Do you ever evacuate from The Villages with an approaching storm?
 

I understand this current track is different from many past storms in that it looks like a more direct hit. Do many consider evacuating with a storm such as this?

We don't. We have family near Tampa that come to stay with us when they get evacuated.

This storm is tracking similarly to Ian in 2022.

No. Shelter in place. Our Villages homes were built to current building codes to withstand storms like this. The landscaping is designed to divert the water onto the golf courses. Unless you live in a mobile home, you will be fine.

In the last big storm, only the historic section had some flooding and power outage. The rest of The Villages was good.

One weather guy I saw said, "Run from water, hide from wind." By that, he was saying that if you live in an area that has a decent chance of flooding, get out of town. However, if what you're going to get is mostly wind, find a safe place in your home or community and hunker down. Now, I'm sure there's an upper limit on the wind that it would be safe to stick around for. Most of the hurricanes we've been through here have come up either straight from the south or at an angle, so they really had time to have the passage over land kick the feet out from under them. This one seems to be coming straight across, so it's going to probably hit here harder, wind-wise, than most we've had in several years. The Villages has fantastic water management and all the houses built in the last decades are up to stringent hurricane codes, but we could still lose power for an indefinite period of time.

That all being said, if officials recommend evacuating The Villages, we already have plans on where we're going to go and what we'll take.

I expect the roads will be quite crowded Tuesday with many people from the Tampa and St. Pete area coming here.


We have stayed here counting the recent storm since 2005.

First - we aren't a "direct hit" from Milton. The gulf short will be the "direct hit." By the time it gets to The Villages it will have weakened. Even if it only weakens from a Cat4 to a Cat3, it still disqualifies as a "direct" hit.

We are not in the path of the center of whatever ends up inland. We're north of it. Hopefully the southernmost parts of The Villages will be spared from the worst, including Middleton, our "sister Family community."

The Historic section looks like it'll just get what it always gets when the wind and rain kick up a notch - palm fronds laying in the streets, some road flooding at retention ponds and Silver Lake, and lawn ornaments toppled and hurled over to the next door neighbor's yard.

Jerry - Has there ever been a recommended evacuation from The Villages? Wasn't even thinking about that...ie an emergency services suggested evacuation. Was thinking more or of just individual decisions and whether many do evacuate.

One place that costal people seek shelter is TV this time of the year many have empty rentals and home are built to code, lots of places to eat, and grocery will open soon as possible.
Loss of power is rarel

If you really don’t feel safe for your first Hurricane, book a room as Disney. Their resorts are built to Cat 5, as are the parks. However they do shut down the parks during the worst of it.
You will have great food available, and Disney not only offers their employees work, and safety, they can also bring their families to be safe also.

Hotel prices IF you are in a government EVAC zone, are very discounted as is the food. We have been at Disney during hurricanes 3 times. Not because we evacuated from TV, but was already a planned stay.

Hurricane Milton Update for Sumter County, FL

As Hurricane Milton approaches, residents should review their housing options. Those in The Villages® community can shelter in place, as homes here are built above the 100-year floodplain and designed to withstand strong winds.

For residents in mobile homes, low-lying areas, or with special needs, we strongly recommend considering evacuation or moving to a shelter when they open.

Important Tips:
• Stay with Friends/Family: If possible, plan to stay with someone in a safer area.
• Early Travel Arrangements: If evacuating, have a destination in mind and make arrangements ahead of time.
• Bring Essentials: Pack necessary items, especially medications.

If a shelter is your only option, please wait for officials to announce when they are open before heading out. For shelter locations and more information, stay tuned to our social media channels or visit www.sumterprepares.com. You can also call the Citizen Information Center 24/7 at 352-689-4400 for information.

Note: Shelters may not provide cots, blankets, or other supplies, so plan accordingly. All shelters are pet-friendly, but you must bring a crate and supplies for your pet. Stay safe and prepared!

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...928-post5.html


#sumtercountyfl #sumterprepares #hurricaneseason2024 #HurricaneMilton

Thanks for that info. Had not seen.

Wish that TV had used code that is used in Coastal areas of Florida. No reasonable window protection in TV and there are a lot of trees which will create projectiles. Saw new villas at Hacienda and those do not have impact glass.

Great advice.

If the eye of Milton passes over the Villages then we will have sustained a direct hit, whether the winds have lost some speed or not.

We are clearly within the forecast cone of Milton as it crosses land. We are not at the center but the center moves with every update. If I remember correctly, hurricane Ian just two years ago showed the folly of relying too heavily on the center line of the forecast cone.

And, just like horseshoes and hand-grenades, "close" counts with hurricanes.

And go where? Look what happened to Asheville and that is how far north? If you go mobile your then reliant on gas for the vehicle along the route, food along the route, electric and food from another place instead of yours when you get there, etc, Hunker down and you have plenty of neighbors that probably have supplies also, My 2 cents.

These are the situations why I keep mentioning how important it is to value your neighbors and friends in TV. They will be there for you when you need them most, that has been my experience.

As I mentioned go to Disney, your route is clear than travel north. A few Sink holes are starting to open in SC, some roads still not cleared to Greenville. Power was restored to 80,000 late Sunday, but has been suspended for 20 hours to continue to return more homes to the grid.

NC home north of Wilmington, has no damage, but roads are damaged and not safe to drive a car, into neighborhood, and unsure when repair can start.

Going north isn’t always a good thing.

Excellent advice.

We're in a double-wide/modular. We're also 3 blocks from the country club and less than a mile from the golf cart bridge. If push comes to shove and we need to hunker down somewhere more sturdy, we could walk up the hill, or take the cart over the bridge and hole up in the public rest room til the storm blows over.

And how many people fit in that public restroom?:oops:

As a precaution, I would recommend evacuating if you are in a manufactured home. In short, just for your safety.

I am curious what the wind gusts were here during Ian? Anyone remember?

Was wondering the same. Was Ian highest wind speeds here? What was the damage like?

Ian (2022): In TV winds were in the 30s and gusts were in the 50s with 3" of rain.

Irma (2017): In TV winds were in the 40s and gusts in the 60s with 10" of rain.

For Ian I didn't hear of any major home damage in TV but there were many scattered palm branches and downed trees. Many on this site were saying we dodged one because it veered away from us.

LOL. LOL, THIS is where everyone goes to "evacuate" ! If you are thinking of evacuating, don't go to Disney area, if you heard on TV today 16,000 (THOUSAND) rooms have already been reserved by those coming from the Gulf coast.

Shelter locations, looks like Villages Elementary could be closest to the Villages.

Yeah, people used to evacuate to Ashville, NC too. Let's not assume anything, use common sense.

I was wondering why it seemed everyone was kind of forgetting about Irma in 2017. That was our first big storm (other than the tornado in 2007 which spared our place while we were up north). Irma was very scary but we came through it pretty much unscathed. Maybe 3 hours loss of power and alot of wind and rain. We lost a few shingles and our 7 Cypress trees but otherwise we were good. We will prepare appropriately for this one. Everyone should. Then we will hunker down and keep each other safe and sound. Same wish to all.

Charley back in maybe 2004 (?) was the "worst" I remember, and even then, certainly not anything that made us want to leave (like we did many times where we grew up in Southeast Florida.

I'm a little more concerned about this one (I've never left for a hurricane in the 10+ years I've been here) simply because the NWS is now saying this will probably be the costliest hurricane in FL history. 100 mph winds and already saturated ground means that trees are going to come down. I've got 2 huge live oaks near my house that the owners don't bother trimming or taking care of. I've got pets to think about so we're considering heading out. I have a safe place to go that doesn't require getting on 75, so that's makes the decision a little easier.

As for power, during Ian mine blinked once and then a few hours later again but stayed on both times. For Idalia (2023) no power lost as well as Helene just the previous week, though my sister's house lost power 10 minutes away from my house. This will be my 4th Florida hurricane since moving here in May 2022. Experienced 2 in Hawaii, the 1982 one was really wet and the 1992 one was like nothing on Oahu but Kauai got battered both times. When you watch the 1st Jurassic Park that's the hurricane weather going on.

Do you really think seniors can walk safely in hurricane winds 3 blocks uphill?

Disney has over 32,000 rooms, universal 11,000. Not counting the surrounding off property Disney/Universal hotels, and then add in the Kissimmee area.
Also timeshare galore, and private homes for rentals within minutes of Disney and universal.

It’s not that busy at Disney right now

power
 

If you have Leesburg electric plan to lose power get supplies

Shelter from Wind. Run from Water
 

Shelter from Wind. Run from water. The people who need to evacuate are in the path of the storm surge. We are not. So PLEASE. Stay out of their way! And remember the workers at Publix, Walmart, ALDIs, Lowe’s, Winn-Dixie, Sparr, Home Depot and all the restaurants have homes and families too. Many live on the surrounding farms and have livestock to protect. So be patient and kind to them as they help us prepare.

Nope

not even a direct hit nowhere close. there is no reason to evac here, worst that will happen is a severe thunderstorm. Watch something other than the local news you'll get far better and more accurate information wthout all ther drama spin up (historically speaking)

When the dust settles take the Sumter County hurricane prep class. It is excellent. Their advice is to shelter in place. The most dangerous place is in a car stuck in traffic.

No.

Evacuating a coastal region where a storm surge is predicted makes sense. Similarly, evacuating manufactured homes could make sense because they do not make good storm shelters. We saw diminished winds in North Carolina, but flooding due to heavy rains was deadly.

No - I believe this is “fake news” and there is no bad weather coming!