So there's a possibly major hurricane headed my way...

CooperationIsKey

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It's my first actual hurricane and I'm anxious as hell. Doesn't help that my roommate is refusing to take the forecast very seriously, which is bizarre since she's lived in Florida her entire life (she's in her 60s) and has weathered a few big storms in that time.

Currently trying to calm down by playing Core Keeper. I did clean my room this AM though which is something. Nervous energy, away!

sunny

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Omg :( I have no advice since I have never experienced a hurricane but I hope you’re ok! Stay safe :)

currently: new novel who dis?

q u e s t i n g :
beanie doll! thank u cookie

Spider

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Low, keep your head, keep your head low...
.......................................Oh, you gotta keep your head low...

I think its just florida culture. I've lived here my entire life and I'm just hoping for two paid days off. As long as you have water and canned food (plus battery packs for your phone devices) it's mostly okay since the buildings here are made for hurricanes.

Just don't go outside, hunker down, and you'll be okay

...If you wanna keep your head

Mr. Spider wants M̷̖̥͓̋͆́̚o̶̟͛̅r̴̨͍͔̦̰͙̈́e̵̝͑̆͐

Alorrena

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@CooperationIsKey: as someone who didn't grow up here, married to someone who did, i understand your anxiety and frustration. I felt that way myself when i went through my first couple hurricanes. But i quickly learned that while everyone panic buys the water and panic buys everything else, the biggest issue is probably the uncertainty of what's actually going to happen. I always get really anxious about how my car is going to handle the storm, because we don't have a garage that we can park it in. I think you're justified in being worried, but also as someone who's lived in florida her whole life, she's justified in not being too worried. My husband and i aren't too concerned right now, but we're keeping an eye on the storm to see how it's developing and where it's predicted to go. That cone of uncertainty is really no joke because it really could go anywhere within that cone. Bottom line, the best way i'd handle your anxiety is to do what you feel you need to do to be prepared. If that's planning a "hurricane party that could turn into the hurricane didn't hit us party," then so be it. Other wise what spider said is pretty good advice.

Also depending on where you are in florida will also determine just how anxious you really need to be, and also know that just because the broadcast today says it could hit your area, doesn't mean that it will say that tomorrow. The closer the storm is, the better the meteorologists are at predicting where it's going. For example, tuesday and wednesday are when i'm going to really be watching the forecasts because that's when it's currently estimated to hit florida. Yesterday it said it would be Wednesday, but it's a slow moving storm.

Wildfire

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@CooperationIsKey: Oh, I remember those first couple of hurricanes!! XD Your reaction is 100% normal and to be expected. My house was SPOTLESS the first couple of hurricanes I experienced because I too was just trying to work off some nervous energy. Then there were times when I tried to "outrun" or "outsmart" the storm by going to NC. Of course, the storm skipped what was expected to be a direct hit on the Tampa Bay area and went... yep... to NC!! :3 XD

Seriously? I understand your anxiety about this, but a LOT can change between now (the predictions) and when this storm gets close enough to potentially do something (the reality). All we can really do right now is watch the storm and do some basic preparations - canned food, some water put aside, have some flashlights and batteries around, and to secure potential projectiles around the yard. Most of the forecast maps have the storm headed a bit north of us in the Tampa Bay area right now ... which means more water than wind. It will probably be a fantastic rain storm for a couple of days, get hot, soggy and we'll have to deal with random bits of already rotted or broken things falling out of trees, but probably not much more than that unless it really intensifies to a 4 or a 5. /shrug/

Remember - don't walk through puddles you can't clearly see through (certain wildlife has been known to "wander" XD), and keep in mind that yes, definitely watch the weather and keep an eye on the forecasts, take the warnings seriously, etc., but also don't buy in to the storm fearmongering 100%... I have been through numerous storms where the "newspeople" find the ONE puddle, or the ONE tree that fell down (preferably in to something) and spin it like the entire state looks like that one carefully crafted scene. But don't try to go kayaking or something either. Just be cautious and aware. :3

Also, you're not alone, dealing with this storm either - there are a number of folks here on Voltra who are dealing with this right now:
... I'm in Tampa Bay area... pretty close to you, actually, and currently also pretty much in the middle of this projected path.
... @spider: is here... somewhere (if you told me where exactly, I forgot. Oops)
... @Alorrena: appears to be here (right?)
... @Aisukohi: is in Florida
... @TotalAnimeFan: is a native Floridian (although she's bailed on us since ;) )
... and a couple other people from Voltra are from Florida too if I remember correctly :3

Vent. Rant. Rage. Spew. Ask questions. We get it. :3

I'll do some basic storm prep tomorrow/Tuesday - I'll hard boil some eggs, make a pasta salad, maybe make a couple other things along those lines (things that are easy to put in a cooler and eat if electricity goes out (without having to open the fridge) - the guys will eat it whether or not we have a hurricane)... and I'll clean up random things from around the yard (because I've been bad about that and the yard is a mess ATM). Beyond that, we won't bother with hurricane shutters or anything else, really, unless the storm is at least a 3 and a forecast direct hit... and even then, we'll be watching the path and adjusting as need be. :3

Alorrena

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@Wildfire: Yeah, i'm in the sandford/deltona area. I still worry more about my car than myself lol

I just checked the forecast and it looks like it has sped up so it will probably hit florida around tuesday night. We're hoping that it won't be too bad and the power won't be affected. My mother in law said she can't do cold showers and no air. The air comment amused me since the house has consistently been at 78 all summer. Tyi and i will be fine without ac since our office gets well over 78 at night because we have big computers and monitors that are basically like space heaters, but i'm more concerned about work since i work from home. I'm hoping it ends up ok without power or internet loss for us, or even if either go, i hope they get fixed by Thursday or Friday.

CooperationIsKey

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Thanks everyone, I appreciate the words of wisdom and calm. I've been so terrified today I haven't been able to do anything but worry or nap. My roommate has been evacuating her horse and the others she takes care of further inland so they'll be safe from potential flooding. We could end up heading there ourselves with the dog and cockatiel (and possibly my isopods; they're weird little land crustaceans but I don't want them to die either!) to hunker down in a barn 'apartment' if the flooding does happen.

I'm still scared. Roomie is worried too, and refusing the possibility of a shelter even though I deliberately brought up there are pet-friendly ones and we have a crate the dog can fit in. Wouldn't be comfortable but he'd be okay. She's reluctant to leave her home, and I get that; she's lived here her entire adult life, bought the place when she was in her early 20s and has always been here. But I'm scared to death of flooding risk, I must be honest. The storm itself doesn't scare me that much; I grew up in tornado alley and have experienced some nasty ones, though fortunately no tornadoes. But flooding terrifies me.

We do have water--we both have over a case each--and there's lots of canned foods. Although I'm unsure if we have a non-powered can opener.

We have candles, I don't know about flashlights beyond our phones. I do have my backup phone charger thingy fully charged as backup.

I'm just very very scared of being in a mandatory evacuation zone (Zone A, Hillsborough). I just want to take the animals and go somewhere safe until it's over. I don't want to risk having to climb up on the freaking roof during a storm because the house has flooded, you know?

Wildfire

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@CooperationIsKey:

Zone A, Hillsborough? You need to leave. Seriously.
Even in zone C / N.Pinellas, they're telling us to leave now (which, in all honesty, may or may not happen for us)

When you first posted this thread, there were too many variables about this storm that were yet to be determined - thus the advice to do some basic prep and watch the storm predictions.

As of today (Tuesday), there are still a few things that can change the effects of this storm and our experience of it, but it looks to be headed straight up Tampa Bay... which means, with our locations, you and I will be bearing the brunt of this storm.

The category 2 status expected when Ian actually hits is not a particular concern to me, but with all the water already on the ground (it's soggy!!), and him slowing, plus going up the bay... that is of concern. There will be a lot of water to contend with. Evacuate to higher ground, please.

Best of luck! Catch you on the other side!
*disappears to do some more storm prep*

Wildfire

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@Totalanimefan: Thanks. Ian shifted south a little, which is much better for us than when he wanted to come straight up Tampa Bay! ...not so good for Ft.Myers, etc., though :(

*trots off to secure some still-unsecured plants, etc., before the rain starts*

Wildfire

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@Totalanimefan: Yeah, I remember you mentioning that's where your family is. I hope they'll be ok. They are probably scrambling around right now, doing that essential hurricane prep.

CooperationIsKey

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Well I ended up going with my dad to the family house to be with him, my stepmom, brother, brother's girlfriend, and their pets. While we're on the line between Zone A and Zone B here, we're most likely going further inland in the morning to my aunt's house. I really hope we do because even with the changes of the storm, I'm scared witless.

My roommate refuses to leave her house, though, so she's still there with the dog and bird. I pray everything will be okay. :(

Please ping me!

Alorrena

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@CooperationIsKey: I'm glad to hear you've moved further in land. It's important, and i really hope your roommate and the pets are going to be okay. I'm worried about you and @Wildfire: because of where you guys are. By the time it hits me it should be around a 1 or even may have slowed to just a tropical storm, so no real worries for me.

Wildfire

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@CooperationIsKey:
@Totalanimefan:
@Alorrena:

With Ian's latest shift to the south, and with the latest data, Ian is no longer that great a threat to us up here in the north Tampa Bay/Central areas. That said, it's still going to be soggy -it's getting soggier out there every moment now that the rain has started- and there's still the actual storm to get through, including the probable loss of electricity for a while (ugh). XD

I'm glad you left, Key , and found slightly higher ground - it was the smart move ... especially from zone A! But I'm with Total... you should probably go more inland and to even higher ground if you have that option available to you. :3 Good luck with the rest of the storm :3

Good luck to your family, Total. I hope they got all their preparations done! :3

Alorrena, it's actually looking like you might get more "hurricane" than we will... good luck!

-------------> The latest, county by county expectations

Wildfire

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@Totalanimefan: Yes - that's what I'm seeing too... 155mph right now, down where Ian is coming ashore. It's barely doing anything here - a gentle rain and an occasional minor gust of wind. My overly-anxious dogs aren't even hiding!! I just went for a walk and it was actually kind of nice.

Wildfire

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@Totalanimefan: it's a big storm...

Alorrena

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@Totalanimefan: @Wildfire: my mother in law just sent me a picture one of her coworkers daughters friends took from her 3rd floor of the neighbor's house and the water is up to the roof in fort Meyers. Pretty intense.

I'm glad Tampa is doing okay, but I feel so worried for Fort Meyers and the surrounding coastal cities. It's so intense. It's been raining off and on here with a bit of wind. We probably won't get much until tomorrow morning

Wildfire

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@Totalanimefan: Aren't some of the bands going up the coast to where you are??

@Alorrena: oh, ouch! I really hope that's the exception instead of the rule!!
Yes, I feel for them, but we can all help them once the storm is gone and we know what we're looking at in terms of damage.
Your weather sounds like what we've got going on here...

Alorrena

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@Wildfire: yes, definitely. And yeah, thankfully it's not too bad yet, but I know it will get a bit worse later.

I'm still hoping that the power stays on, at least until I get my quilt done. I'm so close to being done but right now I have a LOT of pins in it and I have several more to add before I can run it through my Machine to quilt it.

Also I need to charge phone before the storm hits just in case.

Alorrena

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@Totalanimefan: lol yes ma'am! Haha

I know, it's crazy how bad it is, but also that it could be worse!

Call me Rena (Reh-nuh)! <3 married 02/02/2020
Rena's Quest

Wildfire

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@Totalanimefan:
@alorrena:
Yeah, Ian is really battering the Ft.Myers/Naples area, but we're ok here... still have electricity, etc. I hope it stays that way! We are getting a little more rain and a few more gusts of wind lately, but still... we've had heavier afternoon storms. The dogs don't want to go outside, but they're not hiding either...

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Forums General Chit-Chat So there's a possibly major hurricane headed my way...

CooperationIsKey

sunny

Spider

Alorrena

Wildfire

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CooperationIsKey

Wildfire

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CooperationIsKey

Alorrena

Wildfire

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