It is funny. We have done all that we can to be ready for Irma and we are still going through the “What are we missing?’ part of the equation which will be followed up with the “Screw it, nothing else we can do right now.

The new track is showing Irma shifting west which means we won’t get hit hard, but now good people in the West Coast of Florida are under the threat of 155 mph sustained winds.

BUT… I am not trusting a guesstimate. This type of events play Marco Polo with forecasters and until I don’t see that the eye has passed 26 degree latitude.

Everybody, stay safe.

Doing the final preps for Hurricane Irma.

Me: “Honey, I am going out for a second.”
Her: “You sure? It is not warm and fuzzy out there.”
Me: “I know. Any words of encouragement for your hubby?”
Her: “Shooter. Do you understand the Course of Fire?”

She is a wise ass… beautiful one to boot.

This is from the Hurricane Irma Discussion Number 36.  That first Inland mentioned there? About my latitude, 40 miles west of me and 50 from the east Coast of South Florida.

That would make a weak Category 3 at the eye and possibly a weak Category 2 where I live.

The house survived Wilma which was a Cat 3. Roof was damaged, but it was the original roof when the house was built and in need of change anyway.

Keeping prayers and fingers crossed.

I went out again and the most popular hand-made sign was:

WE ARE OUT OF GAS CANS

I swear I even saw one of those in a Wendy’s, but no sure. So, I am not surprised when I saw this pic allegedly taken in Hialeah.

Hialeah is Redneck Country but with a Cuban accent 😀

Hat tip, Mike V.

It has always been a pipe dream.

And panic has not set in yet. Hurricane does not arrive till Sunday.  Even if you only attempted to evacuate one fifth of the South Florida population, you simply cannot squeeze one million people in three major highways without making it a mess.
And only one direction: North.

So it is a choice between getting screwed at home or in your car parked in a remote highway. That is why so many choose to weather it out.

What differs this time is there is nothing in the US prepped to withstand a category 5 hurricane this big. You just pray you are far enough from the eye you get the lower wind speeds that you know or figure you can withstand.

I am not gonna deny it, I am scared some. I am placing my faith on a forecast of Category 4 and having the eye over water.

Although a Category 4 has winds between 130-156 mph, those are the speed next to the eye and they decrease as the radius from the center increases. I saw a report from the National Hurricane Center about Irma passing near Puerto Rico and it caught my attention:

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 50 miles (85 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 185 miles (295 km). A sustained wind of 55 mph (89 km/h) with a gust to 70 mph (113 km/h) was recently reported at an NOS observing site in San Juan Bay, Puerto Rico.

I did a bit of math and by the time of the report, the coast of PR was 50 miles from the center of the eye and they were not even clocking a sustained wind close to  a Cat 1 (74-95 mph) and if the streaming of the local radio stations mean anything, the damage was not as brutal as expected. At 1:51 am they were reporting power losses covering 1 million people. Talk shows were getting calls so it was not all the End of the World.

Am I rationalizing myself into a bit of mental peace? Perhaps. But evacuation died sooner than I expected. There were accident reports all along I-95 and congestion on the Turnpike. Gas was reported getting scarce in Central Florida and the usual staples of water and canned goods. And  if you were not planning to evacuate to Alabama and points West-North West and already on your way yesterday, you are gonna be screwed anyway.

Understand that Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties have over 5,350,000 million people who simply cannot be funneled north (same path as the hurricane) in three highways: I-75, I-95 and the Turnpike up to Orlando only. Being caught in the open with only the protection of your car? Hell no!

So pray that Irma’s eye stays on the water 20 miles away when it comes by Miami. That means we can get Category 2 and less winds which we know our infrastructure can withstand. I know my humble abode dealt with a Cat 3 with an old roof and plenty of Cat 2 and Cat 1.

The blog is in the capable hands of J. Kb.  when (and if) I go dark. I’ll try to text him updates so he can share with you guys.

And if you feel predisposed to do so, say a prayer or two for South Florida.

Gun control not only shows its ugly face but goes all the way in.

U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Kenneth Mapp signed an emergency order allowing the seizure of private guns, ammunition, explosives and property the National Guard may need to respond to Hurricane Irma.
Mapp signed the order Monday in preparation for Hurricane Irma. The order allows the Adjutant General of the Virgin Islands to seize private property they believe necessary to protect the islands, subject to approval by the territory’s Justice Department.

Source: Virgin Islands Grabbing Guns Ahead Of Irma | The Daily Caller

Dear God, you can hear the self-gratification exercises from the Opposition, although no one yet has come forward to congratulate the Governor.

While that is happening in the Virgin Islands, in Florida:

Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in all of Florida’s 67 counties in response to Hurricane Irma Monday. The governor wants to ensure local governments have ample time, resources, and flexibility to get prepared.

Source: Governor Rick Scott declares state of emergency

A declaration of State of Emergency in Florida triggers an exceptional law:

Florida statutes 790.01
Unlicensed carrying of concealed weapons or concealed firearms.

(1) Except as provided in subsection (3), a person who is not licensed under s. 790.06 and who carries a concealed weapon or electric weapon or device on or about his or her person commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(3) This section does not apply to:
(a) A person who carries a concealed weapon, or a person who may lawfully possess a firearm and who carries a concealed firearm, on or about his or her person while in the act of evacuating during a mandatory evacuation order issued during a state of emergency declared by the Governor pursuant to chapter 252 or declared by a local authority pursuant to chapter 870. As used in this subsection, the term “in the act of evacuating” means the immediate and urgent movement of a person away from the evacuation zone within 48 hours after a mandatory evacuation is ordered. The 48 hours may be extended by an order issued by the Governor.

Let us not forget what happened in New Orleans after Katrina when the Local Powers That Be decided that nobody but the cops would be armed. Great abuse of power and loss of life because some power hungry assholes pushed their agendas.

We have done a lot, but ain’t done by far.

We will win.