Tropical storm coming AND Golf Carts
 

New to Florida & Hurricanes so please excuse the question. When this Hurricane hits land & turned into a possible Cat 3 storm, any suggestions how to secure a golf cart w/o a garage ? Are the sustained winds strong enough to flip a cart over ?

Thanks.

In our courtyard villa community I have seen people park their carts under their porch. A bit might stick out but the cart is still protected. The option depends on your house layout and whether or not the porch area is screened in. I would think that carts are bottom-heavy enough that flipping that it wouldn't be an issue, but I do have a garage and all vehicles will be inside when the storm hits.

Any storm is unlikely to still be a hurricane by the time it gets this far inland, so the chance of a golf cart being flipped is very remote.

Still worthwhile taking precautions, but no need to panic.

If you can't get it on the porch, tuck it up horizontally to the house on the leeward side (facing away from the wind)

That should help keep it safe from most gusts

If we get a lot of rain you may be want to stay out of the Villages' golf cart tunnels. Tornadoes are the big worry here in the Villages.

Hurricane Hugo marched inland 235 miles to hit Charlotte NC with 80 mile per hour SUSTAINED winds. We’re 45 miles from the coast.

Granted, the weather service always goes on the high side for wind gusts, and we have been lucky that they have not been as strong. Plan for the worst, hope for the best.

So how far into GA will you be going today or tomorrow as you take your own advice and plan for the worst?

2018 one that passed close had sustained wind of 55 MPH gusting to 75 MPH in my area. Some other areas of villages had higher gusts. That can IMO definitely blow Golf cart over with sun roof and curtains down. IMO it also depends on which side of storm we are on?

Funny thing about running you may run right into path of flooding rain or tornado?

You mean funny (peculiar), not funny (ha ha) I'm guessing.

OMG! What to do? What to do? 🤔🤔🤔

The winds from Irma in 2017 toppled a truck trailer that was parked along Fenney Way being used as a tool shed. Ask a neighbor or friend if you can squeeze it in their garage for a day or two just to be safe.

Never said I was going anywhere. My point was that we should not assume that we are safe because we are not on the coast.

We have friends who run north to GA every time a storm was predicted. Funny thing wherever they ran to, they alway lost power, and flood rain. Their TV home didn’t have any issues.

Some just panic when lighting storms and tropical storms come to central FL

Maybe see if a friend will let you park it in their garage? If all else fails maybe park it on the back side of the home out of the direction of the wind?

There is a huge difference in wind resistance between a truck trailer and a golf cart...

Hurricanes in Utah??? Don't think so...

Also, the wind forces on a tractor trailor are massive when compared to an open air golf cart...

Think about the wind pressure on an open umbrella vs a closed umbrella...

Unless your house is on the historic side, it's rated for 110mph winds. If you're in a concrete block house, you'd need a cat5 TORNADO to blow it away.

I went through three cat 5 hurricanes in Houston, in a brick-frame 20-year-old house that was not built to any windstorm standard at all. The eye of Rita went directly over my house, 80 miles from the coast. The only damage was it knocked down a section of privacy fence with a rotted fence post.

A cat 5 is barely a cat 1 after 80 miles. 80 mph is cat 1. I've seen 70 mph STRAIGHT winds many times, growing up in Oklahoma.

We'll be fine.

Strap down the seat and the sunbrella enclosure and you should be good. If you are really concerned, and you have a concrete slab in your carport, using a hammer drill to make a couple holes in the concrete, put in some good concrete anchors with hooks, and use a ratchet strap to solidly secure the cart to the ground.

I would reduce windage to a minimum by rolling up all of the Sunbrella sections and securing them with all of the provided poppers - your cart seat may get wet, but it's designed for that.

You’re inland. It probably will only be a tropical storm if that much when it arrives

From what I’ve been seeing on the news we’re not even in the path. It’s heading straight up the gulf to the panhandle in the Big Bend area. We might get winds at 40-55 mph max. I think Debby was worse a couple months ago, and she didn’t do much here other than flood some golf courses and fill some ponds (greatly needed). Your cart will be fine.

2017 Irma was a Cat 1.

If the predicted storm track comes true, the worst winds will be coming from the south, so the north side would be best for the cart.

So true.

FL has had hurricanes where people panic, drive hours right into the area where the huricanes accually end up hitting the hardest. Wish people would think calmly and rationally.

If one wants to panic then worry about tornadoes. That's what we see more of in this area. In that case good luck finding a "root cellar". Most houses barely have a center enclosed space.

Advice, pick up yard fly-a-way stuff: Put away all the yard ornament decorations the deed restrictions say you aren't supposed to have.

Grills, move them inside. A Villa neighbor had a fluke wind gust, on a normal sunny day, create a tunnel wind. Her grill lifted and struck another neighbor's gutter. They are heavy but sh*t happens.

The Wizzard of Oz drives these type of things these days. Iykyk. Just watch past patterns and one will gain a sense of how hurricane patterns turn out most of the time in Central, FL.

Being on a *****ula (funny I mis-spelled peninsula and got a bad word lol) not many places one can go, especially when accurate news reporting of the non-speghetti hurricane direction plus traffic from actual evacuation areas, leaves one with little time to get to safer areas.

Snowbird panic often creates more chaos on the roads, in stores and at gas stations than is necessary or good.

Relax, stay calm and get necessary items ahead of time as in FL Gov does tax free prep time period in late Spring/early summer to assist with people chilling out to avoid store bum rusher horders and chaos creators.

Saw a ton of people filling their golf carts with gas. Making them a little heavier?? That is not going to put enough weight for a tornado. Quick, run to lowes and buy hundreds of bags of sand to weigh it down.

Maybe these golf cart gasers are fleeing via golf cart?? Now that's an exit plan this long-term Central, FL native has never seen.

Agreed.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:
Most of us in TV have homes that can easily handle a hurricane. The roads will be clogged with people fleeing from the coasts and trailer parks. Gas supplies might run low. Please stay home if you can so that those who have a serious reason to flee can get out safely and quickly.

Hurricane winds
 

Keep in mind that when a hurricane hits the wind blows one way until the eye passes, then the wind blows the other way. By the time if it hits here it will be no more than a sustained summer thunderstorm with similar sustained winds. After having gone through Florida hurricanes since 1964 not a chicken little worrywart in central Florida.

Don't fool yourself
 

We are much farther inland in NC than the Villages and Hurricane Irene took our roof shingles and much more damage with no problem. $28k later we had all the damage repaired. Wishing good luck and safety to all effected.

Park it near a structure, to block the wind. Should be ok.

If you have a garage leave the car outside and park the cart in the garage.

We were in a tropical storm in Myrtle Beach with wind gust of 60 plus. in an RV. We rocked and rolled, but were fine. We parked our golf cart next to the camper and it did fine. Don't recall seeing any flying golf carts that day...although a few awnings were destroyed.

We had hurricane Fran hit us in Raleigh as a cat 1. It suddenly gained strength and we got it worse than the coast. But we survived. Most of the damage was from huge oak trees falling over onto houses. Palm trees are really just big weeds and don't usually fall on people's houses...

But I do agree, you should always have an inner space (closet, bath) ready for a tornado. No matter what weather we are getting. Stock it with water, cash, batteries, radio, dog supplies, I also keep a waterproof folder with papers. You never know.
Just be prepared. there is no need to panic. Enjoy the wonderful sounds of the rain and a day off to get things done around the house with all the rec centers and golf courses closed...

Yes

The weather people make every storm sound like Armageddon so you can't blame them.

Were you not here for Irma? It was a hurricane, and we had flooding. If the golf cart is close to the house, it should be fine. Please do not listen to anyone telling you it is safe during lightning as it is not.

For sure! In southern Ohio we had major wind damage from the remnants of a gulf hurricane. A golf cart most likely could have been overturned.

So, you think meteorologists are over doing it when they inform the public in the big bend area that they will experience a cat 3 hurricane with a 15-20 foot storm surge? SMH.

The golf clubs hanging off the back of the golf cart are like lightning rods attracting the lightning to you!

?? I think you forgot the smiley

They said they don't have a garage...

I would follow the wind directions. Currently the wind is coming from the east so park the cart if you can against the west side of your house. Then as the winds change move to another side of the house. Hopefully you can maneuver it there on the grass or rocks. At the most, the inside of your cart will get soaked and the weather cover will probably get ripped if you leave it in the wind.