Hurricane Irma headed this way....

[Baz]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

My in-laws are n Boynton and were supposed to be on Long Island this weekend.

Their place is post Andrew, all cinder block with tied down roof and foundation, full storm shutters, the works and they are 2-3 miles from the water.

They canceled so they could "keep the house safe"

On Thursday they started realizing that may have been a bad idea.

My wifes sisters in-laws have a place in Sarasota.

She reasoned that trying to get North would be a disaster and convinced her parents to head over and hole up in Sarasota.

My in-laws pack up and bug out.

Apparently the Sarasota house is all glass, no garage, no storm shutters and is a block off the beach AND Irma is now headed straight for Sarasota.

Yesterday they call, they are high tailing it back to Boynton.

Which begs the question...why aren't they on Long Island?

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Baz

Which begs the question...why aren't they on Long Island?

Was too late to get a flight when they realized they should probably leave.

[look 171]

I have been reading all this. Oh ma, you guys stay safe out there and take care of your families.

[dad911]

Originally Posted by Ferraripete

I am fearful for the safety of your friends in the keys. it looks dire. I will keep them all in my prayers.

Thank you. One couple left last night. My best friend still there.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Looks like it might be petering out a bit due to interaction with Cuba. The eye is poorly defined on visible imagery now and the water vapor analysis looks to have drier air in the western & southern quadrants. Down to Cat 3 but could bloom up again over the next 24 hours over the Straits of Florida. Maybe some good news in there? A little?

Looks like Tampa is going to get a whoopin' - probably many of the same areas hit by Charlie a few years ago too. Best of luck to all there.

FWIW I'd much rather deal with a storm like this every few years than MONTHS of cold, dark rotten snow and ice like up north every single year. Yes these are dramatic and horrible but truthfully the winters up north are a lot more destructive, it just happens over a longer period of time and is less dramatic or isolated to single specific events.

I hope there isn't a lot of looting / property crime after this blows through but it IS Florida after all (highest concentration of lowlifes per square mile in the USA aside from Detroit). Stay safe all.

[dad911]

[Baz]

Irma continues to move westward.....no northward turn yet....interesting....

[Baz]

Downgraded to a Cat 3.....

[widebody911]

[Racerbvd]

[astrochex]

Oh damn widebody, thats funny.

[dmcummins]

Not looking good for my area. I'm not so worried about the wind as the storm surge. The Boxster is in the hangar and the wife's car is in the garage. My house was built in 2003 so supposedly built to a higher standard for hurricane protection. I think it is suppose to be able to take a cat 3, of coarse Irma may be above that.

Not much more I can do but worry about my friends that refused to leave.

Not sure when we will be able to return, or what we will be returning to, but we are safe.

[astrochex]

Prayers especially for those on the coast and loved ones.

[URY914]

Originally Posted by URY914

It'll turn.

...hate to say I told you so...

[URY914]

A friend posted this on FB...

Repost from Tampa Bay Meteorologist Paul Delgado:
"I am getting a lot of questions asking about when we should evacuate. You only evacuate to escape storm surge flooding...You do not evacuate from the wind unless you live in a mobile home. Water is the killer. Wind is not. You run from water. You hide from wind. We can not evacuate the state based on the fact there may be strong winds. Given the options you would be better off riding out a storm in a well built home, out of an evacuation zone, than trying to drive up I-75 to a motel in Valdosta. You do not want to become part of the caravan driving up I-75. Trust me. It is a miserable option!"

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

FWIW I'd much rather deal with a storm like this every few years than MONTHS of cold, dark rotten snow and ice like up north every single year. Yes these are dramatic and horrible but truthfully the winters up north are a lot more destructive, it just happens over a longer period of time and is less dramatic or isolated to single specific events.
.

[Baz]

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by Baz

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.

Stay safe.

[Baz]

[Bill Douglas]

Good luck Baz, Byron and all other Floridians.

Byron, lets hope Cuba's tobacco plantations are OK and the cigar factories are intact!