Is all of Florida, then being evacuated?

[question everything]

I see many flock to shelters. How can shelters, but not home withstand the storm?

There was someone in Miami Beach, this morning, with two small children, insisting that they can stay put. They live on the 11th floor.

Harry R. Truman who said the same thing about Mt. St. Helen came to mind..

Wishing all safe days.

[mcar]

1. No, that's impossible

The roads north are clogged and there's no gas. People on the coast are mandatory evac, but those of us inland seem to be mostly staying.

[question everything]

2. Oh, good. Hope you still are well provided with food, water and ice

in the freezer, in case of power loss.

[mcar]

6. I've been working my icemaker hard for the past 2 days

We've got water, food, flashlights and booze. We'll hunker down and hope for the best.

[Mariana]

10. Good move with the ice. Make blocks of ice if you can.

They last a lot longer than cubes.

[mcar]

11. We're doing that too.

Thanks.

[Hortensis]

19. Sounds good. Stay safe.

[Me.]

37. Best To You & Yours

Stay safe

[bearsfootball516]

3. People who are inland, bunkered down and in a safe place will be fine

It's the mandatory evacuations along the coastline that are giving people problems.

Also depends where you are inland. People further south are going to get it worse, but Irma is expected to fall apart rapidly once it's on land. Projected landing as a Cat 4, be a Cat 2 when it reaches the middle and breaking into a tropical storm when it exits at the north end of the state.

[hlthe2b]

4. they said the schools selected as shelters had few exterior windows, were recenly built to withstand

this level of wind... Even if they do, those poor people are going to be suffocating in the intense heat/humidity with no power after the storm moves through. i wonder if all those who COULD have evacuated North thought of that...

It will be miseraable.

[dewsgirl]

13. Many of the shelter have generators, as do alot of

Floridians that have stayed, it's just been kinda of an issue with the gas shortages

[Hortensis]

20. Discomfort? Whatever! The total death toll so far is about 19. As I pointed out

(unnecessarily for almost everyone, of course) in another thread, there will be more, but this means government is doing right by most people. Addresses of and routes to safe public shelters should be in everyone's pockets. Just in case.

[hlthe2b]

21. Whoah! Back down there! I am merely stating those who CHOSE not to evacuate

and COULD have gone further North (had transportation, $$, and means), assuming they could always change their mind at the last minute and go to one of the shelters, may well regret their decision as it is surely going to be a long uncomfortable slog.

Really, take a breath. No one is trying to start anything with you. Clearly this is life and death now--but the shelters in Miami are also waaaaaaay overcrowded, so surely those who COULD have evacuated further and earlier, SHOULD have.

[Hortensis]

26. Huh? Try again: There is a huge lesson in survival in the numbers.

Irma's wiped whole islands, but not of residents who took shelter in public buildings erected for that purpose. Most of the remarkably few who died in Houston would not have if they had properly evaluated the information their tax dollars paid for and used the resources their tax dollars paid for.

Our tax dollars won't protect our homes from Irma, but they will protect us from her -- if we need and heed.

[question everything]

24. 19 people in the U.S? Or in the path of Irma?

I have been thinking that while we are talking about evacuation, form Houston, from Florida - people in the islands have no way to flee..

[Hortensis]

25. That was the known total for IRMA a while ago, QE. It will be higher, of course,

but that is an indicator that even when Irma took out almost all homes and businesses on Barbuda, for instance, she did not take out its 1600 people.

My thought is, plan for the possibility that expected conditions could change for the worse, so that sheltering at home is no longer the best idea. Don't risk death because the idea of being miserable in a shelter for a day or so resulted in not knowing where one is or being able to get there.

[question everything]

31. Thanks. What was sad was to watch the networkd news

about people rushing to the airport, or to the bus terminal, or to gas station to realize that they were too late. Even shelters were already full.

Yes, easy for me, in the comfort of my home to think: why did you wait to the last minute?

And, as we've seen with Katrina, and to a lesser extend with Harvey - just because the storm passes away, does not mean that everything is back to normal.

Losing the water at Beaumont was not something that anyone predicted.

Hoping for the best.

[Hortensis]

36. Well, let's face it, all of Florida simply couldn't have evacuated, even if it was

known that Irma might run right up the middle. Just looked, 20 million, and the vast majority were at home or work when those pictures were taken.

A friend was in one of those gas lines when we spoke today, but not to fill up, just to top up. He was calling friends to chat for something to do while waiting. They're stocked up, elevation he thinks between 30-40 feet in his neighborhood, fairly recent construction, so newer codes, and the neighborhood's common building is concrete block. We're concerned for them, but not scared.

As for that back to normal -- Hurricane Jose...

Perhaps all this will be a game changer for addressing climate change.

[Siwsan]

5. Tampa has ordered evacuation of the low lying "A" section

But not the whole city. As of now, anyway. The biggest threat, there, is storm surge.

[Warpy]

7. No, but it looks like Barbados is

with people taken off the island to safety on anything that flies or floats. Footage at BBC shows people crowded onto a barge being towed away from the path of Jose to safety, probably on another island in the chain.

Most housing on the island is totally roofless, so trying to ride out another category 4 hurricane is just not going to happen. Even the strongest buildings were heavily damaged.

[marybourg]

27. Do you mean Barbuda?

I saw pictures of a large barge full of Barbudans being brought into Antigua.

[janx]

8. Different zones in different counties have mandatory evac orders.

Most are where flooding (storm surge) is expected. But honestly, this hurricane is so big that most people should at least consider evacuating.

[Mariana]

9. Home may be a trailer

or it may be at 3' above sea level, or it may have unshuttered windows that are likely to break, or have an old, worn out roof, or not have a slab foundation, or have any of a number of other issues. Shelters, on the other hand, are set up in sturdy buildings on high ground.

[Weekend Warrior]

12. Like many states, structures in Florida vary greatly in construction quality.

Most of the shelters are much better options for safety from the storm. Well supported with flat roofs with no overhang.

The area I live has many houses with roofs over thirty years old. Roofs that have leaked over the years. We have also had some really bad termites over the last couple of years and they weaken the roof. Add to that the fact that most Floridians consider tree trimming to be something that is taken care of by summer afternoon thunderstorms. A lot of people don't know this but the Tampa Bay Area experiences afternoon storms with gusts over 40mph plus a couple of times a year. Most of us live in communities without associations. You can keep your property maintained but your neighbor doesn't have to. Your neighbor won't be at fault if it's their unmanacured tree limb that flies thru your window.

[question everything]

32. Or their roof. I suppose as with car insurnace, one has to carry insurance that covers you

when uninsured or underinsured neighbors are the cause of the damage.

Just read that many homeowners cannot get home insurance unless it includes high deductions for sinkholes.

Hate to think how hurricanes and sinkholes mix.

During Andrew we lived in Bradenton. But even before that, there was one storm that dropped 24" of rain in 24 hours. In the whole region, including Tampa, I think.

Our rental house was not affected. But I remember driving along a development and had to turn my head for a double take: all the houses were surrounded by water.

Hope that you will come out of it safe and secure.

[question everything]

39. Are you in Tampa, then?

Staying put? Looks like Irma is heading your way. Hope you can stay safe.

[jberryhill]

14. Unlike many large public structures...

...most people's homes are not made of cinder block, steel and/or reinforced concrete. Most homes are made primarily of wood framing.

[GulfCoast66]

15. Concrete blocks are very common in Florida

I live in one.

[jberryhill]

16. Yes they are common, but not "most"

They are very common in the Caribbean too. The real question is how well the roof is attached.

[GulfCoast66]

23. After Andrew our building codes are very strong

I am getting new shingles's in October(ironically) and it is guaranteed to 140mph.

And the actual roof is rated just as high.

But my house is post Andrew.

Have a nice evening

[Tommy_Carcetti]

17. Most houses in coastal Florida built 90s or later are concrete block. nt

[jberryhill]

18. Andrew led to a lot of code updates

[Awsi Dooger]

22. I had one neighbor evacuate today

Everyone else is staying. This is suburban Miami.

I am leaving late tonight. I don't mind all the claims that it is too late. I'm still on Las Vegas time so the wee hours are very familiar to me. People don't like to be out and drive at that hour, no matter what they say. Last night every gas station here was jammed with dozens and dozens of cars in line at 9:30. Some stations were being monitored by police cares directing traffic and preventing disputes.

I waited until 2:30 AM and drove smack up to the pump.

My house is old but has concrete block. I am not as confident in the roof. It is partially tile and partially a taper system designed to slant water off the roof. That taper section is brand new but based on how sloppy the roofing company was I'm not confident their roof will hold up. That's one of the reasons I am leaving town.

[question everything]

33. Hope your gas tank is already full. Too many story about empty pumps

Good luck!

[shenmue]

28. Large parts

[Turbineguy]

29. One of my colleagues is staying

storm surge 10 feet, he's at 15. No worries.

Maybe.

[Takket]

30. " How can shelters, but not home withstand the storm?"

shelters are built from concrete block that can withstand the force of the winds.

[question everything]

34. Thanks. Now let's hope that they can accommodate many

in the news earlier this evening some were turning many away..

[Mariana]

38. The Cat. 4 hurricane I was in

there were lots of places that opened their doors in addition to the official shelters, like that guy in Houston who let people stay in his furniture stores. Also, many employers let workers and their families shelter in their workplaces, if it was safer than the employees' homes. We spent the night at the telephone company switching office where my dad worked. I hope this is going on in Florida.

[cwydro]

35. Lots of people have decided to stay.

I did it when I lived in Florida.

Not sure I would with this one, but that's the way it is down there.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

40. We are ok in North Naples except flooding. We were

Upgraded st the last minute as an evacuation zone. But thank gawd we were in a safe inland home with hurricane shutters. Our chimney got blown over and is laying sidewards against our wall. This storm was doing a lot of crazy things - going in different places than it should be. A lot of people hunkered down in their home without power. Some people who shouldn't have stayed - you have to know Floridians to understand the mindset. I have been through 3 hurricanes now and lived in a "safe area" for two of them and was ok staying. The first one- we stayed and it never hit - luckily. At the time I had 3 birds and two cats. There has been about 15 times where storms were supposed to hit but veered off or died several days before.

[question everything]

41. Hope you will stay safe

and whatever pets you have now.