Taking Irma seriously

rockhillmanor wrote:
I will not be evacuating. I am staying. North central Florida.

I'll get back to you'all afterwards how everything went.....or maybe not! :B

Same here, North Central FL and staying put. I'm not going to downplay the size and significance of the storm, but I'm also not going to over-react based on what The Weather Channel (and most other media outlets) is saying. This is a sensational news coverage event, and most of the news media is trying to capitalize on it. Winds in our area are only expected to reach "tropical storm" force speeds/gusts. The storm should weaken and will continue to do so as it encounters land masses. We simply can't ignore what we know about such storm systems all because the media wants us to be in more of a freak-out mode.

We're going to move our boat and 5er away from tree prone areas, but into a protected area between our shop and house. Hopefully the storm moves further off the peninsula, as is currently projected. I75 is a parking lot right now in our area, and even the local rural roads are getting more traffic. Gas rationing is already occurring (not per person, but stations are selectively providing fuel based on the time of day).

Water, food, gas, generator...check. If the storm intensifies, changes, or in some way becomes more of a threat, we can navigate local back roads to get out of the area fairly quickly. May even leave the 5er hooked to the truck just in case.

CavemanCharlie wrote:

It's not just the wind it's the rain. And lets one forget Florida is not far above sea level.

My area of FL ranges from about 150' to 170' above sea level. We'll get some standing water and maybe some road wash-outs, but flooding where I live is incredibly unlikely. Now, that's just where I'm at. Move about 5 miles to the north, 30 miles to west, 50 miles to the east, and those folks might have flooding problems. I think people generally see all of FL as a tropical beach-front community, but in reality, its a state of very diverse geological features.

Again, I won't downplay anything here. The threat is real, the potential for massive damage is extremely high, and everyone who lives east of the panhandle must be prepared. And let's not forgot our coastal GA/SC/NC friends. Some of those folks might get it worse than we do.

hone eagle wrote:

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I agree with the OP.

After the hurricane in Houston someone posted "Why didn't people move there RV's ?" . Well now you have no excuse. This time you saw it on RV.Net. Move your RV out and get it over with.

It's not just the wind it's the rain. And lets one forget Florida is not far above sea level.

I recall reading on why Huston was not ordered evac ed, the line of cars with 3 people per would be 1400 miles long .
The speed would quickly go from feet per hour to inches per hour as gas tanks run dry at a ever increasing rate.
The katrina evacuation had over 60 people die just on the roads out , someone calculated staying put was generally safer-I know small comfort if you are the one drowning- but they deal in large numbers and averages.
Everbody has to make there own choice with as much information as possible.

Texas has 3 direction to flee, Florida only has one direction. Big difference.

Acdii wrote:
Current models show it will skirt Florida and head up the east coast. Looks like, if the models are correct, that the eye will stay off land.

If, I thought, they said. all the words heard from someone who tried to stay behind.

Just heard from a friend heading north, they stopped for fuel in Gainesville and luckily they have a diesel truck because the stations were all out of gas today (Thursday at 6:30 a.m.). Obviously, they are probably working to get more gas at the stations.

On another forum someone asked "ok we'er , out now where do we go " millions can't be suddenly housed and fed ,medically cared for with out years of prep.

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I agree with the OP.

After the hurricane in Houston someone posted "Why didn't people move there RV's ?" . Well now you have no excuse. This time you saw it on RV.Net. Move your RV out and get it over with.

It's not just the wind it's the rain. And lets one forget Florida is not far above sea level.

I recall reading on why Huston was not ordered evac ed, the line of cars with 3 people per would be 1400 miles long .
The speed would quickly go from feet per hour to inches per hour as gas tanks run dry at a ever increasing rate.
The katrina evacuation had over 60 people die just on the roads out , someone calculated staying put was generally safer-I know small comfort if you are the one drowning- but they deal in large numbers and averages.
Everbody has to make there own choice with as much information as possible.

Current models show it will skirt Florida and head up the east coast. Looks like, if the models are correct, that the eye will stay off land.

A direct hit on Miami and all the RV's will be gone too....along with a lot of buildings, cars, boats and probably people too.

The Governor of Antigua-Barbuda told the press that 90% of the structures on Barbuda are gone. Barbuda took a direct hit with the eye of Irma passing directly onto the island.

I certainly hope everyone withstands this storm in good health. While AZ may get hot in the summer I am glad to live here now.
RichH