Florida Boneyarders (you non-UConn fans, too)

[HuskyNan]

We’re battening down the hatches here in Orlando and have made a couple trips to the near-empty Publix this week. Tomorrow is the booze run

Hurricane Milton’s winds are at 180 mph as of 5:00 Monday with a couple more days over warm water yet to go. Check in now so we can keep track of one another and maybe help each other, if necessary (I sincerely hope not!) Stay safe, everyone!

 

[oldhusky]

Nervously following the news. Live most of the year in The Villages, but this time of the year I am in my seasonal Vegas area location just hoping for the best. Also have a brother in Palm Harbor, just north of Clearwater who faces an even more serious situation. Usually if you are inland enough and at least not in a direct path with the eye, it is not that bad, but for the people in central florida, this is looking like it could be a direct hit with a category 4 or 5, at least when it hits land.

Hope it veers off the projected path, and further south would be better for the heavily populated Tampa area and potential storm surge in the bay. Good luck to everyone potentially affected.

 

[HuskyNan]

Nervously following the news. Live most of the year in The Villages, but this time of the year I am in my seasonal Vegas area location just hoping for the best. Also have a brother in Palm Harbor, just north of Clearwater who faces an even more serious situation. Usually if you are inland enough and at least not in a direct path with the eye, it is not that bad, but for the people in central florida, this is looking like it could be a direct hit with a category 4 or 5, at least when it hits land.

Hope it veers off the projected path, and further south would be better for the heavily populated Tampa area and potential storm surge in the bay. Good luck to everyone potentially affected.

There are evacuation notices for Pinellas County.

Pinellas County issues mandatory evacuation orders for zones A, B, C and Mobile Homes - Pinellas County

Pinellas County has issued mandatory evacuation orders for all residents in evacuation zones A, B and C and all mobile home residents...

pinellas.gov

 

[oldhusky]

There are evacuation notices for Pinellas County.

Pinellas County issues mandatory evacuation orders for zones A, B, C and Mobile Homes - Pinellas County

Pinellas County has issued mandatory evacuation orders for all residents in evacuation zones A, B and C and all mobile home residents...

pinellas.gov

Thanks for the info, I think my brother is going to stay put, but one problem for everyone there is not knowing what direction to go if they want to get away from it. You might head north but the hurricane could turn that way, or the same in reverse if you head south, and by the time you get more definition on the exact path, the highways will be packed, so it is picking between relatively bad and uncertain choices.

I think he is far enough away from the water, and high enough that surge is pretty low probability, and the house is concrete block, but he expects to ride out the worst of it in an interior room or closet with no windows.

 

[Blond D.]

The best thing for all Floridians in the path or close to the path of Milton is head either north or south but get outa the way of the storm for a few days. Theres nothing you can do to stop it, and its basically a wall of water 15 feet high pushed by over 100mph winds, just get out and save yourself and loved ones. Your lives are way more important than any of your possessions.
Good luck and God be with you.

 

[Maine1]

Live in Lakeland. First hurricane. Wait and see what happens.

 

[jabstep]

Finished my shutters today and feel safe in Babcock Ranch. First Solar community in USA. Wires are underground from a solar array. So with Ian spending an 1.5 hrs over us with 130-150 winds we lost 3 hip shingles. We are at the highest elevation with well designed water control system.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I'm in Cancun, as the storm skirts by the upper Yucutan. Fingers crossed that my flight can get out tomorrow. Currently, we are having some wild electrical storms. All the chairs at the resort have been removed and stashed way. The big windows in the lobby are covered.

 

[visitingcock]

Live in Lakeland. First hurricane. Wait and see what happens.

1. Fill up cars and gas cans.
2. Get a significant amount of cash out of bank.
3 buy plenty of drinking water.
Fill coolers with ice. For refrigerated food
4 fill containers and bathtubs with flushing water
5 crank up generator if you have one. Set up in high, dry , we’ll ventilated spot.
6 . Crank up chainsaw if you have one. Sharpen blade.
7. Charge all rechargeable batteries.
8. Get all flashlights ready
9 set up a hunker down room in part of house where roof is strongest and where any trees are least to fall. First aid kit, at least one flash light. Radio battery powered if possible. 5 gal bucket. Turn off water heater if in your hunker down room.
10. Buy some tarps if not sold out .
12. If we’ll set up with batteries, turn off power at box just before it hits and you hunker down.
10. Pray

I’ve been through two tornados, one head on hurricane ( Michael) and two major floods. All were federal disaster declarations. I live 100 miles inland in Georgia. North of the Panhandle coast.

 

[HuskyNan]

Thanks for the info, I think my brother is going to stay put, but one problem for everyone there is not knowing what direction to go if they want to get away from it. You might head north but the hurricane could turn that way, or the same in reverse if you head south, and by the time you get more definition on the exact path, the highways will be packed, so it is picking between relatively bad and uncertain choices.

I think he is far enough away from the water, and high enough that surge is pretty low probability, and the house is concrete block, but he expects to ride out the worst of it in an interior room or closet with no windows.

NOAA is reporting a storm surge of 10-15 feet. I'm begging you to ask your brother to evacuate.

This is a video of a 15 foot storm surge on Ft Meyers Beach during Hurricane Ian

 

[GoUconn7961]

I have a dear friend in Ft. Myers. I spoke to her yesterday and thankfully she has evacuated her home and is staying with friends where she has ridden out other hurricanes.

They have said on the news that anyone who stays near the storm surge may not make it. That is how strong the evacuation notices are.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Here in New London weather reports are declaring that Milton is now a LIFE THREATING STORM!
IF you know someone in that area get them to leave immediately or they are in tremendous danger!
Best of luck to all Floridians!

 

[HuskyNan]

See the articles on the front page

Tampa Bay, Florida news | Tampa Bay Times/St. Pete Times | Tampa Bay Times

Powered by the Tampa Bay Times, tampabay.com is your home for breaking news you can trust. Set us as your home page and never miss the news that matters to you.

www.tampabay.com

 

[Ozimoto]

Do NOT take this storm lightly. I was in the Fort Myers area and on the barrier islands with a FEMA USAR team after Ian and I can attest to a first hand view of the area after that storm. You do not want to be in the path of the projected storm surge of this storm. FEMA is relocating USAR resources (not all of them) from North Carolina and Tennessee to Florida. That is how much concern there is for this storm.

 

[meyers7]

NOAA is reporting a storm surge of 10-15 feet. I'm begging you to ask your brother to evacuate.

This is a video of a 15 foot storm surge on Ft Meyers Beach during Hurricane Ian

That's the Lani Kai hotel there in the back ground. Great, the best, Rum Runners. They have a bar/restaurant on top of the building. We used to park right there at the red house when we went down to Fort Meyer's Beach.

Also looks like Milton might be down to a Cat 3 by the time it hits. Although, they are saying it's getting bigger (wider area).

 

[Ozimoto]

Ian made landfall as a Cat 4. Katrina was a Cat 3 when it made landfall. In both cases the majority of the damage resulted from storm surge rather than wind, although wind damage should not be discounted.

 

[Alydar]

We can still get in 9 holes. The heavy rain won't start for hours.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

If you need an accurate hurricane tracker, I believe accuweather is the best. Link: https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/atlantic/milton-2024

They also have the best radar for the convection (rain fall using infrared on the storm tops). Example link:

Loading…

www.accuweather.com

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Two main sources of death due to a hurricane/post-tropical depression are [both are equally deadly in the previous ten years of national statistics - "Turn around, Don't Drown" when you approach water on the road, so YOU and your family members are not a Milton statistic]:

1) Storm Surge
2) freshwater flooding

The hard facts on Milton is that the past five days have already saturated the ground in Florida from I-4 southward, and the outer bands are predicted to dump an additional 12-18 inches BEFORE the eyewall makes landfall SIX HOURS after the record storm surge [high winds forcing the Gulf (salt) water into the bays/inlets/rivers. If the southeast side of the eyeball goes through the center of Tampa's city limits, 15 feet above the tide will be rushing into the bay, and due to the gusting winds (up to 40 mph ABOVE the sustained wind + the speed of advance of the hurricane) can make it act like a Tsunami.

My advice would be for those in adjacent evacuation zones in Tampa/St. Pete/Sarasota/Ft Myers, to get to high ground at least 25-50 miles due North of Orlando while staying 50 miles from the Atlantic coast line, as Milton will still be a Cat 2 hurricane as its "reach" pulls in energy and more moisture from the "unchurned" warm water of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream that is about 50 - 75 miles off the Florida coast [Friends and family in Atlanta, GA would work]. Milton will build outer bands over the Atlantic, and begin its "pumping action" of Storm surge to the North of its eyeball inland to the west from its exit into the Atlantic all the way to Charleston, SC. Although the speed of advance will slightly moderate its Storm surge magnitude to about 5 feet below the record storm surge in Tampa (12 - 16 feet above tide level), 7 feet of storm surge can still kill.

Those who do not respect water, are destined to be consumed by it. Each cubic meter of water weighs a metric ton (2200 pounds), and the momentum of water flowing over a road can lift the road, and you will not be able to discern whether the road or bridge has still there when it is dark out (can happen in the middle of the day with this storm). multiple metric tons of water have stripped all things out of first floors of houses in the path of Helene, so that is a freshly "burned in" memory for me, so make sure you are above the storm surge plus freshwater flooding levels, as the water rescues will not be available until after the wind speed drops below 30 mph and no longer gusting.

Before you shut off your phone to conserve battery power [when you are unable to plug it in or your car is off in stalled traffic], always update your status to those you love (or who love you), and tell them what your plans are. Then, when you turn your phone back on, do the same. Remember, you do not have to wait for a reply when you are taking action to survive.

I have learned a few things about these types of storms while I was a Submariner...

God bless your journey, and protect you with His Mighty hand and outstretched arm! You are NEVER out of His reach!

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Both of the links above [Post #18, 44 mins ago] are real time with a maximum lag of about 8 minutes. Be aware that future predictions are only good as the parameters that are loaded into them but the real time radar does not lie. The colors have been consistent for the past 3 years, which I appreciate, along with very few pop-up ads.

 

[tomcat]

All the previous posts offer wisdom, many base don experience. We're in Vero Beach, on the East Coast, kust at the southernmost tip of the projected storm cone. The winds might reach 90 mph in gusts and we may get 5+ inches of rain (which we can handle), but my real fear is the tornadoes that a storm like this one can spin off, particularly on the right side of the storm.We will be thinking about all the folks on thw west side of the state who are suffering in this one.
As for forecasting, Bernie Rayno at Accuweather is wonderful, because he explains the alternative routes a storm can take and what factors might cause each alternative to happen. You actually learn something beyond the forecast. I'd also like to give a shout-out to a homemade site called cyclocane.com. If you want basic informaiton,,like storm paths, this is a gerat place to visit. They have the absolute best maps of spaghetti models that I have ever seen.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I'm in Cancun, as the storm skirts by the upper Yucutan. Fingers crossed that my flight can get out tomorrow. Currently, we are having some wild electrical storms. All the chairs at the resort have been removed and stashed way. The big windows in the lobby are covered.

I made it out only abut 30 minutes late. The first 30 minutes of the flight were rather turbulent, but the plane (Boeing 737 Max 8/9) got around Milton ok.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Two thoughts for the folks in Florida:

1. The Tampa mayor says folks who stay "Are going to die." Not to be over-dramatic, please heed the warning.

2. I believe that the storm is scheduled to hit at about midnight. The wind and water will eliminate street lights, so visibility will be extremely limited. With winds of 100 mph or more, water of 15', and almost no visibility, this situation sounds like a bad horror movie.

Please be as safe as possible! The Bard said that "Discretion is the better part of valor."

 

[HuskyNan]

If you are told to evacuate- PLEASE do so. Even central Florida is getting evacuation notices. It’s not just the wind or rain, tornadoes are also a threat and the most vulnerable people need to take shelter now.

 

[huskeynut]

Every thing is closed down this morning, as it should be. Our community closed down all buildings, restaurants and activities as of 3 PM yesterday.

We have lived here for 8 years now. The first thing you learn in Florida is that hurricane preparation is a year round activity. Sooner or later you will have a hurricane hit in your area. Never take a hurricane lightly. Evacuations on mobile homes is now maditory.

This is not our first rodeo. Our homes can withstand a Cat 3. We have been thru two Cat 2's with no problems. Preparartion should always be done in advance. Grocery shopping was done Saturday. We have jugs of water should we need them. Out lanai is set for the winds. Nothing that can be picked up by the wind is out.

Milton keeps shifting so the torm track keeps changing. Last night we were south of the predicted track and Milton was a Cat 2. This morning we are north of the storm track and Milton is predicited to be a Cat 1.

I am the team leader for our CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) for our community. We are sponsored and trained by Polk County Fire Rescue. Our job is to train and prepare for situtations such as this. We activated on Sunday morning is preparation for Milton.

Stay safe Floridians.