…right hook, I mean. It would be swell if it hooked VERY sharply left but atmospheric physics make that unlikely.
Hi neighbor!
As is often the case it seems like PR will be our deflector shield again. We’re bracing for some southeastern wind and rain round here. Crossing fingers we do not see the kind of flodding that we say a few months ago and that fucked up the north side.
Good luck. I hope you’ve stacked on the essentials (rum, dominoes and ingredients for asopao).
Looking like the VI and other northern Windwards are in for a direct hit tomorrow might into Wednesday morning. PR might have the eye stay slightly off shore. Looks like a trajectory that will cause a lot of mayhem in many islands.
Oh great, just my luck. 
I have to be at work, hurricane or none.
Oh yea, its a company policy, we run 24/7 regardless of anything.
Unless something changes drastically I foresee an evacuation order no later than Wed. I am not at all happy or prepared. We joke about needing time off or a free vacation but I will gladly go to work everyday. This is almost worst case. You folks in PR and the other islands please inform as you are able and stay safe.
Our spot in the Keys is at least connected to the mainland. For now anyway.
I live inear Orlando, work on the Atlantic coast, ready either to go home early or have my wife and dog come to the coast. Not much we can do but watch and wait for a couple of days.
+1, from the coast of SC
My son is in Yeshiva in Boca Raton, and they’re preparing for the worst. But I remember they did that last year as well for Matthew and barely got a breeze.
Our stores are already completely out of water. People here are freaking out more than Matthew’s visit to Florida last year, and it’s still a week away!
Regardless, I’m not too terribly concerned about it and figure if it does make it up here, it’ll be weak enough that it won’t mess things up too bad.
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.
We bought a house a bit south of Miami proper back in February. Good news is that we put a brand-new, up-to-code roof on it. Bad news is that we’ve had so much stuff going on that I never got out the storm panels to sort them out and see what goes where.
Worse news - I’m in India right now, so my wife is dealing with all this solo. I was able to get in touch with a handyman who has done a lot of work for us, and he’s going to help get the place buttoned up. Previous owners put shutters or panels over most windows, but all the protection for the second story is accordion-fold shutter, meaning a walk on a tile roof or later by ladders. :-/
I’m also holding on to the fact that the house apparently survived Andrew in pretty good fettle. I know that every storm is different, but I take that as a good sign.
It’s funny - obviously the ideal is that the storm does little to know damage, but a tiny part of me wonders if the next-best option isn’t complete destruction of the place. We have as good an insurance policy as possible, plus flood insurance, our debt-to-equity ratio on the place is pretty good, we’ve got good cash reserves, and no children or complicating factors. Could almost be freeing to just walk away and start over. It’s the idea of trying to find contractors to do significant repairs at the same time everyone else is that seems the most daunting.
Ultimately, as long as my wife gets out and hunkers down somewhere safe that’s all I really care about. A bit stress-inducing being on the other side of the globe while this is going on, though.
A bit of silliness to distract from the impending storm:
In 2004, my daughter and her BFF/roomie were in Orlando for college, and there were several hurricanes/tropical storms that hit the area that year. Her roomie, for whatever reason, decided that among their hurricane supplies, they needed creamed corn. And she claims once they got power back, it was quite tasty. But it cracks me up to this day - of all the things one makes sure is on hand… naturally, we messaged her yesterday about creamed corn. 
Just another instance of “We’ve got to stock up before the hoarders get here.”
The Florida Keys have started the mandatory evacuation:
It’s a Cat 5 now 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.
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.
Ladies and gentlemen, the captain has turned on the seat belt sign:
[QUOTE=NOAA]
The aircraft have not sampled the northeastern eyewall where the strongest winds were measured shortly before 1200 UTC this morning, but the Air Force plane will be entering the eye in that quadrant momentarily. A peak SFMR wind of 154 kt was reported, with a few others of 149-150 kt. Based on these data the initial intensity is set at 155 kt for this advisory. This makes Irma the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic
basin outside of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico in the NHC records.
[/QUOTE]
My sister has a place on Vieques (used by renters) and is very worried (though it is in the middle of the island and not on the shore)
Brian
I called into work and let my boss know I’m available to work from home tonight and tomorrow morning.
We’re still going to Cocoa on Wednesday and plan to return on Fri. I’d rather not stay too late and get stuck in the hurricane traffic.