Hurricane Irma and then there is Jose!

[Raider Bill]

We are just now starting to get some gusts and rain.
If the big oak in my front yard doesn't fall on the house, no projectiles come flying though and the roof stays on we should be OK.
Wild Bill is staged at a city shelter with a response crew.
I plan to watch NFL until the lights go out.

[Roxie]

It's such a relief to hear from y'all!

[caveman]

Glen, good luck through the rest of the storm and after.
RaiderBill, I quit watching NFL after last year.  Anyway, enjoy the game, the company and by this time tomorrow we can all assess

I will check when we get a break from the rain when I do another walk around before the main event for animals lining up two by two to board our ark, um kiln.  John and I installed auger anchors and strapped it down but the sandy soil is so saturated that it may end up somewhere between nw Polk County and Mt. Ararat. :'( 

  There was a twister a little while ago in the SE part of the county.
Things will likely start rapidly deteriorating here around 2pm and the worst of it should occur around 1200-200 am.

[florida]

This is getting ugly and scary. Weather people are saying Irma will be coming ashore right on top of us here in Fort Myers. I'm afraid Sanibel, Captiva and Fort Myers Beach will be totally destroyed and the rest of the area is going to be severely damaged. I lived in the hurricane zone all my life and never faced one like this or one that really worried me. I've got lots of big pine trees to the west of my house and water oaks in the front. Really worried about the pines but nothing I can do now.

We all boarded up, the generator is hooked up and ready and we have nothing to do but wait. We have 4 refugees from Sanibel and Cape Coral here and all they want to do is watch the scary weather on the TV. I don't as all it does is stir fears and adds nothing. We've done all we can do so no amount of information is going to help.

Please say a prayer for all of us as it's all we have left.

[ellmoe]

   Waiting it out in "God's country". Completed a new house on the lake in November, built as well as possible, should not have a problem. Still, building a solid concrete safe room in the house definitely was a good move. More worried about the mill. Hydraulic hose blew on the loader doing prep work, other loader has bad head gasket. No chance to repair hose so a lot more lumber and equipment is exposed than should be. Also, have a couple of mobile home rentals, new roofs on them ,so hopefully they will hold together. Most likely impact to us will be power loss. In 2004 we were hit with three hurricanes, average power loss was over a week. With a slow week waiting on the storm and probably a week or so without power, plus potential damage to orders waiting for pickup, the wallet will  take a hit.
Florida and Raider Bill are definitely going to see the worst of it. Good luck to you guys and Caveman too.

[Andries]

Watching Harvey, Irma and Jose from up here in Canada - all I can say is: WOW!

It's been said by another, but I'll repeat it 'cause it's so true:
Forum people are the most practical, hardworking, problem solving savants that I've ever encountered.
You've done your best to get ready.
Hunker down, and work your networks once the storm passes.

Best wishes to all of you - wish I could do more!

[Raider Bill]

Right now the winds picking up and we are getting bands of rain. Billy just told me that once the winds hit 40MPH steady emergency crews will not be responding to calls. He's at a city response shelter with his cot set up between a couple "cute" girls. Figures they may need comforting when the SHTF  :D
Here's a pix he just sent me

 
Sure hope the Babies come through this ok.


 

I'll check in until I can't.

[caveman]

I went out and walked around a little while ago.  Parked my Dad's F150 in front of my garage door, backed my wife's suburban up to the inside of the garage door, which faces north. 

My youngest daughter and I stood under the eave of the house and looked to the north east.  The very crooked live oak was blown so significantly by Hurricane Jeanne in 2004 that some of the limbs touched the ground but it was only about 3"-4" dbh then. 

I expect the scene to be significantly different tomorrow.  Just spending time with family and reading A Land Remembered with daughter.




  

 

[Mooseherder]

The strongest winds of the day just went thru.  Also a tornado just passed a couple miles away.

[Savannahdan]

I have the same sentiments as Florida about too much weather reporting.  I made my wife turn on Overhauling.  They're doing an AMC on this show.  Everyone stay safe.

[Raider Bill]

Winds are picking up with heavier bands of rain. the eye just hit Naples which is about 180 miles south of us. Member Florida is next then caveman and us. 
When in Rome...


 

[grouch]

It looks like a big snake trying to eat Florida when you view the
Wind History of Hurricane Irma.

Time is crawling, waiting for news from people -- can't imagine how slow it passes for those being hammered by it.

[Roxie]

DanG and WDH are in the path too. 

[Raider Bill]

Wind and rain is really picking up. Still have power though.
Member Florida is in the middle of it right now.
The storm  has sucked almost all the water out of tampa bay.  Big boats are sitting on mud.
All first responders including fire and police, power co, public works etc are restricted to shelters and stations. They will not respond to any calls for service until the winds get to 45 mph sustained or less.

[florida]

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers! It make sudden right turn that kept us out of the southeast winds. We had steady 70 or 80 mph winds and gusts over 100. Power went out early but we've managed on the generator pretty well. Actually kept the garage door open until the wind hit about 70 since the wind was from the north and the garage door faces east. It was thrilling to stand there and see the power of it all. Later we went onto the back porch while the 100 mph gusts were blowing but we could have had a picnic.
The creek is out of the banks and had me worried but we've come through fine. Screens on the pool cage are shredded but I did slash about half of them to save the frame.
Just saw that the eye has collapsed so it's pretty much over for everyone! Praise God! I hope all my fellow Floridian came through as well.
I'll post some video as soon as I can

[ellmoe]

Was planning on watching the Jaquars play Houston today. No such luck. Hurricane coverage wall to wall. The Jags were dominant too! Do you know how long that has been?

[Raider Bill]

Looking like Caveman is next. Eye is moving in his direction.

[florida]

I hope caveman will be okay. It's falling apart pretty fast and wind speeds are dropping

[JV]

Just got word from my niece in Cape Coral they are ok.  Some tree damage but they still have power.  Can rest a little easier now.  Hope everyone fairs ok.

[Raider Bill]

Transformers popping all over now. Lost our power. Very windy

[Savannahdan]

Winds around 45-50mph and some rain.  Awakened by a large limb falling onto the house off of the live oak tree.  I can hear stuff hitting the tins covering slabs in the back.  I have them weighted down and tied down with auger-type anchors.  Just had another chunk of limb hit the roof.  They put a big bulb on the weather map to show the area covered by the winds and rain.  It's huge.  Winds are projected to slow down to the high 30s down to the low 30s over the next few hours.  I heard a transformer blow about an hour ago and one of the neighbors didn't secure his trash can and it's now travelling around the neighborhood.  He evacuated several days ago.  Neighbor across the street is a cameraman with one of the local news stations and he is out and about.  His family evacuated Friday.  Had another neighbor who went to one of the local hotels for Saturday night and was back home last night.  I think the sticker shock was too much for him - $285 per night.

[caveman]

Still blustery here but I think the eye passed over around 130-2 am. I went outside briefly following. I forgot temporarily that fire ants cluster and float around. After my quick survey, they reminded me. We lost power about 1135- I expect to be without for a week or two. When the sun rises, I will go out and do a proper survey and start the generator shuffle between my house, my parents' and our shop ( the emergency beer and grouper/snapper fillets are I. The shop refrigerators/freezers. Thank you for thoughts and prayers.  The power and enormity of this storm are phenomenal.

[red]

Now headed to Dan G territory

[DanG]

Breezy and raining here. Wind at 25 mph gusting to 40. I'm on the "weak" side with the eye passing 100 miles east of me. I don't expect it to get much worse than it is right now.

Here's the weird thing:  There is a lot of talk about the storm surge. The coastline in this area is having a reverse surge. The storm has sucked the water out of the rivers and bays but we will not have the reversing of the wind to push it back in like they did down south. Day is about to break, so it will be interesting to see if it has come back yet.

[red]

Be Safe