# 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:** 3
**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 5, 2017, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/41 "2017-09-05T17:25:33Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > And where are “our stores?” 🙂 > > FYI - I was in a local’s restaurant in Ft. Peirce FL this AM. Lots of old timer’s poo-poo-ing reacting before about Sunday. So far zero reaction from the locals that we can see. Orlando is where home is, I work up in Lake Mary (45 min or so East of Orlando) and they’re out of water out here too ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/42 "2017-09-05T17:50:04Z")
> [@Buttercup\_Smith](#): > > Still at work. The RV Park here at work has been notified to evacuate tomorrow morning. We employees have not been told to go yet. My two employees who are both military spouses-One Army and one Coast Guard have been told to go. I think Navy is waiting lest they send us into the storm. Cat 5. Winds 180 with gusts to 220. That is just crazy talk. > > I stopped by the vet and got some tranquilizers for the cat this morning. Need some for myself. at what point is it too late to go? stay safe, everybody ☹ ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/43 "2017-09-05T17:51:55Z")
Thanks. I’m now in Vero Beach & locals are telling me of friends or family going to the local stores & finding the bottled wayer gone within a couple hours of opening. Etc. On the heels of Harvey this will be the first hurricane to be fully amplified by social media. I predict insane amounted of panic hoarding before the wind kicks up. Whoever/ Wherever does get hammered is also gonna deal with the same amplification. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/44 "2017-09-05T17:54:39Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > And where are “our stores?” 🙂 The location in his profile says Orlando. Your point is well taken. Location info is helpful in threads like these. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/45 "2017-09-05T17:58:05Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > It’s a Cat 5 [now](http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT1+shtml/051446.shtml) and the strongest Atlantic basin hurricane on record. > > Keys will be hit, but which coast of FL will get bashed is uncertain. It might lose some strength brushing against Cuba, etc. Well, nobody could have expected that hurricanes would get more frequent or stronger. I mean, there was no real need to prepare for this, right? Oh wait. > **[Hurricanes Likely to Get Stronger & More Frequent: Study | Climate Central](https://www.climatecentral.org/news/study-projects-more-frequent-and-stronger-hurricanes-worldwide-16204)** > > Contrary to other research, a study finds that hurricanes may become stronger & more common as the world warms. ---
**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 5, 2017, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/46 "2017-09-05T18:27:19Z")
Why this big emphasis on bottled water? All you have to do is fill up containers with your usual tap water now. To see lots of discussion on Irma you can follow a site like Weather Underground, where each major article is followed by thousands of comments, for example: > **[Category 5 Irma the 5th Strongest Atlantic Hurricane on Record](https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/category-5-irma-5th-strongest-atlantic-hurricane-record)** > > Hurricane Irma intensified into an extremely dangerous high-end Category 5 storm with 180 mph winds on Tuesday morning, putting it among the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record. If you are thinking of evacuating you need to do before any official evacuations are announced as the roads will quickly clog up and you won’t be able to move. ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/47 "2017-09-05T18:31:51Z")
We were just ordered to evacuate to Atlanta. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/48 "2017-09-05T18:33:43Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > The location in his profile says Orlando. Your point is well taken. Location info is helpful in threads like these. I learned something new just now. Sir T-Cups is a “Guest”. So there is no location shown over on the right of his post on a thread page. I had thought that Guests couldn’t set those fields in their profile, so there was nothing to show, so that’s why VBulletin didn’t bother displaying “Location:\”. So I didn’t check his profile since I believed it’d be blank there too. Wrong. Free Guests can have locations. But paying members can’t see it unless they look in the Guest’s profile. Sometimes VBulletin’s design choices really grind my gears. Nice to know. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/49 "2017-09-05T18:38:06Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Why this big emphasis on bottled water? All you have to do is fill up containers with your usual tap water now. … A) it’s portable. B) Most of us don’t already own and store 10 to 20 gallons-worth of sealable empty containers per household member. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/50 "2017-09-05T18:39:25Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I learned something new just now. > > Sir T-Cups is a “Guest”. So there is no location shown over on the right of his post on a thread page. I had thought that Guests couldn’t set those fields in their profile, so there was nothing to show, so that’s why VBulletin didn’t bother displaying “Location:\”. So I didn’t check his profile since I believed it’d be blank there too. > > Wrong. Free Guests can have locations. But paying members can’t see it unless they look in the Guest’s profile. Sometimes VBulletin’s design choices really grind my gears. > > Nice to know. I’m glad that my post was helpful despite having been posted a half hour after Sir T-Cups answered the question you asked him. :o ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/51 "2017-09-05T18:50:21Z")
Fill your fridge and freezer with bottles of water. Make sure the ones in the freezer can expand a little. This will help keep your food cold and give you a source of drinking water. 3-liter soda bottles work great for this. But I agree that using tap water is fine. The stores being out of water shouldn’t be a disaster. One alternative to bottles is to fill gallon zip lock bags partially with water and set them vertically in a big bowl or something so they don’t fall over and spill. You can fill your fridge and freezer with these. Fill your tub with water so you can flush your toilets if water is turned off. You fill the back tank with water from the tub so you can flush. Get an extra propane tank for the BBQ so you can cook afterwards if power is off. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/52 "2017-09-05T19:28:22Z")
> [@Buttercup\_Smith](#): > > Still at work. The RV Park here at work has been notified to evacuate tomorrow morning. We employees have not been told to go yet. My two employees who are both military spouses-One Army and one Coast Guard have been told to go. I think Navy is waiting lest they send us into the storm. Cat 5. Winds 180 with gusts to 220. That is just crazy talk. > > I stopped by the vet and got some tranquilizers for the cat this morning. Need some for myself. Having grown up on the Gulf Coast the scariest thing to me is the number of people who won’t leave because they managed to ride out past hurricanes. They’ve seen too many dire warnings in previous years that resulted in little damage. The problem of course is that a Cat 5 with 180mph winds is unlike anything they have seen before. And this thing is likely to just get stronger before it hits land. Most homes begin to lose their roofs around 140mph. Plus if Irma stalls out over land and starts dumping water like Harvey did then all bets are off at extent of damage and population displacement that could occur. If it were me I’d be heading north already. ---
**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 5, 2017, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/53 "2017-09-05T19:36:22Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > I’m glad that my post was helpful despite having been posted a half hour after Sir T-Cups answered the question you asked him. :o I’m just glad people are talking about me! I’m popular! ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/54 "2017-09-05T19:53:04Z")
Scratch that. I was ordered not to open my office tomorrow but to report to do final preps. My employees do not have to report tomorrow. The joys of management. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/55 "2017-09-05T19:56:43Z")
> [@Buttercup\_Smith](#): > > Scratch that. I was ordered not to open my office tomorrow but to report to do final preps. My employees do not have to report tomorrow. The joys of management. so, they will all go to Atlanta (how long a drive is that?!) while you stay behind? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/56 "2017-09-05T20:08:03Z")
> [@JackieLikesVariety](#): > > at what point is it too late to go? > > stay safe, everybody ☹ I guess tropical storm winds start on Friday evening with the “eye” passing on Sunday if it were to come straight here. My understanding is tropical storm force winds extend out some 140 miles. ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/57 "2017-09-05T20:09:22Z")
> [@JackieLikesVariety](#): > > so, they will all go to Atlanta (how long a drive is that?!) while you stay behind? :dubious: Atlanta is 840 miles so about 16 hours. We were told to not try to do it in one day. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/58 "2017-09-05T20:13:54Z")
Cayman went through a Cat 4/5 during the 2004 season. The official wind gauge ripped off an blew away so officially Hurricane Ivan was a Cat 4 here, though other wind gauges did record substantially higher temperatures. The National Hurricane Center does not use the word “catastrophic” casually. Irma will bring catastrophic damage. Cayman saw every single leaf blown off every bush or tree. A broken telephone pole went airborne and impaled itself into the side of a concrete block building. An entire condo complex washed off its foundation and landed across the road. [Pictures](https://www.google.com/search?q=Cayman+Hurricane+Ivan&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi1w-WW7Y7WAhWDLyYKHdY7BQsQ_AUICigB&biw=1021&bih=604#imgrc=_) abound of boats washed ashore and landing on top of cars. The 9-1-1 center had to evacuate to a more secure facility. Don’t think you can ride this one out because you’ve been through a hurricane before. A Cat 5 is to a Cat 2 much like a tornado is to a breezy summer day. Totally different things. Just leave. Evacuate. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/59 "2017-09-05T20:34:50Z")
> [@Buttercup\_Smith](#): > > Atlanta is 840 miles so about 16 hours. We were told to not try to do it in one day. Is there funding assistance available? How does that work? Sent from my XT1635-02 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446/60 "2017-09-05T20:40:22Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Free Guests can have locations. But paying members can’t see it unless they look in the Guest’s profile. Sometimes VBulletin’s design choices really grind my gears. Is it a VBulletin limitation, or a SDMB design choice? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irma-and-maria/795446.md?page=4)