It’s becoming more likely Hurricane Irma will at least affect U.S., if not make landfall (Tampa: power lines, insurance)
Sarasota - Bradenton - Venice areaManatee and Sarasota Counties
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According to this Washington Post article (see link above) - it's becoming more likely that Hurricane Irma will affect the US. It's looking like at the very least we could have another big rain event here next weekend. It's still too early to have definitive knowledge concerning which path Hurricane Irma will ultimately take, so this one bares watching.
I live in Nokomis and I had a minor bit of flooding last weekend (about 1 & 1/2 buckets of water came up from the floor and soaked the throw carpet in the second bedroom). Also I'm on septic and when I flushed the toilet all the water came back onto the floor. Lovely! Apparently the septic system leach field was too saturated from all of the rain and I had to wait a few days before I could flush my toilet. I never thought about this before but now I know one big disadvantage to being on a septic system.
Last edited by wondermint2; 09-04-2017 at 01:17 PM..
Location: Sarasota/ Bradenton - University Pkwy area
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It's still early for them to predict with more certainty as to what path Irma will take, but the most recent shift in direction has now put FL on alert. Since we have a number of "newbies" to FL that read this forum who may not be familiar with how to prepare for a hurricane, here's a blog post I wrote a couple of years ago on the topic.
Every household should sit down and discuss what you will do in case of a hurricane. Experts suggest every household should pick out a "safe room" within your home in which to gather, preferably a room without windows and located in the center part of your home.
Find out what evacuation zone your home is located in and determine where you would go should residents of your area be ordered to evacuate. You should know the locations of nearby hurricane shelters and, if you have pets or someone in your family has special needs, find out whether the shelters can accommodate your pets or other special requirements.
Preparation & Supplies
Most people know to have sufficient drinking water and food that does not require refrigeration or cooking on hand to take care of your family's needs for at least a week on hand.
Experts recommend having 1 gallon of drinking water per day per person.
A manual can opener, paper plates and plastic forks & spoons, plastic cups, paper towels, toilet paper, flashlights, batteries, portable radios, a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, heavy plastic & tarps, hammer and nails, heavy work gloves, plastic trash bags and cleaning supplies should also be on your supplies list. A BBQ grill, charcoal and lighter are needed.
If you had medications you need you should refill them before a storm approaches.
If you have small children, have sufficient baby diapers, wipes, etc on hand to last a week.
If you have pets, you'll need pet food and water for them.
Stock up on bags of ice. Even if our area does not suffer a direct hit, power lines can be knocked down by winds and electricity can be off for days.
If you depend on a cordless phone, get a corded one that doesn't require electricity as a back up option. If you don't have a land line and use only a cell phone, make sure you have an emergency charger.
Gas up your car before the storm hits, gas station pumps require electricity to work. It's also a good idea to have one of those tire sealers/fix a flats.
Get some emergency cash to keep at home, ATMs won't work either if the power is off.
Every home should have a first aid kit filled with supplies such as band-aids, antiseptic, compresses & tape, ace bandages, aspirin, anti-diarrhea medications, rubbing alcohol, etc. You will also need sunscreen, hand wipes and mosquito repellant.
Make up a household inventory of your valuables, appliances, furniture, etc. Take photos or video of your belongings. Scan or save receipts for major items in a watertight case.
Evacuation Kit
If you determine it is in your families best interests to evacuate to a shelter, there are supplies the Red Cross recommends taking with you:
pillows, blankets, sleeping bags and/or air mattresses
extra clothing, eye glasses, shoes
folding chairs for sitting on during the day
personal hygiene items such as toothbrush, tooth paste, soap, deodorant (I would add washcloths and hand towels to that list)
books, card games or small toys for entertaining family members
Important Papers
Important papers should be gathered ahead of time in a waterproof container - items such as passports, social security cards, bank & credit cards information, wills, insurance policies, inventory of your home for insurance purposes, marriage licenses, precious family photos, etc
Preparing Ahead of an Announced Storm System
NOAA and the local news stations will provide updates as the storm system approaches. Even if a hurricane is predicted to miss our immediate area, there are two things to keep in mind.
(1) Storms are unpredictable and can quickly change direction
and
(2) Hurricanes and major tropical storms typically have incredibly wide wind zones. A storm hitting another part of our state can still wreck havoc here.
So stay updated on the weather reports.
Now is the time to double check your food, water and other hurricane supplies, replenishing and/or replacing items as needed.
Before the storm hits, scrub and fill all bathtubs and sinks with water for additional supplies.
Turn your refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting in case of power outages.
Store all lawn furniture, toys, garbage cans, potted plants, bicycles, wind chimes, bird houses, etc. Don't leave anything out that can become a missile in strong winds.
Trim tree branches touching or near your home or roof. Clean gutters of any debris.
If you have a swimming pool, they suggest leaving it filled and chlorinated but cover the filtration system.
Check your neighbors yards for loose items as well. You don't want your neighbor's trash can flying through your living room window during the storm.
Protect your windows and doors with hurricane shutters if you have them, heavy plywood is often used by homeowners who do not have shutters. Experts state placing duct tape on your windows is not a sufficient form of protection.
If you have electronics such as TVs, computers that you wish to protect from water damage, protect them with plastic.
If you live in a mobile home or on a barrier island, plan for evacuation and listen to local news stations for evacuation information.
If you do decide to voluntarily evacuate, keep in mind roads out of our area such as I-75 will become congested with traffic. Plan to leave as early as possible.
When the Storm Hits
Move into your designated safe room and stay there until authorities give the all clear.
Stay put! Now is not the time to change your mind about evacuation.
If your home starts to flood, shut off the electric power at the panel.
If the electricity goes off, it is recommended to turn off major appliances and AC to reduce the chances of damage from a power serge when power is restored.
Listen to your NOAA weather radio or other radio for weather advisories and emergency information.
Once the storm has passed do not travel until authorities say it is safe to do so. There often is street flooding, downed trees and electrical wires in the streets. Don't allow children to play in storm water, it usually contains contaminants.
After the Storm
As those of us who have lived in FL for a number of years know, you may be without power for several days after a storm. Emergency services will be overwhelmed with calls so unless you have a serious emergency, plan on being self-reliant for several days.
When it's safe to do so, survey the outside of your home for damages. Check on your neighbors, see how they fared in the storm.
If your home was flooded do not turn the power back on (if it is available) until after you have had a licensed electrician check your wiring for damage.
If you have a gas powered generator or BBQ grill, use them in well ventilated areas.
Be aware that snakes, alligators and other wild animals may be driven to higher ground by flooding.
No one likes to think about a hurricane or major tropical storm hitting their area. We in the Sarasota - Bradenton area have been very fortunate in that regard in past years. That does not mean because our area has not been hit in the past that we will not suffer a hit in the future. So it makes sense to get prepared now, before a storm threatens.
4 of the models now--which still have leeway in what actually happens--show a hit on FL...
Just where and how bad/long she lasts...and it is still possible weather over the US could push Irma out to sea...but that option seems less likely...
Thank you so much! I went to the store tonight, Publix was out of water but I was able to score a few gallons at Fresh Market. I also stocked up on a bunch of frozen food, completely forgetting it will all go bad if the power goes out. I was thinking more like we do up North when a snowstorm is coming! Anyway, thanks for the information, many things I hadn't thought of.
Thank you for posting that sunshine rules! We are one of the newbies, moved to north port only a year ago and trying to not get to freaked out yet. We want to be safe but not sure how bad it should be for us to leave vs stay. No matter what we will have things ready to go if need be and get to the store today for supplies to be safe. Won't leave until maybe Friday? Hopefully not to late, worried that traffic will be backed up possibly with others leaving. No idea, this is very new for us.
We've lived in the area for 13 years; we moved here a week before Hurricane Charley hit. We evacuated during Charley and were shocked at how awful it was when we returned (to Charlotte County). We have a loose plan for evacuation; my aunt lives in western NC and if the track is still pointing this way, I'm thinking we'll leave Thursday early morning to arrive by early evening. If the storm isn't projected to hit this coast between Naples and Tampa (keeping in mind that the projections are only estimates; Charley was supposed to hit Tampa, but it hit Punta Gorda instead), we'll likely stay put and board up the windows, etc.
Definitely prepare to be without running water or electricity for up to a week or longer. With Charley, it was almost two weeks, if I remember correctly. And even then, the water was not drinkable without boiling for some time longer... another week, maybe? We had city water in that part of Charlotte County. Someone else will probably remember. Make sure you have cash on hand because no electricity equals no ATM or credit card machines. Cell service might be interrupted for a while, too, so if you have a plug-in phone, have it handy. Even if you don't pay for service, I believe you can still call 911 (though in an emergency situation like this, 911 service might not be up and running.)
Irma is now a Cat 5---that is stronger than Harvey when it hit Rockport
Google some of those photos
Every school in Aransas ISD ( where Rockport is) is non functional...lost roofs, walls, water damage...3k students w/o a school for a long time...
The reporters on weather channels and news channels were in Corpus...
Corpus had less damage because Corpus was SW of Harvey's eye...
If you are NE-E of the eye you are in more dangerous zone...
My daughter told me today the Tampa/Sarasota weather guy they listened to said that people evacuate from water--not wind--but think the Cat rating is important.
My sister in law was in Victoria and Harvey's eye went throughVictoria which is about 40-50 miles from coast...not right at impact... She and house came through ok...but those 50 mi make big difference...
Thanks for the link. Along with the near record setting strength of Hurricane Irma - this particular part of the article has me worried:
"It is impossible to say with certainty whether Irma will track up along the eastern side of the Florida peninsula, the western side, or straight up the peninsula. Since the weekend, models have generally shifted westward with the storm’s forecast track, which means interests along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico should also closely monitor this storm."
In other words still too early to tell for sure - but the latest turn of events is not looking good for the West coast of Florida. I've never been through this before so I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I don't really have any place to go (if I leave) - so I'll probably stay put and just hope for the best.
Are most of you planning on staying put - and if you leave where is a good place to go to?
The Monday night video. Matter of fact explanation. It's still too soon to tell what will happen.
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We evacuated during Charley and were shocked at how awful it was when we returned (to Charlotte County). We have a loose plan for evacuation; my aunt lives in western NC and if the track is still pointing this way, I'm thinking we'll leave Thursday early morning to arrive by early evening. If the storm isn't projected to hit this coast between Naples and Tampa (keeping in mind that the projections are only estimates; Charley was supposed to hit Tampa, but it hit Punta Gorda instead), we'll likely stay put and board up the windows, etc. 
