Wilma - Biggest storm ever

[DaveMage]

I honestly can't remember a time ever having to evacuate here in G'ville. It sure helps being in the center of the state instead of on the coast. Yeah, it can be rough, and it probably will still be if this thing keeps its course, but we had two of the four last year go straight through here.

For some odd reason, I'm not really afraid of hurricanes at all. I know they can be dangerous, but I've lived here in Florida long enough that I know what to do and what not to do.

Normally, I would agree with you. However, if the hurricane's entry point to Florida is at Cedar Key, and it's a Category 3+, then we're in big trouble. If the Entry point is Tampa or south, then, yeah, not too much to worry about.

I am keeping everyone in the path of Hurricane Wilma in my thoughts. This storm is truly surprising in its power.

Are EN World's servers in the path of the hurricane?

Why yes, yes they are...

 

[Dagger75]

If evacuation is in order, you should be planning to evacuate far enough that there's very little chance of being in the way - why not take the wind out of this dilemma by planning to leave the state entirely?



If this keeps up, I won't be surprised if they learn to start talking about evacuation earlier, so folks have more time to get the heck out of the way. Losing an extra day or two is better than trying to deal with trapped refugees.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ I have no credit cards, and leaving the state for what 4 days, hotel food and gas well thats my paycheck. Then rent is due and I need to live the other 10 days with what?

And seriously they need to evacuate earlier but to where. But we still have no idea where its going to hit. Do you tell the Tampa people to head North or South. Last year we were told to go to Orlando. THE HURRICANE WENT RIGHT THROUGH ORLANDO just brushed Tampa. Orlando suffered more damage than Tampa did. If you tell the state of Florida to go to Alabama or Georgia you will be sitting on the highway when the storm hit. Ride out the Hurrican in my car or my apartment. The evacuation routes are parking lots.

 

[Imperialus]

glad I live in Calgary. Worst we've had to deal with is last year when the temperature hit -40 before wind chill (that magical number where both Fahrenheit and Celsius are the same). I live near a faily large provintial park and was walking the dog along the ridge above it, you could hear the trees in the valley exploding when their sap froze.

Best of luck to those of you in the storms path though, stay safe.

 

[Umbran]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ I have no credit cards, and leaving the state for what 4 days, hotel food and gas well thats my paycheck. Then rent is due and I need to live the other 10 days with what?

That's a very good question, and I don't have an answer for it. I expect FEMA will need to come up with an answer to that one, because only evacuating those who have $$ is unacceptable.

And seriously they need to evacuate earlier but to where. But we still have no idea where its going to hit.

That's a bit of an overstatement. We have some idea where - just not exactly where. There's some margin of error, and we've got decent estimates of that margin. The trick, then, is to evacuate people to places that are entirely outside that margin. Yes, this is more bother, and more expensive. But, it looks like Cat5 hurricanes are going to be notably more common, and it may be necessary.

If you tell the state of Florida to go to Alabama or Georgia you will be sitting on the highway when the storm hit.

Maybe not - if we start taking the need for storm evacuation seriously. Right now, we don't. There's no plan whatsoever that the public is clued in on. Instead, in hazard areas we may need to start treating these things a bit more like we did fire drills in grade school - with a really solid plan designed to get people out of the way, that gets disseminated and practiced.

 

[DaveMage]

Maybe not - if we start taking the need for storm evacuation seriously. Right now, we don't. There's no plan whatsoever that the public is clued in on. Instead, in hazard areas we may need to start treating these things a bit more like we did fire drills in grade school - with a really solid plan designed to get people out of the way, that gets disseminated and practiced.

I like the idea, but the cost to even practice an evacuation of such magnitude would probably be prohibitive.

Also, we really don't know where it's going to hit. I've seen the "5-day cone" shift hundreds of miles, so while the probablility does favor it following the projected path, it's not a certainty by any means.

 

[William Ronald]

I wish the people of Florida and everyone in the path of Wilma well. As for our servers, perhaps the moderators will have an announcement on what to do in case the boards are down.

 

[Truth Seeker]

Heh, not to sound snotie.. , but when the boards are down...by a glitch or someone flips a switch by accident.

EnWorlders are well verse on what to do...we are possible the only site, that has hours of blackout training. Everyone has their backup sites, chores ignored...will get the required attention. Family activaties will get a boost. Books long forgotten, never read, will have their pages seen again.

Yes...EnWorlders are quite verse, in the terms of site down survival. And hopefully has plenty of patience too.

I wish the people of Florida and everyone in the path of Wilma well. As for our servers, perhaps the moderators will have an announcement on what to do in case the boards are down.

 

[DaveMage]

Heh, not to sound snotie.. , but when the boards are down...by a glitch or someone flips a switch by accident.

EnWorlders are well verse on what to do...we are possible the only site, that has hours of blackout training. Everyone has their backup sites, chores ignored...will get the required attention. Family activaties will get a boost. Books long forgotten, never read, will have their pages seen again.

Yes...EnWorlders are quite verse, in the terms of site down survival. And hopefully has plenty of patience too.

Nothingland will have higher levels of posts.

 

[ForceUser]

"Biggest" may not be the best choice of adjectives; there's no mention in the article of its actual size.

The National Hurricane Center is calling it "the most intense Atlantic* hurricane ever recorded", based on the air pressure at its core (882 millibars). Low pressure in a hurricane correlates with higher wind speeds, and it's a Category 5 storm at the moment (though it's predicted that it won't be quite that strong when it reaches Florida, probably on Saturday, because it will be passing over cooler water).

This is key, so I thought it bore quoting for truth. Wilma's been downgraded to category 4--it's not summer anymore, and the waters in the northern hemisphere are cooling. It bears noting that unlike Rita and Katrina, which formed in the Atlantic from African thunderstorms that were blown west by trade winds, Wilma formed off of Columbia, where the waters are still warm because of proximity to the equator. In no way do I wish to minimize the potential for destruction of this storm, since it's possible that it will strengthen in intensity once again. I just wanted to note that this storm is more unpredicatable than Rita and Katrina and comes from a different region. Since the circumstances for its creation differ, so too does its potential course and intensity. If we're lucky, it makes landfall in Florida as a category 3.

 

[Rel]

If we're lucky, it makes landfall in Florida as a category 3.

I've heard speculation that it might drop as low as a Cat-2 by landfall.