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.

I have family over there at the moment on holiday, I use the term loosely because I haven’t seen or spoken to them in years. They are putting “oh woe is me” posts on FB because they’ve had to change plans but I have no sympathy. They’ve travelled over there in hurricane season, it’s what happens. I used to work in the travel industry and we always told customers to avoid Florida during hurricane season.

The folk who live there however I have the upmost sympathy for. I hope it isn’t as bad as predicted.

Insurances might also not cover them and Orlando is not a cheap holiday so they might be loosing loads of cash. Yes I know they risk their live

And the lives of people they expect to continue to service their holiday and look after them during a hurricane.

It’s the main item on the BBC home page.

https://www.windy.com/?25.265,-51.548,5

I hope the people of Florida heed warnings and stay safe. After this the island of Bermuda also.

There’s a tampa doctor on tiktok who has gone to her hospital and will ride out the storm there. She’s taken her kids with her and they will live/sleep in her office while she works. She says they’ll be safe, the windows are hurricane proof, they have generators, etc, they’re high up.

where will it go after Florida?

Could you still go, but hire some kite surfing gear or maybe some paddle boards? That way you won't have lost the air fare and your thrill-seeking could be restored?

oh Bermuda
thanks

I have no sympathy for everyone complaining that their events might get cancelled - I have seen a lot of people complaining online about the Taylor Swift Miami concerts possibly getting cancelled.

I don't think it can be overstated how serious this is. People will die. People have already died from Helene, and the death toll from that is still rising. This has the potential to literally wipe areas of Florida off the map. Places like Treasure Island, which is already trying to recover from Helene.

This will be an awful, awful thing.

I've seen her, the one whose house was damaged in Helene? She's been helping so many people with the flooding etc., giving out free advice. She's in Tampa so hopefully the storm surge isn't so bad it overwhelms their aqua fence

Given its still likely to be a category 1, if not 2 as it passes over the east coast, would you really want to sit in your car hoping for no flash flooding?

Look at the flooding caused by Helan well inland of the coast and that was a tropical storm by that point.

You'd have thought that lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina would mean that there was an evacuation plan that did not depend on people owning a vehicle and having money at hand.

The state has offered free transport to those who can't afford to evacuate but the issue is a lot of people don't want to. Choosing to stay is selfish imo, you're just asking the emergency workers to put their lives at risk to help you

@JohnCravensNewsround Moving more than a million people is a monumental task. They do have free transport and have opened shelters that take pets, special needs shelters and general population shelters. They have transportation to shelters available. It's getting people to leave that's the problem. People stay for all sorts of reasons but the ones that stay are often the most vulnerable.

I cant understand why Disney staff are still working. Does anyone know whether they get a chance to leave if they want to?

we we’re stuck in hurricane Irma in Cuba in 2917, I have never been as terrified, for two whole days, in my life. We were in a Russian built concrete hotel that had survived many hurricanes but it was still terrifying. Sending my thoughts and prayers for all the people either unable to evacuate or who will inevitably lose their entire homes.

watching the storm getting closer on TV then losing the power and TV coverage knowing it’s almost upon you and knowing you can do nothing but ride it out and pray is horrendous.

Because they can’t afford not to! If it’s open they have to turn up to work. The problem is that Disney should have shut several days in advance (and hopefully dissuade tourists from flying in and using up valuable space and resources)
This is the problem with trying to evacuate everyone days in advance- what would your boss say if a week out you just told them you were not coming to work? If you work in a supermarket or a petrol station or a hospital you can’t just up and leave!

Missing out on a holiday comes pretty low on the scale of human suffering. The poster's children will, with luck, survive and go on to have many other holidays.

It’s fairly obvious that it is to ensure people understand the severity of the situation. Given clearly many don’t. And also to point out that no one is coming to rescue them if they choose not to. And what are they meant to say “sure, take your chances, probably be ok”. If they are less than 10ft above sea level they probably won’t be and will then expect to be rescued from their roofs and use up resources that can’t come.

I've also seen people writing their details on their horses and saying they will leave the stables unlocked/open as if the worst hits the horses are better running free than being locked up scared in stables

How is it "unprofessional" to issue a stark warning in life-threatening circumstances?

President Biden: "It's a matter of life and death, and that's not hyperbole. It's a matter of life and death."

I have a flood incident response role in the UK. You'd be surprised at how difficult it can be to evacuate people. We don't (yet) have storms the size of what is happening in Florida, but I imagine many of the reasons for wanting to stay are the same (I've always lived here/you'll carry me out in a box; pets; sentimentality; disbelief; local family/friends; work and caring commitments; distrust of authorities).

Thanks for that, Fescue. That angry red swirl looks terrifying in
Gulf of Mexico. It's bloody HUGE.

I’ve been watching tik toks of people evacuating. Heartbreaking seeing them leave lots of their worldly goods/homes behind knowing they’re going to be destroyed . Absolutely terrifying for them all. I have friends in Florida so very worried for them all.