Reddit has a great discussion on how Floridians are handling this. In other news, a Texas policeman has been arrested for faking his own death. You know if you wanted to disappear, this would be a great time.
If it’s this story, he “disappeared” in late April.
Yes. I am just saying we all know there will be a lot of confusion in Florida in a few days for a week or so. This would give a person time to prepare for his own disappearance.
Good luck to anyone in its path. As a Texan, I can say the effects of Harvey were absolutely brutal and I hope that Irma isn’t as bad, although I’ve read news saying it will be. Good luck regardless.
Since noon yesterday have been out in the field on inspection duty. Beyond the NE corner which got longer time in hurricane conditions, we seem to have come through well for this type of event. Some main transmission lines were affected and vegetation took out a bunch of distribution wire so we still have quite a lot of power outages. Main damages along the lines of crop losses, some landslides. Situation brought to light that some designated shelters were not really up to it and heads shoul roll over that.
My big concern now is my sister’s family in Jupiter, FL. She and her husband are care staff at the WPB VA Hospital and could not evac before today. Weighing rapidly diminishing options.
(Gainesville)
Just got the word at work that I can go home whenever I want, and I won’t be here Monday either. I still need gas in my car, but there are crazy lines at the few stations that are open.
We’ll be spending tomorrow picking up our yard and trying to close up our pole barn (15 chickens, 2 mini horses, 2 goats, and one donkey are going to be riding out the storm in there).
I’ll check in here when I get back to work next week. Love you guys, I hope you all stay safe and don’t lose anything you can’t afford to.
This morning’s 5am track guidance has shifted slightly west. To be sure that’s no guarantee of the final outcome. But it gives me an idea:
Assume the eye makes landfall at the bottom of the peninsula and runs up the middle. Instead of the really high winds tearing up either coast, they’re mostly going to be confined to the Everglades. The coasts may experience the equivalent of a Cat-1 while the center takes all the Cat-3/4 winds.
You know what that means, don’t you: Gatornado!!! and Snakenado!!! Coming soon to a suburb near you: millions of fugitive reptiles, some falling from the sky.
You heard it here first.
Good news this morning in that Irma is slated to be one category less across the board than what was originally predicted, which means she’ll be a 2 when she hits us, instead of a high 3/low 4. That’ll take the edge off a bunch.
Couldn’t find water anywhere so we loaded up on Gatorade, that is until we found the most unlikely of saviors: Chick-fil-a.
Went there for dinner yesterday and they were selling gallon jugs of water for 2 bucks! Ms. Cups and I bought 2 of them and a little cow that helps out a children’s hospital. We named the cow Irma.
Chick-fil-a! Who knew?
If you need water, fill up your existing bottles you have around the house with tap water. Do you have empty water bottles in recycling? Use those. Tupperware works as well. Zip lock bags can work too. You can fill pots, glasses, mixing bowls, etc with water. There’s lots of containers you have around the house that can hold water and it’ll cost less than a penny a gallon.
Didn’t a couple in Houston get rescued when they ordered take-out from Chik-Fil-A? Or was that Cracker Barrel?
As a business owner, I figure that if I were down in a devastated area, I’d be finding these people who are bringing cases of water in their pickups and trying to sell them for $40 each, and making them an offer for $15 each cash, for the whole load.
Then give it away for free or at regular cost. Good PR, people will remember your name for quite some time.
There was a story of a guy who ordered a sandwich and a boat, so the manager sent her husband over on a jet ski and picked him up.
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.
Faintest of silver linings: the courts are closed, so a hearing I really wasn’t looking forward to on Monday is now cancelled.
Glad you’re safe!
I’m nervous but cautiously optimistic that my family will come through the storm ok. My daughter is at University of Tampa but on the 3rd floor of a solid old building and her car is on the 3rd floor of the parking garage. The current track has minimal surge for her area and that Irma will be down to a Cat 2 by the time it reaches them. Classes of course are cancelled. I’ve given her advice about having water ready in any contained she has, she has extra food laid in and knows to keep the curtains shut and if it gets bad to be in the hallway near the stairs. She’ll have a bag packed to grab with her if they do need to evacuate. I’m not sure what else to tell her to do.
My in-laws are further south on the west coast, my FIL will do what he can to be ready and has at least kayaks and I believe a boat in the yard at least. They’ve been through hurricane and Nor-Easters plenty by this time and so far the surge is predicated to be minimal by them. Hopefully he has a safe place for the vehicles.
I’m not too concerned about it, but Ms. Cups definitely is.
Getting the water was more peace of mind than anything else. We’re in a pretty new apartment complex on the third floor. With the mandatory “get your shit off your patio” declaration and being high enough for water to not affect us, I’m not worried in the least
Staying in the Keys. Storm is slightly weaker. I will be on the weak side if path holds and I have a good safe place to be. My car may not fare so well. But that’s what insurance is for.
Good luck everyone!
Well as it seems to be tracking further and further west, looks like coastal Georgia is just going to get a really big tropical storm, and of course this may spawn tornadoes all over randomly.
For those of you in down in Florida, stay safe!
Gotta question. A friend of Mr. Rilch’s and mine is in Orlando, planning to get a flight out on Saturday afternoon. What are the odds of that flight taking off as scheduled?
This might help from the National Weather Service: Experimental Arrival Time of Tropical-Storm-Force Winds
From Twitter: “Following meetings with airline partners, MCO will cease commercial ops at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, 9/9/17”