Hurricane Dorian
17Are people freaking out yet? I’m a little tense.
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at5+shtml/114938.shtml?cone#contents
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Are people freaking out yet? I’m a little tense.
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at5+shtml/114938.shtml?cone#contents
@heartny
@heartny Here I am. Rock mew like a hurricane…
Hope @RiotDemon and the rest of our Florida mehtizens stay safe!
On the bright side it’s not a Hurricane Durian. That would stink.
Fill up all the empty space in your freezer with whatever tupperware you have filled with tap water. Then you have ice to keep things cold that wont leak all over the place AND free drinking water that’s from before any boil order.
@char2na What’s this ‘empty space’? We’re dining on steak and shrimp and the expensive stuff from the freezer, because Jim Cantore is coming to town. I’m in Jacksonville. Oh, just the NE quadrant, you say? Riiight. Fuckity, fuckity, fuck.
@carl669
@OldCatLady If you spot Cantore up there you better load that steak into a cooler and get the hell out of there!! Don’t forget the cats!
Dorian officially missed us almost completely here in Belle Isle. In fact, it was mild enough that I was able to play Pokémon GO in it! Oh, and I made a video about finding tree frogs in my wind chimes, and it blew the fuck up and went viral, so there’s that!
@carl669 add another one to the count
@PooltoyWolf So where it the link to this video?
@Kidsandliz It’s on my Twitter, here:
@PooltoyWolf You’d think the chimes banging/ringing would drive those things nuts. Wonder how they managed to get in there. Are they in there a lot or was this a one time thing?
@Kidsandliz Tree frogs have sticky pads on their toes that allow them to climb straight up walls. We usually have some frogs sleeping in the chimes during the day to avoid the heat, but this was more than usual, so we figured they sensed changes in the weather and wanted to hide.
@PooltoyWolf heh. I saw that on Reddit. Someone reposted it.
@PooltoyWolf omg, they are so cute!!
@Kidsandliz @PooltoyWolf hahaha! Cute!
@Kidsandliz @PooltoyWolf I’ve occasionally found things in mine… more often than not… damsel flies nests (those mud things) and I would imagine with a heavier frog, they aren’t going to clang too much generally. Obviously, with hurricanes that would be much different.
@PooltoyWolf Wow. That totally broke the internet. Congrats. Did any news agency call to talk to you about your frogs?
@PooltoyWolf Wow. Congrats on your 15 minutes of fame. Don’t let it go to your inflatable head.
@medz @PooltoyWolf Too late!! But, seriously, congrats!!
@llangley @medz @PooltoyWolf That’s a totally different Asian inflatable than I would have thought.
@RiotDemon Apparently it was on the front page! I wish I’d seen that ;-;
@Fuzzalini I have been featured on the websites of TIME, Newsweek, Mashable, Yahoo, and a few others!
@medz I have been called an airhead in the past…
@PooltoyWolf Front page of what?
@Kidsandliz Reddit, of course!
@PooltoyWolf Now if you could only monetize that fame with all those hits!
@Kidsandliz I’ve licensed the video to one company!
@PooltoyWolf Cool! Was that hard to do?
@Kidsandliz They contacted me, so not at all haha
@PooltoyWolf Can I borrow 20 bucks from you until next payday?
@PooltoyWolf Hope you are going to be paid well for it. Was it a well known company? Pretty cool. Hopefully they will now follow you there and see what else you post that they might like. Who knows. Some day you may be a famous pool toy wolf and we can all say we knew you before your head got so big it blew up (snicker). Seriously though, congrats.
@Kidsandliz Aw thank you! I’m not expecting much but I didn’t pay anything, so it’s profit any way you slice it.
@therealjrn Inflatable wolves don’t carry wallets!
@PooltoyWolf @therealjrn
Only Bitcoin?
@PooltoyWolf No wallet because of… inflation? (snicker)
@Kidsandliz I sense a connection somewhere
This newest update is not promising.
Major storm (100mph+) by the time it hits.
I’m hoping my boss let’s me use some vacation time so I can leave work early.
@RiotDemon I hope they are a reasonable manager like most boss’s.
@therealjrn yep. Leaving early today. Haven’t decided if I’m going to take all of tomorrow off or only half.
@RiotDemon ALL of course, are you off Saturday?
@therealjrn technically, no. Depending on if we close or not.
(I work at a place that sells hurricane supplies.)
@RiotDemon Oh shit, well enjoy your half day
@RiotDemon @therealjrn uuummm so I guess that is good because you have access to supplies???
@therealjrn @tinamarie1974 yep. Super helpful if I need supplies.
This place is absolutely bonkers.
I got extremely lucky where I am. The storm has started to move again very slowly. I’m getting bands of rain and wind, but honestly, it could just be another summer day here. It’s pretty much almost the same amount of rain we’ve been getting all week.
I just know people are going to be complaining that they prepared for nothing. It happens every time a storm comes close. I wanna scream at those people sometimes.
Hopefully the majority of the storm will stay off the coast as predicted and everything will be ok.
@RiotDemon And they’ll be the ones complaining that they don’t get rescued next time because they didn’t leave with the evacuation order and the storm hit them head on…
The newest update has the middle of the cone coming straight at me. It looks like I’m going to stay at someone else’s house.
Even though I have shutters, my roof is shingles. That worries me. My house is also a wood frame, but I have hardi plank siding. I’ve just never had a direct hit in this house so I have no idea how it’ll fare. The last storm that was close was Matthew and it turned North last minute. That left the house with shingle damage.
A cat4 is no joke.
@RiotDemon Any chance of getting out of town?
@sammydog01 I’ll be going south to stay with my brother and his girlfriend at her dad’s place. Apparently it’s a big, very safe house. I can bring my dog, which is great.
@RiotDemon Good luck!!
@RiotDemon @sammydog01 that sounds good RD! I’m so glad you can bring your dog. Keep us updated!!
@RiotDemon saying
and sending positive vibes
@RiotDemon Good luck!!! The news about this storm sounds worse by the hour. Hope your damage isn’t too great and you don’t get flooded.
@RiotDemon what is the latest? Will it miss you?
@JnKL it’s almost stalled at 1mph movement to the west. The track still has it going up the coast, but we are still going to get hurricane force winds. I’m hoping the 11am update shows it turning. It’s worrisome when it moves so slow.
I have a portable generator, a grill, lots of propane. Guess I’ll be filling up my portable gas cans in the next couple of days and buying a bunch more water.
I don’t have a window AC unit though… That’s probably something I should get.
@RiotDemon Hell yes. No A/C would do me in.
@RiotDemon good luck!
@RiotDemon Yeah, do it now before everyone panics and buys up everything. Stay safe!
@RiotDemon @ybmuG It probably won’t be the last. Happy start of hurrican season. I should stock up too.
@RiotDemon I’ve heard that some walmarts are already clearancing air conditioners. Consider a portable unit instead of a window unit; no permanent (or semi-permanent) bracketing in your window, and easy to put away. Two-hose units better than one hose but also more expensive.
Depending on your window type you might want/need some hardboard or waterproofed cardboard to ‘fill gaps’ if the hose adapter is not large enough.
@sammydog01 @ybmuG on my way to the store in a couple of minutes. Hopefully it’s not crazy.
@RiotDemon @sammydog01
@RiotDemon @sammydog01 @ybmuG
@RiotDemon what am I missing? Aren’t we preparing for having no electricity? What good is a window A/C going to do? You need to hire a class of kindergarteners with the giant parachute to fan you.
@katbyter I think @RiotDemon has a gasoline powered generator.
@katbyter @therealjrn yep. Generator. Scheduled to be in the high 80s this week with all the rain. Not having ac gets miserable real quick.
@RiotDemon Are you on the east coast?
@lseeber yep. East of the lake. Luckily not in a flood zone. Not close enough to the ocean for that.
@lseeber @RiotDemon
But you can hardly help being in a potential “wind zone” I guess?
@RiotDemon
Well, that’s something at least. Probably the times you’re glad you’re not beach front! lol.
@katbyter @RiotDemon To the person wonder “what am I missing” regarding Window AC’s with NO electricity.
That is what Generators are for…THEY CREATE ELECTRICITY!!!
Being in Orlando, we tend to be prepared for this. Honda inverter generator, a couple window A/Cs (which I trash picked and restored myself!), lots of water, flashlights, radios, and power banks for phones and other devices. And one giant inflatable wolf to snuggle with if things get scary!
@PooltoyWolf Same from Tampa. Not our first rodeo. I’m stocked up
@llangley You have a giant inflatable wolf to snuggle, too??
Take gallon ziplocks fill with filtered or otherwise good clean water. Freeze. Can drink or use as giant ice cubes
Well, looks like y’all dodged a bullet in FL but the Outer Banks look caught in the crosshairs of this thing. Hope they are getting ready…
West Palm Beach here. Long lines at the pump and bare shelves aplenty. I seem to recall the cone covering more of the Miami area, but the cone has moved up some. I also noticed the forecasts keep pushing the day back to where this storm will hit. First I heard the weekend, but now I’m hearing it could be Monday. I have the feeling the cone will move further up again.
@JT954 aww, I miss WPB. Didn’t have to weather a hurricane while I was there, though.
AMZN will deliver more batteries and disinfectant wipes Sat. Flower is discounted on Fridays at a local dispensary, so will stock up. All other meds are lined up. Sea bass and steak every day until we lose power, then a big neighborhood BBQ.
@OldCatLady love those discounts!. Unfortunately my neighborhood dispensary only gives to military or SNAP recipients. But they did a rolling sale in August so I got 25% off this week. I stocked up too
@OldCatLady did you get your delivery? Mine is delayed due to the storm…
Chef José Andrés has already landed and opened a free kitchen. Donations gratefully accepted. He does good things.
Sorry, edit window got me. The story is here.
He hasn’t opened any sites yet, b/c the storm is stalled. The detailed plans are flexible. If one facility is destroyed, they use whatever kitchens are available. Awesome.
VAN GOGH! MANGO! TANGO! AWESOME!
No gallons of water at the store. At least I bought some water recently.
Store was crazy.
@RiotDemon sounds like you’re pretty well prepared. Hopefully it just “blows over”!
Happy thoughts out to all in the zone.
Hope it’s not too bad.
/giphy hurricane
SE GA here, so it will affect us, if it doesn’t turn north and come ashore right here.
Remember folks:
Anything else you guys can think of?
@PocketBrain Hi SEGA! When are you going to make the Dreamcast 2?
@PocketBrain if you aren’t going to stay home, freeze a container of water and put a coin on top when it’s frozen. Depending on where the coin is when you get back, you’ll know how long the power was out.
Have a few weeks of medicine available for you and any pets.
Pet food.
Extra water for your pets.
@aetris oh my., that really is a hurricane decorated cookie. How strange. I still want to eat it though. I had to stare at it for a while because I thought it was a mermaid trying to hug florida for a while.
@PocketBrain @RiotDemon Coin on the top- no power outage. Coin on the bottom - long power outage. Coin missing - Looting.
@PocketBrain @RiotDemon if you eat some ice cream it is the same. If you can still see where you scooped out ice cream your food is safe ,if flat it melted
@PocketBrain Coleman stoves- the newer gas ones can burn white gas [“Coleman Fuel”] or regular- much more versatile than our propane grill.
In the winter, our wood stove has a cook top we can cook on.
We keep some mildly chlorinated water in 5-gallon buckets with spigots [from brewing supplier] to put on counter for drinking and washing, and refill from water bob, and/or our well water [when we run the generator…]
Well, it looks like they got it sorted out. Good job everybody!
@therealjrn this is the joy of living in the south east.
@therealjrn just throw out everything but the European models and you’ll be a lot closer and less confused.
@therealjrn @ybmuG looks like someone shot Silly String all over a google map…
Right now I am under a Tropical Storm Watch. They said wind could be as high as 37 m.p.h…
It amazes me how many people are still buying D batteries and flashlights that run on D batteries. Every year the stores sell out of those fast. Truth be told, all the portable lights and fans that I own run on AA and/or AAA batteries.
And yes, many of them have been purchased on Meh (including batteries).
@JT954 it’s usually for old lights. I did buy some fake candles that run on D batteries, but they are on a daily timer and last for what seems like forever.
I got gas today, and lines were already 5 deep. $2.18 now; watch the price rise.
@OldCatLady where is gas that cheap???!?
@moonhat Sam’s and Costco. Gate etc. are 2.38
@OldCatLady wow! Good deal
@moonhat @OldCatLady It’s $2.08 where I am.
Be safe out there everyone, get to anywhere else if you can!
Hey RD… hope all is going OK down your way. Hang onto your hat, it gonna blow pretty hard it looks like.
My FIL rode out a storm at his house on Pensacola Beach years ago. Felt pretty good about his decision until daylight when he realized the roof on the neighbor’s house across the street had blown off (the entire roof… virtually intact) and if it hadn’t gotten caught up in the powerlines and landed in his yard and the road, it would have taken out his house. Next time he evacuated…
I’m crossing my fingers that this thing just turns and goes back to sea and dissolves into nothing.
The latest update is hopeful for me, but not so much for the Carolinas.
Some thoughts on generators:
Sure, several hours, or a day or two of blackouts would be yucky, but my really big concern is the not-uncommon extended scenario where you don’t have electricity for weeks. While having a big enough generator to run appliances, the fridge, sound system, and even AC sounds great… those use up more and more fuel the bigger they are. Keeping one running for weeks would require way too much gas to store safely or in a practical way at home.
For example:
The very popular Honda eu2000 model uses 6-8 gallons/day to produce it’s max 2000 watt load, and about 3gal/day on 1/4 load, and won’t go much lower than that if you use less. Costs about $1000. Similar performing models at Harbor Freight cost a fraction of this though.
The also praised Honda eu7000is, which can produce a just-about-everything-but-central-AC-moving constant 5500 watts, requires 20 gallons per day to do so. Costs about $4000. Again, the HF model gets good reviews and costs much less money.
On the other end of the spectrum… the super cheap Sportsman 1000 inverter generator, uses less than 2gal/day to produce 500 watts (800 is its normal output, 1000 is surge). And these often go on sale for $100-$150. Yes, it’s an inverter generator too! Very quiet and light.
So, here’s my approach:
I figure in a nightmare extended-outage scenario, my main concern would be keeping the food good, a light bulb or two and having a fan. (Charging a phone,tablet, flashlights require negligible wattage.)
Most modern fridges (made in the last 10-15 years; with inverter-driven compressors) use very little power because they ramp up slowly and then run on as little as 80 watts to maintain temp. I checked mine with a kill-a-watt, and it’s like that. Then I’d need an LED bulb or two, plus an oscillating fan and bam… just a few hundred watts and the very basics are covered for an extended outage. So yeah, I’ve got a little Sportsman 1000 watt generator. After buying it, I came across a ridiculous deal on a 2000 watt inverter unit that can run on propane or gas. So, there’s (slightly thirstier) backup now.
My dream setup would be to have a huuuge whole-house inverter (not an engine-driven generator, an actual battery to AC inverter) that switches over automatically and can run the whole house for a day or two off of deep-cycle batteries. This would cover the nuisance outages of a few hours here and there that we seem to get multiple times a year. Then, once the outage goes beyond the battery capacity we switch over to frugal mode and get the little 1000 watt guy to run the fridge with minimal gas or propane consumption. Oh, and this has the added benefit that you’re one step away from adding solar panels later on and being off-grid (or just less grid dependent).
@jester747
Thx
@jester747 what about natural gas whole house generators? At least around here everyone has natural gas, and unless a tornado comes through and wrecks the gas line/generator it should run in just about any outage, I think.
@djslack If I had utility-grade natural gas I’d certainly consider DIY-installing a whole-house generator for a couple grand (they easily cost way more than that though).
But still, the little 1000 watt things are just so practical. About the size of three shoeboxes. And that way if your gas line ever does get compromised you also have worst-case-scenario backup beyond the whole-house generator. And if you don’t need it yourself during an outage, you can be a superhero to somebody that doesn’t have one. Plus, take it camping, tailgating, etc.
@djslack @jester747 I’ve lived several places in the boonies where everything is powered by propane due to the generator not working much below -5 degrees F. Stuff is run from a tank on the property (in the summer electricity, but winter lights, etc. are propane; needed refilled once every 3 or 4 months). A bit of overkill for a “what if” scenario though.
@djslack @Kidsandliz Yeah, propane has some neat advantages… it burns extremely clean, hence why Zamboni machines and forklifts use it as fuel so they can be used indoors (cars can easily be retrofitted to run off of it or natural gas as is done safely in many other countries, and we have decades worth of the stuff in the US… so why oil?? That’s another discussion). Anyhow, it also basically keeps indefinitely. Common gasoline with ethanol starts to go bad after just a couple months I believe. Non-ethanol gasoline (available at a few stations, particularly those near boaters) can be stored up to a year. Propane… pfff… till the tank rusts out. Oh, and you can bury big tanks rather safely. Downside is that it has less energy than gasoline… so you only get something like 75-80% of the power that gasoline produces, and in my area a gallon of propane costs way more than gasoline (most of the world it’s the opposite, grrr).
@djslack @jester747 @Kidsandliz
In TX, a number of state owned vehicles are converted to run on propane or CNG. Official program of some sort.
Also, T Boone Pickens famously converted a number of his vehicles.
Some number of farm/ranch folk have done it.
I’m surprised it’s not a more popular option; I suppose people are afraid that if they go to the conversion expense, they’ll then have trouble fueling up.
Also, just about every rural building comes with a propane tank.
I don’t know about local costs v gas/diesel. I presume that if propane were widely used as transportation fuel, the price would become competitive.
We rode out Hurricane Michael in a 10 year old double wide. It was a Cat 5. We sat in the middle of a 1 acre plot of dense giant oaks and pines. Every tree, except the big sycamore next to the house, was mowed down. Our house was untouched.
It’s been almost 11 months and the area still looks ravaged. You can drive around and see houses still flattened. There are no standing forest anywhere for roughly 150 square miles. Small area but shit load of damage.
@Teripie On an unrelated note did you send your email to @zinimusprime?
@sammydog01 @zinimusprime How do I do that?
@sammydog01 @Teripie you actually just need to click on the link in the email I/ESPN sent you.
My Floridian sister says that waiting for a hurricane is like being stalked by a turtle.
@therealjrn lol, but when it shows up, watch out!
Is she still in Florida? Which coast?
@RiotDemon In the middle, in Maitland. I just got a text from her. She sent me a picture of that hurricane cookie. lol
@therealjrn it’s true. Trying not to get complacent when it’s so far away but with the models changing as much as they have it’s tough knowing what to do. I’m in Tampa so I’m staying put but if it doesn’t turn, we’re ALL in for some serious shit down here.
@therealjrn I was just at Publix again. I did not see the hurricane cookie.
@llangley @therealjrn definitely. This storm is super scary. I’m on the fence whether I’m driving south. The 8 and 11 updates will probably give me my answer.
@therealjrn yeah, a snapping turtle.
@llangley @RiotDemon @therealjrn
@RiotDemon
You are east of the lake?
So it is about prime time for you soon?
Keep us informed if you can.
@f00l yep, east. Sometime today. Meanwhile the last week we’d have huge rain storms. My backyard is already partially flooded. Not looking forward to the extra rain.
The track says it’ll turn North, but I’m still waiting…
@RiotDemon
Wherever you are, hang on tight!
I presume the roads are currently passable?
@f00l yeah. Luckily where I’m at, they’ve upgraded the drainage. There’s actually several retention ponds right around the corner from me.
It’s just my backyard is right on an easement with a wall for the development behind me. Those houses are built up. The easement tends to flood and that creeps up into my yard.
@RiotDemon
Not to worry about right now…
But … you and your neighbors might have a future cause of action against the development. If it’s a big deal problem.
Usually it’s a big no no to alter existing water flow and redirect it onto another property, esp in a residential area.
Around here over the years a few developers would up being fined by the city/county and having to pay damages to other property holders and redo walls/fences.
Take pix and document observations and incidents.
Also if you think that at some point you might have to take action, get testimonials and contact info from people who have been in the area a long time. Esp landowners.
(FL law may be quite diff from TX law of course.)
I have been worried all day about friends in the Abaco Bahamas. They got slammed today 185 mph sustained and over 200 gusts
@CaptAmehrican I’m afraid to see what happened there.
@CaptAmehrican It isn’t going to be good that is for sure. I hope they are OK and get phones back sooner rather than later so they can contact you to let you know. When we used to sail there it seemed like so many of the houses, even if up the hills, were flimsy. Painted pretty colors but stick built and basic. I can’t imagine how they’d survive that wind, almost makes the spring tide issue seem minor in comparison.
@Kidsandliz during the eye reports were bad. Houses leveled, roofs off, 15 ft storm surge, boats and cars everywhere. So far no known casualties. However, the people who are able to report are at the highest and safest locations. Those in the lower or outter areas are not going to be able to report for a while. They are the most vulnerable.
Anyone who wants to donate
Hopetown Volunteer Fire Department is the emergency services for the Abaco and they are taking paypal as they start search and rescue .
@CaptAmehrican I read on their website that they are having a meeting this morning and then going out searching. I hope they post often about what they are finding.
Here in Oklahoma, no, not too concerned. But I’m hearing about it on the national news. Hopefully they’re just being overly dramatic. It seems they do that a lot nowadays. I guess they’re scared of being wrong if a storm does end up being a big deal.
@therealjrn yeah. We definitely use the “better safe than sorry” approach here in Florida. A lot of people don’t though and that’s what worries me.
@RiotDemon I do have a sister in Orlando. She’s always blasé about the storms. I think she doesn’t want us to worry. She preps though and is ready for whatever.
@therealjrn Generally, it’s the ones they think are just so so that do the real damage and when they hype them all up and everyone is well prepared in advance, it peters out so… hopefully… this too shall be a bust.
This storm… Holy hell. Stationary for most of the day. Ugh.
@RiotDemon which makes the cone of uncertainty even more uncertain
@CaptAmehrican @RiotDemon Just clicked on the Weather Channel map on the current location and the pop-up of current stats says:
Winds: 140 mph
Gusts: 175 mph
Moving: Stationary at 0mph
@CaptAmehrican @ybmuG yeah. Was 185mph winds (220 gusts) before it stalled. I feel terrible for everyone that is stuck in it.
I remember being in a hurricane 10ish years ago and it sat on us for several days. Scary as shit.
@CaptAmehrican @RiotDemon It’s like being in a giant F-3 tornado for hours!
@CaptAmehrican @RiotDemon @ybmuG
This is what happened to Houston, for so many days, with Hurricane Herman. The Stu term just stalled.
So the rain just kept coming. And Houston is mostly flat and mostly 20-40 feet above sea level.
And the rain was record serring: hour after your, day after day. So, all that flooding.
I hope Dorian doesn’t do that.
@CaptAmehrican @RiotDemon @ybmuG the current satellite photos are a bit freaky - you can see down through the eye to the greenery of the bahamas below it. That thing is just parked there …
@CaptAmehrican @RiotDemon @stolicat And it’s growing. Weakening, but widening. I’m glad it looks like the most devastating winds won’t hit Florida head on, but the flooding could be huge.
/giphy hang on to your buts
@CaptAmehrican @RiotDemon @stolicat Well, Tron wasn’t what I suspected, but I’ll leave it!
Supposed to be getting it near me tomorrow night in NE NC. I’m in enough from the OBX that it should just be wind and rain, but flooding is an issue in my town. At lest my place isn’t in a major flood zone.
If you bought a water bob and the storm turns bad, get it filled up in your tub asap.
@duodec I don’t have one, but I do fill my tub just in case so I can easily flush the toilet.
Last time we had a hurricane knock out power, I borrowed a water cooler from my neighbor because I didn’t have an adapter to plug in my well pump. I ended up buying all the parts, making one, and no lie, I was outside getting ready to hook it up, the power came back on. The water cooler was easy to sit up on the counter so I could wash my hands. I think I had forgotten to fill the tub that time.
@RiotDemon Tub can’t be considered potable water though, just grey water even if you bleach and clean it before filling. And if you get any sewer backflow during flooding, even worse. Water Bob makes your tub a potable water store.
We actually used one of the ones I bought here when we heard that they were going to have to turn off our water for up to 30 hours in order to repair a water main. Our water was still ok when I filled it. We only ended up using about 15 gallons (3.5 gallon toilets and washing up) but still nice to be able to flush! We also had a boil order afterwards so kept the rest until everything was settled.
I kept cases of 1/2 liter bottled water for drinking then. Now we use several 5 gallon dispenser bottles that we refill at the store. A weeks worth of drinking and coffee and cooking water minimum at all times.
Dorian is 180mph sustained winds. Holy shit.
Meanwhile I’m sitting at a Japanese buffet eating sushi, just waiting. It’s nerve wracking. Latest update brought it closer to the coast.
@RiotDemon We had some 79mph winds the other night. I can’t even begin to imagine what 180 would be like.
What are you following for your hurricane updates?
@Barney I just look at NOAA. Watching the news is too frustrating. NOAA just gives the straight facts.
@RiotDemon Thanks, I’m not too fond of the news sites either.
Fuck. The 5 p.m. NHC forecast brings it more westerly. Nearby, the air squadrons are heading out. Those planes cost too much to risk. I’ll bet ships are going to sea soon.
@carl669
New track (9 p.m. 30 Aug) shows 4 models taking it out to sea. No landfall. Good!
@OldCatLady yea!
/giphy oh yeah baby
@OldCatLady …just checked the NHC and they still show it raking the coast from N of Port Lucie to Jaxville. Hope your sources are the more accurate!
@chienfou @OldCatLady Look at the European models. They are much better than the USA ones.
@Kidsandliz @OldCatLady
Turn Baby Turn!
@chienfou yes, please! Keep turning!
I wonder what all those weather channel folks sent down on the coast will do now. Probably disappointed. It doesn’t make sense to tell everyone to run and then they shoot live scenes on location during the worst part. Maybe it will payoff and good sense people will learn to heed warnings. Nah. Selfie time.
@PlutoIsAPlanet They do it all the time. Cantore and his crew showed up in Mobile when big weather was expected there yr or 2 ago and it was a total bust (thankfully) because it totally broke up before landfall. They’ll just head home or move to the next potential. Generally, the locals have fun with him for a bit while he’s there tho.
@PlutoIsAPlanet Well I saw some photos and videos from the other year where the weather folks pretended to be in horrific weather and then were photo bombed by two kids causally walking down the road in shorts and t-shirts texting while the weather people were hanging on to dear life to a porch post in the driving rain (hose and fan I guess).
My current fave spaghetti site: https://www.cyclocane.com/dorian-spaghetti-models/
/eyetwitch
Trump is not sure if he’s ever heard of a Category 5 hurricane.
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/politics/President-Donald-Trump-Never-Heard-Of-Category-5-Hurricane-Dorian-559065822.html
@RiotDemon
/giphy eyetwitch
@OldCatLady @RiotDemon except he was the fucker in charge during Hurricane Michael. LAST YEAR. WTF is wrong with this picture…
@carl669
@carl669 @mediocrebot nope, not this time!
@llangley @OldCatLady exactly! Seriously, wtf.
https://www.hopetownsailingclub.com/
Has a great summary of what has happened in the Abaco
@CaptAmehrican You heard from any of your friends?
@Kidsandliz all of my friends are alive .All of their homes and boats are gone.
@CaptAmehrican I’m glad they made it. Sorry about their homes and boats.
@CaptAmehrican @RiotDemon It does tend to recalibrate your priorities.
@CaptAmehrican That’s awful! Maybe you could set up a gofundme for them and publicize it here? We’ve contributed to other funds here. They certainly need anything they can get.
@CaptAmehrican ps I realize right now there is no way to get them the money (and probably nothing there to even buy) etc. but once there is it could at least help a little bit.
@Kidsandliz
Should anyone be moved to donate to help the Abaco people the place to do it is any of the below links and only these places. All benifit hopetown volunteer fire and rescue. They are the boots on the ground local people who are making sure people are ok and helping restore basic needs. Please donate below
www.htvfr.org
Matt Winslow GoFundMe
https://www.gofundme.com/f/hurricane-relief-for-elbow-cay-amp-marsh-harbour?fbclid=IwAR1CxdAJx38zW4LTdzxuBVPczAsdxbCrns9gkjS1HMjOCyTPkEvUSoklPno
Patrick Davis Songwriters in Paradise GoFundMe
https://www.gofundme.com/f/Hope4HopeTown?rcid=r01-156738042946-2c3f242cf19c4a9e&pc=ot_co_campmgmt_m
*When U.S. citizens are donating to HTVFR please remember that you can make your contribution of $250 or more tax deductible through PERC. https://www.percabaco.org/
@CaptAmehrican Your friends getting any aid help yet and/or have they left that area for somewhere that still has buildings?
@Kidsandliz all my close friends were American citizens and thus have been evacuated. Acquaintances are not all American and thus not getting evacuated.
Two of my close friends are still in hospitals in Florida
@CaptAmehrican @Kidsandliz
OMG re your friends.
So terrible.
I hope they come out ok and I hope their situations are recoverable
@CaptAmehrican I hope your two hospitalized friends will be OK in the end.
Best briefing answer ever. Jax has seven bridges.
A reporter asked whether they would be closed when winds went over 40 mph. Official, solemnly: Yes, all bridges will be affected by wind.
Hey, @OldCatLady, you all right?
I saw a forecast for gusts up to 130 mph at Jacksonville Beach.
I hate windstorms!
https://weather.us/forecast/4160023-jacksonville-beach/ensemble/euro/wind-gusts
Edit: up to 80 mph now.
I still hate windstorms!
@kdemo We’re fine, thanks for asking. I had zero damage, my neighbor has a small dead tree to cut up. Like @PooltoyWolf, I brought my big wind chimes inside, but didn’t check for critters. One small frog jumped out when I rehung them. It’ll be interesting to see whether any are still in the house. The cat will find them, and share any catches with me.
@OldCatLady @PooltoyWolf - Thanks for the reassuring update, that’s great news!
Interesting that a frog would want to live in wind chimes. Do frogs have ears?
One of my friends is raising money and trying to rebuild the infrastructure of the small island he is living on.
If anyone is feeling generous this is the help Lubbers Quarters Cay fundraiser
It is a small 2 mile long lovely island
https://www.facebook.com/donate/2331568717095203/?fundraiser_source=external_url
A large amount of storm info is here:
http://trackthetropics.com/
The site includes
Storm news and modeling (I believe both NOAA and EU models);
Radar, satellite, storm plane images;
Projected timelines; damage reports, warnings, search and rescue info, news, from local authorities;
After storm: donation, recovery, search, rescue, emergency needs, survivor info;
Etc.
Site seems businesslike and useful.
During big storms the site disables much historical and background info and aggregates current storm info on the home page.
@f00l ooh, love this one! Thanks.
Are new houses in any area of FL being built with hurricane-proof (as far as possible) construction?
Not just a greater degree of hurricane resistance such as more studs, more brackets, more nails, higher quality, etc.
More nearly hurricane-proof (such as reinforced concrete houses etc).
Is any of that going on?
@f00l newer homes have to meet the stricter hurricane codes. Most(if not all) new homes are CBS construction. Metal roofing is super popular where I live. Impact windows are more common, but not required. Impact windows/Shutters get you discounts on your homeowners insurance, so it’s worth it. Plus the new windows make the house super quiet and hold the ac better.
I watched a house be built around the corner from me. While the 1st floor was CBS, the second story was wood frame, but with a metal roof.
@f00l mixed answer:
Yes, they are being built (if you are willing to pony up the $$$)
No, they are not (yet) specified/required in order to meet the current building code.
@f00l In 2001, FL required all new houses to have roofs that can withstand 120 mph winds. My house was built in 2003. Irma peeled the shingles off, but the roof had no structural damage, and insurance bought new shingles. My neighbors have held off replacing theirs, hoping for the same result.