Irma

As it gets closer it looks like more and more I'll be leaving. I sat through Wilma, Jean and Frances when I used to livein South Florida but I didn't have a plane

Now that I have one my concern is the hangar toppling down onto the plane which is what prompted me to fly out for Matthew last year and what is leaning me torward leaving again this year. If it wasn't for that I'd probably definitely be staying
 
Co-worker just showed me a pic of Jim Cantore in Ft. Myers..**** just got real :).

Was Jim standing in chest high water surrounded by gaters and snakes, holding onto a pole to keep from getting blown away, and wearing a tight T emphasizing his biceps? Love that man, gets into weather reporting.

th
 
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From the looks of it. IRMA is starting to weaken:

IRMA.jpg
 
We bugged out of Sint Maarten Friday, September 1st. Our friends went on to BVI, still no contact with them but the person in charge talking with the resort by sat phone says all guests are safe and provisions have been provided. They are working on an evacuation plan.
 
From the looks of it. IRMA is starting to weaken:

View attachment 56211
It hasn't weakened, but rather it has become a little less organized. The waters in the Caribbean are plenty warm enough to keep fueling the 'cane, at least until it moves over solid ground. Wind is likely to be the most damaging component with Irma.
 
Northbound US-27 was backed up this morning in Polk county. Lots of folks taking 27 to I-4 to 417 and up to the FL turnpike.

We'll be staying home. Hoping for the best, preparing for the worst...

Worried about my elderly parents in Jacksonville, though.
 
Lots of stuff on the move now.
Teterboro taking huge delays as everyone is trying to get out of Florida today. 4:30+ inbound delays, and 1 hour taxi delays at TEB.

Our Mia repo flights out on Friday afternoon are open for any employees and families that want to leave.

https://www.fly.faa.gov/ois/
 
Lots of stuff on the move now.
Teterboro taking huge delays as everyone is trying to get out of Florida today. 4:30+ inbound delays, and 1 hour taxi delays at TEB./

Is that for just T'boro or the entire NYC area airports (EWR, LGA, HPN, JFK, etc)?
 
I looked at Flightaware for GA planes, piston and turbine alike, and I expected to see tremendous numbers fleeing northbound from South Florida. But not so. Not at all.

At this point, just as many are going down the peninsula as up, and the numbers are not particularly huge, either.

Examples:
http://flightaware.com/live/aircrafttype/C172
http://flightaware.com/live/aircrafttype/SR22
http://flightaware.com/live/aircrafttype/BE20
http://flightaware.com/live/aircrafttype/C550

you missed me on 5-sep took the RV to texas to get it out of the path. don't forget that if they do not have adsb or file, they may not show up on flightaware.

bob
 
So based on the color key in the OPs map, there is an 80% chance that Irma could go anywhere... Thanks for nailing that down...:rolleyes:
 
So based on the color key in the OPs map, there is an 80% chance that Irma could go anywhere... Thanks for nailing that down...:rolleyes:
And so far, it is going exactly where it was predicted.
 
People complaining about the accuracy of forecasts are so utterly lame. Weather is chaotic by nature. Takes a supercomputer to get the forecasts we got. Sorry 21st century technology doesn't cut it for you.
 
Just heard that all the hotels in Dothan and Montgomery AL are full, and Birmingham is limited availability. Funny but all the gas stations since Harvey hit TX have regular price at $2.50 /gal, even stations near the interstates. Maybe that's the max the state allows I dunno.
 
Wife left Orlando early this morning, made it to Tallahassee on one tank of gas notwithstanding a lot of stop and go on I75. After the turn westbound on I10, the traffic wasn't so bad. Gas was no problem on I10.

Shopping for hotels, I found rooms in Enterprise and Ozark AL. She wanted to press on for a while so I booked a room at Hampton Inn Troy. Check the smaller towns, and recheck for cancellations, too.
 
Wife left Orlando early this morning, made it to Tallahassee on one tank of gas notwithstanding a lot of stop and go on I75. After the turn westbound on I10, the traffic wasn't so bad. Gas was no problem on I10.

Shopping for hotels, I found rooms in Enterprise and Ozark AL. She wanted to press on for a while so I booked a room at Hampton Inn Troy. Check the smaller towns, and recheck for cancellations, too.
I tried to book a specific hotel in Orlando. (I might cancel now). But the web site said "no rooms available". I called their local number and they found me a room. This happens frequently. I know people that have tried to book a room on their ipad or smart phone while on the road and "everythign was full". If they would call, some of those places might actually have a room or two left.

It may have helped that I am a "platinum elite" member of that particular hotel chain.
 
If they would call, some of those places might actually have a room or two left.
Exactly. I always call the front desk, never central reservations.

Also, TripAdvisor is a great source of hotel selections in a particular place.
 
That's probably Mulligan headed for his condo in Ft Lauderdale hosting a hurricane party.

I have two units on the 1st floor on the beach next to port Everglades in ft Lauderdale. Will likely be flooded and lose both my cars there. Hurricane windows and shutters but the storm surge of 10ft will probably get me.
 
Safely back in N GA after getting my daughter's dog and 2 cats in Tallahassee to ride out the storm up here.

36922300602_1910d93e95.jpg


She has a flight to Italy booked for about 8:30P tomorrow. Is staying in Tallahassee until the flight is definitely canceled, then probably driving up here. Trying to convince her that returning to Fort Lauderdale is probably not wise.

Even in the panhandle, select stations were running out of some grades just north of Tallahassee. Came home via US27 to Columbus, to avoid I-75 as much as possible. Not bad at all, but it will only get worse.
 
You know it's gotten real when weather.com returns a 404 error. (seriously, it is doing that, right now).

edit...Dang, even the Weather Channel mobile app is down.

Russian or North Korean Hackers?

Jeff
 
Safely back in N GA after getting my daughter's dog and 2 cats in Tallahassee to ride out the storm up here.

36922300602_1910d93e95.jpg


She has a flight to Italy booked for about 8:30P tomorrow. Is staying in Tallahassee until the flight is definitely canceled, then probably driving up here. Trying to convince her that returning to Fort Lauderdale is probably not wise.

Even in the panhandle, select stations were running out of some grades just north of Tallahassee. Came home via US27 to Columbus, to avoid I-75 as much as possible. Not bad at all, but it will only get worse.
 
FLL is closing at 745PM Friday.
Tell her to go to TLH in the morning to change her flight. I'd suggest via DFW.

Edit:
I should have added that most of these closings are because TSA is shutting down, not the airline
 
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FLL is closing at 745PM Friday.
Tell her to go to TLH in the morning to change her flight. I'd suggest via DFW.

Edit:
I should have added that most of these closings are because TSA is shutting down, not the airline

She tried to book from Atlanta, but it was $3,000 - about triple her existing ticket.
 
Have friends in Dothan. Gas stations are reportedly rationing near Dothan, $20 limit in some areas. Traffic is said to be backed up on west side bypass (US 231). Anyone traveling north to Montgomery/Birmingham may want to consider driving further west on I-10 to US 331 North, to avoid running through Dothan.
 
Airports Update:

Key west already closed.
Miami closing at approx 3:45PM Friday. (TSA)
Fort Lauderdale is closing at 745PM (TSA)
West Palm Beach closing overnight Friday (TSA)

JetBlue has run several extra flights to FLL and PBI, several more Friday if they can get in before closing. charging $99 a seat.
Delta added a few, but are Charging $399 a seat. And getting it.
Southwest ran several FREE flights to South Florida today for Special needs folks.

Of Note:
NetJets is running in 32 Private Jets into PBI on Friday.
28 to MIA
5 to FLL
18 to Boca Raton.
7 to Fort Lauderdale Executive.
10 to Miami Exec
7 to Opa Locka
1 to Pompano

108 total flights on Friday, to destinations all over the place, but mostly New York. That's pretty much the ENTIRE FLEET going to South Florida tomorrow. Teterboro flights had 4 hrs+ ground holds today because of the insane private jet traffic. Friday will likely be worse. Even Morristown had a 2 hour ground hold tonight.

Feel free to add to this list.
 
IRMA's wind speed is weakening yet again, (-20 mph)

If it hits Tampa and some of Saint Petersburg Florida they're NOT ready for a Major Hurricane. I heard quite a few piston airplanes flying overhead earlier.

IRMA.jpg
 
My daughter had a flight to Orlando to visit her brother friday to Sunday. No flight insurance but delta told her she could get credit for another flight in the future.
 
Damn forecast track is now only 40 miles east of me, which means we're pretty much in the direct path. I'm still holding out on evacuation though. The plane is full of gas, I can get 500-600 miles away if I leave soon enough. Weather looks like I can still get out saturday morning if need be. My wife is dealing with some health issues and doesn't want to travel unless it's necessary or we'd be in the air now.
 
Damn forecast track is now only 40 miles east of me, which means we're pretty much in the direct path. I'm still holding out on evacuation though. The plane is full of gas, I can get 500-600 miles away if I leave soon enough. Weather looks like I can still get out saturday morning if need be. My wife is dealing with some health issues and doesn't want to travel unless it's necessary or we'd be in the air now.

Just remember this Hurricane is about that wide, (600 Miles). I'm sure the winds are going to go crazy soon, it's already starting to do that now.
 
Just remember this Hurricane is about that wide, (600 Miles). I'm sure the winds are going to go crazy soon, it's already starting to do that now.
That's the thing, you'd have to fly to Texas to be sure to be out of the effects completely. I'm not sure it's worth it, especially with a wife that's already puking. Might just have to hunker down on this one. But the TAFs and wide area forecasts show I might be able to leave on Saturday safely. Winds won't be an issue, but cloud cover might be since I don't have IR yet.
 
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