[Floridabound09]

Who said Tampa? Who said I will be out of town in 15 min? I said I will be reayd to leave town in 15 min.

I live in Ohio, we went 3 days without power last year when the ice storm hit.
And 2 days the year before 3 times that year.

Odd, friends of ours live in Clearwater, they got out of town and were in Ocala in no time at all, drove right up the highway with a trailer in tow, but theyn again they moved quick and did not mess around when the news came out.

You cannot sit on your butt when the news hits, they were prepared and had no problems whatsoever.

15 min is all I will need to be ready to leave town, its called being prepared ahead of time. Also, read it all, I will move to an area with many roads leading out of town and to a safer area.

15 hours.....????

[macguy]

Originally Posted by crystal153

Well, I don't know about "just an inconvenience." I saw pictures of whole communities flattened especially in Punta Gorda in 2005, people waiting for drinking water and food and looking for a place to shower and sleep. Repairs in other condo communites took a long time and many seniors were displaced. I would never want to live in Florida. Take a vacation for a few weeks in the winter but that's about it.

And the probability? Extremely low, not worth worrying about. Much of the damage they like to take pictures of should not happen. Unprepared homes, houses with trees falling through them that should have been removed or cut long ago. Trailers, they love to take pictures of them. There are millions of homes in Florida that have stood untouched for decades.

Like I said, the odds of something happening directly to you are far greater then winning the lottery. Want to worry, worry about the driver approaching you in the opposite direction that may hit you head on due to the slightest thing. We live an instant away from death every day of our lives. Many in Florida has made an industry of the fear about hurricanes. It's a big money business.

[macguy]

Originally Posted by Floridabound09

Who said Tampa? Who said I will be out of town in 15 min? I said I will be reayd to leave town in 15 min.

I live in Ohio, we went 3 days without power last year when the ice storm hit.
And 2 days the year before 3 times that year.

Odd, friends of ours live in Clearwater, they got out of town and were in Ocala in no time at all, drove right up the highway with a trailer in tow, but theyn again they moved quick and did not mess around when the news came out.

You cannot sit on your butt when the news hits, they were prepared and had no problems whatsoever.

15 min is all I will need to be ready to leave town, its called being prepared ahead of time. Also, read it all, I will move to an area with many roads leading out of town and to a safer area.

15 hours.....????

Hurricane Andrew I was in Gainesville and wanted to get back to Fort Lauderdale. I had the road to myself going south but the road going north was gridlock. Nothing was moving. I saw families that were huddled under over passes hoping to be safe. You will have to leave at least 24 hours ahead of time and have a reservation about three or four days ahead as people book them up right away. Your plan is good but many think the same way and will also be on the roads. You really if you are afraid need to leave 48 hours early.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

I rememeber before Charlie hit, they thought it was going to hit Tampa directly and they ordered everyone out of Tampa...something about the way its built they thought it would completely flood...sent them all here to Orlando...even talked about making the highway both sides going the same direction to speed things up.

I don't know much about Tampa but I remember that well. Then of course Charlie hooked a little South and hit Punta Gorda and they were not prepared AT ALL...many died in their beds.

When you move to Florida...get a weather radio...no matter where you live.

[macguy]

Originally Posted by Lisa_from_Debary

I rememeber before Charlie hit, they thought it was going to hit Tampa directly and they ordered everyone out of Tampa...something about the way its built they thought it would completely flood...sent them all here to Orlando...even talked about making the highway both sides going the same direction to speed things up.

I don't know much about Tampa but I remember that well. Then of course Charlie hooked a little South and hit Punta Gorda and they were not prepared AT ALL...many died in their beds.

When you move to Florida...get a weather radio...no matter where you live.

Making all lanes but maybe one in the same direction is one thing they have recently learned. Some of the things they have done wrong in the past was just common sense. I think many cities are really on the case now and far more prepared. After Wilma a city worker got the idea to take barricades to the intersections where the lights were out and mount hand painted signs on them saying "Four was stop". How simple was that. I hope that guy got some kind of award. I also hope now they have a whole bunch of them stored for the next time we lose electric that can be set up right away..

[Chromedome]

stay away from cape coral if you value quality of life

[riveree]

Originally Posted by zzNEWYORKzz

Hello everyone im coming from newyork with my family in august ,can anyone direct me to the safest city away from most of the major storms,And also major crimes. Is tampa, poinciana,st.petes.,cape coral , oviedo etc A good place to live in.

As said in the earlier posts, hurricanes can affect any part of Florida - even inland - it doesn't matter.

Hurricanes tend to travel towards the West/Gulf coast and South Florida more often, so in that case, avoid Tampa, St. Pete, etc. and look to Atlantic side, middle of the state on up to the north.

I'm in Jax. Our likelihood of a direct hit is very low, but it CAN happen and we DO see hurricane force winds which can be scary enough.

But hurricanes are just one small part of living in FL, you do need to make a list of other priorities. What kind of housing do you need? How much can you spend? Where will you work? Do you want to live in a city or a rural area? There is so much to consider when choosing a new place to live.

[Floridabound09]

Originally Posted by macguy

Hurricane Andrew I was in Gainesville and wanted to get back to Fort Lauderdale. I had the road to myself going south but the road going north was gridlock. Nothing was moving. I saw families that were huddled under over passes hoping to be safe. You will have to leave at least 24 hours ahead of time and have a reservation about three or four days ahead as people book them up right away. Your plan is good but many think the same way and will also be on the roads. You really if you are afraid need to leave 48 hours early.

The poster mis read my point, I will be ready to be out the door in minutes of any report that comes in I do not like, I have read horror stories that people wait up until that last moment to leave.
Just look what happen in New Orleans, it wasnt the governments fault, it was the peoples fault and of course the lame mayor. They knew 5 days in advance to get out, anyway they could, even was offered free ways to get and and still did not.
We have our idea of how tos already planned and we are not moving for almost 2 years from now and will adjust when we see a better idea.
One thing is for sure, I will move at the first sign of a problem.

[CHASLS2]

Originally Posted by Floridabound09

Who said Tampa? Who said I will be out of town in 15 min? I said I will be reayd to leave town in 15 min.

I live in Ohio, we went 3 days without power last year when the ice storm hit.
And 2 days the year before 3 times that year.

Odd, friends of ours live in Clearwater, they got out of town and were in Ocala in no time at all, drove right up the highway with a trailer in tow, but theyn again they moved quick and did not mess around when the news came out.

You cannot sit on your butt when the news hits, they were prepared and had no problems whatsoever.

15 min is all I will need to be ready to leave town, its called being prepared ahead of time. Also, read it all, I will move to an area with many roads leading out of town and to a safer area.

15 hours.....????

Most any big city in FL would take you hours of sitting in clogged traffic if the big one was coming.

Better research well and learn before ya move here!

[INeedAChange]

Hurricanes are a concern of mine as well, but remember technically no place on the east coast, except maybe New England, is 100% safe from hurricanes. Does anyone here remember the hurricane in 2003 (can't remember the name of the hurricane) that went to the Carolinas and knocked down trees all over the mid-atlantic, wrecking some people's houses and cars. Granted the risk is higher in places like Fla and New Orleans but then again, remember you have earthquakes in California.