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.

@fundsandfrolics you win tone deaf post of the year...

https://www.instagram.com/dr.beachgem10?igsh=MTR4cHMwenlycmYxeQ==

This Tampa doctor gives good updates about working in the hospital during a hurricane

They are usually evacuated to another hospital. Many hospitals can function fairly well through a hurricane as they tend to be sturdily built and have generators. However if they are located where storm surge is a serious threat, evacuations will be necessary because of flooding.

Yes, homeowners insurance covers hurricane damage but there is a fairly high deductible that the homeowner has to cover. Separate flood insurance is also needed. Homeowners insurance would cover flooding that occurred inside the house from burst pipes, for example, but you need flood insurance to cover damage from rising water.

People who don't have insurance will have to cover most repairs or rebuilding out of their own pocket. There are some programs that offer help, but it is extremely limited and would not cover the entire cost of rebuilding.

We are experiencing an insurance crisis in Florida these days. Many insurers have left the state, and the cost of insurance continues to rise to the point that some people simply can't afford it.

Just watched clips of people with young kids getting supplies to try ride out this storm. I can't help but feel they are in denial. This is the biggest hurricane to hit in over 100 years. At best they are going to lose power for weeks.

As long as they are prepared, that is a perfectly sensible thing to do.

The only people who should evacuate are people in low storm surge areas, people in pre-code housing or vulnerable people (ie needing regular medical treatment or the like). Everyone else should hunker down and leave the roads clear for evacuees and emergency services.

I have ridden out many cyclones (what hurricanes are called in southern hemisphere) and everyone stays put, unless they are on the beachfront or have medical needs.

It is true. They always say that to people who can’t/won’t evacuate

They have set up shelters in major stadiums. Shades of Katrina though...

I am in the US and saw footage of zoos packing their animals and exhibits away safely, long, long lines of traffic heading north, and boarded up stores. Disney parks, state parks, and national parks are all closing.

I'm currently watching a meteorologist on a news channel saying Sarasota may take a direct hit (south of Tampa). But this is a huge storm and the entire state will experience its force.

The police have said if he is still there today they will remove him.

Yes, it's where many people go to retire. Not so much in retirement homes, though there are many, but in cheap prefab style homes where they live independently.

No, storm shelters are not generally a thing. This is because Florida sits on limestone, which is porous and soft, and capable of absorbing vast quantities of water, so underground shelters are out of the question. Above ground shelters are costly for individuals to build, and in coastal areas there is a danger of foundations eroding. The force of a head on hit by a hurricane is like nothing people in non-hurricane (or cyclone) regions can imagine.

There are public shelters available, but probably the best way to avoid suffering the effects of a hurricane is to not live along the Gulf Coast or the Atlantic coast south of Maryland.

Unless you are well over a hundred years old, you are unlikely to have ever experienced what is being predicted from this hurricane.

Does anyone have an ETA of the hurricane?

Praying for the people and animals there. God willing it won’t be as bad as feared.

It’s headlining here in the UK now everywhere.

You head for a public shelter, in a stadium, school, or some other large center that is open for evacuees.

If you have a car, you pack what you can in it and drive far enough north that you won't suffer the worst of it. Some people just park somewhere and wait it out once they get to Georgia or Alabama, or wherever. Some counties run busses out of the state and coordinate with motels to take people in. Sometimes neighboring states or unaffected counties open stadiums, schools, convention centers, etc, for evacuees.

Expected to make landfall at 8pm here, so 1am in the UK.

Cyclones that hit Asia also have human names, as do storms hitting the British and Irish coasts.

I have a friend in Florida that I worry for. Yesterday the eye was on track to pass just 9 miles from her house, though hopefully that's changed by now and will pass further away. No evacuation order for her area, but she said she might leave anyway so I hope she has enough petrol.

It’s September and prime hurricane season.

And even though this hurricane is generating particular attention due to its nature, when you book to go to Florida in September, you do so in the knowledge that a hurricane is entirely possible, and even though the wind doesn’t tend to hit Orlando, the rain almost always does.

Nobody knows what, if any damage there will be at WDW,, but I’m sure your kids will survive having not been there.

At least you won’t have to pay the fines for taking them out of school in term time eh?

I've been following this.....I really can't believe the number of people with young kids who are refusing to leave. CPS should have stepped in as those kids are basically being pushed towards death. If adults want to put themselves at risk then that's on them but they shouldn't be allowed to do this to their little ones. The loss of life from this storm is going to be devastating. 😞

I live in Ft Myers Florida , we are not in an evacuation zone. We have hurricane windows on our house, plenty of food, water and propane. We made it through Ians direct hit with little damage. People have been ordered to evacuate but don’t have to. However, if you stay and need help the police and firemen will not come until the storm passes. There is gas available and supplies. Some stores will be open half a day Wednesday and hopefully reopen on Friday. Uber is giving free rides to shelters if needed.

I am in the USA but not Florida. This is being taken very seriously. (As my neighbour says: "They closed the Waffle House and Jim Cantore is in town. That's your warning.")

They ae making every effort to get people to evacuate but yes, people are prone to thinking "Last time was fine". Apparently Tampa hasn't had a direct hit in a century so people really have no idea what a storm like this would be like. In Miami, on the other hand, there's still loads of people who remember Andrew. As the map shows it's one of the worst cities in Florida to get a hit, because of the bay. There's so much low-lying land, compared to the Miami area where the coastline is straight. The NYT had an article on one neighbourhood in St. Pete that floods every time there's a hurricane, and that's without a direct hit. You also have people who don't want to be stuck in a shelter, who are afraid about pets or property, etc. A friend of a friend said "Well my apartment is top floor, I'll be fine". The last article I read said 16% of gas stations were out of fuel but I can't remember the exact area surveyed, it may just have been the Tampa metro.

But what's more, they haven't cleaned up from Helene. It wasn't a full hit on the Gulf coast but there's loads of debris lying about (they're now rushing to clear as much as possible), plus FEMA is tied up. FEMA doesn't have the availability it needs right now and of course the Republicans just denied more money for it. The Florida property insurance market is a disaster and the aftermath may be really, really grim.

The storm will still cross the state and impact everything from Tampa to Daytona even if Orlando won't get the kind of hit that Tampa will. The current prediction is that the direct hit will be on Sarasota but the National Hurricane Center says that could change still.

Good lord! I cannot believe you read this thread and this is what you decided to post!

I have never read anything more insensitive that this post.

Unbelievable.

Sending my thoughts to anyone caught up in this or who has friends/family caught up in this.

I can only imagine their feelings right now. Terrifying.

May you/they all be safe. (Animals included, of course).

where has it come from

We were in Florida when hurricane sandy hit in Oct 2012. It was terrifying and I would never want to be in a similar situation ever again.

I feel sorry for the people who wanted to leave and can’t. If you’re poor, don’t have a car, can’t afford a car hire, can’t afford gas what do you do? Where do you go? Some people with cars couldn’t leave as there is no gas at the petrol stations.