Yes, this is a Q Win. But we are family and now a lot of Florida pedes are facing a potentially dangerous storm. Some are new Floridians and have no idea of how evacuations work here or may need other help from us experienced Floridians.
So I thought we could do a check-in post here and we can move to another Win to support each other, if needed. I lost my old home at Weather Underground when they got bought by Weather Channel so it would be nice to have a bunch of y’all to chat with.
Right now, TropicalTidbits.com is the best online site outside of the National Hurricane Center. Levi has been hurricane forecasting for many years and is excellent. You can see the Euro and GFS models there also.
So if you are a Floridian and are facing the roller coaster of the next five days, go ahead and say hi!
Look up Hillsborough County emergency evacuations. It will show you the routes and the buildings that are shelters if you are in an evac zone.
A lot of people evacuate to Orlando area hotels. But with Charley, they got hit hard. This storm has a similar track forecast right now. Tampa is somewhere you want to leave early if it looks like a possibility as they haven’t had to evacuate that many people from there ever. Keep a full tank of gas and get some cans to use if you wait as the roads will gridlock and there may not be gas along the way.
If you think you will evacuate, just go early and avoid the chaos. For this storm, Miami and southeast coast look safe. Maybe head there, to Ft Lauderdale and make it a vacation?
Yes I lived in St. Pete/Clearwater area for about 7 years. Such a beautiful place I would hate for it to be destroyed :( they have been very lucky so far not being directly hit. If (when) a storm goes on the north side of the bay it would be devastating to get even an 8 foot storm surge, it would be even higher getting condensed in the bay. I’m watching carefully even though I now live a few thousand miles away.
I have a car with a haute window waiting for replacement. I’m thinking of just driving to Georgia and riding this out?
All I have there is a garbage bag. Covering the window. I cannot withstand any rain or wind at all.