Irma!

reelchef67 · 09-07-2017, 10:26 AM

Anybody down sout in IRMA's path?
What are your plans?

86Scotty · 09-07-2017, 05:13 PM

Bbasso started a thread on this over on Expo. My sister lives in Orlando and is staying. I'm way too far north and inland to be worried but very curious to see what this monster does, and the one behind it, and the one behind that. People around here sure need to fill up their tanks! It's gone up .60 in the last few days.

Vanners in the path of Irma, what's your plans? - Expedition Portal

Bbasso · 09-07-2017, 06:43 PM

I'm leaving Jacksonville, fl and heading to UJOR at 6am.
Any part of this storm is devastating and I want nothing to do with it.

86Scotty · 09-07-2017, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bbasso

I'm leaving Jacksonville, fl and heading to UJOR at 6am.
Any part of this storm is devastating and I want nothing to do with it.

Man, you're just lucky you're driving your house! I would hate to leave home behind for something like this. Stay safe man!

arctictraveller · 09-07-2017, 08:46 PM

A SMB escape vehicle would sure be a great insurance policy. Best of luck to all those who are in the path, we have family who have come to Wa, and don't expect to see their house again any time soon. They have been warned that it will probably be destroyed. Man, what a summer. Fires, floods, hurricanes, politics, WTF. I'm really happy to have my own escape vehicle that takes me to places that help me forget how screwed up things are at the moment. All the best to those who are in harms way.

Bbasso · 09-08-2017, 02:43 AM

One of the many reasons why I've decided to live this way for the time...

Scalf77 · 09-08-2017, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

I'm way too far north and inland to be worried but very curious to see what this monster does, and the one behind it, and the one behind that.

I would generally agree with you, but as teen I lived in a small town on the Allegheny River in southwestern New York. In 1972 Hurricane Agnes which initial landfall was in Florida dumped huge amounts of rain in our area days later.

In the end we had 18 feet of water in our back yard. So it is always good to keep a eye on these things and have a plan.

-greg

achop · 09-08-2017, 10:02 AM

Bbasso, are you on staff at UJOR or just a close associate ;-). Wondering if you're just going to park/camp in their lot. I can camp on family property in Boone, NC and have friends family in various NC towns.

I will be at least hovering around the IRMA path (probably in NC), while staying safe (and gassed up) myself, in order to provide whatever support I can to my semi-evacuating mother and sister. If I can't reach them before the storm, I'll be ready to assist in the aftermath.

Ideally, I'd be able to join them ASAP wherever they are, simply because traveling with my MOM essentially REQUIRES two people to operate effectively . ... especially given the limited energy/judgement/resources of my sister. Even simply providing comfort/cheer to Mom during the storm would be worth it, but my logistical support could prove crucial.

For better or worse, my sister and (elderly, mobility/medically challenged) mother have decided to remain in a hotel in Ocala, FL (Marion County, north central) through at least Monday. They evacuated from SW Florida two days ago, saying at least Ocala won't have the storm surge.

I may be able to encourage them to move to North Carolina and meet them there (if I can find pet-friendly hotels with handicap access at safe/close intervals on the way up). Even this is easier said than done: getting back on the road includes substantial risks, esp given Mom's condition. She physically can't handle extended hours in the car, which would be merely uncomfortable for the rest of us.

It seems wildly imprudent for me to go IN to Florida, but I harbor the notion that if I could get to Ocala BEFORE stormy conditions, then I could help support Mom & sis throughout the storm and aftermath, with power, cooking, water, supplies, online access via cell service, etc. I'm just south of Cleveland now, but won't leave until I have a plan and some hotel reservations for a Plan B for mom/sis.

I've got four new 5-gal 'NATO-spec" gas cans (that I checked onto my flight from Seattle to Cleveland yesterday) for emergency reserve (either for engine-generated power in later days, or emergency gas for mom/sis). Still 20 gal won't save my @$$ in a 10 MPG van. I figure I need to hover within at least 250 miles of reliable gas and camping, given my 54-gal dual-tank setup.

Standard disaster recovery considerations:
- Better to keep my van away from flying tree limbs and dumpsters (ie, don't go to Ocala), so the van is in good shape for post-storm support.
- I expect to be unable to communicate via cell phone in/to Florida during and after the storm.

General Question:

I gather the best place to camp in a storm is right up next to the leeward side of a solid building/structure. If I happened to be in a rural or forested area, would I go will into the forest for cover? Or try to find a wide open field/parking lot without a lot of things (light posts, etc) that the wind could fling. I'm wondering if thick forest provides protection to all the trees, or represents more trees to keel over onto my van.

Ok, maybe I'm just babbling at this point. Thanks for listening. I'm going to also post a question about getting my 110 outlets to work.

Anne

TomsBeast · 09-08-2017, 10:11 AM

My oldest daughter has been in west palm beach visiting family. She told me yesterday they shutterd the windows, stocked up on water food and fuel, and were going to ride it out. (my daughter, her cousin's demure wife, and 3 young kids)

Skeptical, I tell her to turn off the news, stop listening to the neighbors, sit down and look at NOAA, computer models of path and intensity, storm surge height expected, elevation above sea level of the neighborhood, wind speeds expected (remembering all those newer houses in Homestead destroyed in 2005 I think). I also talk her through preparing contingency plans, 'last minute bugout', 'forced evac to a shelter', and worst case roof comes apart and the house gets real wet/no where to go.

She txts me back 3hrs latter "change in plan, we've loaded up the 4x4 diesel, have 10 extra gallons of fuel in jugs in the bed, we are headed to Nashville"

I feel better. I love that it's her decision based on facts she researched.

Bbasso · 09-08-2017, 06:52 PM

I've been close friends with Chris for 10 years and last year I did work for him/ujoint. But I went back to Florida.
I'll stay in the parking lot for a night or two but I want to get up to the pisgah national forest for a few days before heading back to Jacksonville. I need to get back to my there jobs... ugh.lol.