Floridians in Wilma's Path - Check In!

[makinorlando]

I hope all of my fellow Floridians stay safe and dry!

I live abou 30 mi NE of Orlando. Not sure what to expect here - probably winds and rain. We had a nasty storm last night! The models are showing that we could get some of the stronger winds once it hits the east coast.

Waiting to see if school will be open - only because it's supposed to come through here about the time they get out!

I need to get the staples, and gas - not because of Wilma - just becasue I need them, and have procrastinated going to the market!

38 days until the end of hurricane season.

 

[Southern4sure]

North Tampa here. Im not to worried about where the eye hits directly. Im more worried about the cold front clashing with the warm tropical moisture. I expect some pretty nasty conditions here.

 

[AdventurerKat]

Sarasota Co. just called off school for tomorrow.

 

[RitaZ.]

We are in NW Broward county. We were going to put up our shutters yesterday, but decided to wait until today. I just want the hurricane to come, do whatever it's going to do and be done with it.

Stay safe everyone!

 

[campingcorgi]

East Orlando here--Avalon Park. We have cleaned off the front porch and the pool/lanai area. The garage is so full that the cars will have to survive outside. More worried about the RV parked in Christmas but that's what insurance is for. I'll have to hit the Publix, too, because I stocked up last Wednesday and we've used up all the food. At least we still have the water and batteries, though.

They haven't called school off for tomorrow for Orange County (that I've heard) but I bet they will. That will mess with my Disney trip at Thanksgiving, though, because we'll have to make the day up the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and I'm supposed to check-it at FW on Tuesday!! I guess I could skip school that day but since I'm a teacher.... Oh, well, hang tight everyone--we'll be through this soon!!

 

[AdventurerKat]

I'm from up north, Seattle, WA, and the strange thing for me is I feel like I have been waiting a week for a "snow day" to happen. Its more serious than that, I know, but it feels so weird to be waiting, and waiting, and waiting, for this event to happen. Seattle, you get the earthquakes, no warning, it starts, it stops, its done. This hurricane is the closest to come near my home since we moved here in March and many of the others I didn't have to worry about at all, but this one has been on my mind for days.

Take care all my fellow DISers to the south of me, it looks like you will have the brunt of it.

 

[emememem]

Orlando.. right around the corner from DTD. 1st hurricaine...moved down in August. Not really sure what to expect. We are currently living in an apartment waiting for our house to finish. Not too many windows. I hope my car will be OK since we don't have a garage...

 

[Talking Hands]

Near Lewydan in south Miami Dade County. Shutters up, supplies in and just waiting for the storm to come.

 

[ducklite]

I've got a dumb human trick story for you all...

I was talking to my husband earlier about what I should and shouldn't do to prepare the house. We discussed bringing in things like windchimes and the plastic Rubbermaid type chairs. Then discussed the lanai furniture, the chairs, chaise lounges, table...

Oh wait... The table was assembled on the lanai. Um, it won't fit out the screen door to take it wround and into the garage. I can bring it into the house through the French doors, but then can't get it from inside the house into the garage. So I guess the table will live in the front foyer for a few days, because it's the only space I have large enough to put it!

Anne

 

[Donalds_best_pal]

New Port Richey here, just north of tampa.Expect 35-45 mph winds with gusts as high as 55 in my area. Probably just rainy and squally. They dont mention a whole lot about cold front clashing with tropical mositure up in our area like I thought they would. I understand biggest amount with be but I figured some up this way. We shall see.

Matt

 

[What the Heck]

Ocala here. Looks like we might be getting a little wet up here, but hopefully not more, although it looks like we are more in the cone than before. Best wishes to those who are hit by it.

 

[LindaG4458]

South Vero Beach here. DH is outside installing the hurricane shutters right now. We stocked up on canned goods, batteries, and such last week, topped off the car with gas this morning, and will do all the laundry today so we have clothes to last during a power outage. If it is out for more than two days we will secure the condo and go someplace with working air conditioning until the electircity comes back on.

We were here for Jeanne last year so know what to expect. At least this time it will be in the daylight. One map I saw last night put Vero on the line dividing tropical storm and hurricane conditions. Hope we're on the tropical storm side.

Good luck everyone. Stay safe.

 

[cherylp3]

East Orlando ( Waterford) checking in

I live in an apartment but we do have batteries and bottled water.

Cheryl

 

[twocat]

I've got a dumb human trick story for you all...

Oh wait... The table was assembled on the lanai. Um, it won't fit out the screen door to take it wround and into the garage. I can bring it into the house through the French doors, but then can't get it from inside the house into the garage. So I guess the table will live in the front foyer for a few days, because it's the only space I have large enough to put it!

Anne

Anne--

I vaguely recall you have a pool don't you? I read somewhere that's the safest place for patio furniture is IN the pool.
Just moved all my furniture to the shed. Hope the shed holds up!

 

[Brianne]

Pinellas & Manatee just closed schools for tomorrow. Hillsborough County officials still seem to have their heads up their collective rear ends. Ugh.

 

[C.Ann]

Brother in Vero Beach.. Took care of his boats yesterday - boarding up today..

Former lake neighbors now living in Port St. Lucie - putting up their hurricane shutters..

My sister is up in Lady Lake.. This will be her first experience with anything even close to a hurricane.. Looks like wind and rain for her area - hoping she'll take the lead of neighbors and do whatever is necessary to stay safe..

I WISH THIS HURRICANE SEASON WOULD END !!!!!!!!!

 

[marlasmom]

I don't get putting patio furniture in the pool. We don't. Roy did turn the tables upside down on the floor of the lanai and our table chairs are fairly heavy. We do have 6 folding chairs which he put between the potting table and the house and tied together. He moved all the plants which are in pots around the pool into the lanai. I have water, food, batteries and a portable tv. My daughter is picking up battery driven fans today. I started several times to buy a generator and didn't. Unless you get a really big one it doesn't do very much and it can't be enclosed or too close to the house. Can't decide. Albertsons got some in yesterday but they were $500 and I think I saw the same ones at Walmart for $179. Not even big enough to run the refrigerator/freezer.

Anybody have generators? How does it work out for you?

 

[diznygirl]

DH will be taking down the Halloween decorations - don't want plastic pumpkins blowing all over town! We are set for supplies, but if Wilma is south of us we really should only get lots of wind and rain. I do wish that school would be cancelled, only because there are no guarantees where hurricanes are concerned.

Be safe everyone.

 

[Southern4sure]

Pinellas & Manatee just closed schools for tomorrow. Hillsborough County officials still seem to have their heads up their collective rear ends. Ugh.

Same for Pasco Co....This is our Monday forecast...I do not think I will be sending the kids to school.

Monday: Periods of showers, mainly before 11am. Temperature falling to around 67 by 5pm. Windy, with a north northeast wind 34 to 37 mph decreasing to between 26 and 29 mph. Winds could gust as high as 53 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between one and two inches possible.

 

[ducklite]

Anne--

I vaguely recall you have a pool don't you? I read somewhere that's the safest place for patio furniture is IN the pool.
Just moved all my furniture to the shed. Hope the shed holds up!

Nope, no pool, no shed, just house.

Not sure I'd want to toss the glass topped table in the pool anyhow even if I had one, but the chairs would already be bobbing LOL!

Anne