Hurricane Irma

[vett0111]

Saw this pic. It's a comparison between hurricane Andrew and hurricane Irma


40840

[mikechell]

Yeah. It's going to be ... an event!
Miami and Southern Florida are going to take the worst of it. As it traverses the peninsula, it will weaken some ... we hope.

[vett0111]

Yeah , Irma is a massive hurricane.

[Gentleben]

wheres the storm now

[Dutch]

Gonna go up the west coast of Fla

[mikechell]

Irma is just about done beating the **** out of Cuba. It's getting ready for the turn North. Current trajectory is that is will make landfall South of Tampa. This is better for people in Miami, not so for the rest of the State. With the storm on the West Coast, the State will be on the wet side. About double the predicted rainfall of an East Coast run.

If it actually stays off the Coast, then it will remain a stronger storm as it runs North.

The only good news, really, is that Irma's Northern run will create the pressures needed to keep Jose out in the Atlantic.

[vett0111]

320,000 folks already lost power in Florida. Hurricane Irma is still a way out from Florida. Crazy powerful storm

[mikechell]

9:00pm ... Winds are whipping now, but we are still 5 or 6 hours from the eye.
Now they are showing it coming more Easterly, and we might get a harder hit. The good part of that is, Irma keep losing strength, little by little, as it strolls across land.
We're still working under modern conditions ... electricity and indoor plumbing still functional, but power is flickering.

[vett0111]

Thanks for update mike

4 million without power in Florida

[vett0111]

Thanks for update mike

4 million without power in Florida

[mikechell]

11:15pm ... we're in a trough, between rain bands. A few gusts, but the frogs are happy and we can hear them!

Still a long night to go before it moves out, but we're doing well, so far.

[vett0111]

All this rain will help Drought in your area.

[mikechell]

Just a quick note.
House made it through with only three shingles torn off.
Yard made it through with a couple of small trees snapped off, but nothing major.
Just got cable/internet back.
Still running on a generator, so the fridge and freezer are still working. No A/C, so we are sweltering in place, at the moment.

I'll be back after power's been restored. Thanks for the concern, my friends.

[AthensMike]

Glad y'all are okay Mike. Hate to bug you but I am sure you understand the concern. Hopefully you will get power soon.

[Gentleben]

Thnaks Mike glad you ok buddy!!

[vett0111]

Thanks for update Mike.

[mikechell]

Still no power. Even getting online is a sweat producing activity. 81,000 people in my County, still without power.

Keeping fingers crossed. It's got to be on before Sunday afternoon, or I can't leave to do my job in Milwaukee.

[mikechell]

Okay ... my hatred for Duke Energy has been lessened. Not by much, but power came on about 20 minutes ago, so it's not quite as burning.
I am still going to put in inquiries to the other companies. We're at the end of the line. Two houses up, they are on FPL, and they've had power for the past two nights. Since we're that close, I am wondering if we can get changed over.

Rant aside, we are now back in the 21st century !!!

[AthensMike]

Not a rant Mike. More like an observation. Hopefully you will be happier with the new provider and I hope y'all have a nice, comfortable evening. Y'all deserve it.

[vett0111]

Great you have power back on. When hurricane Ike came through we didn't have power for two weeks. Others went 3-6 more weeks after us.

[mikechell]

Thanks Mike.
Vett ... I fully understand the time it takes to repair electric lines, etc.
Last year, when Matthew took out large portions of the grid along the East Coast of Florida, we lost power for 6 days. But we could see where the damage was, and we saw trucks once in a while, proving to us that the crews were doing something.
This time, there was NO indication that our area had any damage. There were no trucks that we ever saw. Even yesterday, when it came back on, there was no indication they'd done anything in our area.
So, our only conclusion is, they shut off entire areas, rather than isolate the ones that needed work.

Oh well ... it's on, and it's a relief.

[Gentleben]

Mnay times the fusses that kick out are a ways away. like this time it took a ciountry block of power out 68 houses all becasue the owners did nothin g, this guy loves to keep his yard looking nice bu tdoesnt even own a chain saw he depends o nteh neighborhood to clean u his messes