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Hurricane Irma


Sable

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Jeremy, (and anyone else coming north), like you said, try to stay off I-75. Especially North of Macon. For now, Hwy 19 looks okay, that runs North from Americus. The Atlanta Motor speedway has opened for camping, and is off Hwy 19/41. We live about 2 miles from the interstate, and the racetrack is actually in my county (the 2 exits south of me run right into it), so we will be staying away from those areas. 75 north in my area is a parking lot during spring break traffic, so this terrifies me.

HOWEVER, I just read that our new express lanes through my county (2 reversible lanes) will be North only until further notice, and the toll is a flat $.50, with discussions under way to remove it, or to open it up to non-pass holders. Note that the lanes accept Peach Passes and Sun Passes. So that makes me feel better, and hope it might help some of you coming this way.

http://www.peachpass.com/latest-news-and-information/

Be sure to wave, or stop by when you pass by! And please everyone stay safe. The current projection has it coming fairly close to us as well, which is crazy.

Sigh. I just learned that my step -sister has decided not to evacuate. She lives just a few miles from Jacksonville Beach.

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I'd diddybop over to US441 and ride that up to I-10 and work you way to TN from there.  I've suggested my son in Atlanta evacuate his family to us, but we've been in this house more than six years waiting for him to visit...

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How in the world do they evacuate people who have no cars or people who are homeless? Maybe people have more cars in Florida than they do in Seattle. There's a ton of people who don't own a car in Seattle because it's so easy to get public transportation everywhere.

I am really worried about this storm - I have a horrible feeling it's going to be a super bad one.

By the way, did any of you guys in the PNW look at the sun yesterday at about 6pm? It looked just like a full moon, only dark orange. I still can't tell if what we have is smoke or just overcast. The last time we had smoke, I couldn't see the trees in the distance on account of the haze. Right now though, it just looks overcast. But creepy overcast.

EDIT: Just as I finished typing, the napkins fell out from behind the curtain I use as a linen closet - gave me a scare!

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Kelly, I think that's it, there's probably more people with cars. (I'm in Ga, not Fl, but it's about the same.) I've never known anyone that didn't have a car, and I'm 45 years old. All 3 of my kids have cars (18-25). There's public transportation in the city. But it's just been in the last 5-10 years that it came this far down, 25 miles south. And to get around our town... You gotta have a car. I remember my sister had a friend in Seattle about 15 years ago, that didn't have her license, and I remember thinking how bizarre that was.

 

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How in the world do they evacuate people who have no cars or people who are homeless? Maybe people have more cars in Florida than they do in Seattle. There's a ton of people who don't own a car in Seattle because it's so easy to get public transportation everywhere.

 

They can't.  Our transit systems are only local and they're a joke at best.  in Gainesville, "RTS" is often referred to as the "Random Transit System".  It doesn't run late or early, on weekends or holidays and the routes change every semester, so the few people who's schedules are compatible with it, never get accustomed to the routes.  Our governor who loves popping up at grand openings for McDonalds, Walmart, grocery stores (anyplace that pays dead-end, mcwage jobs) to promote "his job growth" is quick to tell people to evacuate despite their inability to do so.  They're in the same situation the victims of Katrina were in back in '05.  No car and no disposable income = no evacuation.  In 1995 (96?) when a storm hit Tampa, I was in the same predicament.  The police came knocking at my door telling me to evacuate.  The only problem was, my nearest relatives were 140 miles away and all I owned was a bicycle.  I just rode that one out in my tiny apartment.

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As of right now the eye is projected to go through Orlando. This will be interesting since the codes there have never been my favorite.    "Hurricanes don't hit Orlando" is what so many builders would tell me when I was in the industry.

I just noticed too that it could still be a cat 1 as it passes just east of Atlanta. I wouldn't want to be camping in that.    

The good news is that I moved all of my dollhouse tools and workbench so we can get two cars in the garage now. We have a hurricane garage door and the strong winds won't be coming from that direction so the cars should be safe. My insurance company should be proud of me. My son's cars will be parked in front of the house as the north eyewall passes (strong winds will be from the east) and then while we are in the calm of the eye, we will move them to the other side of the house so that when the southern eyewall hits they will be protected from the westerly winds.  In Theory! 

I still have the Ft Meyers option but that isn't looking so ideal now. I called the hotel today and they said "treat us like a shelter. All of the area restaurants are closed so you need to bring your own food, water, flashlights, etc.".   

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Sable, I had the same thought about camping in the storm. The racetrack is SW of Atlanta, and a little ways away from the "line", but yeah, we will get pretty hammered here. When they announced those plans yesterday, the path was a little more easterly I believe, and seemed like a better plan I bet! I only remember one other time a hurricane making it to Atlanta, I think that was Opal. The air smelled like ocean.

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Oh my goodness, that is awful, if you have no money and no car you are not able to get out. I  thought I heard or read something just an hour or so ago that said "we will get you out" but I can't remember where I saw it. I cook for the homeless here and will be looking at them in a whole new light after this, they wouldnt stand a chance.

Sable you running out and switching the cars around is doing my head in I guess you know what you are doing but it sounds pretty scary to me. How long is the calmer eye safe before I it starts again

I can maybe understand the idea of not going to the hotel though if you have to cart all that stuff over there maybe home is best and I am sure you will know how to protect yourselves . You seem to know a lot about building regs and that is good.

 I wish it was next week right now it is all so frightening and I am tucked up safe here and feel so useless,

Sparky how close are you to all of this, come to think of it how many of out dollhouse family are in that area.

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My In-laws live is the sleeper suburbs of Orlando so I'm not to happy to hear the eye will be going over them. We spoke to my MIL today and they were moving the camper into the garage and leaving the cars outside. We thought they should try to protect the cars not the camper because they are worth more (the camper is 17 years old) but it's more about it becoming a projectile into other peoples property than protecting it apparently. Scary stuff. At least they live in a lowset brick house so hopefully it will withstand the winds. Hearing that the codes aren't that good in Orlando doesn't make me feel great about it though.. Pretty sure their house was built in the early 80s so not sure if that makes a difference good or bad... They also have trees.. I told my husband the trees scare me because they could easily end up in or on their house... They also have an electrical business they have to batten down as well.. so my FIL is over there while my MIL is doing the house. My SIL is in Tampa but her house is newer so hopefully more sturdy.. I haven't heard much about what kind of effect they will have over there so if anyone knows.. please post. We feel so helpless over here in Australia unable to help.

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Jeannine, I know your concern is appreciated by those in the direct path. :)

I am over 200 miles inland, in Atlanta, Ga, so we usually are very safe from tropical weather. This one is a little different, as it's projected to go straight up.  We are in the "cone", so are keeping an eye on things, but probably all we'll get is some severe weather and traffic. Curiously, though, our local stores are limiting water purchases. We are already a little short because there was a lot of Houston donations coming from here. I think we are good on supplies and stuff for what is expected here though.

We have 2 or 3 members I can think of in Fl, Holly is across the state line in Al. Me and Peggy are the only ones I know of from Ga (Kathie is joining me here soon!), and we used to have a couple in SC, but I'm not sure they are active anymore, maybe Gail pops in from time to time.

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15 minutes ago, Samusa said:

My In-laws live is the sleeper suburbs of Orlando so I'm not to happy to hear the eye will be going over them. We spoke to my MIL today and they were moving the camper into the garage and leaving the cars outside. We thought they should try to protect the cars not the camper because they are worth more (the camper is 17 years old) but it's more about it becoming a projectile into other peoples property than protecting it apparently. Scary stuff. At least they live in a lowset brick house so hopefully it will withstand the winds. Hearing that the codes aren't that good in Orlando doesn't make me feel great about it though.. Pretty sure their house was built in the early 80s so not sure if that makes a difference good or bad... They also have trees.. I told my husband the trees scare me because they could easily end up in or on their house... They also have an electrical business they have to batten down as well.. so my FIL is over there while my MIL is doing the house. My SIL is in Tampa but her house is newer so hopefully more sturdy.. I haven't heard much about what kind of effect they will have over there so if anyone knows.. please post. We feel so helpless over here in Australia unable to help.

Tampa should be ok. The worst part of the storm is on the north and east sides of the eye. Tampa is west. They might get tropical force winds at 45 to 60 mph. Nothing catastrophic. Unless it moves more westerly.

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Thanks Sable.. Oddly my SIL's husband is a meteorologist at the Tampa Airport but he has been strangely silent on the topic.. not sure what to read into that... However, he's never been much of a talker (at least not to us)  so maybe nothing...  I hope he is advising the immediate family on the latest updates.

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Hi Samantha, I am so sorry to hear you have family in the area but Sables' post offered a bit of good news.  I will be popping  "Samantha's family" on my fridge prayer list along with the others.  I hope they will be safe, I hope everybody everywhere is safe, the world is sometimes a very unfair place to be.

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Sorry to worry people about going out in the eye to move cars. Actually, with this storm we want the eye to pass over us. The last thing we want is to sit in the east eyewall for the duration of the storm. The eye's center is calm. We may even be able the see blue skies.  During hurricane Wilma, I think we had the eye over us for about 40 minutes. We went out and cleared storm drains and chatted with neighbor's. Irma's eye is about 50 miles wide. Traveling at approx 14 mph that will give us a reprieve for about 3 hours, if we are direct center. Otherwise, if we are east in the eyewall that would be three hours of 140mph winds. I really don't want that to happen. Let's just pray that the east eyewall stays out in the ocean.

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Thanks for those details Sable. Hurricane anatomy is interesting. I hope everything works out well for y'all.

Well, looks like the track changed again overnight, and it will indeed be going right over me. It should "only" be a tropical storm at that point though. Not a good thing for the people planning to go to the large racetrack campground though. 

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I was just reading about the hurricane of 1925 (?) where people were killed because when the eye went over them, they thought the storm was over and started venturing out. I'm so glad we have technology that will tell people what's going to hit them from where.

My only concern would be the electric going out and then not having any news. So then if the hurricane shifts, how would you know it?

But I have to ask, wouldn't it be safer for people to take refuge in high apartment buildings on the north side? I'm surprised apartments buildings don't have one large room about 10 stories up so people can gather together in case of something like this. I suppose it's a question of economics.

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1 hour ago, rodentraiser said:

I was just reading about the hurricane of 1925 (?) where people were killed because when the eye went over them, they thought the storm was over and started venturing out. I'm so glad we have technology that will tell people what's going to hit them from where.

My only concern would be the electric going out and then not having any news. So then if the hurricane shifts, how would you know it?

But I have to ask, wouldn't it be safer for people to take refuge in high apartment buildings on the north side? I'm surprised apartments buildings don't have one large room about 10 stories up so people can gather together in case of something like this. I suppose it's a question of economics.

This is why I miss the old fashioned tv antenna. I used a battery tv to watch the local radar as we ventured out during Wilma. Since it is not digital it won't pick up channels anymore.  So as long as the cell towers are still up I will be able to see it on my phone. Heading to Walmart now to see if I can get a digital battery tv. Which me luck.

The local tv channels briadcast on certain radio stations so we can still hear what's going on.

As far as high rises, the higher you go, the stronger the winds. Tenth floor is a no no. Best to be on ground level unless your in a flood zone.

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Hurricane Opal literally peeled off the sides of condos facing the Gulf, and its winds were nothing like those Irma's sporting.  I spent two weekends days working a sidewalk Health Department clinic across the street from Panama City Beach and giving tetanus shots to people doing cleanup amongst house debris.  I remember the store manager we were in front of letting me bring in the lady who had stepped on a roofing nail whose only clothes were a one-piece jump suit and I took her into their dressing room so she could peel off one side to get her shot.  No, you don't want to be on any tenth floor.

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Hurricane Opal actually even made it as far north as Atlanta. As a hurricane from what I remember.

Well we just got a call from the school system. They will be meeting throughout the weekend and monitoring the storm. And as nice as it would be to have a day off work (I can work "off the record" and get so much more done!), we really have too much going on to take a day off! We are in the middle of Chromebook deployment to the students so that would throw a monkey wrench in things. But of course they will do whatever is best for everyone and I am good with that. We'll deal and make it up!

Two of my kids live in different parts of South Ga. And both of their college have cancelled classes for Monday and Tuesday. So here I am with my worried Mom Face on. My daughter who is further south has a house and friends and other resources. The other one is my baby, he's barely 18, but I'm sure the dorms will be safe and the school will look out for the kids. 

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Sparkley, I have popped you on my fridge too,I think as Mums we worry about all our family unless we can see them,  I worry about all folks in pain or danger . stay safe. 

What blows my mind is that this goes on for days, of course it is great to get so much warning but seeing where it has been is very hard and you folks down there go through this for months each year.

Thinking of you all ..all the time.

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