We have shutters on all but one window. The one without the shutter is one that has been installed as a part of our never-ending kitchen remodel. It is supposed to be a hurricane resistant window (which is now code). I talked to an assistant fire chief up north who told me to always leave one non-hurricane window on the first floor with some sort of a decal that would let a fire department know that it's the one that they should use for emergency access. He said that the best Hurricane windows are also firefighter-resistant.
John--Sometime in the late 80s a friend called me to rescue him and his girlfriend from North Myrtle Beach because a hurricane was bearing down. So I took off from 5W5 near Raleigh in a Bellanca Turbo Viking (540 Lycoming cid with twin turbos)IFR to the North Myrtle Beach airport where they were in the FBO. It was rough, turbulent and raining hard. At that time a controller at the Myrtle Beach Air Force base picked you about the NC/SC line and cleared you for the instrument approach which would have been the localizer back course due to the wind direction. Then, the Air Force base handed you off to the private tower on the field. When I went to the tower frequency, I received no response. (You could not see the wing tips). So switch back to the approach frequency and told him the tower was not responding so I was not cleared to land. Meanwhile, my Storm Scope, the first model, a Model 7, was lit up with lightning. So the military controller says we have a little problem--"The control tower on the field where you are landing was just struck by lightning and they evacuated; What are your intentions." I started a 180 degree turn before I even responded telling him I was headed back to 5W5. When I get back my friend calls me and wants to know why I never landed to pick them up. That was a rhetorical question if I ever heard one.
Thats the downside of them. My front door is protected, and not covered with shutters. I can also go out thru the garage door as well.
OK, who in South Florida is outside right now? I am! My screen porch faces SW which barely gives me protection from the east wind and a real good view of the neighborhood. It is very windy, lots of tree limbs down, but we still have electric. Hard to believe! I woke up around 6:30 to the sound of a big branch sliding across my roof. At least I think it was a branch. I didn't go out of the porch to go see. I've heard lots of transformers going boom. The worst is yet to come.
Well, it's started. Last night here in sunny SW Florida was pretty normal - if you consider living in a boarded-up house normal. We are presently getting bands of rain and the wind is beginning to pick up. Irma is a slow-mover; we will be exposed to high winds and rain for the next 12-18 hours. It's flickered a couple of times, but we still have power. Assuming that our new metal roof meets it's advertised wind-speed design, we should be alright. I'm anticipating a sustained power failure, so if you don't hear from me for a few days don't be surprised. We have the central AC set at meat-locker temperatures so that we won't have to broil with no fans for any longer then necessary. I wish that I had thought to stock up on Gin, Whiskey, and Vodka; beer at room temperature just doesn't make it.
Hey John Codman over in Ft. Myers! You should be getting some excellent winds over there today! I'm a little south of West Palm Beach, in Lake Worth. Having a blast over here sitting on my patio eating breakfast. Every now and then it gets real exciting!!! Waiting for my neighbor to crawl out of his cave so we can start the bloody Marys rolling. Lots of branches all over my yard, back and front, from what I can see. I'll try to get some pics shortly. Warm beer.... you are right. Tastes awful!!!
In Royal Palm Beach, near John. We still have electric but getting some flickering. Getting 40-50mph winds and rain. Not outsidelike John, but sitting in the dining knook looking outside at the pool, pond and neighbors. Palms are losing some fronds. My hope is that power stays on till after football at least, otherwise I will be looking out the window watching dancing with the hurricane.
I believe my living room floor is 19.75 feet above sea level, but you, Jim Lore, are probably talking to the other John. I am west of I-95 and have NO worry about storm surge.
One sister is holed-up with her kids in the Punta Gorda water treatment plant with 70 other first-responder family members. It's built like a brick shithouse, but there is a pregnant lady due today and no one got any sleep as it is pet-friendly lol. My other sister and family and father are in Bradenton, in their respective homes, boarded-up and ready as they can be.
Just looked at NOAA both of our zip codes are at 10ft above sea level. Big thing here is to be west of I95 which we are.
Next we'll have to worry about JOSE. FOrcast he is gonna do a loop out there and be heading west on Friday. Go out to sea like the originally forcast.
I boarded up our windows yesterday in Plant City. Locked everything down at the Lakeland warehouse in the afternoon and topped off the pickup one last time as only ONE gas station was open that had gas. I filled a fuel tank with electric pump/ fuel nozzle in the back of my pickup the other day and some gas cans. Generator at home now and plenty of water. Had some plywood left and went to the sister in law's and boarded up her most vulnerable window this morning in the rain. A tornado hit Wauchula a little while ago and some are headed towards Polk City right now. No wind here yet but were just hit with the first hard rain .
so far so good in lake worth fla .....WEST PALM BCH still got power.. cars are safe inside .. water BOY is the only one who is outside ....LOL JOHN YOU ARE A THRILL SEEKER STAY SAFE ALL MEMBERS IN FLORIDA
Gusts here in Tampa Bay are getting stronger now. (actually, we live less than 2 minutes from world famous Indian Rocks Beach and a quarter mile from the intercoastal waterway). . .We just had a 52mph blast which is not whimpy by any means, but obviously 'minimal' compared to what lies just to our south headin this way. Doin some serious hunker'n down from now until sometime tomorrow. Weary last night and good chance a sleepless night tonight. Hope'n ta notta, but kinda expecting power loss sometime this evening. The waiting that is the hardest part. Wheelz, about to get clobbered in Tampa Bay
My house turned into a Evac shelter for 1/2 dozen people from the Naples area. My house is full of cackling women Sort of reminded of John "Waterboy" penguins. Oh well it will only last till Tuesday at the latest. Been getting the Riv detailed and ready for BG.
