Posted on 09/09/2017 2:08:31 PM PDT by NautiNurse
The entire Florida Peninsula and points north are poised to experience Hurricane Irma after the storm hugged Cuba's northern coastline. Thousands of Floridians who evacuated the Atlantic cost to Gulf Coast areas found their safe shelter under direct threat from Hurricane Irma as the forecast shifted W Friday night and Saturday. Hurricane Irma's prolonged interaction with Cuba diminished its strength to Category 3.
Irma is forecast to increase in strength as it crosses the FL Straits. The Florida Keys experienced strong outer bands while Irma grazed the N Cuba coastline.
Mash image to find lots of satellite imagery links
Public Advisories
NHC Discussions
NHC Local Weather Statements/Radar Key West, FL
NHC Local Weather Statements/Radar Tampa Bay, FL
NHC Local Weather Statements/Radar Orlando, FL
NHC Local Weather Statements/Radar Miami, FL
NHC Local Weather Statements/Radar Melbourne, FL
NOAA Local Weather Statements/Radar Jacksonville, FL
NHC Local Weather Statements/Radar Charleston, SC
NHC Local Weather Statements/Radar Wilmington, NC, FL
NHC Local Weather Statements/Radar Morehead City, FL
NHC Local Weather Statements/Radar Norfolk, VA
Buoy Data SE US & GOM
Buoy Data NC/SC/GA
Hurricane Irma Live Thread I
Hurricane Irma Live Thread II
Winds in most places in Dade were about 90 MPH with higher gusts, hard pressed to find a house with a single roof shingle missing.
Tons of vegetative debris, downed trees, etc.
Our utility poles are mostly concrete and a lot of cables are underground.
I saw dozens of utility trucks from out of state all over my neighborhood yesterday, making steady progress on getting power on.
There is still no ice available anyplace I have been, that is likely to change by tomorrow.
There was a veritable army of linemen and bucket trucks coming down from as far away as Canada last I heard. There should be plenty of help getting electric utilities back up and running in FL, and then the cleanup and rebuilding where necessary can begin in earnest.
I’m glad to hear that the damage in Dade County was largely cosmetic.
Naples weather guy admitted he’d been practicing in TWC’s “wind tunnel”, was wearing body armor under his rain/windproof clothing, a helmet under his hoodie and safety glasses. That’s how they do it.
Our friend got to our house yesterday ahead of us, and today when we came home she had already cleaned up the pool and was working on some of the other mess... bless her little heart!
I was just lying awake, and thinking that the winners in this storm will be the American contractors repairing the affected areas—and streaming to Florida.
The Keys were hit worst. But just think of all those blue FEMA tarps and new drywall. Tarps are made in China, Taiwan, and South Korea, and there's probably none to be found manufactured in the USA.
Drywall? Likely China, again.
Wood? Dunno. The Pacific NW and Canada should benefit, but summer's fires were widespread.
Most of US1 in the Keys is two-lane roadway—and bridges. Imagine all the building supplies heading South on trucks and private trailers, with well-paid, but manic, drivers causing breakdowns—and worse.
How many insurance companies will survive? State Farm abandoned Florida after Hurricane Andrew, and 25 years is a long time for State Farm's 1992-new roofs to keep out wind and rain. Will Progressive Insurance and Geico survive?
FEMA burned most of the storm's debris, causing smoke to smother Miami-Dade County for months.
Not the end of my thoughts, but wanted to express them anyway. ;)
Rode out the storm in a high school in Wesley Chapel, Florida. Evacuees were placed into many classrooms and gym-type rooms....around 1500 evacuees in two buildings.
As Charles Dickens put it...."it was the best of times and it was the worst of times".
The facility was NOT prepared for being slammed by an excess of people, and NOT even prepared for being crowded.
It was a "special needs" hurricane shelter. Many of the folks were limbless or had plastic legs, no arms, etc.....many were on large mobile oxygen machines or on a breathing apparatus of some kind, many were 300 to 400 lbs. lying immobile on cots, unable to get up on their own....some were blind, many crippled in a variety of ways...and so on.
Plenty of new cots, but no government purchaser had ever pre-tested them...bands of metal bulged through the narrow mattress creating pain and discomfort - some elderly couldn't lie on them at all and had to sit, sleep and nap upright on their wheelchairs or rollators.
The facility ran out of pillows and blankets early on. Most rooms were very cold. Paper sheets were then distributed but these ran out quickly. I rolled a pair of slacks into a small pillow shape and covered it with a square piece of plastic. Hard as a rock, lol.
No water distributed, only one dubious high school drinking fountain and the bathroom sink water. One glass of cold water was distributed in paper cups on the last day. No hot water for anything, no coffee, tea or whole milk. Bathrooms became wet and filthy with urine on the floors and seats of the toilets.
Food was indescribably horrific. A dinner was a slab of hard cold ill-tasting pizza and a plastic bag of cherry tomatoes which had been frozen and which were inedible....we got a tiny plastic carton of bright BLUE applesauce which was inedible and tasted nothing like applesauce. The only drinks served with meals were tiny cartons of terrible-tasting juices. But wait, AHA...some of the cartons said "FLORIDA JUICE", goody, goody...but, alas, the small print said juices were from China and "distributed" by a Florida company. The taste rendered the juices undrinkabale.
Tiny "beef tips" were pressed, stamped into disgusting little squares, gray clumps of nauseating matter.....and people were heard jokingly (!) asking if these were ground-up monkey or dog meat.
ALL food was COLD. It was eat the slop or starve. Most survived hunger pains with over-ripe bananas of which there were plenty. Some, like me, brought snacks from home...and my cherry cereal bars saved the day for me.
I could go on with more details on the "food", but it would sicken you...like the bathrooms (not enough staff help to keep the urine spills mopped up around the toilets) but you get the picture.
The "best of times" was the couple dozen or so staff volunteers who killed themselves helping, serving, soothing and comforting. The "best" was the several big, strong National Guardsmen the state of Florida sent (thank you, Florida Governor Scott !). The "best" was the 3 or 4 FEMA (federal disaster workers, strong men and women including male nurses) who, along with the national guardsmen, did heavy lifting, replenished oxygen tanks, soothed, comforted, etc. (thank you President Trump administration !).
The volunteers functioned selflessly, and without rest, the soldiers and FEMA's were invaluable....and the evacuees' morale was incredibly stout and upbeat no matter how sick or uncomfortable or hungry they were.
I hesitated to report publicly on this forum on what I saw during my stay (another freeper was in the shelter to verify what I'm reporting, btw.) I hesitated because I didn't want it to appear I was a "victim" or personally resentful or casting blame, or a complainer.
I started my career in the olden days as a reporter, then a writer for a publishing company, and I'm still a Brenda Starr at heart. I have reported things exactly as I saw 'em.
It appears it was the county government that bears responsibility for the horrific couple of days the special needs people underwent. I didn't even mention the county emergency transportation system that was broken (one call-in phone number for thousands of calls coming in to get a ride to the shelter). I, myself, had my phone plastered to my ear for NINE hours, trying to get the transportation service. So did countless others, they told me all about it.
The county government had years, months, weeks to plan for a hurricane warning and to ensure adequate supplies of NECESSARY things like pillows, blankets and edible food in case of a sudden dire emergency.....especially since this is the most hurricane-prone state in the union...and it doesn't take a Rhodes scholar to hope for the best but prepare for the worst in disaster planning.
Nothing is perfect, no one is perfect, no plan is perfect....but this special needs shelter turned out, unnecessarily, to be an EPIC FAIL in PLANNING !.
I also decided to post this report because I'm sending a copy of it to my specific county commissioner and also to the county commission chairman and other members so they get a first-hand account.
It's my heartfelt hope that the powers-that-be know of what went on in their emergency shelters (there were others shelters here and there, also) and that future disabled and special-needs people will be afforded at least and at the minimum their very basic needs when trouble looms.
I will be happy to answer any questions by freepmail...."MinuteGal"
Leni....Pasco County, Florida
Wow, MinuteGal, glad you survived and that you weren’t there too long to bear up. I would be frantic without palatable food and water, I admit it. Well done to you for contacting your state officials.
Heart breaking !
Were homes intact to return to?
I won't be contacting State officials as you referred to....the state assistance was wonderful under our wonderful Republican governor Scott...... as was the federal assistance (FEMA) under President Trump !
It appears it was the county emergency system that was really inadequate long before this hurricane was even dreamed of.
Leni
Very little to no damage or flooding in my area. In other areas of my town there was light-to-heavy damage here and there. Violent winds caused a lot of terror to almost all the folks who stuck it out in their digs.
My friend in a low part of town was flooded and then a big arm of an oak tree smashed across and into her roof, and then it rained...and she's lost virtually everything. Lucky she wasn't killed. Freepers who came to my clubhouse and home get-togethers in the past may remember her...Vivian...who is my right arm at these parties.
The ACTUAL root cause of most of the the elderly, the handicaps and the disabled evacuating to shelters is because of loss of power. Without air-conditioning, older and sick people can die alone in their homes and condos from the high heat and humidity we're experiencing here on the central Gulf coast of Florida.
My power was out for almost three days...and wreaked havoc in my freezers, ouch !
Leni
So sorry to hear about such pathetic conditions you had to put up with for 3 long days. This should not happen in Florida, but reading your report, I learned what to expect if I end up in a shelter, and will be better prepared now.
Entropy12, you posted words of wisdom....if evacuees in my shelter had known they could bring certain things, they would have been more comfortable.
Next time (oh, my !) I'm bringing non-perishable food that is edible (unlike in the shelter), blankets, a pillow, a roll of paper towels and other vitals...with a few extra things to share with special-needs people.
Some experienced folks knew what to bring.....and they actually brought their stuff piled in those tall, wire laundry-type carts...these were permitted. Some wonderful people had brought extra blankets and healthy snacks which they generously shared with the shivering and hungry elderly, sick and disabled folks.
Leni
We went to niece in Ocala and they were out of power for several days as well as running water. Daughter living in NPR told our power only out for 1+ day!!!
Thanks for this excellent post, db! The 140 MPH wind in the Ft. Myers area explains why a dozen 4-5 foot diameter Cuban ficus trees were blown over on the expansive property of our retirement community.
I spent the storm on a gravity chair in an excellent shelter near the last exit to Sanibel within the “A” evacuation zone that was so tight you could barely hear the storm outside! It had diesel backup so we had electricity and was certified for special needs patients. I got in because I need electric power for my CPAP to sleep at night. It was 20 feet above storm sea level, so the storm surge of 15 feet wouldn’t hit it if it had been that high.
Our garage is on the Caloosahatchee and only 5 feet above the river so I thought our car and golf cart were done for with a 15 foot surge predicted. The car was fine, but I didn’t get the memo that you had to roll up the side curtains on your cart and it was blown over into a post and the top crushed like an eggshell. I have insurance with “Flo” so we’ll see how much she covers!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
