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!
Hi! Tampa area temporary transplant here. Can you make any recommendations where one evacuates to that avoids riding the roller coaster?
The best tip I have is: If you are going to leave, leave days in advance. Do not wait until the day of/hours before the storm hits. If you wait, you will be stuck in traffic when the storm hits bc there are only so many roads in/out of FL if you aren't familiar with backroad routes. Also depending on the severity of the approaching storm some areas have been known to shut down roads/bridges beforehand.
Exactly this! I rode out Irma in my home in Sarasota. Every road was gridlocked heading North and every gas station was out of gas. People were stuck on the road and would have been better off staying home when they tried to flee at the last minute. Grocery stores also emptied out in hours.
Mom left last Monday to stay with my aunt in Sarasota for a couple weeks. My aunt is a seasoned vet and her son is high up in the fire department. I talked to her this am and she said they had to go to five gas stations yesterday before they found gas. They have plenty of supplies not only prepping for hurricanes but for the other coming storm. My cousin has put the storm shutters up on the house and they are not in one of the really dangerous zones. Today they are out on cousins boat. Gulf is choppy so staying inland.
We live in Holly Hill which is next to Daytona Beach, the only thing that concerns me is the Halifax river (intercoastal waterway) flooding due to heavy rains and or storm surge. We are only 2 blocks from the river and it's pretty low lying streets here prone to flooding. We rent half of a duplex and our landlord while being a good guy is Not the most attentive when it comes to Urgent issues. We have a shower, no tub to store water in should we lose power, planning on getting more water this weekend for flushing and for drinking water should it become necessary. All in all I'm not overly concerned about this or any other storms as we lived in Alaska for 7+years and have dealt with hurricane force winds for days at a time as well as rain for the entire month of September. No, what scares me is earthquakes and never-ending tremors as those you have no warning for. I should ask what about reptiles getting into your home to escape rising waters from flooding?
I’m fortunate to live in one of the highest spots in Sarasota. My property was also built up about 6 feet over all the neighbors. Flooding isn’t a big concern for me and I feel very blessed for that!
Wouldn't worry about it. Thet don't eat much.
As someone who grew up in Florida, u/2kool4LiBSkool literally has the best advice on this.
Also, if you own a home, make sure to board the windows from the inside of the house to prevent broken glass from coming in.
Get bottled water, candles, matches, radio, batteries, non-perishables, now.
Invite your friends over for prayer, and to stick together if something happens. Playing cards and an acoustic guitar can help pass the time.
Hang with a local church for more tips and help.
If you're a thrill seeker, the early days of the storm are the best for surfing, or just putting your rollerblades on and letting the heavy wind push you down the sidewalk. (I was a crazy kid)
Where is this done? The point of the boards isn't to keep the windows from breaking?
Do you live in a place that gets hurricanes? What if the window breaks and that glass goes into your home while the storm rages on?
Thanks for the tip. I did exactly that. Hopped in the car and drove to Georgia. Other Floridians were arriving to the hotel as I was grabbing my bags from the trunk.
Is leaving Tuesday too late?