Cat 5 Hurricane Coming to Florida

[Geoff Hacker]

Hi Gang..

The path continues to evolve.  The last change at 11am this morning puts Hurricane Irma over my house in Tampa, Florida in just over 48 hours.  If this doesn't change, plans are to put my Kaiser Dragon on a trailer Sunday morning and head out with it in tow to unknown destination.  I live 100 yards from the water - all the disadvantages of being close to the water with none of the advantages.  Not good here.

Here's the latest info on the track of the storm:

https://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/atlantic/2017/hurricane-irma

Geoff

[Fid]

Good luck. Be safe and keep us informed

[Gordie]

We hope that you and your large paper collection are safe.  California earthquakes just cause book cases to fall over and everything stored  in your garage rafters to fall on your cars but do not cause flooding.  I've been through two bad earthquakes and we're  waiting for the "big one".

[vettelang]

I would not wait until Sunday morning. It took 18 hours yesterday to go from Fort Myers to north of Atlanta. Traffic and gas supply will be your issues. Good Luck!

[Carpenter]

Good advice.  Hope all those with old cars manage to get themselves and their cars to safety.

[joefrazer]

My brother lives on the east cost in Palm Springs and he has been told to shelter in place because the lines of traffic to leave the area basically stretch the length of the state at this time. He's a seasoned veteran of these kinds of storms but is concerned about this one because of the high winds expected. His home was built to withstand such abuse but it's still a concern.

Other friends and relatives live on the west coast near Ft Myers and most have left the area...but a few are going to stay put.

Keep them all in your thoughts as the storm passes thru. Kaisers can be replaced, people cannot.

[HJ-ETEX]

After some 10 years of few hurricanes, the average is catching up with us. Earlier this week, Texas was spared a 2nd Hurricane. A tropical disturbance in the Southern Gulf unexpected blew up into a hurricane, but there was a cold front that moved through Texas and blocked that storm from moving North. This same cold front is causing Irma to bend North and go up Florida instead of entering in the Gulf.

[Geoff Hacker]

Thanks for the kind words of support gang.  I have tomorrow to get ready before I leave.  I am not leaving the area - just moving to higher ground but still about a mile from the coast.  My current house is 100 yards from Tampa Bay.  It's the lesser of 2 bad choices.  Loading the Dragon tomorrow on the trailer and getting ready to change houses late tomorrow (Saturday) night.  Very stressful.  Still working at 12:41AM saturday morning and may work through the nite on securing the house.  Not fun...Geoff

[njpatera]

Stay safe Geoff!

[Carpenter]

Weather report not certain and liberal media causing hysteria, plus a possibility of Irma moving to the west side of Florida, with warnings, the whole state of Florida could end up being a ghost STATE.

[WillysTom1]

  Good Luck Geoff, Keep us informed how you are making out. We ( and my Willys) are pretty safe here in Palm Beach County. It could have come right over us to though.

[Hollenway]

Indeed - stay safe - I've been watching the storm on the Weather Channel and CNN..... You folks are dealing with a real disaster.   Jim Brown is also in the Melbourne area..... I hope he and his wife are safe as well.     DO take care !!!!

[Geoff Hacker]

ARRIVED IN DUNEDIN, FLORIDA - CLOSE TO THE COAST BUT ON HIGH GROUND IN NON-EVAC AREA: Police were blocking many roads, but made it to my family's house (mother's house) which is safe (not in an evacuation zone). I arrived and saw her prep job on the windows - I was making corrections this afternoon...Suburban towed the '53 Kaiser Dragon. Both the Suburban and the KaIser Dragon were stuffed with items from my home. Very exhausting job - good to be safe now but....still predicting several hours of 80 mile an hour winds tonight. ....Geoff

[Carpenter]

Wind is already blowing main power lines together in Cocoa-Cape Canaveral area.  That's half way up the East coast of Florida.

[Gordie]

We're glad that you made it.  The TV showed cars parked on the Interstate and some in the center divider that had run out of gas!