quote:

Originally posted by Brett B:
I could use some advice from my Florida friends since I don't have any hurricane experience. How many days in advance of landfall will air travel be affected?

I am scheduled to fly to Melbourne Florida tomorrow (9/6) for an important all day client meeting on Thursday (9/7), with a return flight leaving Melbourne that Thursday evening (9/7).

Irma is predicted to hit land in Florida on Saturday 9/9. What's the likelihood that I will get stranded in Melbourne due to air travel interruptions on 9/7?

It looks like a big one, hope everybody stays safe down there.

I think you'll be fine. My best guess at earliest arrival of winds would be Saturday. That said, American is more likely to strand you than Delta, as most of their planes into Melbourne cycle through Miami vs Atlanta. My house is 30 minutes south of the Melbourne airport, so on the off chance you get stranded you can crash on my couch. Wife and kids are home, I'm offshore standing by to evacuate offshore facilities should that be necessary if things go badly in the Gulf. My house is about as prepped as anyone can be.

I've prepped for Irma by not living in Florida.

people are not prepared it would seem. I have a 50 gallon barrel for water. If I lived down there it would have to be several hundred gallons.

Dont people buy the bladders you can fill up in the bathtubs ?

I would say it is normal after watching TX coverage all week and then realizing you could be in store for the same thing!!

quote:

Originally posted by smithnsig:

quote:

Originally posted by jcsabolt2:
I was talking to a former Florida resident (fellow engineer) the other day about construction standards in that state and neither of us can figure out why stick construction is still allowed along the coast lines and even a few miles inward in general. Its not a matter of IF Florida will be hit with hurricanes, but when.

I am a builder in Florida and the weak point is not the walls, but the roof. Even in concrete residential construction the roof is still wood.

And more importantly, the 'type' of roof. If you've got open gables its much harder to keep the wind at bay than if you have a hip roof. Luckily, I have a hip roof (on a mostly block home), that survived a direct hit from 110+mph winds from hurricane Charlie with nary a shingle blown off. Unfortunately, the roof over the garage couldn't survive the three foot diameter oak tree that fell out of my neighbor's yard onto it.

As I told two of my neighbors this afternoon, its still a complete crap shoot on where this storm will eventually go, so no need to lose their minds yet. By end of the week we should know.

Irma-grrrd! Everyone panic!

The Brits know how to keep calm and carry on. But then again the US has never had to deal with anything like the blitz.

I guess it's too much to ask that people proceed in a calm, orderly fashion.

Nevertheless, I hope our Floridian Sigforum family members get out of dodge or hunker down in a boonker, or sumpthin'.

You know, with all of this fire, flooding, hurricanes, and such, Sigforum should come up with volunteers that could lend a couch or a sleeping bag or something to those in need. I'm a little far from all of this chaos, but I'd consider opening my home for such a catastrophe.

Anyway, stay safe down there, guys.

H&K-Guy

Fuckwittery has broken out in central Florida. We are predicted for 1.3 inches of rain and winds as high as 40! Can you believe it! Stores are already stripped of bread and water, gas stations are run dry, people are picking up sandbags, and driving like there is no tomorrow.

God forbid the Norks ever flip one at us.

IT'S IRMAGEDDON EVERYONE!

The kids' school just cancelled classes for Thursday, Friday and at least Monday. We're leaving tomorrow after school and going camping. How's Stone Mountain?

quote:

Originally posted by H&K-Guy:
Irma-grrrd! Everyone panic!

The Brits know how to keep calm and carry on. But then again the US has never had to deal with anything like the blitz.

I guess it's too much to ask that people proceed in a calm, orderly fashion.

Nevertheless, I hope our Floridian Sigforum family members get out of dodge or hunker down in a boonker, or sumpthin'.

You know, with all of this fire, flooding, hurricanes, and such, Sigforum should come up with volunteers that could lend a couch or a sleeping bag or something to those in need. I'm a little far from all of this chaos, but I'd consider opening my home for such a catastrophe.

Anyway, stay safe down there, guys.

H&K-Guy

I think it's pretty understandable this close to Houston. The size of the storm and it's track is no joke.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
I've prepped for Irma by not living in Florida.

Smart man.

Ackks,

True dat. I really pray for those this will effect, and not just those in the US. The Caribbean is going to get doused. It's just a little sad we can't behave as adults during these times.

H&K-Guy

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin101:
I have a 50 gallon barrel for water

I hear those things work great for gasoline

It's a good time for neighboring States to prepare, too. No one knows yet where Jose is going.

quote:

Originally posted by Orguss:
So I'm reading in this thread that members in the southern states are making runs to the stores for food and other supplies. My question: If you know hurricane season is approaching, why not stock up on non-perishables ahead of time and start buying extras of perishables when a tropical storm forms in the Caribbean?

Almost inevitably, it seems like hurricanes hit the U.S. each year, but somehow it always comes as a surprise when it happens.

Reread. I don't believe members here are going out to buy storm supplies. I'm not, I'm just trying to go about my normal business. Just mowed the lawn.

quote:

Originally posted by H&K-Guy:
Ackks,

True dat. I really pray for those this will effect, and not just those in the US. The Caribbean is going to get doused. It's just a little sad we can't behave as adults during these times.

H&K-Guy

For sure. I bet it is only going to get worse as the storm gets closer. On the one hand people are panicking, but you know some aren't doing anything thinking it will turn or the government will take care of them.

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin101:
people are not prepared it would seem. I have a 50 gallon barrel for water. If I lived down there it would have to be several hundred gallons.

Dont people buy the bladders you can fill up in the bathtubs ?

I would say it is normal after watching TX coverage all week and then realizing you could be in store for the same thing!!

I was as prepared as can be for Harvey but it's comical seeing so many people unprepared (including some of my family). People have no clue and do not plan ahead. One day during the storm when the grocery store was open for a few hours I went out of boredom. I saw one young guy buying mainly frozen food, pizzas and other junk food. I suppose he could have a generator but by the looks of the millennial I doubt it and I'm sure the thought of how to keep them frozen with no electricity never crossed his adolescent mind. If something major lasts long term (war, loss of power grid) many will die due to the fact that they cannot survive without technology.

quote:

Originally posted by deepocean:
It's a good time for neighboring States to prepare, too. No one knows yet where Jose is going.

Atmospheric physics is not yet an exact science (except to liberals who know that Repub SUV's and New Zealand cow flatulence caused Harvey and Irma). There could still be some surprises as to direction and intensity. It is better to be over prepared than under prepared.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
I've prepped for Irma by not living in Florida.

Some of the storm tracks look like a real bitch for those of us further inland though. I don't doubt your preparedness for disasters, just saying this could really suck for us dry landers too.

quote:

Originally posted by Leemur:
I don't doubt your preparedness for disasters...

Well, you should.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

quote:

Originally posted by Leemur:
I don't doubt your preparedness for disasters...

Well, you should.

I don't doubt the guy that keeps his rifle clean.

We are the proactive type and keep things stocked for water and non-perishables pretty much year round. Even more so now. We also have two of the heavy duty bathtub bladders that can hold up to 100 gallons each but even in my large Roman tub can't fill it all the way. I would say 70-80 gallons or so. We are good with supplies and I filled up our cars with gas yesterday along with a couple of 2.5 gallon tanks (filled to more like 2.75 gallons each) to have a little extra. My brother lives two houses down from me and I'll be giving him the other bladder to fill in his Roman tub to maximize our water storage between the two of us.

Our insurance company did an inspection of our home a year or two back to confirm that our roof qualified for additional windstorm coverage discounts and it did as it is a hip roof with well strapped, clamped, reinforced trusses etc. We have impact glass on most of the windows and back door as well as shutters for all the windows. We are as prepared as we can be and given our location I'm pretty certain we will be fine. even during Wilma, it came through as a Cat 2 wind level and we only had like 4 or 5 barrel tiles loosened and thrown to the grass. Worst that I would expect is to loose a fair number of the roof tiles with stronger winds.

I agree that the storm and conditions are to be respected but some people are definitely panicking. People have already said that it going to be a 200+ mph storm by the time it gets here and that sort of thing. I already had some cousins and extended family members saying they want to leave and go up to Orlando. My response..."so you want to get together and rent a house in a town 200 miles away where the storm is likely to go anyway without the assurance of the availability of gas or supplies once you get there except for what you take with you, without knowing how well the house is built to withstand the storm or when you might be able to return and that sounds like a good plan to you?"

On another note, you can tell the water management people are doing their thing because the lake behind our house has dropped probably 6 to 12 inches in the last couple of days.