IRMA Preps, What Are You Doing?

My brother and Aunt refuse to leave. smh

If the storm continues to track my way on Sunday into western South Carolina, I will fill up several water bottles and jugs and secure things in the yard and find best places to park. I realize a monster storm like this can still be a big hurricane even into western NC, not just western SC and it can spawn tornadoes and take down trees. Hurricane Hugo hit SC and was still a hurricane taking down trees when it went past Charlotte.

One thing in our favor is that it has been dry here. The dry ground won't be too quick to soak up water and let tree roots slide out. However it is hilly and flash flooding is possible and any tree going down could knock out power across a wide area. I remember an ice storm in the Greenville area knocked out power in some areas for 3 or 4 weeks. Entire towns still were without power that long. With branches down, trees down, possible power lines down with electrocution risks, it could get dangerous in the upstate of South Carolina. Worse near the coast.

If not for this storm, our weather would be great with temperatures approaching record lows tonight in the 50's and the high temperature on Monday with the hurricane approaching is only supposed to be 70. It's going to be the coldest hurricane I ever remember. I hope it goes out to sea. I don't want to lose power or trees or get damage to my house. I will pray the dry area we've had for months get sucked into the storm and kills it.

originally posted by: Diabolical1972
My brother and Aunt refuse to leave. smh

Irma is still too far away from Florida to evacuate.

Apparently all the hotels in the upstate of South Carolina are already getting fully booked for Monday and Tuesday with only a few rooms left. That is fast. They may have to drive to Atlanta or farther west if they evacuate and book too late. It would be nice if they could pinpoint the track better but I guess if hurricane force winds extend over 100 miles wide, that will cover most of South Carolina. Hopefully that will not include a 50 mile wide EF5 tornado equivalent. If the storm tracks more west, eastern NC might be fine.

Just a local evening news update.

a reply to: orionthehunter

Where Irma makes that critical right/north turn is critical. If she doesn't follow the path that's CURRENTLY projected, millions of Floridians will never again heed a "GET OUT NOW!" statement from the Governor.

I can see interstate 75 northbound lane from where I am sitting. And can report its been bumper to bumper since 8:00pm local time. So a lot of people south of me ( just north of turnpike merge) heeded the warnings and are out. Hardly any southbound traffic mainly semi guessing supplies. Its usually dead this time of night aside from an accident. Daytime traffic the last few days has been normal aside from side roads jamming due to fuel lines etc. Will try to keep updated.

The 11pm NHC forecast shifted 3-5 day path quite a ways west towards my location.

Certainly not going to get anything like Florida here in east central Alabama however well be right on the edge of 39- 73 mph sustained winds looks like almost a full day plus.

Problem I have is I'm surrounded by 80' to 100' mixed pine and hardwoods, somethings gonna break.

In OP Ive pointed out prepping shipping container, looks like I'm gonna spend better part of Monday and Tuesday inside of it.

We have short lived tornadoes but nothing like this.

Phoenix

First thing I did when I moved in to my house in 2012 was to take down every pine tall/near enough to hit the house.

A few wind storms since have proved that to be wise.

Over here in south-central AL, I don't expect anything too wild.

a reply to: cynicalheathen

I hear ya! I'm middle of forest and have to cut ahead of one's I need to take out or they hang up. Wish it was otherwise but have to cut four times more trees to do the job.

Right now TS winds are 185 miles out from center even weakening with center low coming into area west of Atlanta the effects are going to be widespread.

Looks to me one has to be roughly 100 miles west of Douglasville GA. To be reasonably out of wind field.

Florida on otherhand is going to experience biblical level devastation.

I pray for folks can't get out one reason or another, I scratch my head about those choosing to stay that could leave.

I am of the mind that the country as a whole is fixing to experience an event far beyond shock of 911 as things develop.

Phoenix

a reply to: Phoenix

I'm glad that people were evacuated from the coastline.

Just heard from a friend who decided to hunker down in Gainesville. The last I'd heard from her was that she was going to ride it out at home alone. But as it turned out her daughter and granddaughter evacuated from Tampa to her place. They're all fine and experienced very little serious damage in their neighborhoods. The kids are back in Tampa and have power. The storm surge came up her front steps but not onto the porch... But she has yet to find out if her place in Ormond Beach was damaged further. She is still waiting on repairs to it from the last hurricane.

I had pictured her there alone and huddling in the dark...so was relieved to hear that all is well. She's close to 80 years old and has lived in hurricane zones her entire life. Her attitude is "They're just a part of life from time to time."