Hurricane Ernesto to hit Florida?

[cleo]

Ernesto AS IT HAPPENS!!

It's now 5:12pm and we have....rain! It's been raining (modestly) for about an hour. Judging by our pool, we've had about 1/2 inch.

Not quite the devestation we heard might be coming, for which we are all very thankful.

 

[traceycooper]

Ernesto AS IT HAPPENS!!

It's now 5:12pm and we have....rain! It's been raining (modestly) for about an hour. Judging by our pool, we've had about 1/2 inch.

Not quite the devestation we heard might be coming, for which we are all very thankful.

Glad it was nothing worse for you

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I was there is was as posted Sunny, no panic I was at MGM studios all day, the rain came during the 4pm performance of Indiana Jones but it was just a bit heavier than the 3pm Thunder storm we had every day for the last 21 days. Fantasmic was still performed that night.

We kept an eye on the forecasts like many people in the USA do as things can change fast, but this one really didnt deserve a panic in Florida,or a 'hurriciane' thread to be started, Cuba took a bit hit on it, and then after Florida it grew again in strength

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

We kept an eye on the forecasts like many people in the USA do as things can change fast, but this one really didnt deserve a panic in Florida,or a 'hurriciane' thread to be started, Cuba took a bit hit on it, and then after Florida it grew again in strength

A hurricane thread was started as the NOAA decided that it would become a hurricane cat 2 over Florida. the fact it didn't was pure luck.
I just love people who can make comments after the fact as if they were experts more than the guys and girls at the NOAA

I think from now on I will leave any hurricane threads to those "experts" like you Andrew who have the expertise to know what is going to happen to each Tropical strom/Hurricane

 

[ford family]

A hurricane thread was started as the NOAA decided that it would become a hurricane cat 2 over Florida. the fact it didn't was pure luck.
I just love people who can make comments after the fact as if they were experts more than the guys and girls at the NOAA

I think from now on I will leave any hurricane threads to those "experts" like you Andrew who have the expertise to know what is going to happen to each Tropical strom/Hurricane

I think you will find that the NOAA said that it could become a hurricane not would become a hurricane. Major difference.
The point being made is that US television channels love this "could be a disaster" stuff because it fills hours of scheduling and is really, really cheap.
The tourist industry in Florida has suffered and will continue to suffer because potential visitors believe there is a continuous danger to life during the hurricane season even though, statistically, that is not true. People who sensationalise the issue are part of the problem as are people who believe anything any weather forecaster tells them.

ford family

 

[Cyrano]

Glad it is not coming to anything thus far

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

I think you will find that the NOAA said that it could become a hurricane not would become a hurricane. Major difference.
The point being made is that US television channels love this "could be a disaster" stuff because it fills hours of scheduling and is really, really cheap.
The tourist industry in Florida has suffered and will continue to suffer because potential visitors believe there is a continuous danger to life during the hurricane season even though, statistically, that is not true. People who sensationalise the issue are part of the problem as are people who believe anything any weather forecaster tells them.

ford family

And that is why the thread had a question mark on it.
It is still better to be aware that a hurricane or even a tropical storm which can do as much damage are potentially on their way through Florida than to have a "bury your head in the sand, it wont then hit us" attitude.
I rather doubt that the tourist industry has suffered to that extent, probably that it has become saturated with too many tourist based businesses, truning it into the Blackpool of the USA, however, when you see what happened in Florida and in New Orleans, you have to be aware that it does happen and will happen again.

 

[martina857]

however, when you see what happened in Florida and in New Orleans, you have to be aware that it does happen and will happen again.

Yes but in the last 10 years how many have there been and how many have caused loss of life ? The problem is perception, people travelling get scared by the word "Hurricane" , I get sick of the way the way the US reports these things, where I was bought up a 40 mile an hour wind was a mild sea breeze, it seems that the Americans now think this is life threatening :-(( In June when the first tropical storm came through they had reporters everywhere, harping on about these "dangerous" 40 mile an hour winds and life threatening rainfall, when in fact it was more like a typical late summer day in the UK, you have to wonder.

M

 

[cleo]

Florida residents take it in their stride, don't get bent out of shape over the forecasts, but still respect the power of these amazing storms. To suggest anyone has buried their head in the sand is missing the point. We KNOW they're big storms, we KNOW they're dangerous when they do effect our area, but we also know there's no reason to get all worked up days in advance. Hurricane forecasts are notoriously inaccurate. We watch a bit, we wait awhile and then we take action when it's clear action is necessary.

And yes, the tourist industry HAS suffered because of the media coverage, not because of the REAL effects of the hurricanes we have seen in Florida the past two years.

 

[mark&sue]

Obi

I like these threads as it keeps me up-to-date without having to leave these boards!!!

Please keep them going. I am sure I am not the only one.


Susan

 

[carolfoy]

Obi

I like these threads as it keeps me up-to-date without having to leave these boards!!!

Please keep them going. I am sure I am not the only one.


Susan

ITA

 

[cleo]

It's easy to forget that the severe damage in New Orleans wasn't strictly a result of the hurricane. If the levys had been built correctly, the hurricane could have hit and there would have been significanly less damage. It was the flaw in the levy that cause the destruction, not the hurricane itself. Orlando, to my knowledge, does not have a levy system.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

A hurricane thread was started as the NOAA decided that it would become a hurricane cat 2 over Florida. the fact it didn't was pure luck.
I just love people who can make comments after the fact as if they were experts more than the guys and girls at the NOAA

I think from now on I will leave any hurricane threads to those "experts" like you Andrew who have the expertise to know what is going to happen to each Tropical strom/Hurricane

Being in the USA and watching the weather channel every day and every time I could USA TV to my knowledge never reported the storm to be possible of anything above Cat 1, even then 'possible' I do not think they ever said, 'it would become'. They said Cuba would take the full force due to its high mountains and then LATER, said relax they took the brunt and whilst the rain would be bad particularlly over southern Florida it wouldnt get to a hurriciane and actually was downgraded from a tropicial storm to a tropicial depression. It could get worse after Florida in the warm Atlantic.

I am not an expert, but I ''was there'' and did for my own familys safety watch the weather channel, they gave an acturate view, but as people have posted that Internet commments worry people and put people of traveling, there was a tropicial Storm thread started then a hurriciane thread.

I didnt know you had a direct line into NOAA sorry, but as I was actually there I didnt feel two threads and one about a 'hurriciane' was acturate reporting, and will give people the wrong idea. Many people worry about this and avoid Florida during this time, we had a great time and good weather for 20 of 21 days with one storm every day at 3pm'ish

And that is why the thread had a question mark on it..

You already started one thread, why start and second with a Question mark, this is why posters are coming back to you on this.

I rather doubt that the tourist industry has suffered to that extent, probably that it has become saturated with too many tourist based businesses, turning it into the Blackpool of the USA, however, when you see what happened in Florida and in New Orleans, you have to be aware that it does happen and will happen again.

Disney offered free Disney Dinning plan at this time, to get people in, to my family that was worth a rebate of 33% on my hotel room, even with this queue times at MK Thursday and Friday last week were 10 mins on all e-rides, Peter pan 60 mins, speedway 30 mins, Cm's Said it was slack, Fastpass were closed down generally, So I think Disney has suffered to that extent, not an expert, ''fact'' I was there.I am reporting what I saw, not repeating other internet sites from the UK. People are put of by the threat, Misposts make it worse.

 

[Graeme]

Obi

I like these threads as it keeps me up-to-date without having to leave these boards!!!

Please keep them going. I am sure I am not the only one.


Susan

 

[paulh]

ernesto was a bit of a damp squid in tearms of its efect.We were there when it hit,morning we were at downtown disney then back to pool.It then stared to drissle about 3.30pm
We then went to room got washed and changed for our evening meal at the yaghtmans steak house(exalent meal woth the 2 TS on free DDP)
After meal it was rainning not hard but steady this went on untill 8am next mornning then wather was perfect
We had worse weather at airport electrical storm and a nutter coming throught security with a fake granade on his belt (they shut airport down for an hour)
Have found that the news and weather chanels love storms it maks there day they have someting to report
Andrew DEREK UK where did you stay on free dinning we were at pop we saved $3000.00 on meals on plan, room and tickets cost $1790.00 so we saved a lot
Paulh

 

[SimonV]

My take on this is that the TV media really glorify in making every Tropical Depression seem like a life-changing event. They are desperate for dramatic 'live' footage, hence they make everything seem more urgent and dangerous than it actually is. You can even see the TV reporting crews trying to out do each other to be in a more 'dangerous' position and bring home the 'real' news. It is like Drop The Dead Donkey gone mad. The TV crews have actually become part of the problem rather than providing any rational news coverage, even on more respectable channels like The Weather Channel (which, throughout the feeble Ernesto still proudly proclaimed itself 'The Hurricane Authority'). It is now extremely difficult to draw any serious conclusions from much of the TV coverage, so those of us in the area tend to wait until we are about 24 hours from the weather 'event' before deciding what to do. In this case, Ernesto was variously a Cat 1 hurricane or a storm destined to fizzle out before it left Cuba, depedning on who you listened to; no-one (and I mean no-one) was able to predict with any accuracy what Ernesto would do, while some so-called news outlets (Fox News being the prime example) treated it all like some kind of amateur hour joke. I'm not a great fan of much of the News coverage over here (either on TV or radio), but the weather stories are fast becoming a complete joke. So let's not go overboard in reporting the various sources here on the boards, as too many are simply unreliable in this context.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Thwe reason for giving the information is to allow people to make their own judgements on the matter.

Florida is within a hurricane area, whether the tourist industry likes it or not and to bury your head in the sand and expect every storm to bypass is entirely up to you.
But to also denegrate anyone who tries to keep people informed just because this one fizzled out is below contempt.

Over the past few years too many stroms have hit the Gulf coast and of course the TV channels are going to play up any storm coming in. If they did not and it hit, who would be the first to be blamed.

If anyone does not want to know what is happening, then don't read the postings. It that simple.

 

[jna]

But to also denegrate anyone who tries to keep people informed just because this one fizzled out is below contempt.

As usual, this is an over the top and unnecessary reaction from you. Try to maintain a satisfactory level of courtesy on this forum please.

The media, whether in print or via the airwaves has always, and always will, exhibit a propensity to seek out bad news and indeed exaggerate the depth of bad news in it's headlong rush to the goal of increasing readers or viewers.

There is a need for the media to provide accurate, practical information whatever the circumstances, and I’m afraid too many times it sensationalises situations.

Don't forget, good news doesn't sell.

Wait for the ricochet.

 

[cleo]

I don't understand why you think we're burying our heads in the sand or why you think we're denegrating you for posting. You say 'everyone can make their own judgements on the matter', but when we did, you got mad at us. This is a discussion forum; we discuss.

No one I know thinks every storm will pass us by. We just don't get worked up about it. And yes, we know we're in the path of potential hurricanes and they could strike with deadly force at any moment. We just don't get worked up about it. Especially not days (or weeks) in advance.

I'm certainly not saying you shouldn't have posted or that you personally are 'wrong'. This isn't personal, it's just a discussion about hurricanes in general. If you're going to start threads you sort of have to expect people will reply.

 

[pauldents]

Thwe reason for giving the information is to allow people to make their own judgements on the matter.

Florida is within a hurricane area, whether the tourist industry likes it or not and to bury your head in the sand and expect every storm to bypass is entirely up to you.
But to also denegrate anyone who tries to keep people informed just because this one fizzled out is below contempt.

Over the past few years too many stroms have hit the Gulf coast and of course the TV channels are going to play up any storm coming in. If they did not and it hit, who would be the first to be blamed.

If anyone does not want to know what is happening, then don't read the postings. It that simple.

As someone who has been caught up in two hurricanes in Florida (Andrew and Jeanne) I am extremely grateful for informative posts like the one you started on this thread.

We are off to Fla on Wednesday and I am currently monitoring this TS: