Got the house battened down. The pantry is stocked. Flashlights Battery books to read when the power goes out. Boards are stored and secure. We are about 5 miles from the coastline. Sitting pretty high not worried about storm surge.
To all the others from Florida. Here’s hoping you and your loved ones come out of this OK. This is Big storm. Some of the Islands in the Caribbean had 95% of their buildings destroyed.
Keep us posted. Glad you are prepared…
Do you know how Greg Tate is doing? Keep your head down Greg. Mike
Hey Mike and Keith and the rest of y’all. Thanks for thinking of us.
It is looking ugly for us on the gulf but I think we will be safe. We went thru Hugo in Charleston a while back and have some idea of what to expect. I’m actually more afraid to get on the highway.
The worst for us will be tomorrow night. I hate that it will be dark when it hits.
All the best
When it passes I’ll try to let you all know how we managed.
Trying to stay upbeat. Dave Barry lives in Miami. If you ever have need a colonoscopy, you have to read his column on that. Funniest thing ever written.
All the best
http://www.miami.com/funny-stories/dave-barry-talks-hurricane-irma-171116/
7100 gas stations in Florida. Less than 200 have gas as of today.
Hope you guys fare well.
My elderly Parents home is in Sarasota. They were intending to shelter in place at 12’ above sea level a few hundrd yards from the intercoastal waterway. There is a shelter in walking distance of their house. Yesterday, The continual westward shifts in the models, and google maps showing that I-75 and I-4 northbound, were not ‘parkinglots’ and my practically yelling at my father, convinced them to get out and at least get to Orlando where my sister resides.
They are now glad they are not in SRQ. Orlando will certainly get its share, but should be outside the core of the eyewall.
The storm is just now pulling off the north coast of Cuba, the eyewall is quickly repairing itself from interaction from land, and the DOB ( daughter of a bitc#, Way worse than a Son) is reintensifying with a 115MPH starting point and an already huge wind field.
To all in harm’s way- stay safe. Our thoughts are with you.
Greg we are screwed. Models shoe a direct hit on Tamp bay. Noe worried about the surge but the winds . Our only hope is this swings wide and into the Gulf. Heading west.
Art, They keep saying the path shown would surely change, but it seems not to have changed except to put the eye right over us. I do not appreciate that.
We expect to lose power sometime tomorrow. And the storm will hit between 8 PM Sunday and 6 AM. I really hate that we will be blind during the event. Just adds to the drama and stress.
All the best
Blessings all in harms way…
Irma could folow Cuban coast past Havanna.
Looks like less than the hyped up news 2 me.
Still nasty, what is worse are Jose and Katia.
Stay safe
On the plus side we had great surf today. On the minus side I have a lot of family in the Tampa area.
My 12 year old cashing in earlier today.
We had some very fine gulf surf from Harvey last week. I felt guilty but could not stop enjoying it.
All the best
We live on the top floor of a crappily-built 5-story condo. I don’t trust the roof not to blow off. So we packed up all the important stuff and ditched the condo, preparing for worst case scenario. Holed up with some friends for the next couple days. Now it’s just the slow motion train wreck waiting game to see how bad it actually is. Maybe Bradenton will be spared again. Maybe this will be the big one that’s long overdue. Be safe all, and check in here please when it’s over.
Sunday 7:30 AM, waiting, waiting. Oh the waiting. The Florida Keys are getting smacked down Storm surge up in Miami. Right now light rain. The winds are off shore. Surf could be good now.
Yeah, the waiting. SloMo beat down coming. Looking at WindyTV and it seems that it will accelerate forward movement and pass by us faster that it has been traveling. Hoping.
Tampa is a ghost town. Many have left. The rest hunkering down and waiting like us. We were advised to stay put if our neighborhood was not in an evacuation zone. The roads were crazy anyway. I’m waiting until the last minute to board up my double front door. Hoping the rest of the windows hold. It will be a mess if any of them blow with rain and no power to see.
Noting that Irma could not be placed on a better track to seriously damage the coast. Anna Maria Island will be obliterated.
All in all I think we will be fine. And tho it does not seem so above, I am optimistic for my neighborhood.
But already in mourning for our coast and all the death and destruction in the Caribbean.
Art, sending you my cell number by PM. Talk after it passes.
All the best
And another thing… It’s Sunday morning, there’s a hurricane bearing down, and I’m getting spam cell phone calls to let me know that my car warranty has expired (it has not). Relentless.
Silver lining: Afterward, we’ll have a whole new coastline to explore for surf spots.
