[Rapscallion St Croix]

I haven't seen such devastation since the DC area earthquake of 2011



Seriously, I went through Katrina and was really concerned about Hermine. Luckily, we dodged the bullet.

[optv13sp]

Originally Posted by NYGUY

Florida tornadoes do not rise to the level you are use to in the Midwest. While I believe we have more tornadoes than any other state, most all are water spouts (and few of those reach land). We can get some tornadoes during thunder storms, but generally small. Hence, we don't have the warnings you are use to for tornadoes.

Yes, as a veteran/expert of hundreds of tornadoes, I realize the difference in the severity of EF1 and EF4 or EF5. We were here in 2007 and saw the damage that could be done even by a less strong tornado. I merely want to be informed. I have the Midland weather radio programmed for Sumter. Perhaps if one hasn't experienced the excellent local TV coverage/warning during such an event, one can't appreciate how helpful it is. I watched Orlando stations and they were reporting extensively on the threat even though, as you say, Florida tornadoes tend to be less strong. Please don't suggest I move, I love it here. Having said that, I miss things about a bigger city...i.e. TV coverage when needed, exceptional health care, etc. We all have our opinions...this is mine.

[jnieman]

Originally Posted by optv13sp

Yes, as a veteran/expert of hundreds of tornadoes, I realize the difference in the severity of EF1 and EF4 or EF5. We were here in 2007 and saw the damage that could be done even by a less strong tornado. I merely want to be informed. I have the Midland weather radio programmed for Sumter. Perhaps if one hasn't experienced the excellent local TV coverage/warning during such an event, one can't appreciate how helpful it is. I watched Orlando stations and they were reporting extensively on the threat even though, as you say, Florida tornadoes tend to be less strong. Please don't suggest I move, I love it here. Having said that, I miss things about a bigger city...i.e. TV coverage when needed, exceptional health care, etc. We all have our opinions...this is mine.

Can you tell me which local TV coverage you felt covered last night weather well? I watched channel 2 and they barely would even show the Villages or Leesburg, it was all about Orlando. I have Direct TV so I don't know if I have the same as you do.

[Happinow]

Greatful for the weather alerts on my phone. We did get a tornado warning last night which was scary. We went to the closet and stayed for a few minutes until the high winds passed. It was the first tornado warning we have been alerted to in the 4 1/2 years we lived here. Channel 13 did a great job giving a minute by minute tracking of where the tornado was headed. No damage here.

[NYGUY]

Originally Posted by optv13sp

Yes, as a veteran/expert of hundreds of tornadoes, I realize the difference in the severity of EF1 and EF4 or EF5. We were here in 2007 and saw the damage that could be done even by a less strong tornado. I merely want to be informed. I have the Midland weather radio programmed for Sumter. Perhaps if one hasn't experienced the excellent local TV coverage/warning during such an event, one can't appreciate how helpful it is. I watched Orlando stations and they were reporting extensively on the threat even though, as you say, Florida tornadoes tend to be less strong. Please don't suggest I move, I love it here. Having said that, I miss things about a bigger city...i.e. TV coverage when needed, exceptional health care, etc. We all have our opinions...this is mine.

We went through Hurricane Andrew, a Cat 5, along with 200 MPH tornado winds. I understand the importance of good reporting (not over hyped as it normally is in Florida) and warnings.

[VILLAGERBB]

Sabal Chase - Extremely fortunate...and thankful.

[2BNTV]

The house held up in fine form but I noticed the gates to my complex were missing!!!

Came home and turned on the television and notice there was no power to my "Hopper". I notice a red light on the power strip was activated, so I probably took a hit! After resetting the power strip, everything booted up fine.

Good to go!!! ;smiley:

[justjim]

Originally Posted by NYGUY

Florida tornadoes do not rise to the level you are use to in the Midwest. While I believe we have more tornadoes than any other state, most all are water spouts (and few of those reach land). We can get some tornadoes during thunder storms, but generally small. Hence, we don't have the warnings you are use to for tornadoes.

Generally agree with you. I too lived most of my life in Illinois. I've seen a tornado up close and seen its results. Ugly! Always had the sirens to warn us. The tornado that hit TV in 2007 was a F-3 or maybe F-4. Ugly and results were devastating.

[Bavarian]

No damage in Bridgeport Laurel Valley Thank God. Watching WESH 2, the tornado just missed us, lost power for a second. Got warning on WESH2 App on iPhone.

[delima2000]

Comcast channel 6 wkmg did a great job in talking about the rotation of the storms In Clermont and Leesburg and where it was heading to. Tom Sorells the weatherman didn't understand why Sumter county wasn't under the same warming as lake because the storm was headed towards fruit land park and wildwood. Then he found out that is because they are under a different weather radar. The other channel seem to concentrate on The Orlando area and the coast. (Atlantic)

[crabbyannie1]

Originally Posted by N44125

Anyone have any damage from Hermine. Here in Poinciana, Comcast TV & Wifi working, electricity on, no flooding and no branches, etc down.

Golf courses just announced...NO point day...all day.

My beautiful red Weeping Bottlebrush Tree, which was just starting to bloom and full of buds, snapped at the base and fell over. It's crushed, and so am I.

[crabbyannie1]

Originally Posted by optv13sp

How did you know about a take cover alert?
As a life-long Midwest resident, I have experienced hundreds and hundreds of Tornado Watch and Tornado Warnings and have never been that concerned because we have basements for shelter, sirens that go off to alert us about nearby tornadoes and four TV stations that provide street by street coverage throughout.
HOWEVER, I do not like the vulnerable feeling of no local TV coverage, no alert sirens, and no basements. We have Red Alerts on our phone as well as weather alerts from WESH-TV. We received one TEXT about a tornado warning...one TEXT. I monitored the situation closely via weather radio and the TV. I was aware of the tornado warnings nearby but there didn't seem to be adequate information about the direction they were moving etc. As I said, I'm used to top-notch coverage because tornadoes in the Midwest are so much more prevalent and powerful.
I'm thankful this was a Cat 1 hurricane and that we didn't lose power.

We, also, relied on our weather radio and TV news. I signed up for phone alerts when we first moved here almost 5 years ago and received nothing this time, which surprised me.

[thelegges]

Up north we have sirens for all weather. It's on the fire station down the street. We have a fair amount of time to get to the basement. Or if you live near the railway you can watch the tornado travel the track. TV is a little different for us. If our house had been built in 07 the tornado went right thru our lot.

[Villageshooter]

Originally Posted by Nucky

I heard the words no more than 2 inches of rain from the storm on the radio at 3.30 pm. We got that much between 3 & 4am. I will have a more comprehensive plan in place shortly and make the decision to evacuate earlier. After everything's said and done if this is the price to pay for living in such a beautiful place the rest of the time so be it the trade off is well worth it. In a constructive way I wonder why there isn't some mention of preparedness during the day when you pick up your gate passes and the like.

there can be no plan because there's no place to go and hide to take shelter all of these homes are built on a slab with no basement if we ever get a huge tornado through here we will have more dead bodies and we have golf carts!

[Villageshooter]

Originally Posted by optv13sp

Yes, as a veteran/expert of hundreds of tornadoes, I realize the difference in the severity of EF1 and EF4 or EF5. We were here in 2007 and saw the damage that could be done even by a less strong tornado. I merely want to be informed. I have the Midland weather radio programmed for Sumter. Perhaps if one hasn't experienced the excellent local TV coverage/warning during such an event, one can't appreciate how helpful it is. I watched Orlando stations and they were reporting extensively on the threat even though, as you say, Florida tornadoes tend to be less strong. Please don't suggest I move, I love it here. Having said that, I miss things about a bigger city...i.e. TV coverage when needed, exceptional health care, etc. We all have our opinions...this is mine.

The rickety construction of these homes the big bad Wolf could huff and puff and blow them down