Hurricane Wilma

[ducklite]

Thanks for being so neighborly.

Not a problem, do you need their web address?

Anne

 

[ruttie]

Even with the outer bands of Ophelia parked over us for a few days, life went on, with some breeze, and on and off showers mingled with blue skies.

Let me tell you that made our lives miserable here it was windy raining, dark wet.. but we still had school, work etc...and the center was only like 45 miles form us for like 3 days! .we even managed to squeeze in 1 wet soccer game since we have missed so many from the rain!

I do think that it is important and i am glad that other floridians are starting to chime in about DIsney/Orlando being where everyone eveacuates too. That is my one and only concern when people come down when a hurricane is definate to arrive.. To me they are taking up a space that a family that has to eveacuate needs. And if more folks chime in they may actually get it...

Not that i think anyone should cancel just yet heck I am still planning on going to MNSSHP tomorrow and will make my decision sat weather i will come home or stay at disney....

 

[byoung]

There is a lot of us going tomorrow, Wilma or not we will all have a great vacation.

 

[Livie's Mommy]

eh...did you miss the fact that the State of Florida declared a state of emergency this afternoon?

Sigh....some of the posts here remind of a guy named Nero.....

Eh, maybe I wrote the post before he did. He has to declare a state of emergency in order for FEMA and other rescue operatives to act if there is a need. Thanks for you "kind" post.

Ok, thank you to everyone who is expressing SOOOO much "warm" concern to those of us who are going on with our lives and going to WDW this weekend. I have been in touch with our resort at WDW and they have assured us we will be fine. I really don't understand why some of you are just so hateful us fellow DISers who ar trying to look forward to a much awaited vacation. It's like we are driving you crazy by not heeding your "caring" warnings to stay home. Despite what some of you think, some of us cannot reschedule our trip due to work schedules and other family members' schedules. We have a big group going and we can't all just pick another time to go. Please, stop flaming us, we are trying to look forward to a wonderful family trip, that we have been looking forward to for a long time, don't ruin it by being so critical to someone you don't even know.

 

[safetymom]

I am not as laid back about the hurricane as Ducklite is and I live down the road from her.

Last year Tampa was supposed to be hit by the hurricane but the storm shifted at the last minute. It came right through Central Florida catching a lot of people off guard.

So all any of us can do is watch and wait. Until it is actually in the area it is just an educated guess where the storm will go.

 

[BlueHue]

Not much to add here, I just hope Wilma takes a chill pill. I really really really wanna go!! Of course, I will not put my or my DH's life in danger, but we can definitely handle rain and wind and whatever else might come our way. This would be our first trip ever, and DH has been waiting even longer than I have to go (read: he's been a Disney nut longer than I have, lol). I'm just watching and praying it will die down or go further south (and hopefully not do much damage to those in the affected areas of course). Well, good luck to us who are planning to go this weekend!!

 

[shelby_36]

Eh, maybe I wrote the post before he did. He has to declare a state of emergency in order for FEMA and other rescue operatives to act if there is a need. Thanks for you "kind" post.
.

Do you suppose the Cat 4-5 hurricane had any reason for his declaration???

I was not flaming... I was just curious to the mindset that saving a few hundred dollars in cancellation fees is worth possibly your safety. Also it is not an argument here that Orlando is in danger. Is has not been in any computer models. My concern is if this hurricane intensifies..or at the very least does not lessen there are going to be thousands of people on the road looking for a safe haven, thousands of people in airports trying to get out of dodge. My bil and sil couldn't get out of Houston last month for these reasons and had to ride out the storm with 2 very small children with health difficulties. Luckily it didn;t hit them hard. But my thoughts are if there are people from way out of the area clogging roads, hotels, and airports because they don't want their vacations interupted...that is a concern.

 

[Livie's Mommy]

Shelby 36,

First of all, I wasn't responding to you, I was responding to Danthesand. Please stop concerning yourself with this. Others' vacation plans are not your concern. You and I have made our points on a couple of these "Wilma" threads and we are beating a dead horse. People are going this to WDW weekend, and people don't want anyone to go this weekend. I doesn't help to keep blasting each other with an "I know better than you" attitude. Please just be happy for us who are going and wish us well, and be glad you are not going.

I honestly don't know why I keep responding to these Wilma threads, so I will stop!! Onto another, happier thread!!!

 

[shelby_36]

I don't mind dropping it..I didn't realize only some people could discuss this. I think this is the biggest hitch here..I can't be happy for people that are blindly walking into a potentially horrible situation. I can pray for everyone in Florida this weekend but can't be happy for them.

 

[ruttie]

My concern is if this hurricane intensifies..or at the very least does not lessen there are going to be thousands of people on the road looking for a safe haven, thousands of people in airports trying to get out of dodge. But my thoughts are if there are people from way out of the area clogging roads, hotels, and airports because they don't want their vacations interupted...that is a concern.

Thank you for your kind thoughts.. on a much lighter note and I am sure my fellow floridiams will back me on this you just cannot compare us here in florida withanyone else, we have hurricane evacuations routes everyone has a plan, and last year when we all got out of dodge for frances and i mean everyone on teh east cooast... there were no major clogged roads, people stuck in traffic etc.... and i myself was without power for 2 weeks and everyone stuck to their plans.... plus everyone i know has a contact somewhere else just in case we get seperated....

to all those going down this weekedn i will see you there friday night with my kiddos for MNSSHP hope it is a great cool night with no rain or mosquitoes!!!

 

[DukeStreetKing]

Thank you for your kind thoughts.. on a much lighter note and I am sure my fellow floridiams will back me on this you just cannot compare us here in florida withanyone else, we have hurricane evacuations routes everyone has a plan, and last year when we all got out of dodge for frances and i mean everyone on teh east cooast... there were no major clogged roads, people stuck in traffic etc.... and i myself was without power for 2 weeks and everyone stuck to their plans.... plus everyone i know has a contact somewhere else just in case we get seperated....

 

[CindyML]

and those who are going this weekend. Bring your ponchos and have fun in the rain. Have a good time but keep one eye on the storm. Take care, CindyML

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I don't think the OP was making light of Katrina. I do agree that the media blows EVERYTHING out of proportion and I also do not watch the news for that reason. I don't want to be ignorant to what is going on in the world, but I also don't want to be depressed. I would rather keep the TV off. I am leaving for WDW tomorrow , and watching the news about Wilma will only dampen my excitement. I would rather leave for WDW with a positive outlook, than sit in front of the TV and hear about the possiblity of Wilma ruining my vacation.

I don't want to "rain on your parade", but if you don't watch the news you may miss important announcements that you will need to hear if you plan on traveling to our state. We may be a tourist state with many fun & nice places to visit but we are in the real world & hurricanes happen. I have been following this storm like a hawk. I live in SW FL! I do know that there are some cancelations with flights & Amtrak. So just a tip... watch the news, it may save you from a very unhappy trip to the happiest place in the "world"

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Are the media blowing it out of proportion because of a lack of "real" news to talk about ... Grrr makes me mad.. All of the time they spend fear-mongering, and I bet it has an effect on tourists going to Florida.. I don't have the money right this moment to go to MGM (I'm in Canada!) , but if I did I'd have no problem going to visit Mickey and Minnie!

Your neighbor to the north,

~JenniferK~
Million Dollar Sweethearts

The news has much "real news" there is still the war going on, there is still the massive clean up from Katrina & Rita... they aren't blowing anything out of proportion. Try living here not knowing if you should stay or go. And if you go...where do you head to... which way will the storm go, how stong will it be, will there be a storm surge etc... There are many of us that come from up north. Our families are still up there & I do think that is why it comes on the news up north... there are many "snowbirds" Part time residents that come for months at a time & this is the season when they start migrating south... they need to know what is happening. There are many that own homes here but live up north. They have a right to know if thier property will become swamp or water front.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Well--I could only watch the news so often during the other hurricanes.
Thought I'd scream if I saw one more reporter bending in the wind, and having the cameraman track a trashcan lid blowing down the street. And all the exaggerations!!!
I could also get into the "gas crisis" after Rita (which was pure media hype)...

Anyway--Florida is a fairly "long" state. To simply say a hurricane is headed for Florida isn't really the kind of accuracy folks need to make a decision. WHERE in Florida?? And WHEN in Florida?? WDW?? North of WDW?? South of WDW? THat's what people want --and need--to know.
And at the moment, it still appears that information is lacking.

Of course, MrsNick is correct that some "general" information is probably better than none at all. You can at least make a go-no go decision. And hindsight will tell you if it was the right one or not.

media hype or not..there was no gas here in SW FL for a while after Katrina hit..that wasn't hype here, it was real. Yes, FL is a long state & you are so correct in saying where, when....
I will put it to you this way..if it helps anyone ... our news here has said that if we can evacuate to north of I-4, we should be ok. Many people I work with were heading up to Orlando tonight & tomorrow... me, I am waiting until tomorrow to see where & when I will be leaving. My city has a voluntary evac orederd as of now... only time will tell.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Thank you for your kind thoughts.. on a much lighter note and I am sure my fellow floridiams will back me on this you just cannot compare us here in florida withanyone else, we have hurricane evacuations routes everyone has a plan, and last year when we all got out of dodge for frances and i mean everyone on teh east cooast... there were no major clogged roads, people stuck in traffic etc.... and i myself was without power for 2 weeks and everyone stuck to their plans.... plus everyone i know has a contact somewhere else just in case we get seperated....

to all those going down this weekedn i will see you there friday night with my kiddos for MNSSHP hope it is a great cool night with no rain or mosquitoes!!!

From what I have heard on this side (SW) of the state, I-75 from Naples to Sarasota earlier today was a bit clogged up with evacuees.... You guys were lucky that you didn't have clogged up roads last year..we did with Charley... and we are with Wilma...

 

[A Mickeyfan]

eh...did you miss the fact that the State of Florida declared a state of emergency this afternoon?

Sigh....some of the posts here remind of a guy named Nero.....

Yeah she missed it.. she admited that she didn't want to watch the news to ruin her plans. I am not jumping on her (or anyone else for that matter) but this is a prime example of what happens when you decide not to watch the news, especally to a place where you plan on going....

Yes, state of emergency may just be words, but for the most part, anyone in FL should be watching this storm. The way it is, we really don't know where or when it will hit.. so far this year the forcasters were not on target the first time around.. Rita & Katrina didn't do a direct hit where they first predicted them to.... hurricanes have a mind of their own & do what they want, not what "models" or "graphs" want them to. There may be a low, or there may be cooler waters....but if a storm wants to stall or crawl along, there is nothing these hi-tech gadgets can do to move the storm along. It is a wait & see game with them.. and it sure isn't a fun game. Last year, no one ever thought that Charley would do so much damage so far inland, yet it did. Tornados are spin off's of outer bans... there may be area's that will get the outter bands but not the hit...they will have a chance of a tornado. Anyone here in FL needs to watch this storm, anyone coming here needs to watch it too.

 

[ducklite]

I am not as laid back about the hurricane as Ducklite is and I live down the road from her.

Last year Tampa was supposed to be hit by the hurricane but the storm shifted at the last minute. It came right through Central Florida catching a lot of people off guard.

So all any of us can do is watch and wait. Until it is actually in the area it is just an educated guess where the storm will go.

Trust me, I am watching. But I'm not going to fret myself to death over something I have NO CONTROL over. If and when the time comes, I'll put up the Storm Stoppers and bring in the lanai furniture. I always keep the better part of a weeks worth of bottled water and non-perishable food on hand, and at the beginning of Hurricane season filled the gas cans for the genny. What else am I supposed to do? I'm going on with my life until the time comes that there's a reason to stop doing so.

And BTW--I stopped for gas tonight--no, not panic buying, I was on 1/4 tank--and the local station was out of regular and mid-grade. Had to put ultra into the tank, I think my poor car is going to be on overload, it's never had anything but regular in it tomorrow.

Anne

 

[Uncleromulus]

A Mickeyfan:
Sorry about your local gas problem--"panic buying" perhaps?? And in any case, I was speaking about Rita, not Katrina. All I know is that our WDW vacation was less than a week after Rita hit and I was worried about all the media hype about shortages, lines, and $5.00 prices. But as I told MRs U, I felt the media was simply trying to work everyone into a frenzy, and we would still go. And all the way from Pa. into WDW and all the way back--1,000 miles each way thru 6 states--NO PROBLEM GETTING GAS ANYWHERE!! And not $5.00 a gallon--under $3.00 everywhere except (for some reason ) Va. Had I listened to the media, I may well have cancelled---.
Anyway-now FRiday 6:00 AM ---They STILL have no idea when or where Wilma will affect Florida.
Ducklite has the right attitude I think--watch, be wary, and wait. But blind panic--no.
And again--wouldn't it be nice if they REALLY could predict the weather??

 

[Lynn4Mel]

I hope everyone in line of the storm stays safe. I personally have not been through one but my sister and Brother in law had their house 3/4 destroyed with them in it during Andrew. Yes it is part of the package for living in Florida, but it's never easy on anyone and I wish everyone the best of luck and hope that thing gets in and out so you can get back to normal.