Irma, Here We Go Again

mso489 · Sep 7, 2017

Prayers for those who have already been hit by this monster storm in the islands south of the U.S. The wind speeds and torrential rains and flooding are horrific. Now I worry about my cousin and his wife, son and grandchild on the west coast of Florida, and all of Florida, and all of us up the East Coast who are now in range of this awful system. In N.C. we must be vigilant all the way from the mountains, where heavy rain rips down the gullies like river rapids, and potential damage all across central N.C., and of course the coast where flooding is a peril. Not to mention the South between Florida and here, and the rest of the affected East Coast. Irma could still swing out to sea and miss landfall after Florida, but right now that sounds like dreaming. Smokingpipes.com is in the low country S.C., so safe passage to them, and to all of us in range. It's been a hard year.

balkisobrains · Sep 7, 2017

There have been gas shortages and big lines at the pumps down in Florida for a day and a half now, and I see pics of people buying all of the food, water and plywood that they can. Some shops are saying that they already sent their generators and the like to TX. I doubt that it will be a Cat 5 when it gets to Florida like it was when it destroyed the islands, but it seems like it might be a decent Cat 4. If it hits the east side and the tide is in, that could be bad for anyone in the path of the surge. A lot of people are thinking that it will hit Florida and then the east coast like you are talking about, mso. I guess it will take about another 12 to 18 hours to reach just south of Florida, but I am just guessing based on radar time stamps and measuring with my mouse pointer.

puffy · Sep 7, 2017

I live in the Charlotte area.It looks like we could get pretty hard along about Monday.I'm leaving Saturday morning heading west about 400 miles.Going to visit my sister in Tennessee for a few days until the big blow is over and power is restored.

balkisobrains · Sep 7, 2017

They're reporting on the news that it will potentially reach Florida on Sunday. I guess that it will slow down if/when it starts turning.

mawnansmiff · Sep 8, 2017

Let's not forget hurricane Jose is following Irma and Katia will follow Jose. Goodness only knows where they will hit land.
"A second hurricane called Jose is moving through the Atlantic and could hit the same islands. A third called Katia is developing close to the Gulf of Mexico."
Regards,
Jay.

mso489 · Sep 8, 2017

I can't remember sequence of natural disasters, including now an earthquake off Mexico, that matches these. Not relevant but interesting, in Imperial China a solar eclipse was thought to be a sign of the displeasure of Heaven. The population that believed that would really be connecting what many today would see as coincidence or some kind of natural process. Weather scientists predicted a particularly active hurricane season. Right now, the track north inclines toward Western N.C. and Tennessee, but inland these storms are even more unpredictable.

lotharen · Sep 8, 2017

We just had family come up from Florida to get away from the worst of Irma. However, according to the predictions it will still be a category 1 when it moves over us in central Georgia! Talk about nutty.

pappymac · Sep 8, 2017

The most reliable forecasting is done by the National Hurricane Center and I'm not happy about how their prediction keep drifting west. I liked it better when the track ran along the east coast of Florida as that would have put the majority of the state on the "less dangerous" side of the the eye.
As for Jose, they are currently forecasting it to move more northward towards Bermuda.
Katia is moving into Mexico and they have more than enough problems down there.

mso489 · Sep 8, 2017

My cousin and wife are in a little town in the Ft. Myers area, Alva, and they are battening down the hatches. They have installed accordian shutters in recent years that provide extra protection. They have invited in a neighbor in his nineties who is not as sturdily housed. My 'cuz describe them as being right in the crosshairs, but they seem well prepared. They have a beautiful site on the Caloosahatchie River so sometimes get fish in their yard during hurricanes.

deathmetal · Sep 8, 2017

I very much hope people make it out of this disaster. I have a newfound distaste for hurricanes, rivaling my feelings toward Apple products, Ebola, new religions and disposable equivalents to once-functional objects.

zack24 · Sep 9, 2017

A serious challenge for us- most of our business is in Puerto Rico- dodged that bullet. We tracked the storm with every model known to man and decided to go on our 3 week trip to Italy...and now the path has shifted west and will grind it's way up the Gulf coast toward Sarasota where we live...we're hoping this will continue to be wierdly unpredictable and head to the Gulf...if Sarasota takes a direct hit...the Italy trip may be cut short...11:30 in the morning in Sorrento, Italy- time for a litle lunch and vino!

newbroom · Sep 9, 2017

Good that you're out of town, Zack, and I hope for the best for the west coast too.

I've got family in St.Pete/Dunedin/&Palm Harbor. (also, in Ocala, where I live.)

I'm sitting tight, hoping for the best. I know that sounds stupid.

pappymac · Sep 9, 2017

There is no good place for a hurricane to hit dry land.

mso489 · Sep 9, 2017

I'm not sure how good the tracking is three or four days out as Irma drives inland, but the current prediction is to cross the western end of N.C. but getting as far east as Charlotte with high wind gusts and rain. I'm watching Florida intently, hoping for any lucky breaks. Miami seems a little better off but the Gulf Coast in the middle of it.

cosmicfolklore · Sep 9, 2017

I did a marathon road trip to Mobile to pick up my wife's favorite aunt who lives in a retirement community somewhere in Florida and hand her off to other family who is driving her the rest of the way to the mountains. South Alabama interstates are already full of evacuees. Everyone was really nice at all of the Rest Stops. Some people were grilling out and sharing their foods. We actually had a very good time. Of course, it's not my property and livelihood on the line. But, at least people were't being dicks... yet.

admin · Sep 9, 2017

Lori and I bailed on Thursday to Asheville, NC. Some of our friends told us we were stupid because the hurricane is going east. We look pretty smart now. In case you don't know, we live in St. Petersburg, across the bay from Tampa, which is now taking a direct hit at Cat 3 or 4 Sunday night into Monday morning.
It took us 14 hours to make the 10 hour trip as early as Thurs, and that is only because we used the Google Maps app and kept taking alternate routes, zig zagging all over to avoid traffic jams and gasoline stations with no gas.
We topped off the tank every time we stopped, and never got below a half a tank.
The trick is to use back roads as much as possible.
We left before mandatory evacuations, and now they have them.
Anyway, it's ironic to be in such a beautiful place on an inadvertent vacation while our hometown is taking a hard hit.
Hoping we won't return to too much destruction.

mso489 · Sep 9, 2017

Kevin, according to current tracking on Irma, which is maybe not precise these few days out, Irma may track up through the N.C. and Tennessee mountains, but it should be mostly a rain even by then, with maybe some gusty winds. Stay put during the event, so as not to encounter any flooded mountain roads. In heavy rain, the water comes sluicing down the rock like a river rapids. Asheville is great in the fall otherwise. You were wise to make this into a short vacation. I hope your property makes it through okay.

pappymac · Sep 9, 2017

Earlier this week the Coast Guard moved it's assets from the east coast to the west coast of Florida to avoid the hurricane. I guess they will be rushing to move them back across the state now.

flmason · Sep 9, 2017

I live in Winter Springs, FL. My city is near Orlando on the east coast. Even though the track is now to west, the dirty side of the hurricane is to the east so my area will deal with that. The dirty side is not discussed often in weather reports but I am very aware of it since I have lived most of my life n FL since 1964.

mso489 · Sep 9, 2017

Coast Guard people are the pros, often responsible for the most vulnerable and those with bad judgement. It's neat to watch them -- rescue swimmers for example -- in action. In my case watching them swimming the current between a beach and a sand spit looking for a lost civilian swimmer. They did just fine, but the swimmer was gone, RIP. Boy, this Irma is a shifty one. They have her tracking up into the N.C. mountains, not central N.C. where I am, but I don't take it for granted. Fran in '96 was tracked as a coastal event then took a turn inland, and it wasn't pretty.

Irma, Here We Go Again

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