Hurricane ?? Pay attention
 

Christobal is getting stronger and direction changed
Pay attention
Do not get distracted

yup looks like it's headed toward Florida on the radar...now downgraded to a Tropical Depression...but certainly could strengthen once it travels over the warm waters of the Gulf

The official forecast heads toward New Orleans ... Panama City, FL Weather and Radar Map - The Weather Channel | Weather.com

Let's all try something different...... stock up now on hurricane supplies instead of last minute stampede to wiping out food, water and gasoline supplies.

At least hurricanes are not a threat to toilet paper availability.

:duck:

I forget, is there only a run on water and gas, pre-hurricane?

Add "beer" and "diapers", if memory serves.

And milk and bread
Steve

Can you imagine? On top of everything else. I'm a Floridian in Training and just coming up on our 4th Anniversary here in The Villages. I'm almost certain we are ready. I just have to look over the list I made last year. If I can find it.

Gas for the generator would be nice.

In 1979 while living in Pensacola, my in-laws in Savannah were hit by a hurricane and were without power. We drove the 8 hours to Savannah, which is I-10 to Tallahassee and then back roads through Georgia.

Since they had no power, we went to a country bar and drank and listened to the band until closing time. Then we got back to their home and the power was back on. On the TV the weather guy said there's a hurricane 250 miles due south of Pensacola heading north.

The next morning, hangover and all, I jumped in my car and headed back. We had a pool and I wanted to take in the patio furniture and makes sure everything was secure. As soon as I got to Tallahassee and hopped on I-10, it's normally 200 miles to Pensacola from there. I didn't see one car in front or behind me, I was the only car westbound. I gradually got my speed up to 100 mph all the way to Pensacola, never passed a car the entire way. When I was north of Panama City Beach, from that exit to to Pensacola's exit is about 100 miles and the east bound lanes were bumper to bumper going about 20 mph. While I was flying down the road going where they were leaving. I never saw one cop, my biggest memory was hearing 38 Special Hold on Loosely on the radio for the first time, I'm a music nut.

I got back, brought the furniture into the garage. I was going to go the radar room, a lot of guys were going there and camp out. I was too tired, I just went in the hallway, closed all the doors and put down a pillow, turned on the radio and just then the power went off. I fell asleep and woke up the next morning to a bright sunny day.

We had almost no damage, there was about 500 green pine cones in the bottom of the pool, which was a real hassle to lift up from the bottom with a net, they don't have birdcages in Pensacola, fenced yards is the norm. They said winds reached 95 mph at the airport a 1/2 mile away. Actually Mobile took the biggest part of the storm, they lost a bridge to their beach.

Hurricane Frederic - September 12, 1979

https://www.weather.gov/images/mob/e...edericsat.jpeg

If it changes direction I'll pay attention. Why worry about a storm that's not projected to affect Florida at all?

Attachment 84435

You are right. I'm wondering the intent/purpose of starting this thread. This storm is forecast to be tropical in strength, and every forecast model has it going up into Louisiana and possibly Mobile AL. The track has not changed.

New to the villages, how often does a hurricane or strong tropical storm come this way?

Yup, I already got my extra 2 jugs of water, with a third 3/4 full in the freezer because keeping the freezer full keeps it cold longer in an outage, plus it's fresh water when it melts.

Got a few extra cans of food and a box full of peanutbutter cracker snack-packs, a bottle of chewable multi-vitamins, bandaids, first aid cream, gauze, clean underwear, a full tank of gas, several bottles of booze, catfood, and an extra container of litter. We are good to go.

We're in a good spot. Pensacola gets one about every 5 years, and they're usually head on. They had 3 bad ones since 1995. St. Petersburg where I grew up, gets one about every 5 years, but they either glancing along the coast or cutting inland across the state. We might get the one the crosses over the state, but since were 50 miles or more from either coast, just like Irma when it came through here two years, the winds will diminish somewhat after they make landfall. Places like Naples, Fort Myers on the Gulf side and Miami, Palm Beach on the Atlantic are more vulnerable. It seems like Savannah and North Carolina gets more than most, the Outer Banks.

Thanks for the info

Have been here since 2010, only two times did I take my furniture in from the lanai...
There is always a prediction. But why worry about something you have no control over. Get the hurricane list, for supplies.
TV does an excellent job of moving water from rain run off, by sending water to golf courses. Our pond was up 10 feet, but never came close to any homes.
We have never lost power during any storm. Knock on wood

Stock up on TP, oh wait ...

Make sure to get a little cash too. ATM’s and store’s credit ability goes down with the electricity. Lessons learned from 11 years in the panhandle.

Almost never

Based on what I’ve read about hurricane damage in the past forty years in the tri-county area and quite a bit beyond, nearly all the houses destroyed are mobile homes, and nearly everyone killed while in a dwelling was in a mobile home. The concrete houses at The Villages are extra safe. However, there could still be power outages or shortages of things people buy before storms, and gasoline for cars and generators.

Hurricane Irma dropped a LOT of rain on The Villages. There’s a YouTube video in which a drone flies around the next day showing the results. I saw no houses with water in them at all, except a huge house not far from the polo fields where I think a Morse family member lives. There were a few golf course cart paths under water here and there. The places with no houses were covered with water. The water control system in The Villages is very well designed and pretty amazing.

We have plenty of bottled water stocked but wonder if it's really necessary.
When losing power for a week after Irma tap water was always available.
Even during the 2004 hurricanes water supply was never affected due to backup generators supplying water.
Sure it might not taste the best but we were always able to flush toilets and turn on the tap.
When was the last time a hurricane shut down water supply?

Hurricanes
 

Been living in Cen. Fla. 50+ yrs. Never been in a hurricane. I DID outrun one while on vacation, going north out of St.Pete around 1967 - and one cleaned out a lot of trees in south Orlando about 12 yrs. ago. I think there are millions of brand new generators sitting in the garages of people who worry. Most will never be used. How likely is it that you may hit the jackpot in Vegas?............

Worry is something I NEVER do.. For me, there is nothing to ever worry about.
Preparedness, is something I always do.
Gas tank is full. Food is adequate. Medications are well stocked. Batteries for the radio (am/fm/sw) and flashlight available. Bottled water available.
Good books to read. Music to listen to.
Plenty of ammunition.

stop .. no why is this storm coming to florida .. just rainy .. go on and live your weekend..

enough
 

How about we have had more than our share of disturbing news in the past 4 months and are not interested in hearing more frightening news. I've taken to watching comedy on tv just for relief.

Don't know if an umbrella will work with the excessive winds in a hurricane, or tropical storm for that matter.

I lived in St. Pete for 20 years, most of it on Coquina Key. There is some mystical quality about Tampa Bay which, although it looks great for a catastrophic hurricane to do big damage, somehow just deflects the storms damaging forces away

It is hurricane season so it's always good to be prepared. When Irma blew thru in September 2017, there was no power in many areas of Lady Lake.
No power means no stores, gas stations, pharmacy, banks, atms, open,no place to buy ice, no AC in your home, etc.
Most places up here do not have back up generators.
My outage lasted over 10 days.
My yard guy brought 3 helpers to clean up all the broken branches. I asked who had electricity. Only 1 out of 4 did. I gave him and the others everything in my freezer that was defrosting rather that than throwing it out and going to waste.
I moved here from St. Thomas, VI.
I've been thru numerous hurricanes including CAT 5's. 1st time without a generator in decades when I moved here.
Rectified that before 2018 Hurricane Season with a whole house propane generator with auto transfer system.
I'll be happy if I never have to use it but I'm glad to have it.

Best to prep in advance and not deal with frustration of long lines.
Don't forget food and meds for your pets, insurance and other important paperwork.

Hurricane
 

We ahve lived here 11 tears and there was a hurricnae that hit here twice, Just highwinds and rain. Just go to your most protected room, oftentime bathroom. :pray::pray::pray:

Coquina Key, that's a name from the past. I grew up near Bartlett Park and played Little League there. I had few friends on CK. Unfortunately when I started at St. Petersburg High, after my first year they opened Lakewood High and most of those friends went away, never to be seen again. We had a hurricane in the early 60's, it was Donna and we had a tree fall against the front of our house and I remember the power was off for 3 days. That's the only time we remember getting hit. I had many more problems in the six years I lived in Pensacola and the eight years I lived in Savannah.

Has anyone ever had to evacuate this area? Coming from an agrarian background, I'm always prepared...I typically don't consume bottled water. I figure if a hurricane was destined to hit our area that I'd just shut off the supply to my water heater as well as Turn off power to it... and then attach a potable water hose to it. There's 40 gallons of potable water in there if needed.

Besides food what's there to worry about? Btw... this is my first hurricane season.

We had family in Punta Gorda / Port Charlotte, Fl when Charlie hit. It bent steel girders, blew through windows and took off roofs as it uplifted. Although The Villages seems safer, Mother Nature needs to be respected.

Building codes were significantly upgraded about 10 years ago. If you are in a newer house, and given that we are far from the coast, it is unlikely you will need to evacuate. During Irma, the most recent significant storm, only the historic section suffered.

As for water, many people fill their bathtub so that they can use a bucketfull to flush the toilet.

Our power has never been out for more than a couple hours. But if it is, besides candles you will appreciate having fully charged your phones and Ipads, and perhaps also a battery so that you can re-charge them.

If you want accurate information go to The National Hurricane Center. National Hurricane Center

The good old days. I still have a very close friend who lives near Lake Maggiore. We did get some big blows but nothing to write home about. We got nailed when we lived in Houston though.

It's currently about to make landfall over New Orleans and move up through Mississippi and the center of the country. We'll get a bit of rain today and then it's gone.

I've been here a few years and we've had a few hurricanes and they've done almost no damage at all. A few years ago we had Irma, which was one of the largest hurricanes ever to hit Florida come right up the middle of the state. The eye literally came right over my house. I woke up at about 1:00am and I could hear the wind and rain whipping against the west wall of my house. I awoke about three hours later and it was whipping against the east wall of my house.

The damage to The Villages was minimal. I live in the historic district and am in a newer site built home. Some of my neighbors had some damage to their manufactured homes, but it was mostly carports and lanais.

We did lose power for about three days. I later found out that it was because the power station that serves this area was built in a low lying area and it flooded. I wonder who the genius was that decided to build it there.

I do know that we had some tornadoes about ten years ago that destroyed a rec center but I've never experienced one since I've been here.

The thought of a tornado terrifies me. A hurricane fifty miles inland, not so much. We don't basements so there is no place to hide.