Trying to reason with hurricane season.

[clueless 2,916]

Okay, it's been a few weeks since the 2016 hurricane season ended, thought this might be a interesting read for you guys snowed in. Also I've got time on my hands, it hasn't gotten above 48 degrees in two days, I'm not going out side! As a life long Floridian, adept at hurricane preparedness, there are certain indicators I use to tell if a storm could be serious.

For most of us well seasoned Floridians there are Six Tiers of level of concern. They are as follow:

First Tier: Grocery stores are out of bread and water. Rookie panic move, not a ton of concern yet.

Second Tier: Schools are closed. Safe move, still no panic, work will probably be next.

Third Tier: Work is cancelled. Maybe something to this storm, glad I bought bread and water.

Fourth Tier: Gas shortages. Ok, need to pay close attention, gas shortages are serious.

Fifth Tier: Mandatory evacuations. If your on the coast, JUST DO IT!!!

Sixth Tier: Disney World closes, evacuates all areas of the park, and refunds people their money! S**t just got real, we may actually die!

 

Now, there is a Seventh Tier. I don't like to mention it though because it usually means the finger of GOD is about to touch down in our state. 

SEVENTH TIER: College football games are cancelled. I... I don't even know what to do at this point. It's the end times! FEND FOR YOURSELF!!!

 

All joking aside you guys on the east coast hope you fared well, I feel Ya.

Chris

[CasualObserver 3,406]

You caught my attention with the title! 

 

I remember a couple years ago spending Thanksgiving in Key West.... it was about 50-55 one day, my wife and I were in shorts/sweatshirts and everywhere we went they asked us "so where up north are you from?"  All the locals had their Parkas, beanies and scarves on!

[clueless 2,916]

Jason, Thanksgiving in Key West  doesn't get much better than that.

[953 nut 52,988]

I am a retired Florida Power and Light power plat operator and every time a hurricane watch was set we had to have two crews on site 24 hours a day to meet NRC rules. One memorable storm had come directly over the plant, while we were in the eye the decision was made that two of us needed to do a quick inspection of one of the high lines that was indicating a problem, we were on our way back when the eye-wall arrived, we had a safety line but had to crawl the last hundred feet; doubt that you could pass a football in that wind and rain.

7 hours ago, clueless said:

SEVENTH TIER: College football games are cancelled.

 

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,369]

I don't live in a hurricane region, nor do I live in the snow belt.  But, at least hurricanes give a warning (though I doubt if I would still like to live in a region that may see huricanes).  Tornadoes, though, are a constant threat in the midwest and you don't get days notice, sometimes you don't get any notice or warning.  The category 5 tornado that destroyed Jopin, Missouri May 22, 2011, there was about a 5 minute warning.  These things can formed in minutes and with weather people crying wolf time and time again, some people become immune to the warnings until it's too late and there is actually a tornado bearing down on them.

 

If you think a basement is a safe place, my aunt lives in Joplin.  When the tornado came through she went in a bedroom that she and her husband built in the basement for their daughter.  When she came out of that room, a car was laying inside the other portion of the basement.  Here's another story, a 70 something year old man went missing about a day or so during the same tornado in Joplin.  He was found in a makeshift shelter and he said he only survived because he didn't make it to his basement in time.  He only had time to stand in the basement door way when the tornado hit.  Good thing too, as the house fell into the basement which would have killed him if he was in the basement.

 

Here is my defense against tornadoes. Pray I'm miles and miles away from one.  That is the best way to deal with them. 

 

As for hurricanes, keep them near the coast line and that will be fine for me.  I know the devastation these storms can cause and how people have to rebuild their lives in their aftermath.  Floods, earthquakes, severe storms, can and will wreck not only homes, but people lives.  I hope the hurricanes stay away, Chris, from you and your family.

[squonk 39,559]

8 hours ago, 953 nut said:

 doubt that you could pass a football in that wind and rain.

 

Brett Favre could. Just ask John Madden! 

[953 nut 52,988]

9 hours ago, 953 nut said:

doubt that you could pass a football in that wind and rain.

Let me rephrase that, A Properly Inflated Football!                        

1 hour ago, squonk said:

Brett Favre could.

 

[r356c 375]

I am still thankful the last category 4 storm did not really make landfall.   GOD.

 

Second place award has to go to Sir Arthur C. Clarke for thinking up satellites to keep an eye on the damn things. He wrote some pretty good sci-fi too!