Batten Down The Hatches, Mateys!

[LowFlyinAggie]

FLORIDA CAMPERS! At the least, its a tropical storm. Yawn. At its worst, it will be a major hurricane. It depends on which weather news yu read and the whims of he gods. Whatever it turns out to be, we have weather coming in Florida. Stock up tomorrow and Wednesday. Roll in the awnings before it begins. Make sure your batteries are charged, and find out where the nearest shelter is, just in case. In this hemisphere, we call it a hurricane. In Asia, it is a cyclone or typhoon, but a tornado is a tornado and none of the other titles. Some small ones are spun off by hurricanes! They are not the killers of the midwest, but they can blow off roofs. Hurricanes bby any other name are all of serious concern. It matters not whether you are on the coast - either one - or in the center of the state. The hurricane covers the entirety. Even a cat 3 can cause major damage, so make plans accordingly. Do take cover because we never know. Don’t become a statistic, because I will claim your camp site if your rig disappears down around the Tampa area. No, I’m not kidding. I very badly need one for medical purposes. My doctor is there; I’m not. If you are abandoning your site and pulling out, please give me a shout. I need medical care there but there is no place to park our TT for a couple of years. My treatmenbt will be long term and I live 2 1/2 hours away. Meanwhile, stay safe all, and take every storm warning seriously. We Floridians do.

 

[NJKris]

I'm glad I got the heck off OBX NC before last 'disturbance' hit. Being in camper during 30+ mph winds is not fun, last storm 9/16-9/17 it was getting into 40 mph range. Ate my last couple days lot fees, but oh well, beats trying to leave via roads inundated with salty sea water.

 

[Medic455]

Y'all be stay safe and watch it close. I noticed i t has already changed directions 2 times in 24 hours

 

[Aussieguy]

I'm living in house within flood zone A only 12 foot above sea level
just where the predicted south side of that cone of possibility touches the shore
eeeeeeeeeeeek

 

[Larry-NC]

TS Debby

I'm glad I got the heck off OBX NC before last 'disturbance' hit. Being in camper during 30+ mph winds is not fun, last storm 9/16-9/17 it was getting into 40 mph range. Ate my last couple days lot fees, but oh well, beats trying to leave via roads inundated with salty sea water.

That was TS Debby.

As some know, I'm a North Carolina disaster volunteer. Right now I'm trying to coordinate the response to TS Debby, to the No-Name storm+King Tide flooding that's been occurring 9/16-9/17, and doing readiness checks for TS (or Hurricane) Helene which will hit here on Friday.

The crews working initial response to the No-Name storm estimate it will take until the middle of next month to complete their work. This means we are likely to be short of volunteers. Time will tell, but in past years (Hurricane Matthew (2016) and Hurricane Florence (201 we have been fortunate to have assistance from voluntary agencies--usually faith-based--from other states.

 

[rango67]

We’re live in Tallahassee which is ground zero but in Arizona now on a long road trip visiting the national parks. Daughter is freaking out because we are gone.

I have a seasonal lot on the Suwannee River in Live Oak Florida under a pole barn with all utilities if anyone wants to rent it for the weekend

 

[pgandw]

That was TS Debby.

As some know, I'm a North Carolina disaster volunteer. Right now I'm trying to coordinate the response to TS Debby, to the No-Name storm+King Tide flooding that's been occurring 9/16-9/17, and doing readiness checks for TS (or Hurricane) Helene which will hit here on Friday.

Larry, I live on some relatively high land on the water in Perquimans County. The water (Yeopim Creek) has been 12-18" above normal for 10 days now - I've never seen it stay high for more than a day or two. All "tides" in this part of Albemarle Sound are wind driven. But we've haven't had the southerly winds to push the water into the creek.

I'm really wondering if Oregon Inlet is gradually shutting down as the last exit for Albemarle Sound to the ocean (the more northern ones closed during 19th Century storms and hurricanes). And the resulting water pileup is going to become more and more normal when Piedmont and Virginia mountains get excessive rainfall.

Was camping at Oregon Inlet in early June. A line of severe thunderstorms struck about 7PM. The wind and rain had my A-frame rocking and rolling like I was in an anchored boat. Never seen that before.

Fred W
2019 Flagstaff T21TBHW A-frame
2022 Hyundai Palisade

 

[Larry-NC]

Possible

Larry, I live on some relatively high land on the water in Perquimans County. The water (Yeopim Creek) has been 12-18" above normal for 10 days now - I've never seen it stay high for more than a day or two. All "tides" in this part of Albemarle Sound are wind driven. But we've haven't had the southerly winds to push the water into the creek.

I'm really wondering if Oregon Inlet is gradually shutting down as the last exit for Albemarle Sound to the ocean (the more northern ones closed during 19th Century storms and hurricanes). And the resulting water pileup is going to become more and more normal when Piedmont and Virginia mountains get excessive rainfall.

Was camping at Oregon Inlet in early June. A line of severe thunderstorms struck about 7PM. The wind and rain had my A-frame rocking and rolling like I was in an anchored boat. Never seen that before.

Fred W
2019 Flagstaff T21TBHW A-frame
2022 Hyundai Palisade

Very possible that we will see new openings and closures in the barrier islands. We've seen some in recent years.

The creek rise that you are seeing right now could be possibly due to the "King tides" we are currently seeing. As you know, the moon's orbit around the earth is not round; it's an ellipse, with the Earth at one focus. When the moon is closest to the earth (which it is right now), we get exceptionally high tides. The sound is fuller and water can back up into the creeks that feed it.

We've also had a lot of rains due to TS Debby and the soil is saturated. Subsequent rainfall is not soaking in; it's going straight to the creeks.

 

[Tlmgcamp]

In NJ we don't get the storms that the SE gets. The last storm of fame was Sandy. While at a Floodplain Managers convention, local construction officials were trying to figure out how to fill out their "condemned" stickers before affixing them to the houses. They did not know if they should use the address where the house originated or where they found it after it was carried away by the storm surge.

 

[LowFlyinAggie]

We’re live in Tallahassee which is ground zero but in Arizona now on a long road trip visiting the national parks. Daughter is freaking out because we are gone.

I have a seasonal lot on the Suwannee River in Live Oak Florida under a pole barn with all utilities if anyone wants to rent it for the weekend

The storm has veered off to the west, so we won’t get as much wind, but the surge in the Big Bend area is projected to be 15-20 feet which is generally unheard of! I’m not one to evacuate here in the center of the state, but if I were in Tallahassee, I’d think about going to Daytona for the day or a week. he coast dwellers up there need to leave, period. It sounds just horrendous. More of a tsunami than a surge with those numbers. I75 and I95 are usually parking lots and only one way north for evacuees, no south-bound, so it would be the side roads for us. I was kind of surprised the state ordered every state park emptied of campers, and that will further hamper evacuation, but they’d be safer heading to Miami or the east coast than going north into the belly of the beast. It has to be a huge crimp in winter travel and lodging plans. I hope your daughter will be safe and get where she needs to be. But take hope because it has been downgraded from a cat 4! Enjoy your travels out west!

 

[LowFlyinAggie]

A Day To Go to Melbourne?

I'm living in house within flood zone A only 12 foot above sea level
just where the predicted south side of that cone of possibility touches the shore
eeeeeeeeeeeek

Might be a good day to visit Melbourne, Aussieguy! Florida’s, not Australia’s of course! Stay safe! I know you know there’s going to be a mean surge from this monster! Our only saving grace is the amount of time we have ahead of it to get to safer quarters. Above all, stay safe!

 

[Aussieguy]

I wont be happy until this afternoon and that little eye thingy has move north of us
I don't trust it one little bit as it could keep turning easterly just to be mean.

just drove down to the water (gulf) ... and the local docks are already submerged

No barrier island between me and the gulf too !
big 5 mile gap between islands .... whoever designed that needs a good talking to!

 

[Aussieguy]

Eeeeeeeeeeek

I got waterfront property
Except it’s all over our road
Been here 20 years and first time water ever got onto our little road

Looks like it is going down and only just got onto footpath
House still has about 6 more foot before it would reach the door

Quite a evening

 

[NXR]

The coast dwellers up there need to leave, period. It sounds just horrendous. More of a tsunami than a surge with those numbers.

I wish. My cousin lives in Steinhatchee right on the river but somewhat up the river from the coast. His wife, who has a boating business there, left but he decided to ride it out. Their home is on stilts but I don't think it's 20 or 30 feet in the air. Then there is the wind, water, and the floating debris carried by the water that could take the stilts out and take the home down. He's retired Coast Guard rescue from Alaska so he has knowledge, skills, experience, and equipment I'll never have but still...

Not a good plan to me.

Ray

 

[LowFlyinAggie]

Aussieguy, I hope you were kept out of the worst of the surge last night or got rescued, because I heard that St. Pete Beach’s stop sighs, which they said are 6 or 7feet tall, were under water. You are most likely without power now and for some time, but I hope to see you back here soon with a report! I watched Ryan Hall Y’all all night on YouTube, who has many camperas monitoring events in many areas, and two other meteorologists who constantly report on areas scattered around the wind field, as far away as Savannah and Atlanta and even Asheville, N.C., who suffered tornadoes and heavy rain. They expect damage in the Great Smokey mountain range up around Knoxville and maybe into Kentucky. It is unofficial, but an official drone which was downed registered 158 MPH, which is a Category 5 storm. It will not be recorded until they examine all the data that was gathered. Whatever it was, we know it was a monster storm! Hope to hear from you soon and that you and yours are OK!

 

[aceinspp]

So far North east of Atlanta where I'm at lots of rain some wind lost power last night for short time. They say we have about two more hrs to go before we out of the woods. Lots of flooding in Atlanta. Hope all say safe. Later RJD

 

[Aussieguy]

tampa bay area got more surge problems because the Bay held and funneled water

our house/driveway has sloped so there was still about 4 foot more was needed to reach the house

was scary and only one house in my immediate neighborhood got water in their garage


also one of the few areas here that has underground power... max lost time was about 2 minutes.. even though the transformer had water lapping at the side.

Our South Carolina house (Spartanburg) ... bloody big pecan tree in backyard fell over
the power lines are down and some damage to structure.

 

[LowFlyinAggie]

Glad to See You Here!

tampa bay area got more surge problems because the Bay held and funneled water

our house/driveway has sloped so there was still about 4 foot more was needed to reach the house

was scary and only one house in my immediate neighborhood got water in their garage


also one of the few areas here that has underground power... max lost time was about 2 minutes.. even though the transformer had water lapping at the side.

Our South Carolina house (Spartanburg) ... bloody big pecan tree in backyard fell over
the power lines are down and some damage to structure.

Glad to see you are here and safe! The loss of a large pecan tree is truly sad; my grandfather lost one in a bad Oklahoma tornado and we all felt the loss ever after. I pretty much grew up in its shadow. I watched Helene’s progress until it got up into Georgia. I believe it is a once-in-a-century storm. I wonder if there is anything left of poor Perry or Madison, Florida. We will be down there for my appointment on the 7th and see if we can get an apartment so I can go ahead wth my back surgery and retina treatments. We are on waiting lists, so I’m hoping that there could be new vacances coming up. Snowbirds make it difficult for we natives to get services we need all year round.

 

[Oaklevel]

We live in western Virginia (I'm currenting visiting the NC coastal area near Wilmington. We are expecting in western Virginia some wind, lots of rain (already saturated) , and power outages..... (our power goes out often anyway). Lot of trees........

Expecting more in Western VA than Eastern NC......... Still to watch for the possible tornados.

 

[LowFlyinAggie]

The devastation on Florida’s gulf coast and all the way into Pennsylvania is horrendous. I am 60 miles inland and we have trees down, some wiping ou homes, but we don’t have t deal with the surge or the massive amounts of rain that fell in the Carolinas and elsewhere. People need homes to rent until they can rebuild. If you are a snowbird, please consider going home and giving a Florida resident a place to live. Hotels are too expensive for them. We have a huge shortage here due to the annual influx of snowbirds and all the new permanent residents leaving their previous states. We will offer our trailer to someone who needs a home if there’s a place to park it.