Prayers and thoughts for florida residents.

[Chris shipley]

The next hurricane approaches. 

[Rob Peters]

I have cousins in Tampa and St Petersburg.  Neither are evacuating.  I tried to talk them into getting "Out Of Dodge" and they don't seem to see the need.  I grew up in Florida and experienced hurricanes.  Back then they did not have the ability to predict their paths as well as they do now.  This is a horrible storm.  Maybe my older age makes me wiser than I may be but I don't think I would put my wife and I in the path of a storm this huge...We would have been on the road this morning.

My prayers are with my family in the path of this storm and all of their neighbors.

rob

[Chris shipley]

4 minutes ago, Rob Peters said:

I have cousins in Tampa and St Petersburg.  Neither are evacuating.  I tried to talk them into getting "Out Of Dodge" and they don't seem to see the need.  I grew up in Florida and experienced hurricanes.  Back then they did not have the ability to predict their paths as well as they do now.  This is a horrible storm.  Maybe my older age makes me wiser than I may be but I don't think I would put my wife and I in the path of a storm this huge...We would have been on the road this morning.

My prayers are with my family in the path of this storm and all of their neighbors.

rob

Will be praying 

[DragCat]

I'm on the east coast, but still watching cautiously 🤞I was here in 05 when Wilma came across a little further south than Miltons suggested path and witnessed the devastation in 92 with Andrew. Mother Nature doesn't play! 

I agree with Rob, better to tuck tail and run than ride it out. Thoughts and prayers for all and all those still dealing with Helenes devastation 🙏

[Leghome]

My daughter and son in-law cannot evacuate because of her work. The hospital divides the staff into two groups A and B  She is in group B, Group A is now at the hospital until the all clear is issued and then Group B goes in the aftermath  Fort Myers and Cape Coral area

[willie]

Thoughts and prayers for everyone down that end of the Country!!!!   My cousin is still cleaning up after the last one, i hope she doesn't get it again!!!  

I agree with Mark and Rob, jump in the car and come up this way, just to be safe!! Its not like they don't have a place to stay for a while.  Because they have it down pretty close to where the storm will hit, gives you plenty of time to grab your good stuff and run!!  We will see what my sister does as she is not leaving as of yet either!!

 

God Bless them ALL!!!

[Rob Peters]

11 hours ago, Rob Peters said:

I have cousins in Tampa and St Petersburg.  Neither are evacuating.  I tried to talk them into getting "Out Of Dodge" and they don't seem to see the need.  I grew up in Florida and experienced hurricanes.  Back then they did not have the ability to predict their paths as well as they do now.  This is a horrible storm.  Maybe my older age makes me wiser than I may be but I don't think I would put my wife and I in the path of a storm this huge...We would have been on the road this morning.

My prayers are with my family in the path of this storm and all of their neighbors.

rob

When I talked with the cousin who lives in St. Petersburg yesterday I asked again if they would evacuate and again she said NO we are riding it out.  A few years ago they had new windows installed that are rated to withstand a cat 4 to cat 5 hurricane.  She told her husband she still wants to board up the windows on the wind side of the house because there is so much debris still on the streets from the damage caused by Helene a few weeks ago that the city has not picked up yet. 

They were scheduled to have a new roof installed next week and the company wanted to drop all of the roofing supplies in their yard today.  My cousin told them no, wait until the hurricane passes so the  supplies don't become flying debris.  The hurricane may help them out, maybe the storm will damage their roof to the extent the insurance company will have to replace it.  I still think they are crazy to not get out of town but by now if they got on the road there is no guarantee they would find a road that isn't gridlocked and find themselves riding it out in their car.

rob

[kpcsgasp]

Thoughts and prayers from across the country. STAY SAFE ALL! Don't be a hero this one looks really bad.

[DragCat]

7 hours ago, Rob Peters said:

 

They were scheduled to have a new roof installed next week and the company wanted to drop all of the roofing supplies in their yard today.  My cousin told them no, wait until the hurricane passes so the  supplies don't become flying debris.  The hurricane may help them out, maybe the storm will damage their roof to the extent the insurance company will have to replace it. 

I still think they are crazy to not get out of town but by now if they got on the road there is no guarantee they would find a road that isn't gridlocked and find themselves riding it out in their car.

 

I saw the traffic cams this am, bumper to bumper crawl,,,,, At this point in time I would ride it out.

I'm NOT a fan of the show, but 60 minutes did a piece on insurance companies, I ran across it on YouTube. It was good IMHO 

[Chris shipley]

I'm with rob ..evacuate. items can be replaced. Not life's.  However I pray for those who have to stay for work . And those who choose to ride it out.

[willie]

Well here we go again!!!!   My Sister used her head as she flew up yesterday and is staying with her Son in NY!!!  i have a good friend that took some people in because their place was ruined from last week. However they have 3 daughters that want them to drive to NC where the closest daughter is. Although their daughters invited the other couple up, my friends decided to bunker down and ride it out!       My cousin who was in the middle of cleaning her rental places after the last storm, threw her hands up and said the heck with this and went out of state in a hotel!!! lol       i still have a Nephew and Niece that will be hunkering down where they are and a few people i retired with that also will be hunkering down.   

I pray for them All!!!!  And also for everyone that the storm decides to hit!!!!    Please everyone be safe!!!

God Bless

[Rob Peters]

2 hours ago, DragCat said:

I saw the traffic cams this am, bumper to bumper crawl,,,,, At this point in time I would ride it out. 

I saw a clip on this mornings news of bumper to bumper traffic heading northbound on I-75.  The only vehicles I saw going southbound on that same highway were Electric Company cherry picker trucks, tree service trucks and many other service vehicles heading to the same areas the storm is forecast to arrive.  I give a lot of credit to police, emergency workers, firemen and others who live in the targeted areas staying put so they are available ASAP but when I see these others coming in from outside the targeted areas heading into the storm even from states outside of Florida heading into the mouth of this beast, I give them even more respect.  My prayers go out to all staying behind and those heading into those areas.

rob

[MCfan]

I'm watching Jim Cantore on the Weather Channel report on the storm surge that is currently hitting Charlotte Harbor as Hurricane Milton is making landfall at Siesta Key.  It is already higher than the surge from Helene and expected to go much higher.  Unfortunately, my home and '70 Monte Carlo are sitting just across the harbor from Jim's position in Punta Gorda.  We're on a saltwater canal less than a mile inland from the harbor so in Flood Zone A.  We didn't have to evacuate as we are still at our summer home in MN.

The storm surge from Helene came up to the top of our canal's seawall and the land flooding came within ten feet on our gently sloped driveway of reaching the garage. Based on that recent experience and data, I fully expect our garage and home to be flooded by Milton, either by the much larger (8-13') storm surge or flash flooding due to huge rainfall or both.

Everything on our property is insured including flood insurance (we're only 9 feet above sea level) and Hagerty for the Monte but I hate to think of the mess and damage repair (roof, trees, pool screening, boat cover, etc.) we'll be facing when we return to FL.  We have tickets to return from MN on 10/20 but will delay if the power has not been restored by then (it took 9 days to restore power after Hurricane Ian hit Punta Gorda just two years ago).

Our daughter and extended family are hunkered down at their rural place 6 miles inland from the harbor and at 20' elevation which is about as high as it gets in that whole area.  They rode out Ian in the same place so thought they could do it again.  Son-in-law owns a major HVAC company there so had to stick around for that.  They will give us a damage report tomorrow or as soon as they can safely get there as the storm surge and surface flooding allow.  Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst ...

[DragCat]

Thoughts and pryers to all up north. We had a couple tornados touch down in my county (nothing near me) 

[Chris shipley]

The weather has been something else this year ... ohio alone had a new 74 tornados this year.... 

[MCfan]

All's well that ends well! My family in Punta Gorda was safe and sound after Milton passed almost directly over.  They were able to make it over to my house through some partially flooded streets this morning and had a good report.  The high water trash line from the storm surge came up to the base of our lanai/pool deck foundation but did not enter the garage or house!  So, my Monte didn't even get her toes wet! 

Other than a shredded boat cover and lots of palm fronds down across the lawn, our property sustained no major wind damage.  And, with the heaviest rain concentrated on the northern side of the hurricane, inland flooding was contained to downtown and lowest elevation developments and streets. In all, we received far less damage than with hurricane Ian two years ago. Grateful for answered prayers!

Unfortunately, many other areas of Florida had serious flooding and wind damage, including 30+ tornadoes spawned by the hurricane.  Of course, power is out in the entire region so we're hoping it is restored by 10/20 when we have tickets to return. It will be good to get back to driving my Monte frequently around town!

[kpcsgasp]

1 hour ago, MCfan said:

All's well that ends well! My family in Punta Gorda was safe and sound after Milton passed almost directly over.  They were able to make it over to my house through some partially flooded streets this morning and had a good report.  The high water trash line from the storm surge came up to the base of our lanai/pool deck foundation but did not enter the garage or house!  So, my Monte didn't even get her toes wet! 

Other than a shredded boat cover and lots of palm fronds down across the lawn, our property sustained no major wind damage.  And, with the heaviest rain concentrated on the northern side of the hurricane, inland flooding was contained to downtown and lowest elevation developments and streets. In all, we received far less damage than with hurricane Ian two years ago. Grateful for answered prayers!

Unfortunately, many other areas of Florida had serious flooding and wind damage, including 30+ tornadoes spawned by the hurricane.  Of course, power is out in the entire region so we're hoping it is restored by 10/20 when we have tickets to return. It will be good to get back to driving my Monte frequently around town!

GOOD TO HEAR!! Hope everyone made it through safe and OK.

[Chris shipley]

5 hours ago, MCfan said:

All's well that ends well! My family in Punta Gorda was safe and sound after Milton passed almost directly over.  They were able to make it over to my house through some partially flooded streets this morning and had a good report.  The high water trash line from the storm surge came up to the base of our lanai/pool deck foundation but did not enter the garage or house!  So, my Monte didn't even get her toes wet! 

Other than a shredded boat cover and lots of palm fronds down across the lawn, our property sustained no major wind damage.  And, with the heaviest rain concentrated on the northern side of the hurricane, inland flooding was contained to downtown and lowest elevation developments and streets. In all, we received far less damage than with hurricane Ian two years ago. Grateful for answered prayers!

Unfortunately, many other areas of Florida had serious flooding and wind damage, including 30+ tornadoes spawned by the hurricane.  Of course, power is out in the entire region so we're hoping it is restored by 10/20 when we have tickets to return. It will be good to get back to driving my Monte frequently around town!

Awesome 

[Rob Peters]

6 hours ago, MCfan said:

All's well that ends well! My family in Punta Gorda was safe and sound after Milton passed almost directly over.  They were able to make it over to my house through some partially flooded streets this morning and had a good report.  The high water trash line from the storm surge came up to the base of our lanai/pool deck foundation but did not enter the garage or house!  So, my Monte didn't even get her toes wet! 

Other than a shredded boat cover and lots of palm fronds down across the lawn, our property sustained no major wind damage.  And, with the heaviest rain concentrated on the northern side of the hurricane, inland flooding was contained to downtown and lowest elevation developments and streets. In all, we received far less damage than with hurricane Ian two years ago. Grateful for answered prayers!

Unfortunately, many other areas of Florida had serious flooding and wind damage, including 30+ tornadoes spawned by the hurricane.  Of course, power is out in the entire region so we're hoping it is restored by 10/20 when we have tickets to return. It will be good to get back to driving my Monte frequently around town!

Dennis, that is great news!!!   In the end, all of my relatives left their houses and evacuated to higher ground to the north.  To the best of their knowledge their houses survived with little damage and like you the power is still out for them.

rob

[cbolt]

Just got my power restored. Great job to FPL and all the folks that came to help from other areas. 

[Rob Peters]

Jim, glad to hear things are getting back to normal.  I hope, other than losing power you didn't have any other issues.

rob

[RON T]

A friend of mine in Hudson , north of Tampa, lost both vehicles, a camper , everything in his house , due to flooding from Helene , then he got a rental car thru his insurance and went on the run from Milton. He finally got home yesterday morning and fortunately his house is still there. Has to be major renovation. My daughter in Virginia was without power and water for over two weeks, no food and no way to get to any due to roads. Had to assist her too.. but things are calming down.. had some storm damage here but got that taken care of in the last two weeks . Nothing like those other states. 
some pictures . Of my friend in Florida 

[Chris shipley]

10 hours ago, Ron Tevis said:

A friend of mine in Hudson , north of Tampa, lost both vehicles, a camper , everything in his house , due to flooding from Helene , then he got a rental car thru his insurance and went on the run from Milton. He finally got home yesterday morning and fortunately his house is still there. Has to be major renovation. My daughter in Virginia was without power and water for over two weeks, no food and no way to get to any due to roads. Had to assist her too.. but things are calming down.. had some storm damage here but got that taken care of in the last two weeks . Nothing like those other states. 
some pictures . Of my friend in Florida 

Terrible. Praying for them. 

[Rob Peters]

So sorry to hear this.  Ourprayers are with them

rob

[Michael Boyte]

That is horrific, hopefully their insurance will take care of most of the damage. However there are some things that money can't replace ! Definite thoughts and prayers are being sent to the victims of these terrible storms.