Florida Fires

[Shannone1]

I've been reading about all the wildfires down there and just wanted to check in with my Florida friends and make sure you are all hanging in there. I hope you start getting some much needed rain !! People were saying on the parks forum that they could smell smoke when the wind blew in certain directions. Scary !!

 

[DisCamper]

The new today said there is about 180 wildfies in the state right now.

 

[Colson39]

The smoke has really dissipated down here in South Florida compared to how bad it was a couple weeks ago. Luckily some rain has come across the state over the last couple weeks and the wind has picked up, both which have really helped with clearing out the smoke. Saw a bunch of burned trees on the way up to Orlando this past weekend.

Looks like the rains are FINALLY starting to come in, although we're still way below where we should be (only a half a foot above the all time water low ever in the recorded history of Florida). No open fires, can only water one day a week, it's crazy right now. I think the fires have died down a bit (there were 280 fires burning early last week), so things are improving, but slowly.

What we need is a good few weeks of rain over the Lake Okeechobee area to really help out with the water shortages. Most of us don't want to pray for a hurricane to give us the water we need, although hurricanes can be a large factor in dropping a lot of needed rain over certain parts of the state. But I would prefer just a few weeks of constant thunderstorms please...lol

 

[Shannone1]

The smoke has really dissipated down here in South Florida compared to how bad it was a couple weeks ago. Luckily some rain has come across the state over the last couple weeks and the wind has picked up, both which have really helped with clearing out the smoke. Saw a bunch of burned trees on the way up to Orlando this past weekend.

Looks like the rains are FINALLY starting to come in, although we're still way below where we should be (only a half a foot above the all time water low ever in the recorded history of Florida). No open fires, can only water one day a week, it's crazy right now. I think the fires have died down a bit (there were 280 fires burning early last week), so things are improving, but slowly.

It's strange to think of a state with so much coastland as being in drought conditions !!

 

[Gatordad]

The problem is, that the politicians in this state are MORONS. I live in Pasco County. DO NOT WATER YOUR LAWN MORE THAN 1 DAY A WEEK we are told by the county commissioners. Oh by the way, you have our permission to build 3 malls in 4 miles of each other at a million plus feet, plus a Wal-Mart every 3 miles, plus 15000 homes in a single development. But please Gatordad, don't water your grass, we are in a drought situation. Sorry for my rant.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

The problem is, that the politicians in this state are MORONS. I live in Pasco County. DO NOT WATER YOUR LAWN MORE THAN 1 DAY A WEEK we are told by the county commissioners. Oh by the way, you have our permission to build 3 malls in 4 miles of each other at a million plus feet, plus a Wal-Mart every 3 miles, plus 15000 homes in a single development. But please Gatordad, don't water your grass, we are in a drought situation. Sorry for my rant.

Politicians are "Morons" ? say it aint so

 

[Colson39]

It's strange to think of a state with so much coastland as being in drought conditions !!

Main problem is that so far the Florida "winter" has extended very far into summer. We just had another cold front move through past weekend, although temperatures only went down to the low 80's, it's still very rare to be getting cold fronts coming this late in the year.

The spring and summer so far have been very mild temperature wise, and only a couple weeks ago did we start having a couple days get near or at the 90's. It takes that kind of oppressive Florida heat, combined with the humidity and ocean winds to give us our normal big summer thunderstorms. As sick as it sounds, until it starts getting into normal summer blistering hot conditions around here, we're not going to be getting any kind of daily rain storms that we need.

So if we want rain we have to pray for lots of heat or hurricanes. What a great position to be in...lol.

 

[Shannone1]

Main problem is that so far the Florida "winter" has extended very far into summer. We just had another cold front move through past weekend, although temperatures only went down to the low 80's, it's still very rare to be getting cold fronts coming this late in the year.

The spring and summer so far have been very mild temperature wise, and only a couple weeks ago did we start having a couple days get near or at the 90's.

We have had a very mild spring too. Everyone is saying it's the coolest May we can remember. Normally by this time in May everyone is VERY anxious for the pools and beaches to open and we've had the a/c on for at least a couple of weeks. Not this year. We had a frost advisory two nights ago and still have the furnace on at night !! I can't wait for some really nice, hot weather to take the chills away !!

 

[DisCamper]

I have lived in Florida all my life and after going throw 3 hurricanes I hate to say it but a good Tropical Storm is what we need. In years past Florida would have burned up and dried up if it was not for a Tropical Storm that saved us.

 

[Colson39]

Yea, that's why I was saying it's almost sick that we need a hurricane to help us. I have a feeling it's going to be a strange summer :/

 

[homebrew2]

You guys can have your hurricane and/or constant thunderstorms AFTER
June 2 when we leave

 

[Ellen aka Snow White]

You guys can have your hurricane and/or constant thunderstorms AFTER
June 2 when we leave

Funny you should say that- We are coming in on June 1st so that is when you will get your much needed rain!!! AND we will be there a whole week!!
No one likes to go camping with us because we ALWAYS make it rain no matter what the location is!! On our last trip to Disneywe brought in a tropical storm, so don't worry, you won't have to wait much longer!! We are on the way soon!!
Ellen

 

[tellnotails]

The problem is, that the politicians in this state are MORONS. I live in Pasco County. DO NOT WATER YOUR LAWN MORE THAN 1 DAY A WEEK we are told by the county commissioners. Oh by the way, you have our permission to build 3 malls in 4 miles of each other at a million plus feet, plus a Wal-Mart every 3 miles, plus 15000 homes in a single development. But please Gatordad, don't water your grass, we are in a drought situation. Sorry for my rant.

Unfortunately, you can't stop free enterprise.
__________________

 

[Gatordad]

Free enterprise? Of course you can't stop it, but you can regulate it. And enforce it.
Let free enterprise build a desalinization plant.

 

[tellnotails]

Free enterprise? Of course you can't stop it, but you can regulate it. And enforce it.
Let free enterprise build a desalinization plant.

Get back too work

 

[Escape Artist]

Funny you should say that- We are coming in on June 1st so that is when you will get your much needed rain!!! AND we will be there a whole week!!
No one likes to go camping with us because we ALWAYS make it rain no matter what the location is!! ...
Ellen

Oh, no, it's going to be a double hit! My dh is coming with us, and he brings misery wherever he travels! Japan got a typhoon, some lady on a flight to India grounded them with heart failure in London. Heck, he shut off the whole north-east power grid a few years back and even started the first Persian Gulf war!

I thought the all-time-high gas prices would have been enough to salvage his evil reputation on this trip, but we never know...

We arrive on Saturday. You all have been warned!!!!!

Sue in Texas
...might as well get your high wind tie-downs and canoe reservations in now!

 

[mmiller711]

I know it is a little way off but if any of the others don't bring you a little rain and relief from the drought...We will!! We are coming the end of July into early August. A few years back we stopped at my uncle's home (The Villiages) on our way down and all the lakes were dry. He said it was the worst he had seen...well, we stopped on our way home. I am proud to say that after one week of our being in Florida the lakes at the villages were over flowing their banks!!

We always bring rain and this year we are camping so watch out for the floods!

 

[kritter]

What is the air quality like down there now?? Can you still smell the smoke???

 

[DisCamper]

I live in So. Florida and the smoke cleared about a weekago. But the wind is out of the east about 15-25mpgs so i can't tell you want it's like in Orlando.

 

[5happycampers]

We have been at the Fort since Sunday and we have not smelled any smoke...