When the big one hits, whats your plan to save your orchids?

[DirtyCoconuts]

fun thing about Florida is we quietly lead the nation in both tornados and lightning strike on active hurricane years....they are fun little buggers that some in along with the big heavy blow...and unpredictable is the word...they often don't even touch down but will skip along the surface from 15-50 feet in the air...last storm last year, i forget the name, i went on my roof afterwards and you could see across about 20 blocks (10 in each direction) where a funnel had bounced through ripping tops of palms and oaks like a toddler through a sheet of play-doh..i lost 2/3 of my ficus in the back yard (a 150' long brake of ficus, about 3 stories high) but it bounced right over the house …...angel on the porch REALLY hooked it up that day

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Some folks have tornado shelters, root cellars, bomb shelters (Cold War). For MANY folks, a basement is considered part of buying a house. I've always lived where there was a basement, other than a few years in a slab house and neighbors had an excellent bomb shelter.

Yeah, the Dorothy and Toto tornado was 1939... about sixteen years prior to my birth.

hahaha! Thanks for the date of that 'big one' WW!

Good to hear you have a basement WW. Have you ever seen a twister with your own eyes? ! Like ------ from a long distance away?

[DirtyCoconuts]

i have NOT seen a tornado ( funnel cloud over land) but i have seen many a water spout (funnel cloud at sea) they are almost totally benign as they rarely can contact the surface but they are super cool to see. also, on a boat you can avoid most weather bc you can usually travel in any direction and the weather is moving in a static one.

Usually

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

hahaha! Thanks for the date of that 'big one' WW!

Good to hear you have a basement WW. Have you ever seen a twister with your own eyes? ! Like ------ from a long distance away?

Seriously, more than my fair share. Up close and personal, probably around 12-15+ times or more. Outraced a couple of times to a shelter when out camping. Did have a popup camper once that ended up in the lake, but it was a small one (the tornado). We were sheltering in a concrete shower building.

One of the things my cousin and I did for fun while in high school was junior storm spotters... we both lived where you could see a long ways away, and we went through the storm spotter classes. We were even the first ones to call in for a sighting twice. No trophies or medals provided, but we felt pretty darned heroic.

Far away, many more times. Had a direct hit? Never... I've almost always had a basement. I'm one of those crazy Kansans who gets dogs and kids into the basement pronto, then hangs out on the porch with beer in hand watching until/unless it's really close.

I've had some seriously good guardian angels in my lifetime, or I wouldn't be here for many different reasons.

---------- Post added at 10:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:31 AM ----------

PS And yeah, the water spout ones are awesome to watch, as long as you can get the hell outta the way.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

but i have seen many a water spout (funnel cloud at sea) they are almost totally benign as they rarely can contact the surface but they are super cool to see.

That definitely counts as a twister! I've never seen even a real deal water spout! Hopefully one day!

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Seriously, more than my fair share. Up close and personal, probably around 12-15+ times or more.

I've had some seriously good guardian angels in my lifetime, or I wouldn't be here for many different reasons.

Incredible WW! You've certainly seen a substantial number! We get cyclones here, which can be very destructive, but those big tornadoes over there just seem to make our biggest cyclones (here) look like entry-level.

[Keysguy]

I've never seen even a real deal water spout! Hopefully one day!

Oh, they are definitely cool looking as long as you're looking at it from at least a couple miles away.

[Keysguy]

Ugh! This tropical depression 13 has me spooked. Looks like it's headed directly at our place in the Keys.
I need to leave NH today if I'm driving (32 hours in car) or tomorrow if I fly and with covid, I really hate to have to get into an airplane.
Mentally I had set TS winds of 50 as top end of leaving shade house up with plants in it and current forecast is right on that threshold.
Going to engage with some of my friends down there today and get the local skuttlebutt before I make a decision. This is the major stressor on my long distance gardening. I HATE mid-August thru mid- Sept.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Keysguy

Ugh! This tropical depression 13 has me spooked. Looks like it's headed directly at our place in the Keys.
I need to leave NH today if I'm driving (32 hours in car) or tomorrow if I fly and with covid, I really hate to have to get into an airplane.
Mentally I had set TS winds of 50 as top end of leaving shade house up with plants in it and current forecast is right on that threshold.
Going to engage with some of my friends down there today and get the local skuttlebutt before I make a decision. This is the major stressor on my long distance gardening. I HATE mid-August thru mid- Sept.

Godspeed KeysGuy! I'd drive... but then again, I don't fly anymore. And stay safe!

[DirtyCoconuts]

Originally Posted by Keysguy

Ugh! This tropical depression 13 has me spooked. Looks like it's headed directly at our place in the Keys.
I need to leave NH today if I'm driving (32 hours in car) or tomorrow if I fly and with covid, I really hate to have to get into an airplane.
Mentally I had set TS winds of 50 as top end of leaving shade house up with plants in it and current forecast is right on that threshold.
Going to engage with some of my friends down there today and get the local skuttlebutt before I make a decision. This is the major stressor on my long distance gardening. I HATE mid-August thru mid- Sept.

HUGE disclaimer- i don't want you to ever base your decision off me or think that anything i say is worth a penny more than you paid for it.
I am also very conservative about hurricanes bc i have lived here 38 years and had my home and life completely destroyed and rebuilt...

three factors i decide on to make these calls.
1) when would you be coming back otherwise? is ti months early and you are going back to NH or are you going to stay in the keys; basically, what is the COST of the action

2) what are you estimating the current setup can handle? in both wind speed and time without automation in the event of a power outage and storm surge?

3) how heavily can you lean on the friends you have in the keys? can you simply ask your neighbor to remove the hanging plants and take them to their house? can they place them in your downstairs area you previously described?


then think about how quickly you can get down AFTER the storm if you decide to sit it out...it may be headed north which would prevent you leaving and they usually close the Keys in a heart beat unless you have a keys DL.


given the track now i think it will be mostly TS strength winds for you and me and possibly inching into the hurricane range. i do NOT bring my plants in at that point. if it is the other end of the Cat 1 i will but not this side.

I see the track as giving us the north and some west side of the storm, typically drier and so that allays a tiny bit of storm surge concern but a little wiggle changes that. If you can get your friends to do a little prep for you then i'd sit it out (DO NOT FLY, PLEASE) but if they are away or too busy.....maybe buy some coffee and corn nuts and gas up the ride

---------- Post added at 09:40 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:38 AM ----------

you know as well as i do that it is simply too early to tell...

are you feeling conservative or are you feeling lucky....?

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

....
I am also very conservative about hurricanes bc i have lived here 38 years and had my home and life completely destroyed and rebuilt...
...

Words of wisdom from a native. This sentence, however, really makes me sad....