Florida hurricanes....

bladegrinder

bladegrinder

Well-Known Member
Here we go again. :rolleyes:
This time it's going straight over my place in the panhandle, with opening day of archery season next week.:mad:
 
Yep, they keep moving that track more west. Not liking that or that they are saying cat 3 now!! I rode out, a near head on cat 3 and now it has me weighing my options!!! Of course I had about 100 more trees than I have now!! It makes you walk out and look at any that are still remaining close to the house!!

The wife always gets nervous, she may have more sense than I do!! :eek::p OK so that is a given she does have more sense than I do!! It don't help when those jackholes on the weather channel are trying to take bets on whether you are safe right on the beach. I can tell you the answer to that NO!! Storm surge took out the I 10 bridge in Ivan. Those panels weighed several tons and set anywhere from 20' to 35' to the water. That was enough to convince me.
The fellow that tried to ride it out on Escambia Bay was up on pilings, by the time the water got to where it was coming in the first story up on pilings, he decided they might want to go to the attic, by the time the storm ended they were clinging to the only section of the trusses and roof that were still standing! They were up the bay from the Gulf at least 15 miles!!! I heard his wife divorced him for staying, not sure about that but, really couldn't blame her on that one!!

I am about 18 miles inland so the wind and tornados spawned off the storm is my big worry! I am on high enough ground I don't have to worry to much about flooding. I am thinking I may board up in the morning cause about 1 or 2 more clicks to the west and it is gonna get real close, to head on!! Bad thing about running you need a relative you can board up with for a while, a week or two can be a lot in a motel!!!

Shelves are emptying out gas stations are out of gas and it only gets better from here!!! Everyone in the path be safe!!
 
Well last update is taking back East again, Panama City or in that area!! We will see what the morning brings!!
 
Well, I just drove thru a neighborhood along our intercoastal waterway and water is going over the sea walls and in the yards.
this does not bode well for folks living along the west coast and in the panhandle { Cliff } . this storm is nowhere near me and it's pushing water pretty good already. there's going to be really bad flooding coming from this one north of me.
It's just cloudy and windy where I'm at now.
 
Don't wait too long if you're going to evacuate. You don't want to ride out the storm sitting in a car on a backed up highway.

Doug
 
Steve, I am far enough inland and at a decent elevation. Costal flooding and flooding in general is not my big worry. I spent all day constructed a cover for my trailer where I can crank and run the generator, without it being in the deluge! My wife is on oxygen and I can do tanks but they don't last long in such a situation! So I need to power her oxygen generator!!

Not that it won't run I just hate to have electricity and rain mixed together. There was a 70 some year old man got killed during the last storm. Trying to plug another cord into the generator and he was standing in water. They think the cord had broken insulation, and well it got him!

You hang I there Steve it is gonna push more you way when it takes that turn.

My biggest fear is that turn, or when it makes it. It can mean a whole lot of bad for us, if it doesn't turn or turn quick enough!! I did a lot of things today to get the last minute things done before the storm. It seems I am not as fast as I use to. I did not get the windows boarded, so will have to
re-asses the situation in the morning!! It would not be the first time I boarded up in the pouring down rain. I am just hoping I can get by this time. There is only one of me and I moved as fast as I could go today but try as I might I could not get it all done! I feel like someone just handed me the pistol and I spun the cylinder, hoping and praying it is not my time, or any of my family!!! Those kids and grandkids are heavy on my mind, they all live within a few miles of me!!

It is now going to Cat 4 and they think it may downgrade before making landfall! Let us hope so cause the coast is gonna catch it with the tidal surge and hurricane winds!! Good luck and prayers to anyone in the way of this one!!
 
I’m not there not there now, I’m in Clearwater. Everyone around there has evacuated except one neighbor, and he may have left last night.The eyes going to go over my place, and now I’m worried as all get out about my house, I just put the dang place up there last year and this is the second hurricane it’s going thru. I’m going there next week for bow season but depending on what happens I may need to go up there Thursday, if the roads are clear. Cliff, good luck and god speed.
 
Same to you Steve! This morning they are saying still the Panama City area. But, it still don't seem to making that turn.

Scares me and right now I can't remember the storm but, we had one like this and the weather channel kept saying it is coming on top of us. Actually the storm went in100 miles from us and they never admitted it till a couple of days later. I know they can't predict these things down to the last moment. That is the part that scares me!! However a 100 miles can make a big difference!!

I will be happy that I spent as much time preparing as I did, as long as it was for nothing!! But you know how that goes. I still haven't boarded up and I am sitting and watching for this turn and praying I didn't make a big mistake!!!

To all in this storm, I am saying prayers. I remember what Ivan done to this area and how long nearly two weeks can be without power! Everyone stay safe!!
 
Well, I stayed in touch with two neighbors up there thru the day on and off thru text. one had his pole barn take a hit, the other I lost contact with but he seemed ok at about 5:00. the guy with the pole barn said he tried to get over to my place and take a look but both roads out of his place had trees down along with the county roads so he's boxed in. he said he'd take the tractor out at light and get down there.
The eye passed about 20 miles from my place so the winds were well over 100 mph. it's nothing but woods around me so I imagine it's a mess, he's going to send me pictures tomorrow, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. and of course elec. is out everywhere. how'd you make out cliff?
 
Steve glad to hear you are OK. I knew you were going to see more than us if it did what it was expected to do!!

We came thru OK. I was nervous as cat on a hot tin roof, till it made that turn! There is a saying in Florida when a hurricane is coming. I wouldn't wish a storm on anyone but, I just hope it don't come here. What most folks who have never been through one don't realize that hurricanes move in a anti-clockwise direction!

So the spinning produces an effect on the right side of the hurricane that can be absolutely as bad as having the eye, while on the left side it can be moderate to nearly nothing. As the crow flies we lay about 120 miles from our home to Panama City. So when I was worried about the turn. It was because how much closer the eye would have hit here and the outer band of the hurricane with sustained winds would have been more on top of us!!

With storm surge on the coast anything over a cat 1 is bad news, anything such as a cat 4 and you are looking at the wall of water it pushes to be up to 20+ feet, that doesn't include the timing of high tide! I haven't heard yet the estimate of Michael! Anything over 3' floats a vehicle and ruins the bottom story of a dwelling. Eight foot and above is devastation to most homes even those on pilings! Storms like this one cause damage in inland states with the rainfall and a lot of them in Georgia and the Carolina's didn't need anymore rain!!

We were lucky, we got rain all day and at times gusts around 48 mph! A little more to the left could have made a drastic change in the weather. The yards are full of limbs and leaves but that is only a little more yard work. Thanks to all who said prayers and sent good thoughts. I would rather spend two days trying to get ready for a hurricane and not have to use any of it, than spend no time or not evacuate and it come in head on!!

The power of such a storm is devastating. There are business and homes that have never been re-built around here from after Ivan in 2004! As much as I am glad about how we fared I can't help but feel for those who did get caught in the middle of it!! Say a prayer for them as there nightmare is just beginning!!

Cliff
 
Here are a few pics I was able to dig up on the hurricane Michael on Panama City Beach!!




1539226314434.png1539226168178.png1539226183395.png1539226196819.png1539226216619.png1539226314434.png
 

Attachments

  • 1539226117001.png
    1539226117001.png
    92.1 KB · Views: 6
Glad to hear you made it with no damage Cliff. I'll find out tomorrow what happened on my place, hoping nothing...but there's going to be something.
 
The remnants pushed through here last night, lot of rain and wind, trees down but thanks to some prep work I have no huge damage. Hope you guys wheathered it as well, your dose was bigger.
 
If you have seen the devastation at Meixco City Beach, just to the East of what is actually consider Panama City Beach. Actually it is all one big long beach! Anyway if you have seen the pics today, you will understand why you can't stay when you are on the beach!! The tidal surge was brutal!!

This is a map of the City of Panama City beach! The area is highlighted in green in this link.
https://www.bing.com/search?q=flori...b1c41498b944f1c5094eae3ac&cc=US&setlang=en-US

If you follow the Tyndall Parkway, east you will come to Mexico Beach, on this map! The area is highlighted in green in this link!
https://www.bing.com/search?q=flori...08384E5B8A461266FBFB9048&FORM=QBRE&sp=1&ghc=1


From about 25 miles west of Panama City, and about 25 miles east to Mexico Beach, a 50 mile stretch/ However in all reality we are probably talking about another 25 miles in each direction or a distance of a total of 100 miles. Most of what was on the beach ceased to exist or is so damaged it may never be rebuilt!!!

This is what they saw at daylight this morning. Three major hospital in the area have been evacuated today and life flights have been transferring passenger to our area and all over the south that can take patients. Helicopter is the only way to get them out as the roads including I 10 are closed and will be for several days!!

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=pictures+of+the+devastation+caused+by+hurricane+michael+at+panama+city+beach&qpvt=pictures+of+the+devistation+caused+by+hurricane+michale+at+panama+citry+beach&FORM=IGRE

This monster was still a hurricane as it plowed through Georgia and into the Carolinas. Now they are saying it will pass back out into the Atlantic and become a hurricane again!!

Say a prayer for all that were involved! Their lives will never be the same!!
 
Last edited:
Well, the bad news...four people got killed in my area in the panhandle.
One neighbor said this morning there was no way to get down the dirt roads to check on my place from trees down.
another neighbor was trapped on his property and couldn't get out, about 6 pm I spoke with him and he got out with his tractor and chainsaw. the third neighbor then showed up, they cut into his place and got his tractor and cleared the road to my place.

He said I have some tree's down on the road going in but they were too busy to go in and check the house. he's going to check it tomorrow and call me. it looks like my bow season might be more of a chainsaw season.

God bless good neighbors !
in two and a half years I'll be getting out of the Tampa Bay area and living the dream in the woods with these good folks.
 
Steve, I think I heard tonight the death toll is up to seven from the storm. There is a lot of area's they haven't gotten into and the damn thing just won't die it is still going!!
 
It's a relief to hear from you. I can't get over the pictures of the train that was blown over on it's side and off their carriages. Keep safe.

Doug
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top