Hurricane Frances?
 

Okay all of you Floridians, are you doing any early prepardness for Hurricane Frances?

This one has me sick to my stomache already. I think the evacuations are going to be a nightmare.

We'll board up the house for this one and leave town.

Me too, GoT, I used to get excited, now I'm heartsick. Leaving town this weekend for a vacation in the Pacific Northwest - leaving behind my two daughters!!! Everytime we have a huge storm this seems to be the situation. My kids joke about it...this time we're not laughing. Since we're in Tampa Bay though, don't think we'll board up unless things change by Friday.

God Bless the Bahamas and Turks & Caicos, also the Virgin Islands! We're praying for all of you!

My brother lives in Delray Beach (btween FLL and MIA) and he and others are already buying supplies, especially things with which to board up windows.

Here is an interesting link on the noaa site with a discussion about the projected path. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh.../312031.shtml?

Hopefully the forecaster's belief that it will not hit S. Fla and barely brush NE Florida will hold true. I'm keeping my eye on this site.

GoTravel, my DH and I had to go on a battery and water hunt at Target...he is soooooooooo worked up about this, I think he is flipping out :-)! The bad thing is we had some damage here in Cape Coral, and our new townhouse in FLL is almost finished. It is to BIZARRE to think we could have damage to BOTH houses!!!!! What a freaky thing IMO. This Frances looks even worse than Charley! I am petrified for everyone in the SE US. JUdy

Live in Orlando, and this morning had track straight at us. Latest track has it going in at Jacksonville. Can you believe this, no hurricanes in 40 years and now 2 in 3 weeks. Jees, this is so depressing. Some people here just got power back on Sunday, and now this. Just pray it turns right and heads out to sea. Generators here are already selling out. Many people still have unrepaired roofs, other damage. There is enough debris being collected to fill the citrus bowl.

Our downstairs (like most homes on the coast, our house is built on pilings) is storage and we've already started moving stuff out and into a storage facility inland in case of surge.

As it gets closer, I will pull certain things out of the house, family heirlooms, photos, negatives, jewelry, important papers, paintings and a couple other things to take with us.

36-24 hours before the storm hits, we'll board up the restaurants (down to a science at this point).

18-12 hours ahead of time we will board up the house, load up the cats, load up the car and head east.

GoTravel, I know this isn't the neighborly thing to say but I'm hoping Frances heads north of FL. I think there's a sort of non-developed area north of St. Mary's, maybe we can wish her there.

BTW, I hear tape on the windows is a waste of time. Also, be careful if you use spray foam insulation in your door jambs. I know someone who had to take out the entire door just to get it open. I personally spent Saturday scraping the stuff off my beach house door then re-painting the frame.

This busy hurricane season is the curse of all those quiet seasons past.

GT..are you in Charleston?

icee, a little south of Charleston on the coast.

TandooriGirl, I think the purpose of the tape on the window thing is to try and keep the window from shattering if something strikes it.

The problem is when the sun comes out and turns the tape adhesive to glue and it never ever comes off your windows.

Maybe this big storm won't make landfall and just let the Gulf Stream take it to the northern Atlantic where it will dissapate.

In my opinion the tape is a thing of the past. The best thing to have is solar film on all your windows and sliding doors-- saving fading inside the house anyway. That prevents the window from shattering even more than the tape, so it serves double duty. I once spent days scraping baked on masking tape off store windows -- never again.

I need advice about this window thing.

I am trying really hard not to panic.

Does everyone board up their windows or only those on coastlines or with a house standing out in the open where the wind will slam right into it?

Do I need to go to Home Depot and buy big plywood boards, (God knows how I would get them home) and nail them to my windows, the house is stucco, a nail will not go into it!

Or should we pack the pup and some jewelry and insurance papers and get the Hell outa town?

weeping weeping

I'm sorry Scarlett! I hope I haven't scared the wits out of you!

I only board up my windows when it is going to be a bad storm. This will be the first time since Floyd.

I board up my windows for insurance purposes something about 'taking all precautions possible' or some other such lingo involved in my flood insurance. Ditto on the restaurant windows.

My neighbors who live year around also board up. The rental homes around me do not board up.

I think only those of us on the coast board the windows.

Do you know how many feet your house is above sea level? If you are more than a couple of miles from the beach, I wouldn't worry.

My house is only 12 feet above sea level and the storm surge worries me with the erosion we had with Gaston.

Scarlett, Home Depot and Lowes sell these metal clips (forget what the name is) that will attach plywood to the inside of a concrete window frame. They hold the boards in place without holes and are easy to install and remove.

Me again, found the name of the clips they are called Plylox hurricane window clips. Go to www.plylox.com for more info.

Hi, We are near the river, not the ocean.
We are in a neighborhood of old homes and big trees.
But I have a family room that has one wall of floor to ceiling windows and the other wall is sliders.

I have no idea how many feet we are above sea level.
I will borrow a truck and go to Home Depot. Thanks gmoney! I will get those clips.
Even if we are missed by this storm, I will feel much better knowing that if I have to , I can board up the house..or at least that room.
Needless to say-this is not making me fall deeper in love with Florida :(

Scarlett:
I found this information about window preparations helpful to read:
http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/shutters/index1.html
It's from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (noaa) web site.

Thank you hibiscus! My neighbor just told me that they have never covered their windows. He said he was more worried about all the tall trees, ( I have about 20) :(
Oh well, we will see how things go, perhaps we will all be lucky and it will stay out to sea.
Poor Bahamas!
I hope our Statia is OK, I think it has passed them by now.

joan, you missed one, he is Jerrey too :(

We should all be on the lookout, it is difficult to take advice when it can all come from one person with some weird agenda.

We are under Tornado watches now..Have I mentioned lately how much I love Florida? LOL

I can't stress this enough but please pay attention and have an emergency kit (batteries, flashlight, radio, canned food) if you are inland.

These storms do just as much damage inland as they do on the coast.

Just look at what Gaston did to Richmond.

Scarlett, I wouldn't worry about the plywood. I would bet the past several storms have already gotten rid of any weak branches.

I agree with GoTravel about the plywood, Scarlett. As for your altitude, do you have Flood Insurance? If you don't (not required by your mortagor) then you're probably comfortably above sea level, and not in the "zone"...

Wow, Joan & Scarlett what was it about Blacktie, sobetraveller, Itraveldou, Jerrey that you spotted so quickly? I couldn't get www.hurricaneadvisories to open so I came to Fodors and thought I was reading what appeared to be valid and helpful info. Scarlett, I'm fairly new to this board but I gather you recently moved to JAX. Anyway, in your closing papers when you purchased your home is a survey of your property and it's possible it shows various height elevations. If you live in that beautiful, old neighborhood (can't remember the name, did my internship there too many years ago) near the St. John's River, flooding may be more problematic. Might want to lay in a supply of sandbags from either Home Depot or the fire station just in case water starts seeping under your doors. Won't do any good if the storm surge is too great but can minimize damage if it's borderline or the hurricane stalls and sits off the coast like Elana did here in Tampa in 1985 and the bay couldn't empty at high tide. As I recall, most of the Riverside area (I do believe that's the name) has Live Oak trees and they are much less likely to blow over than Laurel and Water Oaks. But just to be sure, you might want to have a tree surgeon remove any branches hanging over your house, if possible. Good luck and I hope this "baptism by fire" doesn't make you flee the sunshine state.

Scarlett, I think boarding up the windows is something that is mostly for homes along the coast or at the brunt of the storm. I would not do it.

Have you had any flooding where you are? It's an area of older homes, you say. Talk to the neighbors (which it sounds like you're doing). Sometimes the rivers will flood because so much water falls in such a short amount of time. But usually people in the neighborhood know what's happened in the past and whether this is a problem in your neighborhood. If you want some historic advise, call the St. John's River Water Management District. They will know.

If Frances (or one or another of these storms) heads your way, pay attention to the local news. Find a newsy AM station to listen to. Watch the weather channel. Find out what zone you are in and evacuate when told to go. Go somewhere high but close by so you can get back into your house soon. Take your insurance policy with you. Take photos with you.

If the river does rise, it will rise gradually and slowly seep into your house, not pounding and crashing. Put things up off the floor to minimize water damage. Be grateful it is not salt water which is much more corrosive. Fill your tub with water in case you are without water.

Be prepared to go. You will be given ample time. I would wait until the last minute for putting things up off the floor, and for leaving, because these storms are so unpredictable.

Don't worry. Most of the time, the storms just pass us by.

Meanwhile here in Collier County (Naples) Florida, we've just been given a severe thunderstorm warning. Expecting up to baseball sized hail and severe lightning. How can it get more severe than during our normal storms? Guess we're about to find out.

Baseball? Sheesh. WHAT is going on?

I can predict the next headlines: Killer Watermelons Crash Windows in Naples.

Hmmm. Checked the official on Weather Underground where it says "dime sized" hail. On TV they said "baseball" sized. What size are dimes in your area? Meanwhile we're supposed to go to dinner in a little while with our next door neighbors -- the ones who laughed when Charley was coming and refused to budge from their townhouse. I think I'll make them drive -- I'm not risking my car to any sized hail.

Tandoori Girl, watermelons?????

I have a tendency to fantasize when I'm stressed, Patrick.

Thank you for all the good advice!
Our neighbors came over a while ago and talked to us about the storms here. We are indeed NOT in a flood zone, ( although we are between the St Johns River and a "creek") they said they have never boarded their windows, that the only thing that worries them is the trees also.
Well, nothing I can do about the trees, so we will just make sure that things that can break or be damaged are tucked away safe and hope for the best.

PrettyLake,
After a while you start to recognise a posters "voice" and style. Some people are serial screen name changers and post to cause trouble or to insult people. This little person is just so obvious it is easy to recognise him.
If you are ever in doubt, click on the posters screen name, if they have no other postings, you can figure they are 1- a newbie 2- someone who changes their name all the time, so Fodors won't catch them acting like a fool.
But on the whole, you have a huge amount of advice and Travel knowledge here, enjoy it and use it :)

I really like Blacktie (or whatever Moniker her uses). He always makes me feel that whatever I say is lucid and easy to understand. He/she always seems to break the monotony, a good thing. Never a dull moment. Truthfully, I think Blacktie is ADD and has OD'd on his ritalin.

Breaking the monotony, Tandoori, is not fine if it is at other people's expense, which is Blacktie's--and some others--agenda. I don't care for monotony either, but is rudeness and belittling others for the sole purpose of stirring the pot the alternative? Is that the only way some can feel better about themselves? Some of what goes on here most people left behind on the grade school playground, and so much of what is said would <i>never</i> have been said had people been speaking face to face.

This situation has been over a year in the making, not just with me, and frankly, I've had enough. I'm sorry I didn't have the chance to respond today on the thread where this would have been more meaningful. Generally I've tried to behave here as I would face to face. I have not previously said what I most certainly would have liked to, simply because this is a pubic forum, nor have I said anything I would not have said to someone's face. If you, or anyone, would like to have some understanding of what on earth is going on, please email me and I'll happily explain it. I'm finished tippy toeing around it. [email protected] That address has been posted here before and is not one I use on a regular basis now, but I'll be glad to fill anyone in who is interested and/or bewildered. Enough is enough--and Tandoori, I especially welcome your inquiry as you were most certainly a player today. Thanks so much.

OO, I don't want to go behind the scenes with you or anyone else because I prefer anonymity. But I would love for you to tell me and everyone else what the problem is. This is a public forum. I'm not sure why anyone takes any of this personally as it is just a bunch of anonymous people voicing their opinions. You've always been a strong voice so I am having a hard time imagining you caving in to a faceless bully.

Please let's bring this to the forum where it belongs. What are the issues that we should know?

I think you might get the answer to your question, Tandoori Girl by just reading some past postings by Blacktie whom you admire so much.
I seem to remember just today, you and he had some fun mocking OO. That thread may have been frozen or deleted by now.
I do not think OO or anyone else on here needs to explain on these forums why they resent or dislike being insulted by other posters.
While it might be fun for some, just joshing for others, many find it unpleasant and irritating.
So why not let this subject just drop now.

I guess I'm not as thin-skinned as some folks.

This forum is funny in how it tries very hard to suppress others. I don't really care for his rhetoric (which is what I was implying by saying he makes me seem lucid) but there is little one can do about it. It's like trying to stop the KKK. They have a right to be heard no matter how offensive they are.

I find his drivel to be just that. I'm sorry if you or OO were offended as no offense was intended. Sometimes there is such drama on this board, I'm just trying to bring some levity to my post. I guess I'm inane and stupid. I didn't realize OO was so traumatized by this idiot. Thanks for sharing that with me, Scarlett.

Sucha storm sounds serious, Scarlett. Scared, and still sad? Sigh.

Sending spiritual support,
Bill

mr, you ARE wunrfl!

Some fools here I just don't tolerate and so I don't read their posts and certainly take nothing they say to heart. We do not have an &quot;ignore&quot; feature here on Fodors. You certainly wouldn't think you would need them here. We are civilised, not like some crackpot Yahoo board.

I have no thoughts regarding Black Tie, don't even remember any of his/her remarks. The Black Tie name brings no posts on a search so I assume Fodors has removed him or suspended posting privileges.

I'm going to try to make a decision regarding evacuation this afternoon. If I decide to stay, I do have reservations guaranteed for tonight north of Tampa and others later in the week further afield. If I stay, I'll let you all know. Maybe someone can use my reservation numbers. LMF

I just hope everyone is paying careful attention to this monster. I'm all the way over in St Pete &amp; it's got me nervous. My, it's been a busy season!
:(

OO, I hope my rather abrupt post last week did not add to your distress....if it did I apologise. I was a bit tired and overwrought and overreacted. You have always been a sweetheart here, and I hope you continue to add this forum.

TandooriGirl, if you go back and read Blacktie's posts, you will see he was way over the line on many postings.

Funny is one thing but his/her remarks were uncalled for.