Irma
Living in Florida you learn to cope with things like mosquitoes from hell, cockroaches, oppressive humidity and an autumnal equinox that is really just an extension of summer and the occasional hurricanes. Last year when Matthew breezed by offshore I was on the east or the "clean" side of the eye of the storm. I got tropical storm force winds and never lost power. Irma was a whole different story. She was weaker than Matthew but I was now on the west or "dirty" side of the eye of the storm. The eye actually passed further away than Matthew's did, but the winds were stronger tropical storm force, but still not hurricane force.
At this point I need to interject my thoughts on evacuation. The Governor started calling for the evacuation of the Keys and the Miami-Dade area days before the storm hit. Friends and family were telling me that I should evacuate also, but I have a full time job and I cannot just up and leave. I close and fund loans for a living and I had loans funding the Thursday and Friday before the storm hit, that meant I had payoffs that had to be wired out. There was no way I could cut and run. By the time I could have left on Friday the interstates were almost parking lots with people trying to get out of Florida, gas was in short supply, all of the Jacksonville beaches were under mandatory evacuations and the Governor of Georgia had called for a mandatory evacuation of all people living east if I-95. If I had left, I would have tried to get north on I-95 into Georgia, just south of Savannah, to pick up I-16 which would have put me on the same highway with lots of Florida people and all the people from east of I-95 in Georgia. Then to add to the matter, I would have evacuated to,,,wait for it,,,the outskirts of Atlanta. Running away only to face Irma again in a different state and slightly weaker.
Now, had I somehow managed to get out of Florida and to my son's place, the trip back home would have been just as bad or worse with little to no gas to be had and traffic crawling at 15 mph on the highways. My office was closed the day of the storm 9/11 and 9/12, by the 13th we were back in business. Had I evacuated I most likely would have missed the remainder of that week of work. So, for me it isn't as easy as getting in the car and leaving, there are lots of other factors to consider. I am also not in any evacuation zone for Duval county nor am I in a flood zone. My apartment is 42 feet above sea level so a 12 foot storm surge isn't going to phase me.
So back to my tale about Irma.
I was home by late morning on the 8th and ran to get all of my laundry washed and dried just in case there was no power for a few days. That turned out to be very smart on my part. I took 95 % of what I had in my kitchen freezer and added it to my chest freezer along with 2 gallon bottles of water. If I lost power the gallons of water and the 12 pound turkey would help the stuff stay frozen for a couple of days at least. I put an entire case of 16 oz bottles of water in my kitchen freezer and nothing in there thawed out.
I brought everything from my lanai, even my fence. The fence sections sit on top of pegs hammered into the ground and I was concerned that the winds could take them. Better to be safe than sorry.
Having cleaned off the lanai meant the living room was now crowded. I had to move the sofa and my chair to make room for everything else. Kele was not happy that her bed got moved from next to the sliding door and was not happy about it being in front of the TV.
As I was driving home on Friday the 8th I stopped at a sporting goods store and was able to pick up a small Weber charcoal grill and two 15 lb bags of charcoal. I had stuff to light the charcoal already.
By Saturday the 9th, Lili was just chilling.
Kele was dozing.
I went into the kitchen to bake a pumpkin pie for my neighbor who also does my nails. The winds had started to blow stronger so I brought my front porch and kitchen window plants in. The window looks bare with no planter box.
The pie for my neighbor turned out well.
I then used some mincemeat pie filling and made myself some fruit and nut bars. They were really good.
On Sunday I took this photo to help put some people at ease. Standing in my living room, barefoot, I am at eye level with the eves of the house across the street. They would get flooded way before I did. Power went out at 11:15 on Sunday night.
By late afternoon on Monday the 11th. The worst was over, the skies were clearing and I still had no power. I thought it very interesting that the wind blew leaves into a perfect little doormat on my lanai.
And no, my door mat is here on my table, not outside.
The apartment complex suffered some minor damage but the poor papaya trees took a beating.
In all I was without power for at least 34 hours. It had been 34 hours when I left for my daughter's house for a hot shower and it was back on when I got home. Will I leave for the next storm, who knows. It all depends on when it is supposed to hit, what is going on work wise and where I am living at the time.
At this point I need to interject my thoughts on evacuation. The Governor started calling for the evacuation of the Keys and the Miami-Dade area days before the storm hit. Friends and family were telling me that I should evacuate also, but I have a full time job and I cannot just up and leave. I close and fund loans for a living and I had loans funding the Thursday and Friday before the storm hit, that meant I had payoffs that had to be wired out. There was no way I could cut and run. By the time I could have left on Friday the interstates were almost parking lots with people trying to get out of Florida, gas was in short supply, all of the Jacksonville beaches were under mandatory evacuations and the Governor of Georgia had called for a mandatory evacuation of all people living east if I-95. If I had left, I would have tried to get north on I-95 into Georgia, just south of Savannah, to pick up I-16 which would have put me on the same highway with lots of Florida people and all the people from east of I-95 in Georgia. Then to add to the matter, I would have evacuated to,,,wait for it,,,the outskirts of Atlanta. Running away only to face Irma again in a different state and slightly weaker.
Now, had I somehow managed to get out of Florida and to my son's place, the trip back home would have been just as bad or worse with little to no gas to be had and traffic crawling at 15 mph on the highways. My office was closed the day of the storm 9/11 and 9/12, by the 13th we were back in business. Had I evacuated I most likely would have missed the remainder of that week of work. So, for me it isn't as easy as getting in the car and leaving, there are lots of other factors to consider. I am also not in any evacuation zone for Duval county nor am I in a flood zone. My apartment is 42 feet above sea level so a 12 foot storm surge isn't going to phase me.
So back to my tale about Irma.
I was home by late morning on the 8th and ran to get all of my laundry washed and dried just in case there was no power for a few days. That turned out to be very smart on my part. I took 95 % of what I had in my kitchen freezer and added it to my chest freezer along with 2 gallon bottles of water. If I lost power the gallons of water and the 12 pound turkey would help the stuff stay frozen for a couple of days at least. I put an entire case of 16 oz bottles of water in my kitchen freezer and nothing in there thawed out.
I brought everything from my lanai, even my fence. The fence sections sit on top of pegs hammered into the ground and I was concerned that the winds could take them. Better to be safe than sorry.
Having cleaned off the lanai meant the living room was now crowded. I had to move the sofa and my chair to make room for everything else. Kele was not happy that her bed got moved from next to the sliding door and was not happy about it being in front of the TV.
As I was driving home on Friday the 8th I stopped at a sporting goods store and was able to pick up a small Weber charcoal grill and two 15 lb bags of charcoal. I had stuff to light the charcoal already.
By Saturday the 9th, Lili was just chilling.
Kele was dozing.
I went into the kitchen to bake a pumpkin pie for my neighbor who also does my nails. The winds had started to blow stronger so I brought my front porch and kitchen window plants in. The window looks bare with no planter box.
The pie for my neighbor turned out well.
I then used some mincemeat pie filling and made myself some fruit and nut bars. They were really good.
On Sunday I took this photo to help put some people at ease. Standing in my living room, barefoot, I am at eye level with the eves of the house across the street. They would get flooded way before I did. Power went out at 11:15 on Sunday night.
By late afternoon on Monday the 11th. The worst was over, the skies were clearing and I still had no power. I thought it very interesting that the wind blew leaves into a perfect little doormat on my lanai.
And no, my door mat is here on my table, not outside.
The apartment complex suffered some minor damage but the poor papaya trees took a beating.
In all I was without power for at least 34 hours. It had been 34 hours when I left for my daughter's house for a hot shower and it was back on when I got home. Will I leave for the next storm, who knows. It all depends on when it is supposed to hit, what is going on work wise and where I am living at the time.
It was different than Matthew but I Really feel for Puerto Rico!!!
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