Hurricane Milton

[KenAdams]

Couldn't see a thread for this in Weather.

This looks like it's going to be really bad. Helene has already caused enough devastion in the area and the poor people of Tampa are in for a lot more today.

Some people are refusing to evacuate from what I understand but the Mayor of Tampa has warned if you don't evacuate you die.

I can't imagine how scary it must be for them.

Yup. I actually did the "sharp intake of breath" reading that as couldn't believe someone could be so self absorbed.

I sincerely hope that the storm tracks away from highly populated areas and/or dissipates before landfall. I also hope that people can get out and can be saved/rescued in time.

This is hurricane season, so I presume hurricanes at this time of year have been happening for centuries. I realise that human activities are not helping climate but even without human over consumption and so on, there were devastating hurricanes.

Until big business, vested interests etc. all work together nothing will change until the devastation overtakes everything some day. Our contribution is valuable but it is just a drop in the ocean. Very frustrating to be trying everything I can, only to see consumption and all other contributions to climate change just carry on regardless all over the world, with a few exceptions. Some vested interests don't want it.

Regarding where people live - the Tampa Bay Area historically misses the major hurricanes. As someone else said, Miami area is far more risky. Yes, they're used to hurricanes and storms, but not used to being in the direct path of a cat 4 or 5 hurricane.

Agreed. It's striking that even in hugely climate change vulnerable areas like Florida most people don't seem to be changing their lifestyles.

Huge ocean front properties will all the trappings of excessive consumption. It's depressing

How many times do those of us in Florida have to say that people don't have to go far to evacuate and that there is transportation for those who don't have their own? There are shelters open in buildings that can withstand the wind and the rain where people can be safe from flooding. There are shelters that take pets. There are shelters that are set up for people with disabilities and medical needs.
But getting people to agree to go to shelters is the difficult part. There are disability and elder serving agencies that are helping people evacuate or prepare. It is not everyone for themselves.

Has your friend said what the plan is for those who can't evacuate? It's quite concerning how many won't be able to when the loss of life is said to be potentially high. Have they been advised what to do? It's all very well the government and experts saying evacuate, but if you can't surely there must be some advice.

Hoping all is well with your friend and others still there.

But extreme weather events are going to be more common and more and more extreme due to the climate crisis. So, yes, it won’t be a sudden announcement that ‘this place is now uninhabitable’ but people won’t buy houses in areas at risk. So the populations will slowly reduce down. On a small individual scale, we looked at future flood risks when choosing our house. Mass migration due to climate has already happened in some parts of the world.

Once the water, ability to grow food, risk of flood, storms and fires rises and deaths and mortality rise, people will move.

I completely agree. For the girl on TikTok who has presumably had a bit of a charmed life (as have I), it probably was the worst and most stressful time of her life. That doesn't mean it's worse for her than for the residents of Tampa, obviously. I'm also not sure why people are jumping on PP for stating she was planning to get a refund for her holiday rather than go/reschedule, and in the next breath say how stupid and selfish tourists are for continuing to go..! It's possible to be concerned for the residents and also concerned for your own 10k or whatever you spent on a long-anticipated holiday.

Also it's not fair to blame the government or the army for not evacuating everyone. These are people with capacity who can make their own decisions. Authority figures have been very clear where there is a need to leave, and if somebody makes the decision to stay they are taking responsibility for that decision. It does get more murky where children are involved, but I guess that's where parental responsibility comes into it. I'd hope people would be sensible, but equally I understand why people may decide not to evacuate.

Thank you to PP who shared the Instagram of the Tampa ER doctor, what an amazing woman she is! I've followed her, very interesting information.

I really hope he gets through this ok.

It must be so scary for you all right now. Wishing you the best.

Seems it's tracking slightly further south than predictions about 12 hours ago.

Yes. We have seen far more examples of climate change hitting those who have the least carbon emissions. This is a case where the impact is on a section of society (on the whole) who are going to be high carbon users in comparison. I hope the storm changes and that the impact is as minimal as possible for those poor people but I do hope we all look at this and learn the desperate situation we are in and change our ways.

Wishing you and your family, friends and neighbours all the best, @LifeExperience

I hope so 🤞

Are they still talking about a ten foot storm surge? I can't imagine what kind of safe building could be found for those who have been unable to evacuate. Of course there will be taller buildings and more robust buildings but the sheer amount of force behind all that weight of water must be immense.

I hope that I just lack the knowledge of how a building copes with that and that all those people who were too vulnerable to get out of the path remain safe.

I said some posts, not all. I have read the thread
Obviously, I am not minimising the issue, just the fact that world events often go unnoticed unless there is a Brit involved
So no need to jump down my throat, just read my post properly and apply a bit of logic

You don't think that some people might actually have empathy for others going through something so truly horrific. I don't know anyone there but I can feel for the terror they're going through - it's called being human and last time I looked I did qualify for being human

For god's sake, read the thread and realise I have responded

very worrying. And people still deny climate change.

It’s frightening. This stuff is only going to get worse but we just refuse to accept it and change.

We had to evacuate from the path of hurricane Rita back in 2005. We couldn’t get out of Houston because of the traffic so went home and slept in the bathroom of our apartment during the hurricane itself. It was a terrifying experience made more so because you also felt so helpless.

Sending strength to all those going through this.

Cattyisbatty · Today 12:53

very worrying. And people still deny climate change

Some people, anyway. I’m trying very, very hard not to hope that this bites the climate denier in chief, Trump, on his arse. Or at least in his pocket.
Who knows, he may even have an epiphany?

That must have been terrifying.

Exactly. And as to the question raised earlier in the thread about why people choose to live in a hurricane prone area. I am old. I moved to Florida when I was in my early 20s. Yes, there were hurricanes then, but generally they were not as intense as now, especially in the area where I live. It's pretty clear that climate change is the reason for the worsening, but still the deniers persist.

A storm surge means the water rises like a tide coming in extra high, not as a sudden force like a big wave though there will be those on the coast too. Once the water reaches two foot the pressure on a building becomes dangerous, but if the water enters the building then it equalises that pressure on the walls (water inside applying equal force to the inside of the walls as that applied by the water outside) so collapse is unlikely. Hence for most buildings you don’t want to keep the water out beyond the first couple of feet.