OT: Thinking of those who live on the West Coast of Florida

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Water blown OUT of Tampa Bay, since it's north and thus with the counterclockwise rotation has hurricane force NE winds.

 

[Kontradiction]

Storm surge is already coming over the sea wall in St. Augustine, @Ian.

 

[Ian]

Storm surge is already coming over the sea wall in St. Augustine, @Ian.

Downtown always floods regardless of a hurricane, it's sort of crazy how they just deal with it - not that they really have much of an option. The Hilton has a line on the concrete out in front marking the highest level they saw back when Matthew, I think it was, hit? It was like 4ft up the wall ...it was kind of crazy. Although that building is at least on a hill. Most of the ones next to it are right at ground level. I don't know how bad it will be on the Atlantic side but I'm guessing the gulf side might be bad unless the timing works in their favor, as @Palm Beach Pats Fan pointed out, with the change in tide.

 

[Kontradiction]

Downtown always floods regardless of a hurricane, it's sort of crazy how they just deal with it - not that they really have much of an option. The Hilton has a line on the concrete out in front marking the highest level they saw back when Matthew, I think it was, hit? It was like 4ft up the wall ...it was kind of crazy. Although that building is at least on a hill. Most of the ones next to it are right at ground level. I don't know how bad it will be on the Atlantic side but I'm guessing the gulf side might be bad unless the timing works in their favor, as @Palm Beach Pats Fan pointed out, with the change in tide.

Yeah, it was Matthew.

 

[Kontradiction]

Also, just for laughs…

 

[Ivan]

Not a good week coming up and it’ll probably be a good reason to curse my name by the time it’s over … just sucks. Definitely looks ominous right now and wishing all of you the best.

Nice try, but we see right through your phony empathy. You dump torrential rain and your high winds on them, and then try to say “ oops, sorry about that…, my bad.” You don’t fool us Ian.

 

[Ian]

Also, just for laughs…

LOL, I hadn't seen that - that's amazing. "And your kids die too."

 

[Kontradiction]

LOL, I hadn't seen that - that's amazing. "And your kids die too."

We all died. He was right. I’m speaking to you from the afterlife.

 

[Ian]

You can't but you know there's plenty that do. There's an evacuation order. DeSantis is telling people to evacuate. People that stay when they have the means to leave put themselves, possibly their loved ones and rescuers in unessesry risk. Its arrogant, selfish and cost everyone money.

I will say that this storm has been probably the most difficult one to predict throughout this whole process. Some of the past ones were obvious that they were going to be dangerous and people needed to get out. This one turned at the last minute, which I feel like definitely complicated things. Especially considering the fact it was initially supposed to stay further west out to sea and head north. Instead, the track shifted inward drastically and I think a lot of people felt like they were OK up until that point, which by then left them with nowhere really to go since most hotels were obviously sold out inland prior to that. Hopefully, those that stayed, they'll make it through OK. One can hope, anyway.

 

[oldrover]

Just cracked open my first bottle of liquor. Suntory Toki Whiskey. Delicious Japanese whiskey established in 1923, before the Americans whipped their asses up and down the Pacific. I’m a fan.

Wish I’d brought Glenlivet to my son’s house. LOL But he’s got bourbon and rum here. Plus… he’s nowhere near water. Unlike us idiots who bought two houses up from the St. John’s. Now just wait and see. And drink!

 

[Boomer B]

We all died. He was right. I’m speaking to you from the afterlife.

How’s the Japanese whiskey in the afterlife?

 

[Ian]

Steve just posted this on his Twitter feed:

 

[Ian]

Just had a tree go down in his yard as well - said it missed the power lines:

 

[Kontradiction]

How’s the Japanese whiskey in the afterlife?

Delicioso, bröther.

 

[203Pat]

FT Myers is getting it bad.

 

[Kontradiction]

WJXT4 The Local Station on Instagram: "CATASTROPHIC IAN | New video from Fort Myers shows the storm surge from #HurricaneIan. Flooding and strong winds are already an issue. Click the in our bio for more updates. #HurricaneIan @loniarchitects"

11K likes, 326 comments - news4jax on September 28, 2022: "CATASTROPHIC IAN | New video from Fort Myers shows the storm surge from #HurricaneIan. Flood..."

www.instagram.com

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Inland it drops to Cat 3 then Cat 2 then Cat 1. Ian, how does this affect daughter's Cat Cafe? Inquiring minds want to know & are confused.

 

[PatsWSB47]

I will say that this storm has been probably the most difficult one to predict throughout this whole process. Some of the past ones were obvious that they were going to be dangerous and people needed to get out. This one turned at the last minute, which I feel like definitely complicated things. Especially considering the fact it was initially supposed to stay further west out to sea and head north. Instead, the track shifted inward drastically and I think a lot of people felt like they were OK up until that point, which by then left them with nowhere really to go since most hotels were obviously sold out inland prior to that. Hopefully, those that stayed, they'll make it through OK. One can hope, anyway.

If the threat wasn't supposed to hit where you are I get that. I'm talking about the ones that had been told for days that its tracking right at them, had the means and a place to go and didn't. I hope everyone is safe

 

[zydecochris]

Sounds like Florida. Way until the very last minute to make the call. Glad you got your kid out before this thing hits.

To be fair about the difficulty of these decisions, there's even more frustration about evacuations that turn out not to have been necessary. The window between "too soon" and "last minute" is very small.

The permission people give themselves to heave hostility at others who are just trying to do their jobs has exploded in the last decade. Then (the same) people are critical because the best and the brightest don't want to be in government roles, creating a negative reinforcing loop for the quality of civil service.

@BTTA, I agree completely with you with evacuation decisions, it is a very difficult, almost “no win” call (a call to evacuate that turns out to be a false alarm can cause great disruption, but too late of an evacuation call can cost many lives) by public servants trying to do their best who then often get beat up later for simply doing their jobs.

However, IMHO decisions like closing down a university or a restaurant are in a different category. Too often the call is made at the last minute simply to avoid losing $$ from shut down dorms/cafeterias or restaurant receipts. THAT is inexcusable IMHO. I’ve been left out to dry myself when classes aren’t closed until too late and I’ve got a class full of freaked out college students and I have to make the call on having them hunker down or let them go to face dangerous weather to get home. It ain’t fun.

 

[zydecochris]

My wife has a friend down there who works in a restaurant in Tampa and they don't plan on closing till after they close on Wednesday and she lives in a mandatory evacuation zone and they told her she has to work. That means her, her husband, their 7 year old, and their two dogs needs to hit the road at around midnight Thursday just hours before the storm is supposed to hit. By that point she could be sitting in traffic as this thing is baring down on them with all the other people who left too late. Most of these decisions are about one thing and one thing only, money. Safety takes a back seat if it is going to cost a business/government money.

That is inexcusable.