Hurricane Irma

[Susan1]

Sorry for the double post. I was logging off and this was on my newsfeed - http://people.com/politics/al-roker-reacts-rush-limbaugh-evacuating-hurricane-hoax/

 

[TOADS]

Totally irresponsible.

There could be folks who believe this shit and stay behind, ill prepared.

 

[Prancer]

Or broadcasters should have the courage to say "if you're in the danger zone and you're watching right now, you probably shouldn't be watching and you should GTFO" if you have the means to do so, or otherwise seek shelter.

I've heard them say things like that many times.

 

[Aceon6]

Or broadcasters should have the courage to say "if you're in the danger zone and you're watching right now, you probably shouldn't be watching and you should GTFO" if you have the means to do so, or otherwise seek shelter.

Of course, it certainly wouldn't be in their economic interests to tell viewers not to be viewers.

Maybe 20 years ago when watching required sitting in front of a TV set. Now, so many watch online that you can't assume much about the location of the viewer.

 

[rfisher]

I'm waiting for a news reporter get clobbered by some debris in the high wind like what happen to the news reporter in The Day After Tomorrow when the guy was clobbered by a flying billboard.

A TV reporter was killed broadcasting from the top of the TV station during a tornado in Waco, back in the 60s. This was before the days of Doppler radar and he was credited with saving a lot of lives by broadcasting where the funnel was on the ground.

 

[woodstock]

There are reports that animal control is rescuing dogs that are abandoned by evacuating owners- left behind tied to trees. There is a special place in hell for people that do that. . Bless all the workers staying behind to help all the helpless, be it animals or elderly/ill humans.
http://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-p...ng-dogs-left-chained-to-trees-and-parked-cars

 

[TOADS]

Those people go to section 3 in hell. Can't miss it, it is right next to the sections that contain asshat bosses and people who abuse kids. We got quite few additions from people who left their pets tied up in Hurricane Harvey. We have more than enough room for those poor excuses for human beings that do it for Hurricane Irma...

 

[Lanie]

stay safe, FSUers! I'm worried about you guys.

My grandmother is sticking it out in Coral Gables. She is in a fourth floor condo and it's very safe, they have generators, and she has caretakers who will be staying with her. They're all stocked up. I am calling her later.

 

[Prancer]

There are reports that animal control is rescuing dogs that are abandoned by evacuating owners- left behind tied to trees. There is a special place in hell for people that do that. . Bless all the workers staying behind to help all the helpless, be it animals or elderly/ill humans.
http://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-p...ng-dogs-left-chained-to-trees-and-parked-cars

I wonder if they are thinking that the dogs will be there when they get back.

 

[woodstock]

I wonder if they are thinking that the dogs will be there when they get back.

It's just such a cruel death sentence. A bullet to the head would be a kinder and quicker way to die than tied up outside in 100+ winds. And then ones who tied them up to cars- you have to be a real kind of stupid to not see all the overturned cars shown in Barbuda and realize anything tied to it would get flung also. There are animal shelters for a reason. Just hoping people can find them all before it hits.

 

[Prancer]

It's just such a cruel death sentence.

I understand all of that, but I think a lot of people think rather stupidly when it comes to....well, in this case, animals.

It's like people who dump their pets in the country instead of a shelter, thinking a nice farmer will take the pets in and they will have a nice yard to romp in with other animals as playmates.

People prefer to fantasize about pretty fictions rather than deal with ugly realities.

 

[once_upon]

I give solely to UMCOR. It is a 503-1c or is it 501 -3c, administered by volunteer and supported by the General Conference of the United Methodist Church. By Discipline 100% of my contribution goes to what I designate. So Houston relief had it's own account number for me to write on my donation, whether it is check, EBT, etc. it goes into that account. if I wanted I could see an audit trail of income/expenses.

Red Cross, United Way, Salvation Army - no.

 

[UMBS Go Blue]

I've heard them say things like that many times.

Not enough in the current era...

Maybe 20 years ago when watching required sitting in front of a TV set. Now, so many watch online that you can't assume much about the location of the viewer.

...when anchors are far more likely to ask people to stay tuned to more live, late breaking coverage.

 

[Prancer]

Not enough in the current era...

Oh. I hadn't realized I was a relic.

 

[WildRose]

I've heard them say things like that many times.

All the media I've seen are practically begging people to evacuate before it's too late. And they are interviewing officials and meteorologists who are doing the same thing. I'm not sure what else they can do.

 

[Prancer]

All the media I've seen are practically begging people to evacuate before it's too late. And they are interviewing officials and meteorologists who are doing the same thing. I'm not sure what else they can do.

Oh, good. It's not just me, then.

 

[once_upon]

I watched all the MSNBC and the Today show for several days. All I heard from them was get out. And if we are there, we take precautions. DO NOT STAY. Take the evacuation orders seriously, leave NOW.

Then I have Facebook friends who post this is ridiculous. We are staying put. Bunch of wimps leaving. Then there are the people who tried to leave and couldn't get anywhere. They are scared but staying in their house is better than walking on foot to the shelters. Or the shelters who are overflowing.

IMO, the media are doing their best to get people out.

 

[Barbara Manatee]

Yes, the media are saying that everyone should follow evacuation orders. They have said it again and again. But then they turn around and interview people who aren't leaving and give them a platform to say it's okay for them not to go because they know what they're doing, they have a strong house, they've taken precautions, etc. When you are trying to convince people not to do a dumb thing, it's counterproductive to publicize someone having a grand time doing that exact dumb thing.

 

[once_upon]

I guess the interviews i saw were not so much that and in several cases staff took people to shelters.

 

[topaz]

@once_upon - I agree. I guess they must think that those in ST Thomas, Turks & Caico, Barbuda and St Maarten are "punks". The reports of cars flying through the air and steel roofs being blown off is not enough for those who had the means to leave but decided not to take this storm seriously. This storm is different than any other storm we've witnessed. The hurricane is twice as big as Andrew and stronger.

The freaking storm is 400 miles wide and winds around the eye wall have been clocked at 210 mph. That is INSANE. Some people are not anticipating the storm surge and massive flooding this storm is going to cause.

3ft of flood waters are deadly. 4 to 5 ft of moving flood waters can lift houses from their foundation.

FYI, Irma has been upgraded back 5 this is the longest period that a cat 5 hurricane has existed.

 

[WildRose]

Yes, the media are saying that everyone should follow evacuation orders. They have said it again and again. But then they turn around and interview people who aren't leaving and give them a platform to say it's okay for them not to go because they know what they're doing, they have a strong house, they've taken precautions, etc. When you are trying to convince people not to do a dumb thing, it's counterproductive to publicize someone having a grand time doing that exact dumb thing.

I think it just shows how foolish people are not to leave.

 

[PRlady]

Here in Israel it's the lead story on the morning news. (Yes there are lots of Israelis and Jewish cousins in Florida but I think people here are mesmerized by the size of the storm.) also the newscasters are dumbfounded that people are staying put.

Including my ex-husband's old friends in Key West. He begged them all week to grab their cat and come stay with him in Maryland and they scoffed at TV "hysteria." JHC.

 

[topaz]

Here in Israel it's the lead story on the morning news. (Yes there are lots of Israelis and Jewish cousins in Florida but I think people here are mesmerized by the size of the storm.) also the newscasters are dumbfounded that people are staying put.

Including my ex-husband's old friends in Key West. He begged them all week to grab their cat and come stay with him in Maryland and they scoffed at TV "hysteria." JHC.

Well, it's unfortunate for your ex's friends. Key West will probably be underwater or at least parts of it.

I am enthalled with this storm. It's a historical storm. I understand that some people due to medical issue, mental issues, homelessness were not able to be evaculate themselves; the Florida evac. plan should have been stronger and better to account for this.

Apparently power outages and strong winds are starting to hit Miami.

 

[Lorac]

Irma is headline news here in the UK this morning. It is a huge storm and no part of Florida is going to be spared. I dread turning the news on tomorrow and seeing the devastation that this storm will have left in its wake. I hope all those who wanted out got out and that those who couldn't for whatever reason stays safe.

 

[Aceon6]

We found out this morning that our friends in Ft. Myers are staying put. They're outside of the surge zone and are on high ground for Florida. The closest shelter is the school in their subdivision, about 3 streets away, so they can walk/bike there if they change their minds later today.

 

[Susan1]

It changes every couple of hours. They interviewed a woman in Miami yesterday morning who was leaving for Tallahassee because she heard it was safe there. Today, the path is going that way.

 

[TOADS]

All the media I've seen are practically begging people to evacuate before it's too late. And they are interviewing officials and meteorologists who are doing the same thing. I'm not sure what else they can do.

I know in Superstorm Sandy, there were officials who told people who didn't evacuate to take a magic marker and write their social security number on their arm so they could be identified later.

It apparently did shock some would be stay behinders to leave. He also got criticized for say that but knowing full well the power of these things and what they capable of, I say, good for him. Should of used the same tactic for those who chose to stay behind on the Keys. If Irma takes the latest track, the Keys are going to look like Barbuda.

 

[4rkidz]

I wish they would update us on Cuba, the place we go to is in the northern keys there and looks like it got battered. The folks will be ok though as I know the govt had taken them all away to safer higher ground. Our Canadian tourism is so important to their economy. Speaking of Canadians, our friends have places in Naples an they are not boarded up, they reckon none of them are. This is why when I'm a snow bird I'll do same as my parents and take a trainer that we bring back at the end of winter and rent not buy houses.

 

[Simone411]

All the media I've seen are practically begging people to evacuate before it's too late. And they are interviewing officials and meteorologists who are doing the same thing. I'm not sure what else they can do.

I wish I was one of those meteorologists on the Weather Channel. I would have been telling them (not begging) to get the hell out of Dodge before it was too late, and that's exactly what I posted in this thread on Tuesday. I don't care where the eye hits, whether it's on the west side, east side or even in the middle of Florida, that hurricane is one huge monstrosity.

The images I saw the other day that the meteorologists were amazed with and had never seen anything quite like it were of the three hurricanes. I don't know if anyone has ever watched the movie, The Day After Tomorrow, but there were also three hurricanes that formed at the same time on that movie.

The Day After Tomorrow's Perfect Storm

So people thought it would be safe to stay in west and southwest Florida because those projections first showed East Florida being hit. The officials should have just said as far back as Tuesday to just get the hell out of Dodge because of how huge Irma was. I know some may not have a way or couldn't afford to leave, and I pray for those people because they will go through something that they've never experienced or seen before that is if they survive.

After this hurricane leaves Cuba (and it's around 150 MPH right now and suppose to weaken some on the land), it may possibly strengthen back up before the eye hits southwest Florida. That's where wind gusts may be the worst.

 

[PRlady]

But the storm surge is always worst to the northeast, that's why the north coast of Jersey got wiped out in Sandy. So bye to the Everglades which have no natural drainage anymore anyway. And that water has to go somewhere, either to the east or west coast.

I'm so worried about our friends in Key West I can't tell you. He's in his late '70s and stubborn as a mule, his wife is younger and usually the practical one. I can just see poor Lyn trying to convince her husband to leave, now it's too late.