Ok paranoid brit weather question

[mommy-on-the-move]

Please don't laugh but being British I really don't deal well with extreme weather phenomena... we're travelling in August (This is why i said don't laugh- i realise this is the hottest, most humid month and the height of hurricane season- it's a family trip, we didn't get to chose the dates) and I have just read that of 3 major predicted hurricanes for the season one is due August 5th

Now my questions are- how likely is this to be accurate? How likely is it to hit land and hit Florida? I know Disney rarely shuts for hurricanes but what is the weather like in areas close to but not hit by a hurricane during this time? (really stupid I know but is there only storm type weather in the immediate area of the storm or is it a state-wide weather thing when they hit?)

 

[DISNEYFOS]

I think someone that lives in the state would probably be able to answer the question much better than I....but my aunt and cousins go every year in Aug. I think there was only one year that they were affected by a hurricane..Everything was closed down and they were required to stay in their resort. I can't remember the name of the hurricane but it did do a lot of tree damage in the Orlando Area.

Orlando is inland so theoretically its not typically in the path of a hurricane. Also theoretically, once hurricanes move away from water they typically lose steam...and get downgraded to a tropical storm.

Now I do think a couple of hurricans did travel across the state last year..and I also did hear this was going to be a busy year for hurricanes.

Last October I think there was a hurricane near by (I don't think it was in the state) when we were there...and it was windy downpours most of the time in FL. It really depends on the storm. But it usually stays warm..so if you don't mind walking around very wet, looking goofy in a poncho..you'll have a good time

Now hopefully some FL residents who are the experts on these sort of things can weigh in..rather than some Northeasterner.

 

[mamaminnie]

Well I live in FL and I'm no expert but I can't see anyone being able to predict the EXACT date for a hurricane 3 months out.

If it makes you feel better, in 2006 when Wilma did a fair amount of damage (we had no power for 11 days) we cleaned up our house best we could, packed and headed up to WDW for 9 days.

DH worked from the hotel room and the kids and I toured parks, swam, made new friends (and saw old ones- I think 1/3 of Paln Beach County was there too)

HTH

 

[mommy-on-the-move]

I have a link somewhere to the site i found it on (I really am my own worst enemy reading as much as I do LOL)

Thank you both for the replies- they are both quite reassuring (now if only i can get past the panic over 4 kids on a transatlantic flight... large bugs and other such worries, I'll be fine LOL) Especially the fact some of you actually head to disney if it does happen!

 

[eliza61]

Mom,
Also realize that a "hurricane" could mean a variety of things. Hurricane 1 in Orlando will be a rain event. Don't panic and think all of them are Katrina type events. I've been to the world about 7X's in August since '92 and I think there may have been 1 that was supposed to hit Miami but fizzled.

You'll be fine.

 

[mommy-on-the-move]

Now that definately makes me feel better- when i hear hurricane i think of cows whizzing through the air and Dorothy taking off! Also i find it hard to grasp just how big a state can be!

I shalln't start planning my hurricane action plan quite yet then

 

[mamita]

living right smack in the caribbean I can tell you that every year we just brace ourselves and hope for the best but there is no way you can know ahead of time what date you are going to get hit

I can tell you that when storms are nearby all the activity makes it horribly hot and humid even for us who live in summer weather all year round

 

[mommy-on-the-move]

OOOOPPPPS- my bad - I have just read my "source" again This article here and if you scroll right down to the bottom you'll see where I got so confused about August 5th- it states "The team will issue seasonal updates of its 2008 Atlantic basin hurricane activity forecast on June 3, Aug. 5, Sept. 2 and Oct" so those are the dates of forecasts... not forecast hurricanes hitting.... ok, off to hide under my rock now LOL (i really should read things fully before i panic you know)

 

[eyor44]

If you are at WDW and a storm comes, you will be fine. In Oct 05 we were there and a storm formed. I questioned CMs if we should leave, but they said no, it was a minor storm and they prefer us to be there then somewheres on the road in evacuation traffic. That their buildings are quite strong. Having just lived through Katrina, I was understandebly a bit nervous about any storm. I have a friend who was there once during a storm and she said they just asked everyone to stay in the hotel rooms as much as possible when it actually came through. A rare time that all the parks were closed, but Disney had employees stay inhouse with there families, so staff would be on hand to man the restaurants and such.

 

[DisneyFed]

I WOULD NOT change my plans because of a fear of Hurricanes...

#1, there's no way to predict them nor do anything about it....September and October are actually the most active Hurricane Months...

#2 Ever since the the real active season of 05 everyone has predicted "above average" storms, major storms etc. etc. etc.....know what happened??? Very few storms (and no major ones) and a long term drought...heck, we could use the rain

#3....Have fun It will be hot, and you may get a thunderstorm or two...but that's central florida

 

[katied]

BTW - Dorthy and the cows flying is tornados. Not sure of the risk of those around FL, but certainly an issue around where I live (not to give you something new to think about).

Good luck on the flight - that w/ 4 kids would cause me much more stress than hurricanes.

From my research before going in hurricane season in the past - the biggest issue if 1 does pass through is that the weather may change suddenly - instead of being warm and steamy, it may actually get a bit cooler & wet (for FL - would still feel very warm to you).

 

[mommy-on-the-move]

Thanks everyone- I think it really is fear of the unknown for me! So it's good to get some reassurance

And yes- the flight is worrying me (did i mention we have to change flights in Washington and we're flying united? I've been told that should be "fun" ) luckily we have 4 adults, 4 kids (gotta love grandparents) - unfortunately one of the kids gets travel sick really badly, one of them is dyspraxic (with a few other issues thrown in- he's been assessed for other issues on the spectrum at the moment) and one of them is a 1.5 year old baby who is at the lovely screeching-because-i-want-to-be-not-where-you're-making-me-be stage.... it's going to be a long, long flight! Present plan is to pair off giving my dad our oldest (no trouble at all!) my mother our icky-sicky one (i was a spewer my mother is so trained in this and usually dd4s medication makes her sleep anyway) Dh can have DS5 sat between us and the baby will be on my lap.... I am currently stashing things to keep them entertained on the flight!

 

[Manda]

BTW - Dorthy and the cows flying is tornados. Not sure of the risk of those around FL, but certainly an issue around where I live (not to give you something new to think about).

Florida is one of the most tornadic states in the country. The only states that usually have more tornadoes are Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Florida has the most tornadoes by area, however. In general, the tornadoes that hit Florida are weaker tornadoes than the ones that hit the plains states.

 

[eliza61]

Thanks everyone- I think it really is fear of the unknown for me! So it's good to get some reassurance

And yes- the flight is worrying me (did i mention we have to change flights in Washington and we're flying united? I've been told that should be "fun" ) luckily we have 4 adults, 4 kids (gotta love grandparents) - unfortunately one of the kids gets travel sick really badly, one of them is dyspraxic (with a few other issues thrown in- he's been assessed for other issues on the spectrum at the moment) and one of them is a 1.5 year old baby who is at the lovely screeching-because-i-want-to-be-not-where-you're-making-me-be stage.... it's going to be a long, long flight! Present plan is to pair off giving my dad our oldest (no trouble at all!) my mother our icky-sicky one (i was a spewer my mother is so trained in this and usually dd4s medication makes her sleep anyway) Dh can have DS5 sat between us and the baby will be on my lap.... I am currently stashing things to keep them entertained on the flight!

This too will pass Mom, If you get really stressed let me know and I'll fill you in on my first transatlantic flight (from NY to Lisbon) to visit the Inlaws (who are Portugese) with an almost 2 year old who insisted on screaming out the only 2 words he knew "NO" & "PEE" (plus a 4 year ole and a newborn) By the time we disembarked and we're met by my dh's cousins (whom I had never met) I looked like the bride of Frankenstien and needed some booze.

 

[eyor44]

We always use a portable DVD Player for long trips. DVDs are very compact and if your child has a favorite character, purchase a couple new ones that he/she (sorry I forgot the gender) hasn't seen before. Children that age usually want the same one over and over, so if you can convince the use of earphones, it should help some.
If you don't allow your children to watch TV then I apologize for the suggestion. It's just what works for us. Our kids love to travel, cause the get to watch videos without me fussing.

 

[mommy-on-the-move]

I was looking at getting one before we travel- oldest is great (we have 2 of each- girls age 10 and 4, boys age 5 and 17months) she will just read, and read, and read (we're talking Tolkein, Gemmell, Pratchett... she'll read endlessly) It is the boys I am most worried about so the dvd player would be a good idea- are they ok with you taking them on planes now? (not flown in years... they didn't have dvds when i flew LOL)

 

[disney_family_1247]

I don't know where you read a prediction with an exact date, but that isn't how they work. I have lived in southern Louisiana my entire life, and have never seen anyone predict a storm date months in advance. The usual problem is that they don't give you a landfall date until a day or two before the storm hits your hours . All you can do is check the weather the week before you go to Florida. If there is a storm headed that way, then you can worry.

The weather in August is generally extremely hot and so muggy that you can feel the moisture enter you lungs as you breathe . An afternoon thunder storm is actually a blessing because conditions are generally better directly after them. People stampede out of the parks, even though a regular storm will last less than an hour before leaving completely. Hang out in a shop or restaurant for the duration and then head back out to the less-crowded park afterwards .

 

[mommy-on-the-move]

Yep- you're right- i misread the article i was reading and took the dates they are issuing new monthly updates on to be predicted dates... my mistake!

I am headed to our local garden centre on the weekend to buy small ponchos for my 3 littlest so we can stay in the parks with the storms-I've heard the disney ponchos can be quite large, even the kids ones, so we're getting good quality ones before we travel for the little ones (Thank you all for your advice that it's worth sticking in the parks when it rains) Do you think it's worth buying the adult ponchos at disney or before we travel?

BTW- great nursing blog- I'm an extended nurser myself, we're nearly at the 18 month mark with youngest son!

 

[princesstinkerbelle]

hi! in reference to your flight (i dont know much about hurricaines but i am an expert flyer!!!)

i just flew to/from Heathrow to NY. almost every carrier that does international flights has these cool little tv's where you can pick a movie or tv show to watch. i think united even had disney chanel, but i am not sure. some of the airlines also have video games in these systems. i flew Virgin last time i went across the pond, but if you call united they can talk to you about the specifics of what they have. if they dont offer this, the DVD's are a good option too. hope this helps!

 

[disney_family_1247]

It is a good idea to buy ponchos for the little ones before you go. The adult ones are a toss up. The ones at Disney have Mickey on them, which to some is a silly reason to spend extra money, but might make you want to wait. Here's a good tip-if you are using a stroller at all, you want to cover it up before you go into rides and shows in case it rains while you are gone. We bought a stroller cover for our double, but discovered that an adult poncho totally covered a single, umbrella style stroller. You may want to bring along an extra adult sized one for that reason.

That's great about the extended nursing! From what I've read about nursing rates in England, you are a hero .