Hurricane Ian Coming for a Visit

[V.T. Eric Layton]

I'm NOT at all looking forward to this event. I'm worried it's going to be an UGLY thing.

 

 

This (below) is a current active radar view of my area. I'm right above the "m" in the word "Tampa" on this radar image. This image should refresh itself constantly. You folks can keep an eye on it and see how I'm doing over the next few days. Chances are I will NOT have electricity for long once the winds start blowing. I may be with out power for a few days afterwards. When Irma blew through to the east of me in 2017, I was without power for 5 days. It SUCKED!

 

Anyway, keep your fingers and toes crossed that this mother heads up the coast as far west of me as possible. Further west would be at GOOD thing for me. Man, I don't need this feces at all.

 

[V.T. Eric Layton]

Yes, this emoticon is exactly how I feel right now...

[Corrine]

As you did for Irma, I hope you've stocked up on supplies. Above all, stay safe, Eric.  

[V.T. Eric Layton]

NO $$$ for anything these days. I won't have electricity once the wind starts blowing, so can't stock up fridge. I have coffee (have to brew on Sterno camp stove) Jack Daniel's, cigarettes, and cat food. That'll have to do.

[Corrine]

Sounds like the same supplies you had stocked up for Irma.  Don't forget clean water for the cats. 

[ebrke]

We're thinking about you, Eric.

[V.T. Eric Layton]

I have a feeling that this isn't going to be fun.

[raymac46]

I hope you and the kitties will be safe. Fiona was pretty bad on the east coast of Canada, and now this.

[V.T. Eric Layton]

I can only do what I can do. This ol' house has protected me for 61 years now. My daddy built it well. If I can get through this with a few tree branches in the yard and everything else intact, I'll be very, very happy! I have good neighbors. We're all going to be watching out for each other. We'll be fine!

 

I'm having a couple drinks this evening and listening to some good music. I figured I  should enjoy now before I lose my electricity. Also, I will be stone cold sober when that monster gets here! There'll be time for more drinkin' once it's gone.

 

[xrobwx71]

Nope not West, please. We had enough for a 1000 years with Hurricane Michael.  (Panama City Beach)

 

I do hope it dissipates before landfall. Stay safe my fellow Floridian!

[V.T. Eric Layton]

I'd be fine with it if it should take a sharp right turn and wipe out Miami and then go out into the Atlantic. One can always hope...

[raymac46]

Looks as if Ian will be hitting south of Eric's location which should put him on the less powerful side of the storm. Still gonna be nasty for him though. Hoping for the best.

[ebrke]

Just came to post what you said--looks like Ian will make landfall some distance south of Tampa and then curve northeast over Florida and make landfall again in South Carolina. Better news for Eric. Bad news is it might be Cat 5 by the time it makes landfall but will downgrade to tropical storm about 12 hours after landfall. Going to be a bad 12 hours for a lot of people in Florida.

 

Edited September 28, 2022 by ebrke
Detail

[ebrke]

Now forecasters are saying storm is starting to look similar in path to Charley in 2004. Eric's house survived Charley, so hopefully that's good news.

[V.T. Eric Layton]

1 hour ago, ebrke said:

Eric's house survived Charley

 

Yup. Little Charlie didn't get anywhere near me.

 

So far, some light rains and a few stiff breezes. It's later tonight that the wind will ramp up... from the east, and then shifting to the northeast/north. Hopefully, I won't lose my electricity. I'm just hoping for no fallen trees or damages to my house. I don't care about the rain; this area does not flood.

 

Fingers/toes crossed that all will be well on Friday morning... blue skies and sunshine.

[ebrke]

Good to hear you're doing good so far!

[xrobwx71]

Sanibel is getting hammered. Man oh man.

[ebrke]

23 minutes ago, xrobwx71 said:

Sanibel is getting hammered. Man oh man.

Is that where you are? We're thinking about you.

[abarbarian]

Hope all you folk survived.

[xrobwx71]

15 hours ago, ebrke said:

Is that where you are? We're thinking about you.

No, but I've visited there. Today Sanibel Island probably looks like it did 150 years ago.

Thanks for the kind thought though.

I'm up in the Panhandle, Panama City Beach

Edited September 29, 2022 by xrobwx71

[V.T. Eric Layton]

All's well, friends. It was stressful, but no apparent damages to my home. I have a boatload of downed tree branches (small ones) and other miscellaneous detritus to clean up this weekend, but no flooding, no electricity loss, etc. It could have been MUCH worse... and was for a lot of folks in Florida. I'm just happy to be up, having some hot coffee, and typing this here this morning.

 

Oh, and the storm sucked down some serious Fall-ish weather. It's cool and breezy this AM, and getting drier fast! Still cloudy today, but tomorrow should be a beautiful sunny day with light breezes out of the northeast... it'll be nice to sit on my porch with my pal Jack and relax.

 

I'll get the yard cleanup done this Sunday, probably, once it's dried up a bit out there. Fortunately, I didn't get a lot of rain. I mean it did rain the whole time, but mostly light rain. The ditches didn't even overflow or anything like that. Just regular afternoon thunderstorms usually dump more rain on me than what I got from Ian. Not complaining!

 

Oh, and my electricity only blipped on/off a couple times... not off long enough to reset the clock on the microwave. Again, not complaining!

 

Later...

~E.

[zlim]

We're glad my sister-in-law moved to PA from Fort Myers several years ago. At 84, it would be devastating to start over.

[ebrke]

That's terrific Eric! Very glad to hear that.

[ebrke]

2 hours ago, xrobwx71 said:

Today Sanibel Island probably looks like it did 150 years ago.

Oh dear. There's an article in Washington Post that causeway is badly damaged.

[V.T. Eric Layton]

Yeah... Ian kicked some serious ass in Florida last night. There are some folks who really had it bad.

[ebrke]

I was gone for several hours at a minor medical procedure, but since I got home I've been watching TV. You were so lucky, Eric. Maybe there's some truth to that old story about Native Americans blessing the Tampa area! 

[crp]

I've been in a few hurricanes. Once the eye came right over us. very eary.

Floridians seem to know how to handle these situations but how long do you need to live in Florida before the habits of what-to-do and what-not-to-do kick in?

 

And the Florida gov't related agencies seemed to be very prepared for this one. And not just for the hit but the pre-hit.

 

 

 

[V.T. Eric Layton]

1 hour ago, ebrke said:

Maybe there's some truth to that old story about Native Americans blessing the Tampa area! 

 

Whatever works! It's been since 1921 that the Tampa Bay area had a nearly direct hit. That '21 hurricane actually hit about 35 miles north of the Tampa Bay Area in Tarpon Springs. I'll take whatever "luck" or "blessing" I can get when it comes to hurricanes.

[V.T. Eric Layton]

19 hours ago, crp said:

...how long do you need to live in Florida before the habits of what-to-do and what-not-to-do kick in?

 

Well, native Floridians, such as myself, and transplants who've lived here 20-30 years all know the how to prepare/react/recover for these type events. Recent transplants who've never seen a hurricane (or tropical storm) close up, often do not take the warnings seriously. They pay for that error, too!

 

Along the coastlines of FL, the residential properties are mostly owned by those who are wealthy or quite well-to-do. It's dangerous to live near the Gulf, Atlantic, miscellaneous bays, inlets, and river deltas in Florida. Unfortunately, people (many wealthy northern retirees) choose just those locations because of the beauty of those areas and the activities (fishing, boating, etc.) available for leisure fun. Occasionally, bad do-do happens.

 

While hurricanes and t-storms can most definitely do damage inland due to wind/rain, it's amplified dramatically for coastal areas. Flooding, tide surge, super-strong winds (coming off the flat waters of the Gulf or Atlantic with NO resistance from land) are absolutely devastating at times. The histories are there for the learning, but developers and builders just keep building up these coastal areas while simultaneously destroying the naturally protective (swamps, fens, mangroves, cypress forests, etc.) environments... all for the almighty $.

 

Sad to say this, but most inland-living Floridians have very little sympathy for these rich and stupid folks living on those beaches. They're rich. Hopefully, they're well-insured (another excellent Florida racket, btw).

 

I sound a bit jaded, eh? Yeah, well... I've watched this play out over and over and over here for the last 61 years. It tends to darken one's opinions of this kind of repeated stupidity.

[securitybreach]

Glad to hear that you are good Eric. I knew you would be fine as I have been through quite a bit of them just living in Daytona Beach. Charley being the big one and Jeanne right behind it. Just had Ida last year. Hurricanes are just part of living in the southeastern US.