Hurricane headed my way
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Here's how fast Milton has been strengthening all day Monday:
7 a.m., 120-mph winds.
8 a.m., 125-mph winds
9:05 a.m.: 150-mph winds
11 a.m.: 155-mph winds
12 p.m.: 160-mph winds
2 p.m.: 175-mph windsYikes.
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Thanks, both.
I'm about to get a weather update.
I slept late because I had to Uber RM to the hospital last night. I had to watch him carefully because he was tired enough to be falling asleep there. He has an eye infection.
We have to get a prescription for him at Publix, water and food, and my Ativan prescription that was filled at CVS under DeSantis' executive order about medications being mandated to be filled early when there is an existing refill and he declares a state of emergency in a county as long as they are not Schedule II and are deemed to be necessary for the maintenance of life or necessarily for ongoing therapeutic reasons. I give him credit. This was a smart decision.
We have to secure anything that could become a projectile at our house and at his Mom's house. She and his sister are visiting family in Tennessee so they should be safe.
We will shelter in place after we do our errands.
I keep thinking of Jessye Norman's various live performances of the spiritual- "He's Got the Whole World in his Hands."
Yesterday I felt numb when I saw the the news. Then I briefly felt sad. I'm not feeling any kind of way today. I'm relying on my faith.
RM is sleeping and I want to let him but I'm going to get ready to do our errands.
I'm optimistic that we will be fine.
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@Daniel said in Hurricane headed my way:
Everything that's old is new again.
Another hurricane is headed my way.
This one will be a Category 3 hurricane when it makes landfall in Pinellas County.
They are saying it might be the worst storm to hit the Bay area in 100 years.
This is a euphemism for-- it might be the worst storm since the one that hit Tampa in 1921.
I feel numb.
Can you evacuate?
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Barometric pressure down to 897 mb. Winds 180 mph.
The record low pressure was Wilma, October 2005. 882 mb.
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No.
The way to do that would have been with Jim's Mom driving or his sister picking us up.
You might remember me posting Jim totalled his Mom's car.We would all be going to Pasco to stay with Jim's sister.
Jim's sister drove her car with their Mom to visit relatives in Tennessee a couple weeks ago..
Jim's Mom was sharing the use of her car with him before the accident.
I don't own a car.
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Hurray! Our plans might change. We might be able to get a ride out of town and stay at a hotel. I don't want to jinx it but this might happen.
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Looking at the numbers for this hurricane, I might consider finding shelter. Some place sturdy - like a shopping mall.
Very few houses will withstand 180MPH wind, never mind the flooding.
Be safe!
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We've decided we have to go
But we haven't figured out where we want to go and how we can do it.It looks like all of Pinellas, most of Hillsborough, most of a Pasco, and all of the I-4 corridor will be a death trap.
I'm going to look up shelters. Those that are single story will be worthless. An mall or airport are probably the only buildings that would work. I don't know if any have been or will be opened. I doubt it but I haven't checked yet.
The airports are closed. I'm going to look up Amtrak and Greyhound but won't be surprised if they aren't running.
Jim's sister didn't go after all but declined to invite Jim or me. To be clear, we didn't ask her to let us go there. She told him we should stay at his Mom's house across the street. His Mom flew to Tennessee. She told me should go to a shelter.
I don't think there is anywhere safe that's not many miles heading north on 75 past the I-4/ 75 interchange.
I'm going to research shelters after taking a 30 or 40 break.
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The Mayor of Tampa (who has been the mayor since I was in HS) was interviewed by CNN.
She said the storm surge might be 12 feet and all of Pinellas County might be under water.
Her message to the residents of Tampa was (I'm quoting)-- "Get out or die."
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My plans have fallen apart again. I guess I'll have to die here in 12 feet of water with the wind blolo
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Are there any schools that are being used as shelters?
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Here’s a list of shelters in Pinellas County.
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@Daniel said in Hurricane headed my way:
My plans have fallen apart again. I guess I'll have to die here in 12 feet of water with the wind blowing at 165 mph.
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I saw that. I have time to change my mind. I still think those buildings could be prone to flood surge. I still think staying with strangers and having no privacy would be its own kind of hell.
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Oh dear, really sorry to hear all of this @Daniel
Keep us posted on how (and where) you are. -
Uber and Lyft have announced that the state is paying them to take people to shelters.
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Was just coming here to say this!
@Daniel please try one of these options, #Milton or the promo code for Uber is MiltonRelief.Be safe!
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Waffle Houses closed across the state. Apparently this is a thing and a fairly reliable indicator.
https://www.wmtw.com/article/waffle-house-index-hurricane-milton/62558873
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SK, Steve,
My hotel plan fell apart when they called me back and said I couldn't have the room after letting me have it. They didn't offer an explanation and I didn't waste time asking for one. It had taken me two hours of being told no to find this one. There were no hotels by the time I tried to get one. I waited too long.
I changed my mind and decided I wanted to go to one of the shelters but by that time there was absolutely no option for transportation.
I don't know how I figured this out but the 10 ft or similar storm surge isn't coming to my neighborhood.
The wind speed might be a problem. We'll see
I still have electricity. I expect it will go out at some point.
I have my flashlight. Each of us has two oil lamps. I have one for my room and one for moving around the house. I'll use my flashlight for that but RM wanted me to borrow a set.
RM just finished taking his shower. My next project is to clean up the bathroom and take mine before the electricity goes out
He has broken ribs, he asked for some shampoo with salicylic acid. It's expensive for me to buy for myself, too expensive to buy on a regular basis, and I can't leave it in the bathroom, or he'd use it whenever he wanted.
I put some in a creamer bottom, made from what happens to be collectible, expensive, beautiful, green glass. He dropped it in the tub, and it broke into many pieces.
The set has several other pieces. It was a gift to him from his mother. I told him never to tell her about breaking it and he readily agreed.
They just announced (for the first time or not; I don't know) that ALL police, etc. are off the streets.
We're on our own.
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Picture taken in Wellington, some 150 miles south of the storm. Taken approx 6:30 PM.
.House and car belong to a friend of Greg’s.
