[Netizen]

My in laws are in North Port. About 10 miles from Venice and a couple of miles from Port Charlotte. Just talked to them on the phone and they said the hurricane is going to miss them. Supposedly they are watching their local weather.

They haven't taken any precautions, no boarding of windows, nothing. Are they in trouble from what you can gather about the storm?

[oceanview]

what? tell them to turn the weather channel on. its hooking east, coming in further south, the charlotte harbor area is the bullseye right now.

[dirtboy]

Are they in trouble from what you can gather about the storm?

They're in big trouble. Call them immediately and tell them to grab their papers and head to a shelter. NOW! That sucker will be on them in a few hours, and it's now a solid CAT 3 - stronger than Fran was.

[jpsb]

Flarida map for us out of staters.

I would not want to be in Clearwate-Bradon area right about now.

[dirtboy]

Seriously - from this map, the storm surge is going to pile up in the North Port area. Tell your inlaws to try and GET OUT - although, looking at the map, I'm not sure if they're going to be able to in time - they should try at least to get to a shelter on higher ground.

[jpsb]

If the storm makes the slightest move to the east they are screwed. If the strom moves to the west they will be OK. But this storm (if it's not all hipe like it so often is) is too dangerious to mess around with. They have water near by, not good in a big storm surge.

Were I you I'd tell them to get to high ground FAST.