Well, its a hurricane thread.

[Battlepuppy]

Any members here have info on how bad the situation is down there on the coast? I've been watching some youtube stuff and checking the NOAA site and thought maybe I could get some firsthand info from any of you guys that live in the area.

How are evacuations going, are you going to ride it out, what are your preparations like?

Guess not so much a rant and rave as a want to know? Maybe a rant later about some of the folks I see that aren't prepared this time around?

[Jim O]

I've ridden out one Category 3 storm and have no desire to see another. New Orleans is under a mandatory evacuation order. I'm sure there will be flooding unless things change dramatically in the storm's course. It's hard to believe that they re-elected Ray Nagin mayor after all of that, but it was their choice. Hopefully he has learned something from the last mess.

[Airchallenged]

Originally Posted by Jim O

I've ridden out one Category 3 storm and have no desire to see another. New Orleans is under a mandatory evacuation order. I'm sure there will be flooding unless things change dramatically in the storm's course. It's hard to believe that they re-elected Ray Nagin mayor after all of that, but it was their choice. Hopefully he has learned something from the last mess.

You ready for Hurricane Hanna? It's been a while since a real hurricane hit us.

[Jim O]

Isabel in 2003 was a near direct hit here. Charley in 2004 gave us some serious wind and rain. The following are from Isabel.

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My neighbor's oak tree that went down during the night. Fortunately the tree that it landed on held or they would have been on my truck. The tree on the right is still standing.


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Junipers that went down.


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More junipers.


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Cut up junipers in front of the house.

[Jim O]

Some Isabel damage on properties of mine.

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Hopefully Hanna will be mild in comparison.

[Commander Waffle]

When Isabel hit Maryland... I was camping.
When Charlie hit a few years ago.. I was camping.

Since Hanna is suosed to come my way I intend to be camping...

but I really hope I'm not.

[Jim O]

They've moved the projected path a bit to the west of me (which doesn't bother me in the least). Of course a lot can change between now and mid-day Saturday.

I'm right at the coast in the southernmost part of the northern of the two yellow shaded "tropical storm watch" area. A few hours ago they had the eye passing directly over us.

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[Airchallenged]

Originally Posted by Jim O

Attachment 4236

That looks pretty close to the eye of the storm there Jim. I think my campus is going on "lock-down" this weekend. The football game is going to be canceled (hope I get my money back or free tickets to the next) and we have to report if we are going to leave so they don't think we died

[Jim O]

Twenty to thirty miles can make a huge difference in terms of tropical systems, especially if it's twenty miles inland. I think it's safe to say that I've been through a few more of these than you have, and I have dealt with property damage on a significant scale. I own several pieces of real estate in this area. Isabel was not far from a $100K event for me. I made no insurance claims for Charley or any of the other 2004 storms that gave us rain and wind here. The worst of Isabel was this flooded house:

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That's a side by side duplex and I needed to remove and replace four feet of sheet rock throughout on both sides, replace all of the trim inside, appliances, rewire, new heating system, new water heaters, new kitchen and bathroom cabinets, all new flooring, paint everything. Plus I dug a drainage system that the insurer didn't pay a cent towards, and I lost three months' rent which is not reimbursable under flood policies (it is for wind or fire damage).



Some storm systems are under 100 miles in diameter. I'd much rather have one pass twenty miles to my west than be a direct hit, or even twenty miles to my east over the ocean. Of course I'm not banking on that path because they're often off by quite a bit, but the farther to the west they move it, the more comfortable I'll be.

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Look at Ike for instance. It's a potent storm (category 4 at present) and look at the relatively small area of hurricane force winds. In a short distance winds decrease in speed from 135mph to <75mph.

I would much rather see 40-50mph winds here than 65-75mph winds, and that's the difference that 20-30 miles can make.

[Battlepuppy]

Ughh......now Ike and Josephine?!?!? Looks pretty busy out there! Looks like Gustav wasn't too bad thankfully.