Hurricane Florence

I'm going to be mostly offline in the next few days while I get ready for this storm, tie everything down and decide whether to stay or go when they call for evacuation of our little sandbar. We've been here for 15 years and have some exciting days listening to wind and rain, thunder and lightning, but have only left one time in 2003 for Isabel. If it's a Cat 3 and not a direct hit we'll stay. Right now which is too far in the future to tell, it looks like landfall will be 100 miles south of us. Just in case you are a storm watcher, we're in Nags Head, about where I've put the point of the arrow.

Keep a light on; I'll be back!

Take care. We lived in Virginia Beach 1985 - 1989, Gloria was a Cat 4 in 85, and Hugo a Cat 5 in 89. We moved back to the West Coast.

To you and anyone else in the path of this hurricane, stay safe.

Bob

Yes, As Bob said. Be careful. Life is a lot more important than things. Hope all will be good in the end. Stay safe!

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Originally Posted by Gasman

Yes, As Bob said. Be careful. Life is a lot more important than things. Hope all will be good in the end. Stay safe!

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My wife doesn't let me forget that in the moment a tornado was close to the house when we were living in Indiana, I grabbed my SR collection and put it in the basement!
Now the lone lifeboat found in the middle of the pacific with a hoard of straight razors aboard begins to make sense: "Women, children, and straight razors first!"

We were camping at the KOA in Cape Hattarass when we had to be evacuated as a result of hurricane Arthur. The photos of the campground 24 hours later were frightening.

We wish you folks in the Outer Banks and coastal areas all the best. Be safe.

One thing that I was thinking about this morning is about how one should always prepare for the worst, though I admit it is easy to become somewhat dulled to what seems to often be sensational reporting by the news.
Even when the storm has degraded to a level 1 the news will still use words like catastrophic...
Guess one should prepare, but not freak out when the "for profit" news is trying to juice a situation.
Better safe than sorry while maintaining a clear head!

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Originally Posted by MikeT

One thing that I was thinking about this morning is about how one should always prepare for the worst, though I admit it is easy to become somewhat dulled to what seems to often be sensational reporting by the news.
Even when the storm has degraded to a level 1 the news will still use words like catastrophic...
Guess one should prepare, but not freak out when the "for profit" news is trying to juice a situation.
Better safe than sorry while maintaining a clear head!

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The longer one lives near the coast (.5 miles for us), the more one learns that. We keep our prep supplies and evac supplies in a single location, but once you've seen Jim Cantore on TV shouting Armageddon, and then see him in a bar that same day flirting with the locals, it's hard to take his warnings or reports seriously. I use the National Hurricane Center and alerts from my Coast Guard son, who has access to better weather info than I do.

Good luck, Harold-The North Carolina coast is beautiful and wild, but I guess there's a reason they call it "the graveyard of the Atlantic." I hope you come out unscathed.

Depending on the track, we're supposed to get some rain and wind here in Upstate SC. My son in Columbia, and especially my niece and her husband in Charleston, have had to dodge numerous storms and hurricanes in the past.

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Originally Posted by ScoutHikerDad

Good luck, Harold-The North Carolina coast is beautiful and wild, but I guess there's a reason they call it "the graveyard of the Atlantic." I hope you come out unscathed.

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Thanks for those wishes. We're locked down and packed up. We may leave Thursday morning, although we haven't since 2003. Hopefully, all in the path of the apparent "monster" storm will be safe.

I'm still thinking about what the best choice is, and want to wait for updated info.

Keep the Family safe. Everything else can be replaced.

Good luck and if you feel the need to leave, don't hesitate.

I don't know about there, but fleeing should be done early around here. The mess on the roads is worse than the hurricane!
Stay safe, Harold!

Looks like it's headed for your front door!

ABC evening news is saying that there are now widespread mandatory evacuation orders.

I know if it was me, I'd be on my way real soon.

Good luck to all those that might be in Florence's sights.

Pete <:-}

We are in a mandatory evacuation zone.
My wife is pretty pissed at me .. hehehe :shrug:

We left Cali the first time because of the fires, moved to Indiana and had a real close call with a tornado (but I love Midwest thunder storms), moved back to Cali and had a close call with the Santa Rosa fires, moved to Charleston this last winter and there was record ice and snow (nothing for a seasoned winter driver but there were over a 1000 accidents), AND now there is a big hurricane coming...
:rofl2:
Okay I know it's not funny but I can't help but see humor in every situation now.

Anyway, we can't really afford to drive too far, just paid all the bills bad timing, just gonna stick it out.
We have 6 x 5gal water jugs, canned food, camping kit, fully stocked medical kit, and foul weather gear for the family. Oh and don't forget the Saiga12 and HKusp.

None of this has helped my wife's apprehension. ^_^

Everyone everywhere has something, Harold.
Let the wife pick the next spot? ;)

Pack the razors, guns, papers....You know.....The important stuff! :rofl2:
Hoping and praying for the best outcome.
Really happy to see you leaving soon. Unlike the gulf, it seems they just slam in on the coast and work inland.
Our's just bounce around and get everyone, it seems! :p

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Originally Posted by MikeT

We are in a mandatory evacuation zone.
My wife is pretty pissed at me .. hehehe :shrug:

We left Cali the first time because of the fires, moved to Indiana and had a real close call with a tornado (but I love Midwest thunder storms), moved back to Cali and had a close call with the Santa Rosa fires, moved to Charleston this last winter and there was record ice and snow (nothing for a seasoned winter driver but there were over a 1000 accidents), AND now there is a big hurricane coming...
:rofl2:
Okay I know it's not funny but I can't help but see humor in every situation now.

Anyway, we can't really afford to drive too far, just paid all the bills bad timing, just gonna stick it out.
We have 6 x 5gal water jugs, canned food, camping kit, fully stocked medical kit, and foul weather gear for the family. Oh and don't forget the Saiga12 and HKusp.

None of this has helped my wife's apprehension. ^_^

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Best to You and Your's, MikeT.
TBH, I have to be pretty scared to leave.
Have not left yet.


Sucks when you stay and it all goes bad.
Still, I prepare and get on the recovery ASAP.
Living out in the sandbars as Harold does?
Another matter entirely, I think!

The mandatory thing is cause for concern, however!
Have not had to ignore one of those yet.
Hang-in! Do the right thing. Sometimes, you gotta go!

Be safe, Harold, and everyone else on the path!

I've never experienced anything like you guys have on more or less regular basis. By the time the storms get this far north they've weakened quite a bit, plus we're 5 hours inland so we just get some rain.

Oh lord I would not want to be out on the sandbars that's for sure!
I hope you well Harold and anybody north of Charleston, I doubt we get anything more than power outages down here.

Hopefully it blows itself out before it gets close.

Any members close by or in NC that get in a bind let me know, I'll see what I can do, we have a spare room. Always willing to help.

Thanks for all the thoughts. For a little perspective, where this map says Nags Head is just about over my house...pretty spot, but fragile in a Cat 3 or 4. We're leaving Wednesday afternoon. First time since 2003.

Attachment 295099

Hey, Harold!
It COULD bounce-off your house, head South, cross Florida and make it to MY front door!
Seems to be the norm...:shrug:

Are you becoming a s--t magnet, Tom? 'cause this is going to be a s--t storm! :roflmao

Would not surprise me in the least, Harold! :roflmao

Hang-TOUGH! :mace:

Although I now live near Chicago, I spent 2/3 of my life along the East Coast. One of my earliest childhood memories in Richmond, VA was going outside in the middle of eye of Hurricane Hazel in 1954. There was total calm for 20 minutes and then it struck again with even greater force from the opposite direction. In 1979, I was in Savannah, GA when Hurricane David came ashore just south of Savannah. I have also seen flooding from Camille (which struck the Gulf Coast), Hugo, Floyd, and several others. They are not to be taken lightly. If the officials order an evacuation, heed their warning. Being on a barrier island like Nags Head is no place to be in a hurricane of any magnitude and especially in one predicted to be a bad as Florence. Be prepared. Be safe.

Stay safe my friends, and get out if you really need to. Otherwise, keep your head down.

Used to visit Nags Head as a child, beautiful area Harold.

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Originally Posted by Dieseld

Stay safe my friends, and get out if you really need to. Otherwise, keep your head down.

Used to visit Nags Head as a child, beautiful area Harold.

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My parents had a beach house on Ocean Isle Beach for most of my younger life. The one thing that always stuck in my mind was what the locals said.

The hurricanes made the islands and bars, and they also take them away. I too have witnessed the destruction , its no joke.

To MikeT, I thought this might happen to ya, after what you'd been through already, but there's no place in this country to go that doesn't have some kind of adverse weather situation.

All get out while you can, before the roads are blocked with cars n clutter. I would have been gone the first of this week.

MikeT— stay safe in Charleston....looks like your area will take a whack that was unexpected. Storms are odd things.

Everybody near a coast should always be vigilant as we are. We have a lot of experience here which helps us make good decisions. While we have stayed through many Cat 1s, 2s and 3s with only minor inconveniences ( and a few Aladdin and Dietz lanterns), a Cat 4 landfall even (allegedly)125 miles South, is too unpredictable.

We’re outta here!

Well my wife has snapped! The news reports got to her, as perhaps is fine, better safe than sorry.
I'll be staying and getting on a crew of locals, somewhat of a local response team to help those who we can. Most of us ex-military, firefighters, and such. Perhaps my EMT training will come in handy.
Today I'm installing storm shutters for those who cannot afford to financially or physically.
So I feel good about that. For me, it is worth it to help people, that's plenty enough compensation. Also there are people capitalizing on this storm, charging crazy amounts!
This morning I saw a shutter crew talking to some old folks right next door to the house I was working on, heard the guy say $75 per window. Well they have 14 windows, that's over a 1000 bucks! I walked over and told him I'd do it for free.
Almost got in a fight, but my coworker is 6'7"... a great deterrent.

It's okay to profit, but have a heart too.

That’ll bring you good karma MikeT.

Be safe.

Good on ya, Mike-I'm a pretty liberal guy, but I believe the death penalty should apply to anyone who hurts or tries to rip off old people. Kids, too for that matter-seriously.

Yeah there are certain lines I draw.
What is that old one about the indifference of good men..

Anyway looks like this was a false alarm down here.
We don't have TV (only movies at my house) so no news, but on the phone it looks like NC is getting slammed! Tornadoes? Am I seeing this correct?

I hope all is okay up there with you Harold. Good luck!

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Originally Posted by MikeT

Yeah there are certain lines I draw.
What is that old one about the indifference of good men..

Anyway looks like this was a false alarm down here.
We don't have TV (only movies at my house) so no news, but on the phone it looks like NC is getting slammed! Tornadoes? Am I seeing this correct?

I hope all is okay up there with you Harold. Good luck!

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Our area is fine, although we evacuated to Maryland and aren't there, the max winds have been 40 mph with 2" of rain. 100 miles south of us there is devastation that will get worse, both at the beach towns and in the river towns, since rain is expected to continue inland which will add to the flooding in the towns on rivers that are already having tidal waters pushed into them by the storm surge. Coastal weather is tricky and life near tidal waters is especially tricky. Looking at an eastern NC map tells the story.
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Here in Spartanburg, SC the wind is picking up steadily. The latest prediction is for lots of wind and rain this weekend as it moves right over us in a much-weakened state-maybe 5-6"; others have it much worse, so I'm not complaining. I've got my sump pumps set up, and we've battened down the hatches here. All take care-Aaron

We're home and all is well. We had no damage from the wind (which peaked at about 50 mph) or the rain. We had less than 1".

Wow! You are truly blessed, Harold.

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

Wow! You are truly blessed, Harold.

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I'll say, really dodged the bullet on this one. Time to buy a lottery ticket.

Bob

Great news.
Count your blessings, and yes, buy that lottery ticket.

Pete <:-}