The weather reporters are saying that all emergency services are being suspended all over Florida due to the high wind, rain, and storm surge.

If you need them, you're screwed.

Broward has announced a curfew until 1000 hrs MONDAY.

Some 800,000 people are without electricity.

It may prove that this storm does more damage than Hurricane Andrew.

They also said a Tropical Storm watch was just set in ATLANTA, GA! 650 miles.

Hunker hunker.

Fox News brought in Shep Smith this morning to cover the hurricane. Seriously? Can't we be spared this tool bag for one day? Ugh. I changed the channel immediately. As long as he's on I'll tune into the weather network or weather channel if I care for an update.

Or better yet, I'll just come here.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
Fox News brought in Shep Smith this morning to cover the hurricane. Seriously? Can't we be spared this tool bag for one day? Ugh. I changed the channel immediately. As long as he's on I'll tune into the weather network or weather channel if I care for an update.

Or better yet, I'll just come here.

He is their go to person for his extensive knowledge of both sucking and blowing.

quote:

Originally posted by TXJIM:

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
Fox News brought in Shep Smith this morning to cover the hurricane. Seriously? Can't we be spared this tool bag for one day? Ugh. I changed the channel immediately. As long as he's on I'll tune into the weather network or weather channel if I care for an update.


Or better yet, I'll just come here.

He is their go to person for his extensive knowledge of both sucking and blowing.

Okay, now that's funny.

quote:

Originally posted by TXJIM:

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
Fox News brought in Shep Smith this morning to cover the hurricane. Seriously? Can't we be spared this tool bag for one day? Ugh. I changed the channel immediately. As long as he's on I'll tune into the weather network or weather channel if I care for an update.

Or better yet, I'll just come here.

He is their go to person for his extensive knowledge of both sucking and blowing.

Well, to be fair, he does know the Key West area quite well.

quote:

Originally posted by TXJIM:

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
Fox News brought in Shep Smith this morning to cover the hurricane. Seriously? Can't we be spared this tool bag for one day? Ugh. I changed the channel immediately. As long as he's on I'll tune into the weather network or weather channel if I care for an update.

Or better yet, I'll just come here.

He is their go to person for his extensive knowledge of both sucking and blowing.

It could be his colleagues have had enough of his stupidity and they see this as the perfect opportunity....

"Shep!... the hurricane is over Key West. Hop into the panel truck and head down there right away!"

Tropical Storm Warning here in MGM. I expect it will be pretty well burned out by the time it gets here, but the tornadoes are the real issue for us.

Still sweating getting my son & D-i-L home from MIA on Tuesday. I'm thinking I-95 to JAX. Any thoughts?

RMD

quote:

Originally posted by rduckwor:
Tropical Storm Warning here in MGM. I expect it will be pretty well burned out by the time it gets here, but the tornadoes are the real issue for us.

Still sweating getting my son & D-i-L home from MIA on Tuesday. I'm thinking I-95 to JAX. Any thoughts?

I would not expect major traffic problems northbound on I-95 after the storm. Some local pockets of traffic near cities maybe.

If they are heading to Alabama, wouldn't the Florida Turnpike be a more direct route?

I do recall one of the significant hurricanes maybe 15 years ago. My wife and I jumped into the V-Tail and got out of Dodge. After the storm passed, we flew back home in nice weather. We looked down and all the major southbound highways were bumper to bumper, a sea of brake lights. Northbound lanes were lightly traveled and moving briskly.

Local CBS station is reporting way more reasonably than the local Fox affiliate WSVN that is blowing wind harder than the hurricane. I can't watch WSVN any longer even to check in and sadly Fox News is using them for their feed. We'll be sticking with CBS when we need/want to check in for updates. Otherwise the Internet and Facebook are being quite informative and entertaining.

Southwest Broward County here and winds are about 44mph with gusts to 61mph. Still have power and we are ok. The lake behind our house looks like the ocean with all the whitecaps and waves. Lake level is surging too due to the rain and wind. Not concerned about it reaching the back of the house though due to the elevation of our house above the surface of the lake (4 to 5 feet) including a 6 inch step up from the patio floor to the bottom of the back door.

I'm considering trying out my new parasailing rig.

11am NOAA update

note movement direction: now North at 9 mph

The eye has passed over the Florida keys

From the pic:

D < 39 mph
S 39-73 mph
H 74-110 mph
M > 110 mph

quote:

I would not expect major traffic problems northbound on I-95 after the storm. Some local pockets of traffic near cities maybe.

That sounds about right. Among the first things that is done is to clear the interstates after the storm. All of the billboards are toast, as well as the large highway signs. There is an amazing amount of debris that is blown on the highway. The only other problem I could think of would be flooding covering the highway. I do not know I 95 that well to comment on flooding concerns.

** BREAKING NEWS **

Jim Cantore, on the Weather Channel, just announced he's seen his first fallen palm frond.

Who is the f*cking idiot (on Fox) damn near touching the tree that fell and was ignited by the power lines?

Really?

quote:

Originally posted by 4x5:
** BREAKING NEWS **

Jim Cantore, on the Weather Channel, just announced he's seen his first fallen palm frond.

He had someone off camera cut it off and toss it into view.

I saw a news crew in action once, and heard someone yell "CUT". That's how they fool you.

quote:

I would not expect major traffic problems northbound on I-95 after the storm. Some local pockets of traffic near cities maybe.

If they are heading to Alabama, wouldn't the Florida Turnpike be a more direct route?

Thanks, I thought about that too, but wondered if it would suffer damage as well as I-75. Tuesday is a long way away. Hopefully I will know more then.

Thanks,

RMD

quote:

Originally posted by 4x5:
** BREAKING NEWS **

Jim Cantore, on the Weather Channel, just announced he's seen his first fallen palm frond.

The scent of fresh wood has gone by his schnoz!

Local Fort Meyers TV

http://www.nbc-2.com/category/...-247-streaming-video

I sincerely hope we don't see a decap on live tv.

Ron white classic
https://youtu.be/S7Fu-v490-c

https://www.washingtonpost.com...pisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

Irma breached the Florida coast on Sunday morning, making landfall just after 9 a.m. at Cudjoe Key.

hurricane-force winds extend about 80 miles from the center

tropical storm winds extend out 220 miles

At 5 a.m., weather officials said the storm was plodding northwest at about 8 miles per hour, placing it on pace to reach Naples by about 5 p.m.

The National Weather Service said southwestern Florida could see storm surges up to 15 feet if peak surge happens during high tide. A storm surge warning is in effect for much of the Florida peninsula.

Scott said at least 50,000 people are staying in 260 shelters across the state.

Emergency managers in Monroe County, which encompasses the Keys, were forced by the track of the storm to abandon their Emergency Operations Center in Marathon, in the Middle Keys, and relocate to higher ground in Key Largo, at the northern end of the island chain. Downey said he feared that the storm could knock out the Overseas Highway, which would hamper rescue efforts.

Officials also are concerned that wind gusts will send water over the Herbert Hoover Dike that holds back Lake Okeechobee, which covers more than 700 square miles. Evacuations have been ordered for cities and towns on the south side of the lake in Hendry, Palm Beach and Glades counties.

quote:

Originally posted by rduckwor:

quote:

I would not expect major traffic problems northbound on I-95 after the storm. Some local pockets of traffic near cities maybe.

If they are heading to Alabama, wouldn't the Florida Turnpike be a more direct route?

Thanks, I thought about that too, but wondered if it would suffer damage as well as I-75. Tuesday is a long way away. Hopefully I will know more then.

Yeah, there will be plenty of information available by Tuesday morning. Information overload, probably.