Floridians in Wilma's Path - Check In!

[ducklite]

We got everything in from the lanai, even the potted palms are now in the garage. I hope I'm not kaing a mistake by not covering the windows. I might do the ones in the front early tomorrow morning, just to cover my butt.

It's gotten quite breezy and has cooled off quite a bit here.

Anne

 

[floridafam]

Well, if it exits at Southern Brevard, we are in big trouble.

 

[2angelsinheaven]

I keep trying to get some sleep in as I work overnight tonight but haven't been able to except for an hour or so. I'm not looking forward to tonight/tomorrow as I've got 12 kiddos ages 12-15 to look after and everytime there's a tornado warning we all have to pile into two small, very small hallways (about the size of a small closet). Lots of fun...lol! Anyone in Brevard thinking as I am, winds will be the worst around 9am or so. With winds lasting above 35 from around 7am till mid afternoon? I'm trying to figure out what to do as we live on Merrit Island and I don't want to drive in the winds so I'm thinking of having DFiance' drop me off and just plan on staying an extra shift at work since I get off at 9am.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

2Angels--I have heard roughly around 2pm is when the hurricane force winds will be easing up and around 5pm the tropical storm force winds will be easing up.

Don't recall which advisory this was and if it has since changed--but everytime they show the latest updated forecast projections (I think it is almost close enough for local Doppler to be pretty accurate).

I'd have to peak through the thread to see when you were supposed to get off--but they are forecasting stronger than tropical storm force winds in southern brevard.

be safe!

 

[lvs_eeyore]

They closed schools in Broward on Tuesday also. Now we have to figure child care for that day. Dh is supposed to try and go in if at all possible and I am scheduled to work if we have power at the office. One of us will have to take the day off. All our shutters are down or up whichever the case may be. Dh just has to tie down the swing and just pull in a few things. They are now saying that it could be a low cat 3 when it gets to the coast. This is making me very nervous. I hate that we are under tornado watches too. That scares me more than the possible winds.

 

[ducklite]

I'm thinking I might head in to my office really early in the morning, change my voicemail copy a bunch of files to disk, and go home to work there for the day.

Anne

 

[twocat]

I hate that we are under tornado watches too. That scares me more than the possible winds.

I agree. Especially at night when you can't see anything coming. And I swear, this waiting is horrible. Dead calm here in Oldsmar, no drop in temp and no rain yet. I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. But I'm a novice at all this; just moved here in April.

 

[floridafam]

Is it really going to exit the state as strong as it makes landfall?

We are hoping for some weakening over land.

 

[Virgo10]

I agree. Especially at night when you can't see anything coming. And I swear, this waiting is horrible. Dead calm here in Oldsmar, no drop in temp and no rain yet. I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. But I'm a novice at all this; just moved here in April.

Hey Anne, I took your advise from the story you wrote about your move here last year and parked my high top van in front of the garage. I almost knocked a tree over doing it but there it is to hopefully protect the garage door from the storm.

 

[jwfla422]

Coconut Creek here.

Exiting Brevard county??? You might have it mixed up with Broward. Not sure what map you're referring too. Our town is pretty much in the eye path of the storm on almost every model except one now (north Broward county). Only one model shows it going through Martin county and they sure deserve a break but so does the west coast too.

This one is really freaking me out though. They expect it to be worse here than it was with Frances in Stuart. YIPES! and with Frances we were 70 miles south of the landfall and still 1 out of 2 homes had to replace their roofs here.

 

[AdventurerKat]

Well, we just had a tornado warning. Lasted about 20 mins for my area.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

NOt at all--Broward is too far south. The line is actually more consistant with Martin and Palm Beach counties.

 

[twocat]

Is it really going to exit the state as strong as it makes landfall?

We are hoping for some weakening over land.

From what I've been listening to, (and yea Weather Channel, CNN and MSNBC and now Newsbay9 since the tornado watch. ALL DAY TODAY), if it enters at a cat 2 it will exit as a cat 1 VERY rapidly. That's good news I guess, no stalling over the state like those poor folks in Cancun. But, on the downside, it won't spend enough time over land to lessen the intensity.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Is it really going to exit the state as strong as it makes landfall?

We are hoping for some weakening over land.

No--it will weaken..but it will be moving too fast to weaken by much. It will exit as a hurricane.


Hubby's company just cancelled work for tomorrow. Large employer!

 

[Buzzlvr31]

Checking in again from Delray Beach. The winds are starting to pick up here, and I have most of the house closed up with storm shutters, with the exception of the ones that can be closed from the inside. Once it gets dark enough, those will be shut as well.
The first few bands are starting to show up on radar, and I wouldn't be surprised to find out that this area is under a tornado watch in the near future!!!!

Tornadoes REALLY scare me!!!!!!

The sooner this Hurricane exits the state, the better!!!! Of course, by then I won't have any power, but at least, it will be nice and chilly the next few days instead of hot and sweaty!!!!!!!

 

[2angelsinheaven]

Storms picking up here, just got a good flash of lightning here in Merrit Island. Hoping things are calm to get to work tonight.

 

[Shutterbug]

MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 2355
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0557 PM CDT SUN OCT 23 2005
AREAS AFFECTED...PARTS OF CENTRAL AND SRN FL
CONCERNING...TORNADO WATCH 836...
VALID 232257Z - 240100Z
TORNADO THREAT CONTINUES ACROSS MOST OF CENTRAL AND SRN FL.
WILMA CONTINUES MOVING ENEWD TOWARD SWRN FL ATTM...WHILE INDIVIDUAL
THUNDERSTORM CELLS WITHIN LOOSELY-DEFINED OUTER BANDS CONTINUE TO
SHOW ROTATION. ALONG WITH NNWWD-MOVING CELLS MOVING ACROSS THE FL
KEYS...A CLUSTER OF WEAKLY-ROTATING STORMS IS ALSO INDICATED FROM
THE TAMPA AREA EWD INTO OSCEOLA AND OKEECHOBEE COUNTIES -- INVOF
WEAK BAROCLINIC ZONE LYING W-E ACROSS THIS AREA. THREE TORNADOES
HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THE PAST HOUR -- ONE IN HARDEE COUNTY AND TWO
IN OKEECHOBEE COUNTY...AND THREAT SHOULD PERSIST ACROSS THIS REGION
INVOF SURFACE BOUNDARY -- WHERE ENHANCED LOW-LEVEL SHEAR/VORTICITY
EXISTS.
EXPECT OVERALL TORNADO THREAT TO INCREASE ACROSS CENTRAL AND S FL
WITH TIME...AS CENTER OF Wilma CONTINUES EASING CLOSER TO THE SWRN
FL PENINSULA.
..GOSS.. 10/23/2005
...PLEASE SEE www.SPC.NOAA.GOV FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT...
ATTN...WFO...MFL...MLB...EYW...TBW...JAX...

 

[mitros]

Current info: Wilma will not weaken any further as the one dry air mass that was supposed to shear it and cause it to weaken will not get to it fast enough as the storm is now moving too quickly. There are now tornado warnings in Polk and Osceola counties, just in 1 minute ago. Batten the hatches folks, here it comes!

 

[Virgo10]

I don't like this tornado garbage! Currently we're under a warning until 8 p.m. and they're mentioning Lakeland and Polk City... both within 10 miles of us. The worst of the storms in our area should be here shortly.

GO AWAY!!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Current info: Wilma will not weaken any further as the one dry air mass that was supposed to shear it and cause it to weaken will not get to it fast enough as the storm is now moving too quickly. There are now tornado warnings in Polk and Osceola counties, just in 1 minute ago. Batten the hatches folks, here it comes!

Well that stinks!