Attached File
Our view from the lobby. 

Luckily our room is about 50 feet higher elevated than this. 

Good luck FT ...stay safe..keep trying to deass. 

Straight from FL Emergency Management

I bet the Neo-Nazi rally at UF on Tuesday won't be happening now.  I was placed on standby for that one.

Dan

Right on the Alafia River on Tampa Bay...will take boat out of lift and on the trailer and move 20 miles inland today...went shopping 8 dozen eggs  , milk , bread and bacon.

 4 cases of beer and 4 bottles of rum and a shit load of Gatorade...no water found yet...got generator gas and toped off all rides  with gas...moved all but a few of the armory inland to my moms basement...we don't have basements here but you understand...have been here 55 years and this one bugs me the most...get ready

I went this morning at 9:30 to the Naples Costco . Packed with people in panic mode . Actually made me a little nervous being inside with all of them .
Bought just a couple of things and left .

Info for First Responders

PDF]FDOT Fueling Sites Map - Florida Department of Transportation

Get ya one of these off amazon will be to you by Tuesday.

Two bathtubs full of water and lifestraws is the way to go.....    even here in the NW people are freaking out about bottled water...... 

Good luck down there.  

I live between Gainesville and the coast. Wal-Mart was a mess yesterday, with hardly any bottled water left.
Glad I have everything I need already except for beer.

This hurricane is gonna be a bitch if it takes that projected path right up our ass.

Finished getting my shutters up. Neighbor is getting hurricane windows installed today. When they finish he is putting his old panel up over them.  Told my other neighbor this he said the windows will not be the problem if you have them covered it's the roof by Cat 4-5 your roof is gone.
Got a tree trimmer coming out tomorrow to thin out a big mahogany tree in my front yard hopefully thinning it out will keep it upright. If a 5 hit it's gone and most likely on my house.

hot tub holds around 750 gallons......pro tip said again ...make ice if you have a freezer

Two weakest points are the roof and garage doors.
Garage doors are basically held in place by the rails and rails are not very durable.  They also have tendency to sucked out from negative pressure.

On Irma hitting Tampa area...wind is one thing but water is a whole nother thing...If it hits below the mouth off the bay ( Bradenton) it will suck water out of the bay...if she hits above the bay ( Tarpon Springs) it pushes water in... my place on the river is around 4-5 ft. above sea level for slab elv. or finished floor ( was built many moons ago)...have had water a 1/4 inch from coming in the house a few times...we shall see...

Per my brother.

Sandford walmart-
No water 
No dry goods
All firearms/ammo removed.

I'll assume it's like that everywhere.

I'm in the middle of the state..and north central...and I'm nervous. 

Jacksonville Costco at the Town Center was slammed today around 1100.  Parking lot was full.

I needed everyday stuff, dog food, paper towels, razors, you get the point.  I keep the house pretty well stocked at all times with non perishables and the house has a buried propane tank.  I pretty much am lacking the generator.  

Employees informing you at door they had no water. Plenty of Gatorade and flavored water if you needed it.

Plenty of dry goods, tuna, canned chicken, rice, and beans, etc.

All in all people were keeping calm, did not seem much different than a weekend day minus the free samples and lack of water.

I did not go down the battery and generator aisle.  As someone pointed out earlier, Amazon has plenty of batteries, flashlights, and other supplies in stock and should be delivered in time before this thing decides where it wants to hit.

Plenty of friends in local law enforcement.  Nothing out of the ordinary "yet" for them, but I assume that will change soon.

Highlands County EOC offers County updates via text. You may wish to check your county.
Our code is HCIRMA 888777.

Not sure if its a statewide program or not.

Lee County checking in.  Live in Cape Coral.  LEO with the county.  So, I'll be staying here and working.

House is empty because I'm in the middle of a very long move (wife and kids already up north) and just put everything into storage last week to get the house on the market.  Fortunately, it's on the highest piece of ground on the street.  Kept some of my emergency preparation supplies on hand though in case something like this came up.  Currently staying with a friend until my house is sold and we close on a new house up north.

Tried to go out to the local BJ's today just to get some groceries and the parking lot was packed so I didn't even bother.  I may try to go back late tonight just before they close.  We've got a little bit of water and we'll have access to more through the agency (substation has generators and reverse osmosis system).

Nothing from "the brass" yet on preparations.  Probably by tomorrow afternoon we'll start to hear something.  Have to work the next two days.  Will put the shutters up on my house Friday and will park my personal vehicle in the garage at some point too to brace the garage door.

Genius!!!!    I have been trying to convince momma for years to let me get a tub......    now you have given me extra ammo!   

Palmetto checking in.  If she hits above the bay, I will be seeing water in the house.  I have family out towards Lakewood ranch, so worst case I head out that way.

Soda water and seltzer in 2 liters......

If you can't find water..fyi.

My finish floor is 20ft above flood. I built my home myself and drove just about every nail in it. When I built my house I had an old building inspector. He'd say to me you know Mack if this were my home I'd do this. You don't have to. But while your building it and if it where mine I'd do it.

I did everything he suggested. I double hurricane strapped each wall stud. Top and bottom. Ran ban strapping added extra gussets in the porch area. Because I use plywood siding I did not need to use hurricane straps. But I did anyways and as stated on every stud. Plus the nail pattern if I remember for plywood was 3 inches around parameter and 6 inches in middle. I just nailed 3 inches every where with ring shank nails. I built home on a concrete piling foundation.

I've been in house with 80 mph winds and unless you looked out side you would not know the wind was blowing. Lost a few shingles in the past nothing big. But if we get this 130 mph winds I dont know about that. I built a boston hip roof design to take high winds and be stronger.

I'm more concerned about flooding though. If water goes above 20 ft I'm screwed. Plus I just put in a new metal building for a reloading room. Its anchored

but not for that kind of wind and water. I'm screwed because here is where I live in a house on the canal side of the road. I like the canal because no boat traffic or erosion and the homes on the river side have flooded bout not on the canal. It's higher elevation 11 ft above flood. I've seen that A frame looking house up to that 2 story blue colored house on the river 4 ft under water before and the water from the river covered the road. But not the houses on the canal. I like green  

Link

Man when I first built my home there in 96 there use to be a bar at that marina. Use to have a blast there. I'd take the boat around there after fishing or walk down. Drink, smoke cigars, play pool and drink beer. They could only sell beer and wine. The original owners sold it and new owners tried running bar and they were holy rollers from India and tore it down.  They eventually sold it to.  

Use to be a restaurant to. Loved that place. Had blast there.  Back in 96 it cost me 98k for property and new home with boat dock. I bought another house here before housing boom for 168k and sold it 6 months later for close to 300k .

Prices went way down and went back up again after Amazon built that million sq ft warehouse and builders started building all these subdivions and shopping centers.here again. A empty lot right across from me just sold for 275k friggin stupid. I house 15 homes down a dump sold for 425k.  I remember empty lots going for 18k I gave 33k for mine.

They are ruining this once quite little area. I'm afraid they are turning ruskin or as they've renamed the area to make it sound uppity South Shore into another Brandon.  I will eventually sell and move. I'm going to move to Carabelle in the Panhandle. I love it there.

Ormond lowes.. .to be 3xpected no gens,no gas cans,no water..all tarps gone.
42 gallon trash bags on sale and in stock..lol

Are they the black ones with the tie straps?
or twistys ?

North Port checking in (SW between Sarasota/Ft. Myers).

Moved from the midwest, bought our home a little under a year ago. To say I'm a bit worried is an understatement. LOL 

Contractor bags. 
From what wife unit said.
She swung in to grab a few odd ball things (nails and drywall screws ) and gave me the run down.

got my drivers lic. in ruskin in 1969...landscaped thousands of homes in river bend ,mira lago , mira bay , summerfield ,panther trace..if this hits just right we are screwed...im on peninsular dr in gibtown , on the canal , 34 years...good luck

Weather channel is showing crazy lines for gas and other stuff on the other coast (Miami areas).

thanks protus
You know I needed a box

did a Walmart run for my folks to square them maybe 2 hours
WTF they brought a skid of water out.............
I seriously cannot believe how these people where acting
don't grab a case and give it to the elderly next to you
no grab 4 and and knock them out of the way
I took  2 and gave them away to make that guy look like an idiot

success

Remember riding out Donna or was it Betsy? middle of the night on the Manatee Pocket.
Still Here.

We were told this morning it's cancelled.  they're looking to reschedule for late September or October

I hope your getting your preparation in order. You have good reason to be concerned.  Unless we see a change in it's course, it's not looking to good for the west coast. Or Florida in general.

Plantation here and a hurricane newbie. Just moved down here in March, got moved into Plantation in July.

Anybody have any guidance about evac'ing versus riding it out?  We're smack dab in between the turnpike and 75 if that matters.

Walmart in Bradenton is out of water, pretty much all canned foods, and all except for 1 gal gas cans. There are lines at all the gas stations and traffic has been pretty bad. I assume the Walmart in Ruskin is just as bad because traffic is backed up and it would take a while to get there. We just moved into a new house here so we don't have much except for a couple cases of water. Hoping it stays away from SW Florida.

The East/North East side of the storm is usually the worst.

Plantation is a tough one. If it's a Cat5 and hits naples, Plantation might not be a good place to be. If it's a 3 or less, should be ok but some other locals might give you more info.

If it's any more east of Naples being a 4 or 5 and you're in Plantation, I'd get out.

We're in Palm Beach County and a timeline of pulling the plug noon on Friday. But it could all change at a moments notice.

Praying that it veers out to the Atlantic.

Other south Florida guys might give you more info.

 It would be surprising if you didn't have to bug out given the strength and spaghetti models.  Locals from the area will hopefully chime in as to when to make the call given their knowledge of traffic patterns during an evac.

The next day or two could/should be spent organizing everything to leave.

it's not the 'neo nazis' that you have to watch out for, it's the Trotskyite little Bolsheviks that are the ones that will hurt 'ya.

Remember to turn the valve off on your hot water tank. That's at least 40 gallons of water.

I do have a Hurricane rated door and a center support to help stop the suction. Time will tell.

this is serious
I'm taking a break
checking the boards

Bar is still open at the resort. Always 5o'clock here in magaritaville. Drinking some hurricanes and enjoying the view. Could be worse. 

fd
wondering where you went
you seem a bit calmer
keep posting pictures and let us know in real time whats happening

its nuts here

enjoy it while you can

stay safe

I've got 96 Yuenglings and 5 bags of doritos from a party that got cancelled due to a family emergency on Monday. I thought about bugging out, but nah...

AS of 5PM in North Broward/Palm beach line/Boca. 5 publix's, the winndixie, HD, walmart, & lowes out of water.   Supermarkets lines are nuts, Several gas stations out of gas, & others LONG lines that are impeding traffic for the rest of us.

However if you can grill & have a freezer on generator plenty of meat to buy

This is one I hate to say I was right.....


....but I was right.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/hometown/THE-official-2017-Florida-Hometown-Hurricane-thread-/10-614637/

Good luck to everyone in the path. Irma looks intent on doing a lot of damage somewhere. We have family members in the Keys that are evacuating tomorrow.

I was right there with ya. Started making preps months ago. Though lots of them might be for not if I end up having to evacuate.

I even got a new bar and chain for one of my chainsaws. 2.5 gal. of fresh fuel and 1.5 gal. of chain oil.

I'm about 90% finished with this house now. Sure would suck to loose all that hard work.