Hurricane Irma headed this way....

[dmcummins]

We landed at Gatlingburg TN. I hear there is a car show in town. We are planning on staying till Sunday and then we will see how the weather looks. Probably we will go west fron here.

[CurtEgerer]

Latest track shows this damn thing going up the center of the state with a direct hit on Orlando Monday AM I'm sure it will change track again.

[URY914]

I manage the design and construction department at the largest hospital in downtown Jacksonville. The combined adult and children's bed count is just under 700. 2.5 million square feet. We're directly on the St. Johns river and next to I-95. I've been in endless meetings on hurricane prep since Tuesday. We have contingency plans for our contingency plans. We started vacating our 2 community hospitals on Jax Beach and Fernandina Beach today. Those patients are moving to our 2 other large hospitals.

Here some examples of the enormity of the challenge coming with this storm.

- We received our bottled water shipment this morning. 3- 18-wheelers delivered 40 pallets of bottled water. You know how much room 40 pallets take up?

- We have 59 babies in our neonatal ICU as of today. If the storm surge rises high enough we will have to move all of them. This will take at least 24 hours.

- Our clinical staff will go on 12 hours shifts starting Saturday. When they report to work on Sat we'll have 2 complete staffs here for at least 3 days. One will work while the other sleeps. We'll be providing sleep rooms, food and showers for all staff.

Last year's Hurricane Mathew was near miss for us and we learned a lot and this year is going much smoother.

[Baz]

Paul....I appreciate your post and update and all the work you and your staff are doing. Very commendable! Godspeed and praying that your facility will be spared any harm from Irma....

[72doug2,2S]

Escaped today, we made it to Columbia SC. To VA tomorrow.

[carreradpt]

Drove up to Daytona to pick up Mom and Sis and returned to Melbourne this evening. 95 north was very very busy. SB was some nice cruising. Saw the police doing traffic control at a gas station in Edgewater. Wow!

[motion]

Originally Posted by JeremyD

My daughter was in Sint Marteen and had the eye go directly over her - she was luckily in a building designed to withstand a CAT 5 storm - it did...

That must have been highly stressful for your family, wow.

[Geneman]

paul and here i thought all you did was take great race car pictures at every event!

[URY914]

Originally Posted by Geneman

paul and here i thought all you did was take great race car pictures at every event!

Yea I know those race pics don't pay very well.

[URY914]

Traffic was pretty light on I-95 thru Jax this morning. But I hear that south of us it is at a stand still. People are running out of gas sitting in traffic.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I just left Charlotte, my hotel was full of FL people escaping the storm. The couple next to me at the bar had just moved to Key West two weeks ago. Bad timing......

[cashflyer]

[VINMAN]

On my way to Eglin AFB, with my USAR team for staging. Probably won't get any assignments until storm moves in.


.

[astrochex]

^Thanks, VINMAN.

Wife and son are in Orlando. I know at least one resort is not taking any guests on Sunday and Monday to ensure staff can fully attend to guests already there.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by VINMAN

On my way to Eglin AFB, with my USAR team for staging. Probably won't get any assignments until storm moves in.

Where have you been, Vinny? Did you get to the Houston area?

All props, BTW. I couldn't do the fire thing, but I get water. Be safe and all the best as you go share your talents with people in need...I admire your willingness to face the storm.

[enzo1]

They're reporting....leaning west?

[yellowperil]

My heart goes out to all of Florida, this might not be pretty. Hope you all get through it with a minimum of damage.

I've been to the Caribbean many times and I am very saddened by the damage to this area also.

I hope it goes OK! Canada feels for you and we will help as best we can through Red Cross.

Best to you all.
.

[dad911]

Originally Posted by enzo1

They're reporting....leaning west?

Yes, I've been following NOAA. Every update moves west. Right now projected path hits Keys at the 7 mile bridge. 30ish miles from Key west, will be hit hard. Looking at projected surges and winds, I lose 1 house, and likely serious damage to the other.

I have a few friends in Key West that won't leave. It's hard watching this unfold, will be hard when communication/power goes down and we lose contact.

[2porscheguy]

Wishing all of you FL pelicans the best but this Irma beotch looks big and nasty!
Stay safe guys!

[VINMAN]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Where have you been, Vinny? Did you get to the Houston area?

All props, BTW. I couldn't do the fire thing, but I get water. Be safe and all the best as you go share your talents with people in need...I admire your willingness to face the storm.

Thanks Paul. Never made it down to Houston. We only sent a small 14 man water rescue crew. I stayed in the ICC. We should be down to Eglin around 2300 tonight. Will probably sit there until the storm moves up .