[sallybowron]

Originally Posted by Stuart Zaikov

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

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.

[John_W]

Originally Posted by Joe V.

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

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.

[saywhat]

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.

[Strongel]

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.

[LuvtheVillages]

Originally Posted by saywhat

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.

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.

[NewRealms]

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

[Joe V.]

Originally Posted by John_W

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.

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.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

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.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by Stuart Zaikov

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

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.