Hurricane Irma
#91
Re: Hurricane Irma
My sister has been on the road since 5 am this morning and is still quite a ways from Route 10 in the Panhandle. She is traveling 75 and lives well above Miami. If memory serves, Naples to South Beach was approximately 1-1/2 hours and then Naples to Ft. Myers was about 40 minutes. So a good 2 hours north of Miami on the east coast.
Bradenton/Sarasota area is hit and miss finding gas,lots of places with pumps bagged and empty forecourts.
#92
Re: Hurricane Irma
Sis said they lost about 2 hours with heavy construction on I-75N at one point. Until then it was clear sailing. After that, it was bumper to bumper traffic. They have made it to the Panhandle and got a room at a Holiday Express and will complete the trip to MS tomorrow. Since you are staying, I wish you and everyone else on the board who is in Florida, GA and SC best wishes to stay safe.
#93
Re: Hurricane Irma
Working in disaster management, we spend our lives watching the development of weather systems worldwide, and read reports in the destruction from numerous sources.
Frequent discussions at work have repeatedly brought up the fact that huge storms, of the ilk of Harvey and Irma are becoming more common.
We've had major shifts to the weather patterns in Australia over the last couple of years - NSW and Victoria being battered with the type of frequent storms that Queensland used to get. The storms are larger and more frequent.
When it comes to the UK even, there have been shifts in the severity of storms there - more serious ones are far more common than when I was growing up there.
And the US has definitely come in for more serious storms of all kinds - hurricanes, snow, whatever. The patterns have shifted worldwide and the severity of the storms that occur is growing.
Frequent discussions at work have repeatedly brought up the fact that huge storms, of the ilk of Harvey and Irma are becoming more common.
We've had major shifts to the weather patterns in Australia over the last couple of years - NSW and Victoria being battered with the type of frequent storms that Queensland used to get. The storms are larger and more frequent.
When it comes to the UK even, there have been shifts in the severity of storms there - more serious ones are far more common than when I was growing up there.
And the US has definitely come in for more serious storms of all kinds - hurricanes, snow, whatever. The patterns have shifted worldwide and the severity of the storms that occur is growing.
#94
Re: Hurricane Irma
Google & waze just told me Tampa to Tallahassee 4.5 hours right now, which is what it was last time I went a few years ago. Surprised. Maybe not realistic. But they both Avoid i75. Not that I am planning on going anywhere yet.
#95
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Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,900
Re: Hurricane Irma
It seems to me that the increased frequency in severe storms making landfall has steadily increased since the 1990s. That may just be my perception. We're going to have to rethink the notion of heavily populated urban areas in certain coastal areas unless we just want to keep doing this every year.
If Irma hits as a Category 5 it will be only the fourth hurricane to hit the US as a Category 5, and first this century. The last one was also in Miami, Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Before that Camille in 1969 hit the Mississippi Coast and then there was the Labor Day hurricane in 1935 that hit the Florida Keys and Miami area.
The others may have been Category 5s at some point and then reduced in intensity before landfall (like Katrina did - it was a 5 in the Gulf but was a Category 3 when it made landfall in New Orleans).
#96
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Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,900
Re: Hurricane Irma
Georgia, same - hurricanes die out quickly over land. Coastal Georgia has had some direct strikes in the past but this one will not bring catastrophic conditions there.
#97
Re: Hurricane Irma
If you are in Tampa, on current forecast models should be OK. Tampa is vulnerable in a direct hit but it it hits South Florida or the Ft Myers area first it will degrade significantly and the impact on the Tampa Bay area will be inconvenience and some minor flooding, not catastrophe.
Georgia, same - hurricanes die out quickly over land. Coastal Georgia has had some direct strikes in the past but this one will not bring catastrophic conditions there.
Georgia, same - hurricanes die out quickly over land. Coastal Georgia has had some direct strikes in the past but this one will not bring catastrophic conditions there.
I am fully expecting to be chainsawing big bits of oak tree out of my roof if the wind speeds get above 50mph. One of the old trees 50 yards down the lane dropped a 25 foot long limb on the lane this morning somewhere between 6am and 7am (the time between the pair of us departing for work), zero wind or rain. These old oaks are dropping branches all the time here they don't need to wait for a hurricane ...
#98
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 14,577
Re: Hurricane Irma
I haven't left yet... we got back off vacation Monday and have spent all our free time putting up shutters and clearing up the garden.
Almost done. I'm exhausted. I'll probably nap for a few hours and then we will leave.
Almost done. I'm exhausted. I'll probably nap for a few hours and then we will leave.
Last edited by anotherlimey; Sep 8th 2017 at 1:01 am.
#100
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2017
Location: Oregon
Posts: 84
Re: Hurricane Irma
Seeing the damage done already is heartbreaking! Stay safe. Hoping it loses some power before it hits Florida We are in Jacksonville so waiting to see how the path goes. We will head out of here Saturday morning if need be, but obviously it will be nothing to the impact the south gets!
#101
Re: Hurricane Irma
If you are in Tampa, on current forecast models should be OK. Tampa is vulnerable in a direct hit but it it hits South Florida or the Ft Myers area first it will degrade significantly and the impact on the Tampa Bay area will be inconvenience and some minor flooding, not catastrophe.
Georgia, same - hurricanes die out quickly over land. Coastal Georgia has had some direct strikes in the past but this one will not bring catastrophic conditions there.
Georgia, same - hurricanes die out quickly over land. Coastal Georgia has had some direct strikes in the past but this one will not bring catastrophic conditions there.
It is also worth noting that, unless Irma goes up the Gulf, we few on the Gulf coast will not get the 'dirty' side so whilst it could get grim it'll be much worse for those on the East side of the eye (currently the dirty side is on the North side whilst Irma heads East to West).
I am fully expecting to be chainsawing big bits of oak tree out of my roof if the wind speeds get above 50mph. One of the old trees 50 yards down the lane dropped a 25 foot long limb on the lane this morning somewhere between 6am and 7am (the time between the pair of us departing for work), zero wind or rain. These old oaks are dropping branches all the time here they don't need to wait for a hurricane ...
I am fully expecting to be chainsawing big bits of oak tree out of my roof if the wind speeds get above 50mph. One of the old trees 50 yards down the lane dropped a 25 foot long limb on the lane this morning somewhere between 6am and 7am (the time between the pair of us departing for work), zero wind or rain. These old oaks are dropping branches all the time here they don't need to wait for a hurricane ...
#103
Re: Hurricane Irma
Last edited by jeepster; Sep 8th 2017 at 3:57 am.
#105
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Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,900
Re: Hurricane Irma
Remember to bring your own blankets, pillows, etc. The shelters don't provide any of that.