View Full Version : Hurricane coming- people going nuts.
flowerseverywhere
9-24-22, 2:48pm
Yesterday we were doing a few errands and decided to pick up a few groceries. Bread and water almost gone. Batteries and toilet paper dwindling fast.
we know we live in the paths of hurricanes. I bet by tomorrow we will be in full frenzy. Usually grocery store and gas station deliveries are ramped up.
thank goodness we are calm and at home and don’t have to worry about running out of anything.
the weathermen are in full frenzy. I think they live these moments when they can be hysterically and frantically practically screaming on tv.
back to my knitting as I sit outside with my cats.
Where generally in FL are you?
That seems to be human nature--my friends in the Willamette Valley always laugh about people frantically stocking up ahead of weather events or grass fires, or epidemics. I'm stocked up and we rarely have events, so I have the luxury of not worrying about it.
No gas, and if there is gas the lines at the pump are multi cars deep.
Frequently, when a storm approachs, the stores will put purchase limits on high demand items. So there's a limit of two cases of water per customer. I saw people grabbing four and husband and wife will check out separately. Now, I wonder if there were no limits if they'd just grab two and call it good.
No peanut butter, soups, other canned goods. Hit or miss with milk. Only the non-standard bread. Didn't check the beer (was there for a regularly scheduled prescription pick up) but it often runs short at these times.
With a state of emergency declared, I believe that prioritizes deliveries of demanded goods and so we should see gas and food stuffs back on shelves daily.
"Hmmm. Hurricane season's coming up--better lay in some staples and gas for the car..."
Why don't people figure this out after a few years?
ToomuchStuff
9-24-22, 11:16pm
What about plywood, or do you have storm shutters?
We have been through several hurricanes here in Maryland. Worst was Irene where the neighbor's tree took out 2 out of our 3 cars. Mine was spared but just barely. If the tree had been a tad taller, it would have gotten mine too. Electricity out for several weeks.
Seems like whenever my inlaws are told to evacuate in Savannah, it misses them and smacks us. My brother in Ft Meyer's is probably going to get hit based on the current projection. It is always a "wait and see" type situation with hurricanes because they are forever changing paths from one day to the next.
I've done plywood in the past, but got panels years ago. It's much easier to store the panels as hubby made a cabinet to store them and they all stack together and stay nice. Plywood tends to degrade.
Friends got hurricane windows and doors. The next door neighbor decided to kill himself in the garage with a propane explosion. The outer window layers were toast, and the front door actually blew in. Not encouraging as to the protection offered.
flowerseverywhere
9-25-22, 3:40pm
Where generally in FL are you? about 40 miles inland from Tampa. This far in it’s unlikely we will get a full force hit but the storm can always cause block roads, knock electricity out and cause lots of flooding. We were about 80% ready before this storm was on the radar and finished a few days ago.
about 40 miles inland from Tampa. This far in it’s unlikely we will get a full force hit but the storm can always cause block roads, knock electricity out and cause lots of flooding. We were about 80% ready before this storm was on the radar and finished a few days ago.
You never know how far inland those storms will travel. In 2008 my wife and I were travelling around the Gulf Coast and ended up in New Orleans a few days before Hurricane Ike. After seeing the sights for a day or two we were forced to evacuate once it began to look like it was going to impact the area, so we left town at 4am and after making a couple hundred miles from the coast we began to casually explore the Natchez Trace as we meandered towards home.
Our first full day home, Ike caught up with us in Ohio, knocking down trees in our yard and damaging our roof, along with all our neighbors. That storm chased us over 800 miles before catching us.
flowerseverywhere
9-26-22, 6:38am
Alan I agree. Obviously leaving at 4am you avoided a lot of the chaos. Even if it does not hit we will have torrential rain and possible tornadoes as the right side of a hurricane can spawn them. I lived in the Atlantic coast a few miles from the ocean but we were quite a bit above sea level. Those storm surges can wreak a lot of Havoc. Hurricane Michael and Sandy devastated large areas. Around a year after Michael we went through the area on our way north and yards had downed trees and there were still lots of tarps on roofs. Florida has been replacing a lot of major power poles with concrete ones. Many areas like mine have large areas with underground utilities which helps.
Also, there are a lot of retention ponds and they are being emptied by running sprinklers on golf courses and road meridians. There are lots of retention ponds all over. Except for places that may soon be underwater if sea rising continues, Florida has updated a lot of preparations for storms.
flowerseverywhere
9-26-22, 3:55pm
I have to say although I don’t care for DeSantis because I don’t like some of his policies, he is taking charge. He held a news conference and was clear, articulate and explained what he was doing. He has activated National Guard, and is working with county and city governments to get ready. He has declared a state of emergency for the entire state. During the pandemic I had little faith in Trump but DeSantis instills confidence and is very articulate. What you want in a leader.
I wonder how people will react when Putin drops his first nuke?
I wonder how people will react when Putin drops his first nuke?
I will be comforted by the belief that he'll be obliterated in the counter-attack--in the impregnable fortress he fled to when things got a little hot in Moscow. He's a black hole of evil, IMO.
frugal-one
9-26-22, 4:46pm
I have to say although I don’t care for DeSantis because I don’t like some of his policies, he is taking charge. He held a news conference and was clear, articulate and explained what he was doing. He has activated National Guard, and is working with county and city governments to get ready. He has declared a state of emergency for the entire state. During the pandemic I had little faith in Trump but DeSantis instills confidence and is very articulate. What you want in a leader.
He is another trump who was definitely NOT a leader.
flowerseverywhere
9-26-22, 5:31pm
I wonder how people will react when Putin drops his first nuke?. I grew up in a huge navy town. I remember at Christmas they would decorate all the ships in port with lights. Except the years they felt Russia was too much of a threat. Then there were the fallout drills we had in grade school when we hid under our desks. That would have been effective. I hope with all my heart he does not start anything.
flowerseverywhere
9-26-22, 5:33pm
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He is another trump who was definitely NOT a leader.
Maybe, but he is facing a crisis head on and not flying to Cancun.
Maybe, but he is facing a crisis head on and not flying to Cancun.
Head on? He turned tail as soon as the mobilizations/demonstrations started and is hiding out at an "impregnable fortress," that's one of his eight residences far, far from Moscow. What a guy.
Head on? He turned tail as soon as the mobilizations/demonstrations started and is hiding out at an "impregnable fortress," that's one of his eight residences far, far from Moscow. What a guy.
I believe she was referring to our future President, Ron DeSantis.
I believe she was referring to our future President, Ron DeSantis.
Oh dear. As Emily Litella would say "Never mind." But hey, Putin and DeSantis are only different by degree.
"Strongmen," like 3rd world tin-pot dictatorships always produce.
frugal-one
9-26-22, 7:38pm
Maybe, but he is facing a crisis head on and not flying to Cancun.
That is a low bar…
iris lilies
9-26-22, 9:14pm
I believe she was referring to our future President, Ron DeSantis.
From your lips to god’s ears.
frugal-one
9-27-22, 3:21am
From your lips to god’s ears.
Yeah, god with a small g.
ToomuchStuff
9-27-22, 11:37am
I wonder how people will react when Putin drops his first nuke?
He is expecting glowing reviews from his own citizens, with no fallout.
He is expecting glowing reviews from his own citizens, with no fallout.
:D
He is expecting glowing reviews from his own citizens, with no fallout.
Well played :-)
I believe she was referring to our future President, Ron DeSantis.
I suppose if enough voters prefer a candidate who will govern by performing mean stunts rather than offering actual solutions to problems you may be right.
I suppose if enough voters prefer a candidate who will govern by performing mean stunts rather than offering actual solutions to problems you may be right.
I see today that President Biden has called several Florida mayors ahead of the hurricane and asked them to call him directly if they need anything. Curiously, he hasn't called DeSantis, I wonder why?
I see today that President Biden has called several Florida mayors ahead of the hurricane and asked them to call him directly if they need anything. Curiously, he hasn't called DeSantis, I wonder why?
DeSantis surely knows how to get ahold of President Biden if he needs federal assistance.
DeSantis surely knows how to get ahold of President Biden if he needs federal assistance.
Yes, I'm sure he really doesn't need that personal call any more than the Mayor's did, but it's a courtesy all Presidents in recent memory (including Biden) have extended to Governors prior to known extreme weather events. It just possibly shows the level of animosity our President feels for his likely replacement.
Yes, I'm sure he really doesn't need that personal call any more than the Mayor's did. It just possibly shows the level of animosity our President feels for his likely replacement.
I'm sure DeSantis would only use any call as an excuse to take potshots at the president anyway. He's such a nasty little toad.
I'm sure DeSantis would only use any call as an excuse to take potshots at the president anyway. He's such a nasty little toad.
You forgot the 'competent' adjective. "He's such a competent, nasty little toad." ;)
ApatheticNoMore
9-27-22, 5:30pm
I have to say although I don’t care for DeSantis because I don’t like some of his policies, he is taking charge. He held a news conference and was clear, articulate and explained what he was doing. He has activated National Guard, and is working with county and city governments to get ready. He has declared a state of emergency for the entire state. During the pandemic I had little faith in Trump but DeSantis instills confidence and is very articulate. What you want in a leader.
So what, any decent governor would. I don't see it as any better than our governor who pulled us through the latest heat wave along with everyone's cooperation. Only Newsom's politics are a definite improvement. Newsom has been competent AND not nasty or toadish. And apparently, although that seems a fairly low bar, that's the deal of the century to hear people talk.
How it should be: competence is the bare bones expectation, and if not they shouldn't be in office (there are plenty of other good reasons to kick someone out of office, but that's not even meeting the minimum)
DeSantis certainly has the hair of a Reganesque looking promising republican politician.
flowerseverywhere
9-27-22, 9:42pm
Storm barreling towards us. Storm surge up Tampa bay and south could cause an immense amount of damage. We are expecting 10-15 " of rain. So far just sporadic reports of shortages of gas and supplies.
Some outer bands have gone by. I expect by tomorrow we will be in the thick of it
Storm barreling towards us. Storm surge up Tampa bay and south could cause an immense amount of damage. We are expecting 10-15 " of rain. So far just sporadic reports of shortages of gas and supplies.
Some outer bands have gone by. I expect by tomorrow we will be in the thick of it
Are you all battened down? Reports sound intense. I would be stress-eating like a gerbil...
happystuff
9-28-22, 10:21am
Stay safe, flowerseverywhere and everyone else in the path of this storm.
Brother and sister in law live in Ft Meyers and said they were in their bathtub pretty much all day yesterday wearing motorcycle helmets and goggles to combat breaking windows and flying debris. Wasn't clear whether or not there actually was any of that or just precautionary. Lost all the trees my brother recently planted. Pool was filled with leaves, dirt, and debris.
iris lilies
9-29-22, 1:06pm
Hope all of our Florida and hurricane area people here are doing ok.
flowerseverywhere
9-29-22, 10:16pm
The hurricane passed just east of us. we somehow missed most of the torrential rain, but got five inches. Palm fronds were down, some flooding and roof damage and we lost power for a few hours. Incredible luck. It sounded like a train coming through most of the night. We had minor easily repairable house damage but no flooding on my street. Orlando took a big hit.
There was amazing coordination between state and federal resources.
The devastation in Fort Myers area and again on the east coast is beyond imagination. Several million without power, many failed water and sanitation systems. Sanibel/ captiva bridge destroyed and many homes in the path totally destroyed. There were a thousand FEMA personal standing by, Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters, coast guard, power trucks from many states and national guard on standby. There was a shelter for special needs people a mile from me and there were many people who took advantage of it. Especially disabled seniors. Shelters were abundant and there was amazing communication about them, which took pets and so on.
This kind of damage will take a decade to fully repair and clean up.
I have to say the coordination between the local, county, state and federal resources was remarkable. Despite what the BS news channels say. Today Biden declared disasters in nine countries to release federal aid. That number is sure to increase. Most areas from Gainsville straight north and west to Pensacola had minor damage. But some areas are totally flattened or washed away. The number made homeless will be staggering.
The area where it came ashore is very densely populated, as is Tampa, Orlando and much of the area in between.
I don't know what this will mean for the future of Florida. We have had six category four or five storms in the past five years in Florida, Texas and Louisiana. I cannot imagine how much this one will cost. Insurance near the coasts will be astronomical.
It is beyond my capacity to truly comprehend all the destruction and suffering they will find as they come through looking for survivors. I'm numb with sadness for all those homeless, injured and killed. And proud of all our rescue personal.
Here the coverage was around the clock on all major TV stations. We saw so many scenes that were mind boggling. We just could not believe all the cars, debris, boats and houses floating away down city streets and into the lakes and the ocean and bay. .
catherine
9-29-22, 10:37pm
flowers, the media has definitely been on this 24/7 and we have video images of what you are reporting. It is unbelievable. Boats piled up as if they were toys in a toy box. Houses turned to matchsticks. Water everywhere. How many cars destroyed??? How many memories destroyed?
I'm so glad you are safe. You're right--the recovery and rebuilding will be a major effort for years.
We have friends in Charleston and now I worry for them, too.
Thanks for checking in...
So glad to hear you’re OK.
Relieved to hear you are OK. What a scary event!
Very happy you are okay, and thank you for letting us know.
flowerseverywhere
9-30-22, 6:51am
Correction. Biden approved the entire state as a disaster zone. As the focus has come off of the Major devastation there was far more damage widespread than first reported.
As I checked on the local news some anti Biden, anti Democrat political ads came on this morning, one targeting excessive spending and another touting Excessive government overreach. The amount of federal money pouring into the state is not being refused. The media and downright meanness and selfishness is to blame for much of the hate and polarization we see.
You help people at their time of greatest need so they can help themselves.
happystuff
9-30-22, 9:57am
So glad you are okay, flowerseverywhere. Praying for everyone in the path of this.
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