charley is headed my way...let me know - should i stay or should i go?

[KG]

the part of pinellas co., FL where i live is not a flood evauation zone. i'm more worried about a projectile coming through my windows and losing elec. power, which i know will happen. got a full tank of gas and a couple hundred bucks

think i might head out to north tampa for a couple days....

[ret5hd]

1. if you stay there may be trouble...

if you go it may be double.

[Birthmark]

2. North?

That's where Charley's going. You'd probably be better off going east to the Melbourne or somewhere. It won't be great there, either, but it will be a lot better than Pinellas County. And there's almost no chance that Charley will turn that way. Good luck.

[KG]

3. i got friends with big ol' brick houses there.

a refrigs with lots o' food. :)

more worried about fealing with power outage, which would suck coz then i'd be bored. :(

[Dover]

4. Tampa is going to get it head-on, looks like. Bad flooding.

I wouldn't mess around.

[KG]

5. from what i'm reading charley is more of a big windstorm

rainfall won't be the big problem, it's winds and storm surges on the costal areas. i'm 30 feet ASL where i am, and my friends are well inland also.

[Dover]

8. Flooding due to storm surges...areas of Tampa are expected to

be submerged. Sounds like you've already made your decision.

Good luck, take care!

[ClintonTyree]

6. I just moved from Clearwater..................

2 months ago. I'm glad I'm no there right now. I lived very near Safety Harbor and with the storm surge, I'd surely be under water. You must be in North Pinellas Co? It's all pretty low lying there, and you're going to get at least 6+ inches of rain. That's something to think about. All of the storm drains will be clogged and the water will take some time to dissipate.

I'd leave if I were you. Head east. If you know someone around Orlando or south of there in central FL. that would be a good bet. The farther east and south, the better.

My Mom lives in Sebring, and she doesn't even feel safe there. I talked to her this morning and she and her friends are going to a shelter.

Whatever you do, good luck and stay safe. We need every Democratic vote we can get in Florida. ;-)

[Lefty Pragmatist]

7. Go.

That's what homeowners insurance is for. Don't screw around.

[KG]

10. apt. dweller.

gonna move stuff away from the windows, then head out about noon. they're planning on closing the bridge i need to cross when the winds hit 40 mph.

[greatauntoftriplets]

9. Go. You never know what might happen.

Better to be safe than sorry. Good luck.

I have a friend in Largo and cousins in Belleaire and Clearwater. Fortunately the one who lives right on the water is in Michigan for the summer.

[KG]

12. outta here about noonish.

got the day off of work. i really rather ride my bike tho....

[meti57b]

11. Go!!! Don't take chances. We need you alive to vote in November!!

[LynneSin]

13. Get someplace high & dry cause we're going to need you...

..to help make Florida a democrat state.

Can't do that if a hurricane picks you up and drops you off in oz

[KG]

17. is Oz a red state or a blue state?

i might consider voting 3rd party in a 'safe' state. :)

[Bridget Burke]

18. Didn't you know? Oz is multicolored

I'd evacuate, myself. Being alone in the dark while a hurricane does its thing is no fun.

[Dover]

14. Expected to be Category 3......storm surges up to 13 ft.

THAT'S A DEVASTATING FORCE! MANDATORY Evacuation is underway.

[KG]

16. i'm not in a mandatory evac zone.

but headed to a place further inland anyway. at least i'll be with friends.... maybe we'll break out the ganja.

[SheilaT]

15. Leave.

Take a lesson from the story about the idiots who stayed to have a hurricane party when Camille was passing through all those years ago. http://www.weathernotebook.org/transcripts/1999/09/20.html

Okay, so Charley isn't expected to be a category five, but don't take any chances. Look, you want to live in Florida, great. But hurricanes are a hazard, and so take sensible precautions. In the Midwest we go into our basements when the tornado sirens go off. In California, they build for earthquake resistance insofar as possible. And so on. Evacuate.

[Darth_Kitten]

19. Don't pick up any wood nickels.....

be careful what you do! :D

[KG]

20. i wonder if the local Krispy Kreme will be open?

donuts and hurricanes just kinda go together....

[jonnyblitz]

21. hey

take care. :hi:

[KG]

22. thanks, bro.

everything will be cool. :)

[Misinformed01]

23. Hi KG

From Michael and Stephanie! (JanMichael)

I hate that freakin' bridge you have to drive over!

Good luck with everything; see you when you can log on-

[KG]

24. securing my cave right now - a little tape on the west facing windows

is about all i can do.... i can foresee being w/o power for 24 hours..

they are closing the sunshine skyway at 25mph winds, the other bridges at 40mph.

[Lorien]

25. Take it seriously

it may cause quite a bit more "inconvience" than a 24 hour power outage. From an AOhelL news article:

(snip)

Gary Vickers, Pinellas' emergency management chief, told people in evacuation zones there would be ''a period of time where if you stay behind and you change your mind and you want to be rescued, no one can help you.

''We aren't going to go out on a suicide mission,'' he said.

(snip)

I'm in Orlando. The house is a mess, but if anyone needs a place to escape to, PM me.

[RebelOne]

26. Tampa is not a good idea. I think you should head somewhere

to the east like maybe Daytona Beach.

[jus_the_facts]

27. I'd stay....but that's just me.....

.....I've always been fascinated by violent weather....do what you think is best regardless...and take care o'you!!! :hug: :hi:

[gpandas]

28. just talked to friend-house watcher on pine island...

he says most people on island are gone but he is staying for storm. he also said eye is turning east and island will take full blast from charlie.