Snowboarder Bo, I wouldn’t be surprised if it has so much westward momentum it barrels right out into the gulf. Irma is seriously screwing with us. If it misses Florida totally, nobody will budge for the next storm. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2017, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/217 "2017-09-09T15:41:05Z")
> [@Grumbacher\_Red](#): > > If it misses Florida totally, nobody will budge for the next storm. I’m kinda-sorta halfway in this camp. The buildup to Matthew was pretty big over here, we got off work, stocked up on supplies and Ms. Cups panicked…and we got absolutely nothing. Now we have even more of a buildup, even more days off work and way, way more panic. I recognize this is an asshole thing to say, but we better get SOMETHING semi-significant because if we have this buildup for nothing again I’ll be beyond pissed ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2017, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/218 "2017-09-09T15:50:25Z")
Aren’t there any fines for ignoring mandatory evacuations? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/219 "2017-09-09T15:51:29Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Now we have even more of a buildup, even more days off work and way, way more panic. I recognize this is an asshole thing to say, but we better get SOMETHING semi-significant because if we have this buildup for nothing again I’ll be beyond pissed Oh, good. It’s not just me. **Digital** , thanks for the reminder about the power to the hot tub. We’re hoping to get in it one last time tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2017, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/220 "2017-09-09T15:55:53Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Oh, good. It’s not just me. **Digital** , thanks for the reminder about the power to the hot tub. We’re hoping to get in it one last time tonight. Oh Thank God it’s not just me either/ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446.md?page=12)