# Irma



## CWS

Well here we go again. Now we another group of our friends in harms way. I wish you all the best in the upcoming days. Me and Diann have all of you in the path of this storm in our thoughts and prayers. We have not forgot our friends in Texas. Stay safe!!!!
Curt and Diann

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1 | Agree 5 | Sincere 3


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## Tony

Same here guys, y'all all stay safe! Tony

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 3


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## gman2431

Take care all!! Get the heck off that peninsula!

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## Mike1950

Good luck to all of you. Looks like you are headed for rough ride.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 3


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## Nature Man

Stay safe above all else! Let us know how you are doing as Irma passes through. Chuck

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 3


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## cabomhn

Definitely a scary storm. The European hurricane model (and the most accurate) shows a decent chance that the storm skirts along the eastern coast of Florida hits directly into SC/NC. Ideally, it'd be great if it just turned and went back into the ocean

http://www.myfoxhurricane.com/custom/models/ecmwf.html

The current projection. The worst part is the intense low pressure pocket right at the tip of Florida

Reactions: Agree 4


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## Herb G.

I don't know what it is about storms that start with the letter "I" around here, but we get slammed with every one it seems like.
Isabitch hit here in 2003, power was out for 10 days, we lost over $1500 worth of food in the freezer & both fridges. Good thing I had some gas in the shed for our cars because no one had power for a long time.

Reactions: Sincere 4


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## woodtickgreg

This is a serious storm and not one to be taken lightly. I'm afraid for all my wb brothers that are in its path. I wished you all would just get out until this one passes. 180 mph winds! Get out now!

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 5


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## Herb G.

My Aunt from Florida called me last night & asked if she could come stay with me for awhile.
Hell yeah, GTFO there.

Reactions: Like 5 | Agree 1


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## rocky1

Not to sure they can all get out in time regardless, traffic on I-95 has been 14 - 15 mph at Jacksonville for 2 days now. At present no evacuations ordered up here in NE - FL, talking category 3 - 120 mph winds when it goes by our neck of the woods. Tropical storm conditions from Saturday afternoon through Tuesday mid-day. Over here in the middle of the woods where I'm at, the worst case scenario, Euro model suggests 5 - 7 inches of rain over 5 days, winds up to 60 mph at it's peak. 

Lee on the other hand, needs to pack the truck full of Camphor and find some secondary roads out of south Florida!

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## Mike1950

rocky1 said:


> Not to sure they can all get out in time regardless, traffic on I-95 has been 14 - 15 mph at Jacksonville for 2 days now. At present no evacuations ordered up here in NE - FL, talking category 3 - 120 mph winds when it goes by our neck of the woods. Tropical storm conditions from Saturday afternoon through Tuesday mid-day. Over here in the middle of the woods where I'm at, the worst case scenario, Euro model suggests 5 - 7 inches of rain over 5 days, winds up to 60 mph at it's peak.
> 
> Lee on the other hand, needs to pack the truck full of Camphor and find some secondary roads out of south Florida!



what about midnight- what are the roads like then?


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## Tony

Hey @Spinartist, read above and get your a** to safety!!!!!!!!! Tony

Reactions: Agree 4


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## Herb G.

My Aunt got one of the last flights last night out of Orlando. I picked her up at the airport about 3 AM today.
She is relived to have somewhere to go. I have more relatives in Georgia, but they are so far inland it's not going to affect them.

Reactions: Like 2 | Sincere 3


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## rocky1

Mike1950 said:


> what about midnight- what are the roads like then?



News Caster this morning said relatives left South Florida early last night arrived in Jacksonville 4 am. 8-9 hours to make typical 4 hour trip. No motels/hotels have vacancies, rest areas were packed with evacuees. Traffic is picking up substantially out here in the country on back roads today as well.

Reactions: Sincere 1


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## Blueglass

rocky1 said:


> Not to sure they can all get out in time regardless, traffic on I-95 has been 14 - 15 mph at Jacksonville for 2 days now. At present no evacuations ordered up here in NE - FL, talking category 3 - 120 mph winds when it goes by our neck of the woods. Tropical storm conditions from Saturday afternoon through Tuesday mid-day. Over here in the middle of the woods where I'm at, the worst case scenario, Euro model suggests 5 - 7 inches of rain over 5 days, winds up to 60 mph at it's peak.
> 
> Lee on the other hand, needs to pack the truck full of Camphor and find some secondary roads out of south Florida!


I'm up by Cocoa Beach and will head out tomorrow on whatever roads I can unless something changes in the forecast. My wood will just have to weather the storm.

Reactions: Agree 2 | Sincere 2


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## CWS

Blueglass said:


> I'm up by Cocoa Beach and will head out tomorrow on whatever roads I can unless something changes in the forecast. My wood will just have to weather the storm.


Stay safe.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 2


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## Lou Currier

Les where you headed?


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## Blueglass

Lou Currier said:


> Les where you headed?


Western NC we have a house we almost never get to see there.

What about @Spinartist

Reactions: Like 3


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## Blueglass

@WoodLove , @wood128


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## Blueglass

Essentials packed.

Reactions: Like 11 | Agree 3 | Way Cool 1


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## SENC

Be safe!

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 2


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## NYWoodturner

I wish I had enough extra rooms for all of you. Stay safe - get the hell out of Florida if you can find enough gas. Check in whenever you can.

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 2


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## Don Ratcliff

Still no @Spinartist response. Hope he is hunkered down and safe. I have 528 rooms here if Scott can't find space for ya.

Reactions: Like 6 | Funny 3


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## sprucegum

Chatted with a old buddy in central Fl. today, says he is not in a flood prone area and has a concrete block house. He's stocked up boarded up and staying put. I would probably do the same thing but not if I was in a flood zone.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Spinartist

Hey gang. Thanks for all the words of concern. I've be doing hurricane prep for past 3 days. Shuttered my Stepsons home & the hard half of my ex's townhome today.
Loosing my voice. Dead tired. Haven't seen Irma report since 7am.
Still have another full day of prep including shuttering my own place.
Plan to hunker down. Feel safe where I'll be.
Woke up at 3am & decided to looks for gas station with fuel. Found a 7-11 & only had to wait 8 minutes to get to pump.

Heard the 3.25 hour drive to Orlando is taking 8 hours. The smart ones are leaving
Reacquainted my self with the Indian Rosewood burl I've been watching grow for 15 years.
Once the craziness starts, I'll post till the power goes out. Hope Irma takes a last minute jog away...

Reactions: Like 2 | Funny 1 | Sincere 9


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## sprucegum

Spinartist said:


> Hey gang. Thanks for all the words of concern. I've be doing hurricane prep for past 3 days. Shuttered my Stepsons home & the hard half of my ex's townhome today.
> Loosing my voice. Dead tired. Haven't seen Irma report since 7am.
> Still have another full day of prep including shuttering my own place.
> Plan to hunker down. Feel safe where I'll be.
> Woke up at 3am & decided to looks for gas station with fuel. Found a 7-11 & only had to wait 8 minutes to get to pump.
> 
> Heard the 3.25 hour drive to Orlando is taking 8 hours. The smart ones are leaving
> Reacquainted my self with the Indian Rosewood burl I've been watching grow for 15 years.
> Once the craziness starts I'll post till the power goes out. Hope Irma takes a last minute jog away...
> 
> View attachment 133808

Reactions: Agree 1


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## NYWoodturner

Spinartist said:


> Hey gang. Thanks for all the words of concern. I've be doing hurricane prep for past 3 days. Shuttered my Stepsons home & the hard half of my ex's townhome today.
> Loosing my voice. Dead tired. Haven't seen Irma report since 7am.
> Still have another full day of prep including shuttering my own place.
> Plan to hunker down. Feel safe where I'll be.
> Woke up at 3am & decided to looks for gas station with fuel. Found a 7-11 & only had to wait 8 minutes to get to pump.
> 
> Heard the 3.25 hour drive to Orlando is taking 8 hours. The smart ones are leaving
> Reacquainted my self with the Indian Rosewood burl I've been watching grow for 15 years.
> Once the craziness starts I'll post till the power goes out. Hope Irma takes a last minute jog away...
> 
> View attachment 133808



Stay safe Lee! Seems like everyone I hear from spends their time boarding up someone else home before their own. Says a lot about Floridians. Are you guys descendants of Texans? Or do I have that backwards?  You really see the best come out in folks at times like these.

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## Tony

Spinartist said:


> Hey gang. Thanks for all the words of concern. I've be doing hurricane prep for past 3 days. Shuttered my Stepsons home & the hard half of my ex's townhome today.
> Loosing my voice. Dead tired. Haven't seen Irma report since 7am.
> Still have another full day of prep including shuttering my own place.
> Plan to hunker down. Feel safe where I'll be.
> Woke up at 3am & decided to looks for gas station with fuel. Found a 7-11 & only had to wait 8 minutes to get to pump.
> 
> Heard the 3.25 hour drive to Orlando is taking 8 hours. The smart ones are leaving
> Reacquainted my self with the Indian Rosewood burl I've been watching grow for 15 years.
> Once the craziness starts I'll post till the power goes out. Hope Irma takes a last minute jog away...
> 
> View attachment 133808



Lee, I get taking care of family and friends, but get your own house squared away too!! Tony

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1 | Agree 2


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## Don Ratcliff

You will kick yourself if Irma takes that burl and blows it into another yard. Cut it off and put it into a FRB to me for safe keeping. That silly ol storm wont find it here...

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 6


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## Blueglass

I worked all day but have a very busy day early tomorrow before heading out. I will probably crawl along the back roads for reduced stress.

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## Don Ratcliff

@Lou Currier Are you sticking it out in a safe place?

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## Eric Rorabaugh




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## rocky1

Les you may want to cut inland and take secondary roads. Gas is more likely and traffic probably isn't as bad. Traffic has been steady past the house here all day. Not a steady line, but WAY MORE TRAFFIC than we normally see. Delays were reported on I-10, but when I went to town this evening right after one of those reports, they were zipping by like nothing was going on. Got another report as I was leaving town, and again they reported traffic delays on 10 in the Lake City area, and the few I saw, there just really wasn't many, were still zipping past. I would guess maybe they were seeing delays at the 10/75 junction because 75 is a disaster on a good day, and today wasn't a good day! Had a semi apparently hauling a piece of equipment, tagged one of the over passes and knocked a chunk out of the girder in the middle of evacuating the entire south end of the state!! Talk about a cluster F---!

I-95 is still reported a mess in Jacksonville area! Gas is being an issue there too. Had one confrontation at a gas pump last night, off duty deputy was not impressed when someone cut in front of him at the pump, and pulled his gun while expressing his dissatisfaction with the gentleman's actions. Here locally there have been a few outages reported, but most of the stations are getting gas without a problem. Country store out here by us topped his tanks off this afternoon about 4, most travelers don't know he's out here, so not a lot of folks stopping, although there are a few.

From Coco Beach you may be better off running 1 up to Mims, pick up 46 over to Sanford, and running up 17 to Palatka. There you can pick up 100 and run it up to Lake City. Where you can hop on 441 and run up through Georgia all the way north of Atlanta.

Or, you could run 95 up to Daytona get off on 1 to Bunnell, pick up 100 and run up through Palatka to Lake City and take 441 north. 

You'll run through a lot of small towns, but it's gonna beat 15 mph on the interstate, and it'll be far enough away from the interstate gas shouldn't be an issue. Traffic out here on 441 is tooling along 60 - 65 mph like normal, however the speed limit is 55 when you get up into Georgia. Somewhere up there it turns into 4 lane but I have no clue where or for how long. Came back from Gatlinburg that way one time and I ran down south of Atlanta before jumping back over on 75. Was going to take it all the way home, but it was the weekend of the Florida/Georgia game and every law enforcement officer in the entire state of Georgia was on that road! 

If you go that route, you'll drive right past our place up here, yell before you leave Lake City I'll stand out side the highway and wave!

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## rocky1

NYWoodturner said:


> Stay safe Lee! Seems like everyone I hear from spends their time boarding up someone else home before their own. Says a lot about Floridians. Are you guys descendants of Texans? Or do I have that backwards?  You really see the best come out in folks at times like these.




We was here back when Texas still belonged to Mexico! But Lee's a naturalized Flordanian!

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## rocky1

LEE!!! Have you looked at the wave height out there around the storm buddy??? They're talking waves 12 - 20 feet high dude! 
How tall is your apartment, and how far from the beach are you??? 

Sounds like there could be a lot of vacant lots in the Keys along about Monday.

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## rocky1

Don Ratcliff said:


> You will kick yourself if Irma takes that burl and blows it into another yard. Cut it off and put it into a FRB to me for safe keeping. That silly ol storm wont find it here...



Subject to blow it into Lou's yard up in Lake Wales.

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## Don Ratcliff

rocky1 said:


> LEE!!! Have you looked at the wave height out there around the storm buddy??? They're talking waves 12 - 20 feet high dude!
> How tall is your apartment, and how far from the beach are you???
> 
> Sounds like there could be a lot of vacant lots in the Keys along about Monday.


I thought you said it was a storm, thats just good surfing Braddah.

Reactions: Great Post 1 | Funny 3


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## rocky1

Yeah... the surfers were out there last week with binoculars looking for it already! Local weatherman apparently surfs a little too, and he was telling them this isn't one to play with, to get out of town.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## rocky1

I don't know if it's a positive note or not, for Lee, but they are talking about the track shifting a little to the west, tracking further north before going back to sea, and not staying there very long before making landfall again. Tracks they're showing now puts it over Jacksonville, or directly over us here in Lake City on 2 models. 

HOWEVER... if it does that, it's got to run 350 plus miles up the state to get here, which is gonna take a lot of wind out of it's sails!


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## Spinartist

Blueglass said:


> I worked all day but have a very busy day early tomorrow before heading out. I will probably crawl along the back roads for reduced stress.




The 3.25 hour drive from Ft. Lauderdale to Orlando is taking 8 to 10 hours due to the smart ones vacating south Florida!

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## Spinartist

rocky1 said:


> LEE!!! Have you looked at the wave height out there around the storm buddy??? They're talking waves 12 - 20 feet high dude!
> How tall is your apartment, and how far from the beach are you???
> 
> Sounds like there could be a lot of vacant lots in the Keys along about Monday.




8 o-clock report said 5 - 10 ' predicted storm surge which should occur a almost low tide.
I'm 1 mile from ocean on second floor, 14' above sea level in parking lot. Shouldn't be a problem. This morning news said only 38% of gas stations here had fuel. Many grocery store shelves are empty of certain items.

The Keys & other areas likely major devastation.

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## Spinartist

rocky1 said:


> I don't know if it's a positive note or not, for Lee, but they are talking about the track shifting a little to the west, tracking further north before going back to sea, and not staying there very long before making landfall again. Tracks they're showing now puts it over Jacksonville, or directly over us here in Lake City on 2 models.
> 
> HOWEVER... if it does that, it's got to run 350 plus miles up the state to get here, which is gonna take a lot of wind out of it's sails!




@rocky1 you may still git cat 2 or 3 storm!!

Just make sure you protect those curly/burly camphor knife scales you're stabilizing fer me!!

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## Tom Smart

Normally, I'd be writing from Virginia but tonight I'm in Venice, FL. On Monday my mother passed away so the wife and I drove down right away. Dad is 92. For the last 2 years he has cared for mom at home in one of the most selfless displays of dedication I can imagine. As we work to get organized things seem to be moving in slow motion as everyone's focus shifts to Irma, as does ours. Venice is on the gulf coast so if the projected track holds we will be on the back side of the storm. By no means out of danger, but it could be a lot worse, although the 5pm forecast update shifted the storm a bit west. We are going to hunker down here and "weather the storm". We've done what we can to be prepared, but you can never be ready.

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## rocky1

Spinartist said:


> @rocky1 you may still git cat 2 or 3 storm!!
> 
> Just make sure you protect those curly/burly camphor knife scales you're stabilizing fer me!!



Thus far they are suggesting Category 1 Lee. May see winds up o 90 mph worst case scenario, local radio is still talking Tropical Storm weather, but that was likely what they were given to read before they got the 5 o:clock update.

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## rocky1

Sorry to hear about your mother Tom, we can only try to understand how much this storm serves to compound the stress of that situation.

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## Tony

Tom Smart said:


> Normally, I'd be writing from Virginia but tonight I'm in Venice, FL. On Monday my mother passed away so the wife and I drove down right away. Dad is 92. For the last 2 years he has cared for mom at home in one of the most selfless displays of dedication I can imagine. As we work to get organized things seem to be moving in slow motion as everyone's focus shifts to Irma, as does ours. Venice is on the gulf coast so if the projected track holds we will be on the back side of the storm. By no means out of danger, but it could be a lot worse, although the 5pm forecast update shifted the storm a bit west. We are going to hunker down here and "weather the storm". We've done what we can to be prepared, but you can never be ready.



Tom, I'm truly sorry for your loss. I'm sure it's a hectic time with everything going on at once. You and yours stay safe! Tony

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## Don Ratcliff

rocky1 said:


> I don't know if it's a positive note or not, for Lee, but they are talking about the track shifting a little to the west, tracking further north before going back to sea, and not staying there very long before making landfall again. Tracks they're showing now puts it over Jacksonville, or directly over us here in Lake City on 2 models.
> 
> HOWEVER... if it does that, it's got to run 350 plus miles up the state to get here, which is gonna take a lot of wind out of it's sails!


@Spinartist better safe then sorry, send that burl to me and don't listen to Rocky, he pours honey in your ear.

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## Don Ratcliff

Tom Smart said:


> Normally, I'd be writing from Virginia but tonight I'm in Venice, FL. On Monday my mother passed away so the wife and I drove down right away. Dad is 92. For the last 2 years he has cared for mom at home in one of the most selfless displays of dedication I can imagine. As we work to get organized things seem to be moving in slow motion as everyone's focus shifts to Irma, as does ours. Venice is on the gulf coast so if the projected track holds we will be on the back side of the storm. By no means out of danger, but it could be a lot worse, although the 5pm forecast update shifted the storm a bit west. We are going to hunker down here and "weather the storm". We've done what we can to be prepared, but you can never be ready.


Tom,

I had not got to your post yet while trying to make light of a scary storm. I am so sorry for your loss brother. Also hope that you are all in a safe place while this storm passes.

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## SENC

Tom Smart said:


> Normally, I'd be writing from Virginia but tonight I'm in Venice, FL. On Monday my mother passed away so the wife and I drove down right away. Dad is 92. For the last 2 years he has cared for mom at home in one of the most selfless displays of dedication I can imagine. As we work to get organized things seem to be moving in slow motion as everyone's focus shifts to Irma, as does ours. Venice is on the gulf coast so if the projected track holds we will be on the back side of the storm. By no means out of danger, but it could be a lot worse, although the 5pm forecast update shifted the storm a bit west. We are going to hunker down here and "weather the storm". We've done what we can to be prepared, but you can never be ready.


Will have you and your family in our thoughts and prayers, and will raise a toast to your dad, Tom.

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## Lou Currier

Don Ratcliff said:


> @Lou Currier Are you sticking it out in a safe place?


Don, I will be sticking it out with the fur babies. My wife flew out yesterday. I am close to Lake Wales in the center of the state which is in the highlands. Block house in the downstairs and newer construction house so it should weather the storm ok. Making preparations and getting ready to hunker down. Latest tracks could send the eye right over us. Like Lee said I will keep you all updated until we lose wifi.

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## Blueglass

The way things look now we will be staying.

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## sprucegum

Lou Currier said:


> Like Lee said I will keep you all updated until we lose wifi.


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## rocky1

Blueglass said:


> The way things look now we will be staying.



Not sure that's a good thing, but latest track out of national weather service is showing it moving further west yet... By tomorrow night you guys on the east coast may be out of danger, we may be back to the original forecast of wrapping around the tip of Florida and making landfall in Tampa.

Traffic here by the house is heavier yet today. The local country store has sold out of Premium and Mid-Grade in 22 hours, regular is getting low as well, been insane in there. All the gals that work there are about ready to scream and the Friday Night Supper crowd with a few tourists hasn't hit yet.

Hwy 41 to the west of us is reportedly bumper to bumper today south of town and north of town.

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## rocky1

Lee... find some rocks and stick in your back pocket. You're a might skinny to be weathering that wind that's coming, if you were fat as I am, you might be OK, but you'll be blowed away buddy!

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## rocky1

@Tom Smart - Tom are you guys leaving? Or, are you still going to try and ride this out there? Latest from the weather service is now showing this shifting more to the Gulf side.

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## CWS

Spinartist said:


> @rocky1 you may still git cat 2 or 3 storm!!
> 
> Just make sure you protect those curly/burly camphor knife scales you're stabilizing fer me!!


News with 5:00pm update says cat 4 to Florida line.

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## Tom Smart

rocky1 said:


> @Tom Smart - Tom are you guys leaving? Or, are you still going to try and ride this out there? Latest from the weather service is now showing this shifting more to the Gulf side.


Each updated projected track slips a bit more to the west, so its creeping closer to us. We are far enough off the coast so flooding isn't an issue, although the house is on a small man made lake. We've done what we can with the house, removed all potential missiles. Current plan, I won't say consensus, is to stay. We'll have another discussion at dinner.

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## sprucegum

rocky1 said:


> Not sure that's a good thing, but latest track out of national weather service is showing it moving further west yet... By tomorrow night you guys on the east coast may be out of danger, we may be back to the original forecast of wrapping around the tip of Florida and making landfall in Tampa.
> 
> Traffic here by the house is heavier yet today. The local country store has sold out of Premium and Mid-Grade in 22 hours, regular is getting low as well, been insane in there. All the gals that work there are about ready to scream and the Friday Night Supper crowd with a few tourists hasn't hit yet.
> 
> Hwy 41 to the west of us is reportedly bumper to bumper today south of town and north of town.



It always amazes me how many people need gas to get out of town given the number of days warning for most storms. I have found that it costs the same to burn the first half of the tank as it does the second. I rarely let my truck get much below a half tank and always keep at least a 5 gallon can in the garage in case I need to run the generator. Because it is lawn mowing and wood cutting season I have 10 gallons in the garage today plus some 2cycle gas. Half a tank & 5 gallons would get my butt at least 250 miles up the road which I suppose if I was in the Keys might not be enough but it would get me well on my way. Anyway enough sputtering about human behavior and be safe all of you southerners.

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## Lou Currier

@sprucegum people started freaking out at the beginning of the week and started buying all the gas for generators and what not causing a shortage and then you add thousands of people evacuating and bam! No gas! SMH

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## sprucegum

Lou Currier said:


> @sprucegum people started freaking out at the beginning of the week and started buying all the gas for generators and what not causing a shortage and then you add thousands of people evacuating and bam! No gas! SMH



Easy to see how it happens, we don't get a lot of hurricanes although the last one raised hell. I have seen enough 3-5 day power outages that I feel the need to keep the generator full and a little backup on hand. But every power outage sees people swarming to the box store to get a generator.

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## CWS

sprucegum said:


> It always amazes me how many people need gas to get out of town given the number of days warning for most storms. I have found that it costs the same to burn the first half of the tank as it does the second. I rarely let my truck get much below a half tank and always keep at least a 5 gallon can in the garage in case I need to run the generator. Because it is lawn mowing and wood cutting season I have 10 gallons in the garage today plus some 2cycle gas. Half a tank & 5 gallons would get my butt at least 250 miles up the road which I suppose if I was in the Keys might not be enough but it would get me well on my way. Anyway enough sputtering about human behavior and be safe all of you southerners.


I agree with you Dave, but I know better than to try and convince my wife of anything and she only keeps half a tank because she thinks she gets better gas mileage because of less weight. Just sayin.

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## Spinartist

Finally finished storm prep. I'm spent. I'll post picts tomorrow.

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## rocky1

CWS said:


> News with 5:00pm update says cat 4 to Florida line.



Thus far they keep saying the Euro model projects it maintaining intensity well into Georgia, in fact one held it a category 3 clear to Atlanta, which is simply unheard of. There you're talking category 3 for 700+ miles inland, and that simply doesn't happen. I know enough about these storms that I simply don't believe that's possible, regardless of what their computer model says, and the weathermen at the local stations that have a brain, (_we do have one that is questionable in that respect_), reaffirmed that this morning, he said it's simply too far over land with too much stuff in the way to scrub off wind speed, for it to maintain that intensity. For that reason he was leaning with the GFS model which shows intensity greatly diminished by the time it reaches us Curt. He said Category 1; worst case scenario, was if it shifted eastward where it got back out over the Atlantic more. 

Tracking further westward takes it away from the Atlantic, and the warm moist air it needs to fuel it. SO... slowing winds caused by ground contact and diminished moisture feeding the strong side of it, the physics of Hurricanes says, it's going to slow a great deal before it gets to me. Weather channel is projecting Category 1 here at the present moment, and just north of me in Georgia not many miles, slowed to tropical storm. 

Lee is in much better shape than he was earlier, he can look for a little smaller rocks, Tom on the other hand is looking at the eye of the storm coming over the top of him in Venice, however Lou could be in for a bumpy ride down there in Lake Wales at this point, as could all our members in the Tampa/St. Pete area.

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## Lou Currier

One thing you need think about @rocky1 Irma will still be fed from two warm bodies of water as she goes up the state. The sheer size of her is unheard of and we are in new territory that I don't think the weatherman really know what will happen.

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## cabomhn

I would like to post this here as a comparison. The European model has a great track record, which is horribly ironic since it's developed by a part of the world that doesn't even get hurricanes (regularly). I definitely think it should be taken seriously even far north in Florida! They are showing it hitting the keys as a CAT 5, and worstly, the waters on both sides of the state are warm and low pressure right now.

https://arstechnica.com/science/201...arvey-the-european-model-outperformed-humans/

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## Don Ratcliff

@Lou Currier click on the link that @cabomhn posted, it looks like you have been moonlighting as a NOAA map maker.

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## rocky1

I understand that Lou, but as it scrubs speed off it should diminish in size somewhat too. Tracking further west that's going to pull it away from the east coast, and take fuel away from the strong side of the storm.

The Euro model is highly accurate Matt; I do understand that. The local weatherman here called the track of Harvey almost perfectly several days in advance, using that model. The only part of that storm he missed was the little jog back out to sea just before hitting Louisiana, and he as well as everyone else missed the 50" rainfall totals, although he was saying 35" was a given, and 40" could be possible. He called the Category 4 on Harvey just before it made landfall, 28 hours before it happened, well before the National Weather Service called it. Same weatherman that called that one almost perfectly using the Euro model, is discounting the Euro model on this one.

This time of year any storm crossing the straits of Florida is going to build when it crosses the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. They showed surface temps there earlier ranging 85 - 90 degrees, in discussing that build up. So while it is diminishing slightly, scrubbing speed off on Cuba, to the point the eye wall is trying to collapse and reform at present, may even drop to category 3 before it gets done rubbing off the mountains in Cuba, it IS going to rebuild across the straits, that much is a given! Again however, as it tracks further west, it takes it away from that warm water along the east coast, reducing the fuel that feeds it. On the west side, the winds on the leading edge of the storm are going to push warmer surface water out to sea, and cooler subsurface water is going to roll up under that along the coast, so that's going to drop surface temps where its sucking moist air up to feed the storm.

There's also a ridge of High Pressure, although feeble it may be, hanging across the state from down around Tampa up through Jacksonville. That too offers resistance; it reduces wind speed, causes turbulence, diminishes size of the storm.

If you watch the storm track on Weather Nation guys, they have repeatedly for the last 2 1/2 hours, shown this thing diminished to tropical storm force right at the Georgia line, and where they keep putting that little swirley with the open center, indicating a tropical storm, not a hurricane of any given category, is about 20 miles west of me. They're saying winds of 45 to 75 mph here.

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## Clay3063

As Mary and I sit safe here in Colorado, our prayers are for all of you in Florida. I'll be checking in from time to time to see how things are going. I am still fielding calls from Harvey and routing them in the proper direction, though not near as many yesterday as the day before. One word of advice, as with Harvey, Irma is a storm the likes of which have not been seen before. Don't play with this one. Get out if you can. If not, hunker down, stay safe and pray.

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## Clay3063

I just saw this posted on FB. In every disaster there are those who can't get out. I have already worked with a different organization to try to get a homeless man who had family here in Texas out of harms way. Unfortunately, he took the money that was sent for bus fare and spent it on other things. But, for those who want out and can't get out it looks like Florida is doing all they can to get those people out. 

"Florida - Georgia - Tenn peeps and anyone in the path of hurricane Irma... Governor Rick Scott has just announced that if you think you can't get out of a mandatory evacuation area, whether for lack of fuel or for any reason, please call 1-800-955-5504 right now. He said state services will do everything in their power to help get anyone in a mandatory evacuation area out as soon as possible. Even if you are elderly, disabled, have pets, have no money to pay, etc. - they will do everything they can to get you and your loved ones out. If you need help, please call. Again, the number is 1-800-955-5504. Stay safe, everyone."

You might post this on your FB pages.

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## Mike1950

watching and reading about both these storms-I have come to 2 conclusions. 1 YIKESSSSSSSS
2. I take back anything bad I said about this...



 

winter can be a pain in the butt But you cannot shovel 50 inches of water nor do much with 150 mile a hour winds....

BE SAFE....

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## rocky1

Need to send that phone number to those yo-yos in the keys that didn't leave. Local news is showing traffic cam footage downtown Key West, and there's folks driving around, out riding their scooters, said one was dancing in the street earlier.  

I don't know... Those folks obviously have a serious desire for adrenaline rush, have testicles the size of bowling balls, are badly in need of a bath, have a death wish, or something! They live on a sandbar out in the middle of the ocean, 7 square miles of sand and coral reef, 1 acre of which hits a maximum elevation of 18 ft., the vast majority of which is only single digits above sea level! They're staring at a forecast of double digit tidal surge, 190 mph wind gusts, probably going to be cut off from civilization for months if they do somehow manage to not wash out to sea, and they're gonna ride it out.

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## Tony

Man, I'm really worried about y'all guys down there. It's my understanding if you're not out it's too late at this point. I pray all is well for you...

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## cabomhn

rocky1 said:


> Need to send that phone number to those yo-yos in the keys that didn't leave. Local news is showing traffic cam footage downtown Key West, and there's folks driving around, out riding their scooters, said one was dancing in the street earlier.
> 
> I don't know... Those folks obviously have a serious desire for adrenaline rush, have testicles the size of bowling balls, are badly in need of a bath, have a death wish, or something! They live on a sandbar out in the middle of the ocean, 7 square miles of sand and coral reef, 1 acre of which hits a maximum elevation of 18 ft., the vast majority of which is only single digits above sea level! They're staring at a forecast of double digit tidal surge, 190 mph wind gusts, probably going to be cut off from civilization for months if they do somehow manage to not wash out to sea, and they're gonna ride it out.



Definitely agreed. Man, I wish people would take it more seriously sometimes.

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## rocky1

Most folks have given up on evacuating at this point Tony, traffic on I-95 looks normal this morning according to the news. Last night it was still bumper to bumper. We still had steady traffic past the house last night at midnight - 1 am. Gas stations are tapped out, many are closing so employees can get out, boarding up the stores, etc. Basically at this point, anyone who was going to run already has, those who were going to stay aren't leaving regardless. 

It is however entertaining watching the translators for the hearing impaired!

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## Spinartist

Well, I feel rested after three 12 hour days of storm prep in 91* heat. Wind now is 17 mph with gusts of 30.
Supposed to be solid 40 mph about 7:00 pm.

Very little rain so far. Current report is tomorrow we will have up to 80 mph sustained wind with gusts of 100 mph. Most folks are ready or have left town.
West coast of Florida now in Irma's sights.

One of my friends left yesterday morning for Steinhachee, Fl. north of Tampa. Looks like he may have made a bad decision.

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## Spinartist

Latest technology in hurricane auto protection!!!
(Yes... One of my neighbors really did this. I'll get an "after" photo to see if it worked!)

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## Spinartist

First heavy storm feeder band came through. 50 mph gusts & pounding rain for about 20 minutes. Tornado in west of county just into the everglades. No threat to homes. Wind back down to 23 mph.

Latest update said we may get only 75mph winds at its worst tomorrow.

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## Blueglass

My stepdad is riding it out on Big Pine Key. His house is stupid overbuilt but I wouldn't have done it.

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## rocky1

Sounds like a good deal Lee! Still waiting to see if it's coming ashore at Cedar Key and going to slam us up here, and thus if I need to go find plywood and start boarding up windows, (_not quite sure how the hell you do that on a brick house with aluminum windows though_), if it's still going to hit south of Tampa and wind down a little before it gets here, or if we can drag everything back out of the barn 'cause it's going to Houston. 

Told the wife when all the bat guana she moved from the back porch and the pool comes out of the little barn, half of it needs to go out side the road on garbage day! Little barn was built as a 1 car garage, it's packed full! Plants hanging off the rafters, plants on the floor, plants on shelves, lawn chairs, lawn tables, lounge chairs, etc. etc. etc. 

Overflow hit my shop, a few goodies went out to the wood pile and got firewood piled on top of them. 

Can now almost imagine how Tom feels too... Great aunt had a massive stroke last night, family declined life support, on the basis she wouldn't have wanted to live in a vegetative state, which was the only chance they gave her. She passed away about 5 pm this evening. Only consolation is dad missed a doctor's appointment last week, and he and mom spent the afternoon with her. She was my maternal Grandmother's last remaining sister; 95 years old, if I recall correctly. Was still sharp as a tack, and fairly active for her age until the end.

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## rocky1

Blueglass said:


> My stepdad is riding it out on Big Pine Key. His house is stupid overbuilt but I wouldn't have done it.



I hope it was built about 3 stories high Les, the storm surge may be 2 stories deep!

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## Blueglass

rocky1 said:


> I hope it was built about 3 stories high Les, the storm surge may be 2 stories deep!


He will more than likely be fine. He is likely to be eating canned beans for 2 weeks though.

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## rocky1

I wouldn't go visit for a few days!

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## rocky1

LEEEEEEE!!! You and Toto better hang on! 

In the event you get sucked up in one of those tornadoes, let us know if the tin man has any burls stashed up there in Oz!

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## rocky1

Blueglass said:


> He will more than likely be fine. He is likely to be eating canned beans for 2 weeks though.



How do they get power down there to the Keys Les? Been a LONG TIME since I was down there, (_50 years or so_), they have power and telephone strung on the bridges? Big Diesel generators? Water I assume is Sea Water run through Reverse Osmosis treatment. Or, some reeeeally deep wells to get beyond influence of sea water.

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## Tom Smart

rocky1 said:


> Sounds like a good deal Lee! Still waiting to see if it's coming ashore at Cedar Key and going to slam us up here, and thus if I need to go find plywood and start boarding up windows, (_not quite sure how the hell you do that on a brick house with aluminum windows though_), if it's still going to hit south of Tampa and wind down a little before it gets here, or if we can drag everything back out of the barn 'cause it's going to Houston.
> 
> Told the wife when all the bat guana she moved from the back porch and the pool comes out of the little barn, half of it needs to go out side the road on garbage day! Little barn was built as a 1 car garage, it's packed full! Plants hanging off the rafters, plants on the floor, plants on shelves, lawn chairs, lawn tables, lounge chairs, etc. etc. etc.
> 
> Overflow hit my shop, a few goodies went out to the wood pile and got firewood piled on top of them.
> 
> Can now almost imagine how Tom feels too... Great aunt had a massive stroke last night, family declined life support, on the basis she wouldn't have wanted to live in a vegetative state, which was the only chance they gave her. She passed away about 5 pm this evening. Only consolation is dad missed a doctor's appointment last week, and he and mom spent the afternoon with her. She was my maternal Grandmother's last remaining sister; 95 years old, if I recall correctly. Was still sharp as a tack, and fairly active for her age until the end.



Very sorry to hear that, Rocky.


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## rocky1

One of those mixed emotion things on this one Tom, she was happy and fairly healthy until the end, to go that way is a blessing. 

Grandma suffered for years, lost a leg to Diabetes, spent 4-5 years in a wheelchair, diabetes robbed her of her sight, her hearing failed, Dementia set in her last two years. Didn't recognize any of the grandchildren, insisted she only had 2 children, absolutely refused to recognize my mother or my uncle. Was really hard on mom, and hard on dad too toward the end. I'm sure that influenced the family's decision as well.

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## Spinartist

The strongest rain/wind band so far is just getting to my place. It's coming off the ocean & spawned several tornados from south Miami (30 miles away) up to south Ft Lauderdale with radar showing several tornadic rotations off shore in the band headed this way.

Block next to mine lost power. Heard transformer blow.

Gonna be a long night...

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## rocky1

Hang in there bud! If you get to Oz before me, give the wizard a hug and tell him it was from the silly islander!

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## Spinartist

Band is spiraling to the west & moving slowly north


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## Spinartist

rocky1 said:


> Hang in there bud! If you get to Oz before me, give the wizard a hug and tell him it was from the silly islander!




Will do!
Wait... He kind of looks like the islander doesn't he!! Mmmm...

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## Don Ratcliff

Spinartist said:


> Will do! Wait... He kind of looks like the islander doesn't he!! Mmmm...
> View attachment 133967

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## Spinartist

Hurricane Irma ponderings...

Neighbors Jet ski secured nicely!!




Idiot neighbor in next buildings unsecured airboat.
This dipwad left the airboat sitting during the last storm. At least he hooked the trailer to his truck for Irma.




A block away, a dozen Norfolk Island Pines & flags flying before the storm. What will they be like after Irma tomorrow??

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## rocky1

I don't have that problem, anything gets near my house it's either tree, or it flew a LONG ways!

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## Spinartist

Gnite kids. Quiet now. Strong storm band passed by. I going to sleep. Hopefully I'll have electric in morning.

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## rocky1

Now that's funny right there!! But I hope you do too!! That leaves more trucks to fix our bat guana up here, and fewer days I got to run the generator!


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## rocky1

I don't know what they did in Houston, but knowing this one was coming for as long as they've known it was coming, they have been hauling power poles into the state of Florida and stock piling them for about the last 10 days. LOTS of power poles!!


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## Spinartist

WOW!! 8 am. Phone says only 35 mph wind. Sounds much worse. Gust gotta be 60 mph or more!

Sounds like hell outside. Power flickering as I'm typing this.

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## Spinartist

130 mph eye going across lower Florida Keys now between Key West & the 7 mile bridge.
TV says we have another 8 - 10 hours before it gets better here.

Very glad I got the metal hurricane shutters up!!!

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## Lou Currier

We are experiencing the calm before the storm right now...light wind and light rain but have had a few tornado warnings.

I am the blue dot at the top.

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## rocky1

Got a light drizzle going on here, bit of a breeze. Models keep tracking further and further west as time goes on up here in North Florida. Eye appears headed more toward Tallahassee this morning, which isn't hurting my feelings at all. Lou stay safe down there, you and Ray D. and a few others down Tampa/St Pete way are going to see the ugliest part of this today. 

Tom, did you and the family leave or are you folks still trying to ride it out. Talking serious storm surge down there 10 - 15 ft. possible. 

Sound like folks in the Keys are in deep bat guana, talking 30+ ft. waves hitting the islands at the moment, 140 mph winds.

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## Spinartist

Norfolk's & flags are still there so far! There is a tree across the main road I could see a couple blocks away.




New roof on building across court yard lost a few shingles!! Was just installed last week!




Little flooding on street out back.




And the high tech auto hurricane protection one of my neighbors did is holding up nicely!!

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## Lou Currier

@Spinartist how is the air boat? Is he ready to go out in It?

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## Tom Smart

rocky1 said:


> Got a light drizzle going on here, bit of a breeze. Models keep tracking further and further west as time goes on up here in North Florida. Eye appears headed more toward Tallahassee this morning, which isn't hurting my feelings at all. Lou stay safe down there, you and Ray D. and a few others down Tampa/St Pete way are going to see the ugliest part of this today.
> 
> Tom, did you and the family leave or are you folks still trying to ride it out. Talking serious storm surge down there 10 - 15 ft. possible.
> 
> Sound like folks in the Keys are in deep bat guana, talking 30+ ft. waves hitting the islands at the moment, 140 mph winds.



@rocky1 We are still here and in the house. We are several miles off the coast so the surge is not as much of a concern. There are small man made lakes and creeks dotting the area which have the potential give us problems on a lesser level. Obviously, the hurricane winds are the biggest concern. The house was built in the 80s so its not as ready as newer structures might be. If the roof stays on I'll be happy. 

We've had a few rounds of heavy rain this morning as the far outer bands pass through. We are about center of mass for the projected path. Any small movement east or west will have a significant impact on what we see here. Took pictures all around the inside and outside of the house in case we need them for insurance. We are potentially facing the worst scenario of the heaviest weather passing through at night, between 10pm and 2am.

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## rocky1

Running over land is causing the old gal issues Tom. It's wanting to break up a little, suck air into the core on the south side. It's becoming less and less stable, starting to wobble a little, turn a little east, hole is growing on the SW corner, I'd look to see it downgraded to category 3 before lunch. 

And, if I worked at Weather Nation I'd walk around and slap the bat guana out of all of these dingbats that keep saying "We're trained meteorologists, we're trained professionals, we have purpose built vehicles, y'all don't try this at home." A chicken has a head that isn't as big as a flippin ping pong ball, and it's got enough sense to come in out of the rain and hurricane force winds. Their odds of dying in one of these storms is no less than anyone else who exercises common sense, and makes informed decisions.

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## rocky1

Trained Professionals and Purpose Built Vehicles -

Trained Professionals and Purpose Built Vehicles II -


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## Tom Smart

rocky1 said:


> Running over land is causing the old gal issues Tom. It's wanting to break up a little, suck air into the core on the south side. It's becoming less and less stable, starting to wobble a little, turn a little east, hole is growing on the SW corner, I'd look to see it downgraded to category 3 before lunch.
> 
> And, if I worked at Weather Nation I'd walk around and slap the bat guana out of all of these dingbats that keep saying "We're trained meteorologists, we're trained professionals, we have purpose built vehicles, y'all don't try this at home." A chicken has a head that isn't as big as a flippin ping pong ball, and it's got enough sense to come in out of the rain and hurricane force winds. Their odds of dying in one of these storms is no less than anyone else who exercises common sense, and makes informed decisions.


Any downgrade is welcome news. I've turned off the storm hawkers because they aren't saying anything new. I'll check back in periodically but I'd prefer a John Wayne movie right now. Having to settle for Edmond O'Brian though.

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## Mike1950

Tom Smart said:


> Any downgrade is welcome news. I've turned off the storm hawkers because they aren't saying anything new. I'll check back in periodically but I'd prefer a John Wayne movie right now. Having to settle for Edmond O'Brian though.


Yes John Wayne or Jimmy Stewart would be considerably more beneficial and rewarding then the news. Be careful.

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## rocky1

Yeah, I try and tune the stupidity out, although that's kinda difficult as it's overwhelming at times. Just watch the radar and storm track. The rest of it, just makes me grumpy. Idiots driving around in their obviously stock off the lot "purpose built vehicles", which are more than likely rentals. And, standing out there in the rain and wind trying to dramatize them for the viewers. For what??

John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart sounds like a great alternative plan. Think I'm going to go to the shop and play a little.

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## Tom Smart

Mike1950 said:


> Yes John Wayne or Jimmy Stewart would be considerably more beneficial and rewarding then the news. Be careful.


And that right there is why "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" is at the top of my list.

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## Mike1950

Tom Smart said:


> And that right there is why "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" is at the top of my list.


Yes- but there are so many- Shenandoah- Glen Miller - Rooster Cogburn- stage coach. Kathie has every last one of them recorded and a few others-just a few. This is full of them- just in case we have a few hours to burn in future.... It weighs a ton....

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## Spinartist

Getting worse here. Phone shows 41 mph wind. Gusts have to be close or over 70 mph.
Building across court yard lost one wire off their transformer & sparks were crawling down the line toward building.

My transformer is loose on pole. Might loose power soon!

My neighbor lost a window & I taped it up. Balcony doesn't have much wind so it was safe.
A 2 & 1/2 foot iguana trying to hold on!!

Hope you folks on the west coast make it through ok!!

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## Spinartist

Lou Currier said:


> @Spinartist how is the air boat? Is he ready to go out in It?




I am glad to see he was smart enough to move it across the street where wind isn't as strong!!

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## Spinartist

Hurricane Irma ponderings...

My toilet bowl water keeps going down to a quarter of its normal level... 

Hey Irma, what up with that??


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## rocky1

Parked behind the wind break? Or, using the building for a Backstop?? 

As for the ponderings... It's Toilet Bowl Surge. All the water is being sucked out of the toilet bowl, when the storm passes it's going to come back with a vengeance!

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## Spinartist

I'm parked on that side too. Wind is blowing over the buildings so not much chance of damage.

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## rocky1

The lowered bowl level is resultant of low barometric pressure, and high winds over the roof. The two create a negative pressure over the sewer vent pipe, and do in fact suck water out of the trap in your toilet and sink drains. Wind typically has to be out of the right direction to do it. If you're really bored, watch the water in the bowl and listen to the wind; the harder the gusts, the more movement you'll see in the bowl.

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## Tony

rocky1 said:


> The lowered bowl level is resultant of low barometric pressure, and high winds over the roof. The two create a negative pressure over the sewer vent pipe, and do in fact suck water out of the trap in your toilet and sink drains. Wind typically has to be out of the right direction to do it. If you're really bored, watch the water in the bowl and listen to the wind; the harder the gusts, the more movement you'll see in the bowl.



I'm not in a hurricane but after a wild game dinner last night my bowl has seen a lot of movement! Tony

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## Spinartist

Strongest winds gusts so far!!

Your TBS (Toilet Bowl Surge) explanation sounds like it holds water!!!

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## Mike1950

Tony said:


> I'm not in a hurricane but after a wild game dinner last night my bowl has seen a lot of movement! Tony



I think this is considerably more than we need to know....

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## Spinartist

Tony said:


> I'm not in a hurricane but after a wild game dinner last night my bowl has seen a lot of movement! Tony

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## rocky1

Yeah... Wind has to be over the peak of the roof, sidewall, or something, hence "right direction". If the wind gets high enough, it'll create enough turbulence over a flat roof, or any roof for that matter, to do it, (_that's part of the reason code requires your vent stack be a certain height above the roof_), but it has to blow horizontally across above the vent to create lift, and thus create vacuum.

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## Blueglass

Wind and rain, wind and rain.

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## Lou Currier

Wind has picked up pretty good and pelting the front of the house...some good ponds puddling up around the house

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## Lou Currier

If it stays going in the current direction the eye will go just west of us...we are the blue dot in the middle.

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## Ray D

It's going to be a rough evening for our area. Stay safe Lou.

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## rocky1

On a positive note it is weakening some over land! 

Lee is still alive and well guys, lost TV and Internet. Said they still have wind and rain there, but he still has electricity.

Raining here all afternoon, few minor gusts, the worst of it's not supposed to be here until after 2 am however. Pretty sure the generator will be running here in the morning.

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## Lou Currier

Blowing pretty heavy and steady now...can hear the wind howling, taking in water through the front door and window area...shoddy construction! Branches keep pelting the front windows

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## rocky1

Not good! Duct tape maybe!! Not sure I'd want to stand in front of the windows with the branches pelting them, to tape things up though. Put towels over them

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## ripjack13

Just checked in with Lee....he's still kickin.....

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## Tom Smart

WE WERE LUCKY. Dodged the biggest of bullets. We went from being on the advancing (east) side of a Cat 4 running up the coast yesterday to a being on the west side of a fast moving Cat 2/3 moving up more towards the center of the state. Winds are subsiding some, enough to feel we can get some sleep. 

Power went out about 6pm but all seems OK. All except for the dummy next door who let his dog out without a leash and was last seen moving along the lake front shouting for it. Maybe we'll find him floating in there tomorrow.

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## rocky1

Never will understand why people chase dogs, they'll come home when they get hungry.

Glad to hear you and the family are safe and well Tom!

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## rocky1

Looks like the worst of it is headed straight for you Lou. Weather channel just said wind gusts measured at Sebring up to 90 mph. 

And, of course they mispronounced Sebring!


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## ripjack13

rocky1 said:


> Looks like the worst of it is headed straight for you Lou. Weather channel just said wind gusts measured at Sebring up to 90 mph.
> 
> And, of course they mispronounced Sebring!



See-bring? Or did they say Seb-ring


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## rocky1

ripjack13 said:


> See-bring? Or did they say Seb-ring



Seb-ring!



Les I wouldn't blow the candles out over there on the Space Coast, these guys keep talking about this thing tracking up the state, but it looks to me like it's back to tracking across the state like the models originally suggested.

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## rocky1

Obviously the little race track and all the world renowned races held there have escaped them, while they were staring at the clouds!


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## SENC

rocky1 said:


> Looks like the worst of it is headed straight for you Lou. Weather channel just said wind gusts measured at Sebring up to 90 mph.
> 
> And, of course they mispronounced Sebring!


How do you mispronounce Sebring!?!

Glad all are well so far, and hoping all have a safe night.


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## Lou Currier

Buckling in ready for the ride

Can you believe the little dirt bag Bulgars are out in this stuff breaking into cars! Unreal!

Power keeps flickering...probably going to lose it soon.

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## rocky1

Several videos of the BLM movement helping themselves to armloads of Nike's and other items important to survival (_sarcasm implied_) in Ft Lauderdale, on Facebook. The Mayors have been on TV telling everyone police and fire are being pulled in so they aren't in harms way, so the worthless bastards know there is no law enforcement out to apprehend them.

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## Lou Currier

So the little burglars jumped in the lake to get away from the police and we have 70mph wind gusts SMH!

She's almost here  eye wall is just passing my brothers house now. He said 90-100mph sustained winds.

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## rocky1

Just gives them time to get there with the canine unit! Swat Team!!

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## rocky1

Yee Haa!! Power just went down! 

Tried to restart! 

Didn't!


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## Lou Currier

@rocky1  I still have power and the eye is just now passing through. Trees amaze me at how much of a beating they can take.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1 | Sincere 1


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## rocky1

The ugly stuff is about over Lou!! Fixing to ease off!!

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 1


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## rocky1

Lou Currier said:


> @rocky1  I still have power and the eye is just now passing through. Trees amaze me at how much of a beating they can take.



What amazes me is. mine was off a few minutes, tried to restart a second time, and came back on! That is unheard of out here!!

Reactions: Like 1


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## rocky1

If these morons that work as weather reporters were just a little bit dumber, they could get elected to congress!

Moron 1 is standing out there with a pair of goggles on, with paper taped inside the lenses, with eyeballs drawn on them, talking about this being safety equipment to protect his eyes from flying debris. I guess if you don't see the roof off the house coming at you, and it smacks your dumb ass into the ground, long as you don't get dirt in your eyes, it's all good!

Then the next moron is talking about "that sign is about ready to fall off the pole, and launch, and become a missile!" Then they all start questioning her from the news desk... And, they've got the news van parked beside the car wash, down wind from the damn missile that's about ready to launch!

This is not to mention Jim Cantore wading around in waste deep water in downtown Miami earlier today, and the Weather Channel has all these great big warnings on the website telling you "DO NOT WADE IN FLOODWATERS!", right below where the video showing him do that plays. But he's a trained professional, the raw sewage, grease and oil, swift currents, and Alligators are afraid of him and his super powers! (_of stupidity!!_)

Then there was the rookie weather flunky walking around in Tampa Bay telling everyone, not to walk around in the bay. You could tell he was a rookie however because he still had enough brains to be skeered! He refused to get more than about 20 yards from the sea wall. But he sure nuff had the balls to tell everyone else in the world, DO NOT DO THIS!

I'm with Tom, I think I need to go watch John Wayne for a while!

Reactions: Like 2 | Great Post 1 | Funny 3


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## rocky1

And, now it's off again!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Lou Currier

We missed the eye...just touching the eastern side of it so we didn't get that calm before the winds changed directions so it continues to blow!

Reactions: Like 1


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## rocky1

Hasn't really blown here yet. Little breezey but that's about it. Currently going on 3 inches of rain in last 4 hrs, total of 5 since yesterday morning. And this thing still stretches to the other end of the state, with little sign of letting up anytime soon. 

That much rain ahead of the wind, trees and powerlines will be down all over for sure.

Reactions: Like 1 | Sincere 2


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## Tom Smart

Power just came back on here. I'm pretty amazed. I actually slept all night.

Reactions: Like 5 | Way Cool 2


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## Tom Smart

Still too dark yet to survey outside. I opened the front door just in time to catch a flash of light on the horizon and a large bang. Bet it was a transformer blowing. But our lights remained on.

I can now have coffee! What am I going to do now with all the canned "meat" like products and peanut butter.

Reactions: Funny 6 | Sincere 1


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## Lou Currier

Well like Tom I managed to get some sleep but still have power, amazing!. The worst is over. Lost some trees and the gate to my fence but could have been a lot worse. A lot of damage around town but can't get out yet. Can only imagine if it was a cat 3 coming through. 

Still getting some strong wind gusts and one of the outer bands is getting ready to come through.

Reactions: Like 5


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## Lou Currier

Now I look like @Brink

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 1 | Agree 1 | Funny 11


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## Blueglass

We did great on Merritt island. Lots of clean up but nothing. Big

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 7


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## Tom Smart

Lou Currier said:


> View attachment 134065
> Now I look like @Brink


The best thing....

...is that this thread has now transitioned to the joking phase. 

We just need to hear from @rocky1 who, I don't think, has had the full experience yet.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 4


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## Lou Currier

Not that the hurricane was bad enough now we are getting sink holes in town

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## Tom Smart

Lou Currier said:


> Not that the hurricane was bad enough now we are getting sink holes in town


That can't be good.

Reactions: Agree 3


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## Ray D

We made it through safe. Minimal damage. Still have power. Daughters family had to evacuate to our home being she was in an evacuation zone. They just left to check the damage in their Apollo Beach neighborhood. We definitely dodged a bullet.

Reactions: Like 6


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## rocky1

All is good here! Still no power, but I'm on the end of the power line, it only runs another 6 - 8 miles, 1 house, Agriculture Inspection Station, a hunting camp, 2 cell towers, old satellite phone tower, and a radar navigation beacon for commercial aircraft beyond me. Hunting camp is vacant, retired bachelor in the house, phone towers and the radar beacon all have generators, so it could be awhile. But there's about 30 - households out here on the end of the line out, and it's out beyond our little last leg because the store is out of power too. They were down there trying to get things going at the store this morning, bought a 12 KW PTO generator but had no way of testing it until the power went out. SO....

Damage appears minimal otherwise, leaves, limbs, and trees down everywhere, only one on the power line in 8 miles of highway I surveyed, and it's just on the ground wire. Either the highway department or JR/George, (_JR has multiple personality disorder, you don't want to be around when George comes to visit_), has been out cutting trees back out of the highway already.

Was good here at the house when I left, tree down in the field next to the sister-in-laws drive, tree down in her back yard. All the prep around the shop paid off, not a thing out of place down there. Few small branches out of the trees, but no bee boxes of any nature blown around, and there's a bunch of goodies that could have. Returned to the house, and one of the half dozen pines we left in the field, because IT WAS TOO DAMN BIG TO GO TO THE MILL, is now laying in the yard, out by the pond. Thought I was loosing my mind for a minute, but the wife said she's sure it was standing when I left too.

Short leaf pine, about 35 - 40" in diameter at the base here in my yard.
Water Oak in the SIL's back yard, about 25" in diameter, the one in the front yard was old oak hollow and rotted in the middle.
Wife just noticed Holly down in the backyard about 12" in diameter... Finally! Something worth turning!! 

Wind is still blowing pretty good, so this list may not be complete yet!

Reactions: Like 6 | +Karma 2


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## Tony

Glad you're okay Rock! Can't wait to see that Holly cut up! Tony

Reactions: Agree 3


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## TimR

Glad to hear impact minimal for most part Rocky...and of course, the bonus holly!

Reactions: Agree 2


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## rocky1

Yeah, but the bees loved the bonus holly! So it's a win/lose situation. 

Got to go check on the wife's uncle, see if he's passed out, or dead, or blown away, or what. 

Be back after awhile guys! Y'all hold down the fort!!

Reactions: Like 4 | Funny 1


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## Brink

Lou Currier said:


> View attachment 134065
> Now I look like @Brink



But do you attract the ladies like I do?

Reactions: Funny 4


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## rocky1

Flies don't count, even if they are female brinkl!! 

Wife's uncle was still alive, what I thought was water oak in the back yard down there is Red Oak, twin trees, so twice as much firewood. Several more trees down in the field, one big Maple, but half of it dead, not sure what I may find usable in it, but it appears there may be some turning stock there too. Otherwise a sweet gum down, little live oak, water oak, few pine tops, of course the Cherry Laurel with all the burls in the top of it didn't fall. Forgot the pine out there by the pond is forked about 12 feet off the ground 35 - 40 inches at base two trunks 30+ feet a foot in diameter, full of limbs! 

Checked power company website, just as was the case with Matthew last year, nothing out here is showing up on the outage map! So phone calls are being made to make them aware everyone out here is out of power. 

Don't know for sure, but it looks like way more than the 7 1/2" of rain in the gauge fell. Water standing everywhere over 35 acres I rode around. And, not just a little water either, 4 - 5" of water standing everywhere.

Reactions: Like 3


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## Tony

rocky1 said:


> Flies don't count, even if they are female brinkl!!
> 
> Wife's uncle was still alive, what I thought was water oak in the back yard down there is Red Oak, twin trees, so twice as much firewood. Several more trees down in the field, one big Maple, but half of it dead, not sure what I may find usable in it, but it appears there may be some turning stock there too. Otherwise a sweet gum down, little live oak, water oak, few pine tops, of course the Cherry Laurel with all the burls in the top of it didn't fall. Forgot the pine out there by the pond is forked about 12 feet off the ground 35 - 40 inches at base two trunks 30+ feet a foot in diameter, full of limbs!
> 
> Checked power company website, just as was the case with Matthew last year, nothing out here is showing up on the outage map! So phone calls are being made to make them aware everyone out here is out of power.
> 
> Don't know for sure, but it looks like way more than the 7 1/2" of rain in the gauge fell. Water standing everywhere over 35 acres I rode around. And, not just a little water either, 4 - 5" of water standing everywhere.



I hope the mosquitos aren't too bad with all that standing water! Tony

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Mike1950

Sure is a nice resource- all you on the ground reporters giving us the straight info about the storm. Only downside is we do not get to watch- then again I doubt if @rocky1 looks as good in a short skirt as some of the reporters do.... .............................

Reactions: Agree 2 | Funny 5


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## CWS

Mike1950 said:


> Sure is a nice resource- all you on the ground reporters giving us the straight info about the storm. Only downside is we do not get to watch- then again I doubt if @rocky1 looks as good in a short skirt as some of the reporters do.... .............................


What channel have you been watching?

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 2


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## Don Ratcliff

CWS said:


> What channel have you been watching?


Telemundo, He likes the "Hot Tamales"

Reactions: Funny 5


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## Tom Smart

Don Ratcliff said:


> Telemundo, He likes the "Hot Tamales"


Believe that was a different thread.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## rocky1

Tony said:


> I hope the mosquitos aren't too bad with all that standing water! Tony



Hoping it blew all the little bastards out of here... Bigguns too! We've been having rain pretty steady for last couple months and we have a bumper crop. 

Standing water is not really an issue here at the house, soil is all river sand, creek half mile north of the house, and one a half mile south of the house, it runs off or soaks in pretty quick. River is only a half mile away, that may back up and flood the plain, but that's pretty common, and nothing is built on it up here in the sticks. Folks out here in the woods is smarter than them out there along the coast. 

Most of our rain fell this morning, didn't really start raining until about 10 last night, had 2 inches at 1:30 this morning, woke up around 4 had 3 1/2", dumped the gauge at 5 am, had 5 inches in it then, by 10 am this morning when I woke up again, it had quit and we had another 3 1/2", so 8 1/2" in under 12 hours, 5 of that in 5 - 6 hours. Ponds are full now, that's a blessing, been low for a year now, several of them were dry. They rose over a foot, over night, and will continue to rise as this soaks in. 





Mike1950 said:


> Sure is a nice resource- all you on the ground reporters giving us the straight info about the storm. Only downside is we do not get to watch- then again I doubt if @rocky1 looks as good in a short skirt as some of the reporters do.... .............................



Rocky does not do skirts! Damn good thing I ain't Scotch! 

Trying to get TV back up here on the generator to see what's going on in the aftermath, but it looks like satellite dish is not working. Wife tried suggesting it had turned in the wind, but it don't move with me trying to turn it, and since I can spin 750 lb drums of honey around on a concrete floor in ways that makes most folks jaws drop, I'm pretty sure it ain't loose!

Reactions: Funny 3


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## Don Ratcliff

Tom Smart said:


> Believe that was a different thread.


Have you seen the reporters on Telemundo? If @Mike1950 is looking at the low cut tops and the high cut skirts with a twinkle in his eye it is on Telemundo for sure. They are Hot Tamales in the good looking sense, not the dried up husk stuff @Tony was talking about.

Reactions: Funny 4


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## Tom Smart

Not everyone was a lucky as we were. 

Been emergency sirens all day long.

Reactions: Sincere 10


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## ripjack13

trees don't root so well in the sand.....

Reactions: Agree 4


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## Tom Smart

rocky1 said:


> Rocky does not do skirts! Damn good thing I ain't Scotch!


@rocky1 Yo, Rock, Scotch is a distilled drink, made from malted barley. The Scottish or Scots are the folks with the kilts. And I am a Scot (a full 50% anyway).

Reactions: Like 2 | Thank You! 1 | Funny 1


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## Mike1950

i do not watch tv, what is telemundo? I know- opening myself up for more verbal abuse...

Reactions: Funny 2 | Way Cool 1


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## Mike1950

Tom Smart said:


> Not everyone was a lucky as we were.
> 
> Been emergency sirens all day long.
> 
> View attachment 134093 View attachment 134094 View attachment 134095



Did ya come equipped with your chainsaw

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Tom Smart

Mike1950 said:


> Did ya come equipped with your chainsaw


Wish I had that and my pickup.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## rocky1

While Jacksonville escaped the brunt of the storm, storm surge has kicked their asses over there. Dumbass out there trying to kayack in the white caps on the St Johns River, which is out of it's banks everywhere over there. 

I think Brink and Henry corrupted me Tom, if I drank Scotch, I might! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!

Reactions: Funny 2


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## rocky1

Mike1950 said:


> i do not watch tv, what is telemundo? I know- opening myself up for more verbal abuse...




Telemundo is Mexican TV, known for weather girls built like Barbie. Who wear dresses that look like they were sprayed on.

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 1 | Agree 2


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## Lou Currier

There you go and get the  all excited

Reactions: Great Post 1 | Funny 5


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## rocky1

Jacksonville looks like a repeat of Houston at present. It'll go away faster because it's tidal flooding, but video of blocks under water. Peterbuilt sitting under main street bridge with water up to the windows. Wells Fargo building the underground parking lot, is now an underground swimming pool! Water is up to the ground floor in the garage, and they had a wall in the drive sealing it from running in. Water is a foot or two deeper outside the wall. Blocks of streets underwater, more idiot reporters wading around knee deep doing broadcasts, telling everyone to stay out of the water.

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## Tom Smart

rocky1 said:


> I think Brink and Henry corrupted me Tom, if I drank Scotch, I might! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!


Put it on first and then drink the Scotch. It makes it taste much better.

Reactions: Like 2 | Funny 2


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## rocky1

News is now saying water won't crest over there until 9 tonight, expecting another foot of water yet with high tide. Houses submerged, boats parked on the roof, two story houses the ground floor is underwater, second floor is inches away, will have close to a foot of water in the second floor before it's done. Only way in or out is by boat at this point.

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## Mike1950

rocky1 said:


> News is now saying water won't crest over there until 9 tonight, expecting another foot of water yet with high tide. Houses submerged, boats parked on the roof, two story houses the ground floor is underwater, second floor is inches away, will have close to a foot of water in the second floor before it's done. Only way in or out is by boat at this point.


Wow us desert guys cannot imagine these rain amounts. Last year we got an inch in 24 hrs. It was a record...


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## Brink

CWS said:


> What channel have you been watching?

Reactions: Great Post 1 | Funny 6


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## rocky1

Mike1950 said:


> Wow us desert guys cannot imagine these rain amounts. Last year we got an inch in 24 hrs. It was a record...



Jacksonville was predominantly tidal surge Mike. Figured tidal surge was 5 1/2' at high tide. Where the coast makes that little swoop in up the coast of Florida and Georgia the water stacked up. Jacksonville and Savannah both flooded bad. Trees down over there, but not as bad as one would imagine. Didn't get a lot of rain, 4-5" in most places. But anything along the river, and any of the low spots in town, it backed in out of the river. Couldn't run off where it didn't run in.

238,000 homes and businesses without power in Jacksonville, Clay Electric claims 160.000+ out, everything on our electric company is out. 

Country store opened today, Burgers on the menu only, with or without fries. Sold over 40 lbs of ground beef in hamburgers. PTO generator didn't work, so he's jockeying 3 small generators around between coolers as he typically does. 

Sister's boyfriend made expedited trip back from ND for the storm, arrived Friday night late. He and a couple other neighbors were out clearing roads today, from here locally to the Georgia line, about 15 miles, said they found maybe 4 trees on the road, turned to the west on Highway 6 said they must have found close to 40 trees down in 3 miles to the river. Most of the BIG trees! 


Lee is still alive and well, just got a text from him... picking up, cleaning up, saving the ex-wife with generator he wasn't using. Pulled his storm shutters down so he can see out.

Reactions: Like 4


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## Mike1950

rocky1 said:


> Jacksonville was predominantly tidal surge Mike. Figured tidal surge was 5 1/2' at high tide. Where the coast makes that little swoop in up the coast of Florida and Georgia the water stacked up. Jacksonville and Savannah both flooded bad. Trees down over there, but not as bad as one would imagine. Didn't get a lot of rain, 4-5" in most places. But anything along the river, and any of the low spots in town, it backed in out of the river. Couldn't run off where it didn't run in.
> 
> 238,000 homes and businesses without power in Jacksonville, Clay Electric claims 160.000+ out, everything on our electric company is out.
> 
> Country store opened today, Burgers on the menu only, with or without fries. Sold over 40 lbs of ground beef in hamburgers. PTO generator didn't work, so he's jockeying 3 small generators around between coolers as he typically does.
> 
> Sister's boyfriend made expedited trip back from ND for the storm, arrived Friday night late. He and a couple other neighbors were out clearing roads today, from here locally to the Georgia line, about 15 miles, said they found maybe 4 trees on the road, turned to the west on Highway 6 said they must have found close to 40 trees down in 3 miles to the river. Most of the BIG trees!
> 
> 
> Lee is still alive and well, just got a text from him... picking up, cleaning up, saving the ex-wife with generator he wasn't using. Pulled his storm shutters down so he can see out.


Only 4 or 5 inches. We get 15 in a year. Thanks for update.


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## Wildthings

Definitely a non rain event compared to Harvey where we got 4-5" per hour

Reactions: Agree 3


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## rocky1

No Barry, worst I've heard was around 12" of rain, problem was size of the storm, and the winds. Weather man trying to put it into perspective the other night, said Irma was bigger than the state of Texas. This storm covered Florida from north to south, and was SEVERAL miles up into Georgia, at one point. It's over 350 miles from one end of Florida to the other.

Tampa Bay covers over 400 square miles, and at one point it was empty! The wind had pushed all the water in the bay and the Gulf of Mexico out far enough to drain it. Weather moron was walking around out in the bay, there were people over a half mile out there walking in the bay, there was not water evident anywhere in the video. That saved Tampa, when the surge hit, it had someplace to go, and it hit at low tide. 

Jacksonville on the other hand, gets all the water running up the St Johns River all the way from Lake Okeechobee, way down there in Lee's backyard in south Florida, in events like this, then the storm surge backs into the river. Compound that with the size of this storm pushing all that water into the bend on the Florida/Georgia coast, at high tide, and that's a SERIOUS problem even with only 5" of rain. The same held true in Houston however, as Harvey backed surge up into Galveston Bay for days while putting all that rain down. It simply had no place to go, on top of everything else.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Blueglass

Can't wait to get water and power back, I need a shower.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Sincere 3


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## rocky1

Heard anything from your dad Les? Few pictures from the keys on the news this morning it didn't look good down there!!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## rocky1

Well word is we may not be seeing power for a few days... SVEC our service provider says they purchase power from Seminole Electric, which is wheeled by Florida Power and Light. Seems SE and FPL both have damage to their transmission lines, so they can't even get power to SVEC until that is repaired. If you believe all of that! 

FPL serves Lakes City, and at least part of town was back on last night. Enough I could see light on the horizon 18 miles out here in the country. And, last fall FPL employees said SVEC don't like paying OT, so FPL don't help SVEC. They had tree trimmers helping them last time all this went down. We'll see!!

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## rocky1

Word is... They are half way here with power already!! Should be back up and running tomorrow sometime! I hope!! 

Old man's generator blew up today. Was acting up, got it running better, he went to lunch, came back and oil was running out of the corner of the bed of the go-buggy. One of the neighbors has 3, had loaned 2 to folks in town, whose power was restored last night. So Dad called little sister, she advised him of them going after generators, she quick called to see where they were going with them, and they were going to the barn and lock them up, so one went to Dad's house instead, and I don't have to haul mine back and forth again. 

Still have to haul it to the Sister In Laws, she evacuated to Northern Mississippi. Last year I could have put everything in her fridge in 3 plastic sacks when I got there to run hers. I go down today to see how much is in there, and see if it's easier to move food than the generator, and that SOB is slap full!

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## Blueglass

Haven't heard from stepdad yet. No comms there yet.

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## rocky1

That's not good... Devastation they were showing on Marathon was scary. 

Back to having to drag generator around for the entire neighborhood, second generator blew up at old man's house last night!

Reactions: Sincere 3


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## Blueglass

Blueglass said:


> Haven't heard from stepdad yet. No comms there yet.


Jim's house is so ridiculously overbuilt and extra high that for now I'm not too worried about it. Plus he has been riding them out since before recorded history.

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## Tony

Blueglass said:


> Jim's house is so ridiculously overbuilt and extra high that for now I'm not too worried about it. Plus he has been riding them out since before recorded history.



Before recorded history???? I didn't know @Mike1950 had a younger brother who lived there! Tony

Reactions: Agree 2 | Great Post 1 | Funny 4


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## Blueglass

Tony said:


> Before recorded history???? I didn't know @Mike1950 had a younger brother who lived there! Tony


He and Jim would get along great too. Damn kids... get off my lawn. When I was a kid Jim would drive by us playing football and give us the bird. So we got to give him the finger back, Jim is cool!

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## Mike1950

Blueglass said:


> He and Jim would get along great too. Damn kids... get off my lawn. When I was a kid Jim would drive by us playing football and give us the bird. So we got to give him the finger back, Jim is cool!



Grrrr- I do that when I drive next to one of my boys or old employees- they would think something was wrong if I did not......

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## rocky1

Not to bad... About got folks' fridge and freezer cooled off then of to the SIL, Rounded up all extension cords in the shop cleaning this spring, hung them all up, so no dragging cords every where plugging and unplugging. Left everything plugged up at house grabbed 3-4 more and tossed on the trailer. When I get home back under the carpet and plug in. Two cords and multiple outlet junction box at Dad's, 1 cord at SIL. Just time I could be doing other things.

Braved the pool last night for a bath... Little chilly at first,  but once you got used too it it wasn't bad!

Reactions: Like 2 | Funny 1


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## Mike1950

rocky1 said:


> Not to bad... About got fold fridge and freezer cooled off then of tho the SIL, Rounded up all extension cords in the shop cleaning this spring, hung them all up, so no dragging cords every where plugging and unplugging. Left everything plugged up at house grabbed 3-4 more and tossed on the trailer. When I get home back yessir under the carpet and plug in. Two cords and multiple outlet junction box at Dad's, 1 cured at SIL. Just time I could be doing other things.
> 
> Braved the pool last night for a bath... Little chilly at first,  but once you got used too it it wasn't bad!



when we had Ice storm we were without power for 2 weeks. I was lucky when I got new furnace and gas Hot water heater I opted for 85% option instead of 95% this meant I had hot water. power or no power. I enjoyed that 2 weeks- longest vacation I took in my 25 yrs in biz - I was lazy- did absolutely nothing. every thing was down. farmed the kids out to friends who had power. Most expensive vacation I ever had- Joey- 16 stayed with his buddy Ben. Both pain in the butt teenagers, little did I know they were plotting to get Ben's mother and I together- been over 20 yrs...... Yep it was spendy...

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## rocky1

Yeah when I lived on the farm in ND I kept gas stove just to heat the house when power was out. Fuel heater, but they have to have power to run the fuel pump. Could at least fire the stove up, crack the windows, and heat the house with the stove.

Presently looking at whole house generators, and on demand propane water heaters.

Need propane for generator anyhow, get rid of this 80 gallon electric water heater, and lose half the $400 a month electric bill in the same shot. 

Presently raining out, like it isn't wet enough already. Just what I want to do... Play with the generator, in the rain!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950

rocky1 said:


> Yeah when I lived in the farm in ND I kept gas stove just to hear the house when power was out. Fuel heater but they have to have power to run fuel pump. Could at least fire the stove up crack the windows and heat the house with the stove.
> 
> Presently looking at whole house generators, and on demand propane water heaters.
> 
> Need propane for generator anyhow, get rid of this 80 gallon electric water heater, and lose half the $400 a month electric bill in the same shot.
> 
> Presently reasoning out, like it isn't wet enough already. Just what I want to do... Play with the generator, in the rain!



We have a Nat gas outlet for Barbecue that we do not use. Thinking about a nat gas generator.


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## rocky1

Looks like you can do one that will power anything short of a small mansion for about $3500 Mike. That's getting up there in the 15 - 16 KW range on Natural Gas. 

Sister and her old man have a $300 - 3 KW Harbor Freight portable wired into their breaker box, running everything but AC, water heater, and the stove. If they shut the well off, they can run the water heater and heat the tank of water, then swap it back and shower.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Tom Smart

rocky1 said:


> Presently looking at whole house generators, and on demand propane water heaters.


I have both, 16kw standby generator that self tests once each week and an on demand water heater. Both fed by a 500 gallon under ground propane tank. Folks here think those water heaters are new technology but they have been in Europe forever. You gain the floor space the 60-80 gal heater would take up and are not trying to keep that water continuously hot.

Only issue with them is those are in VA and I'm not right now. Thankfully, we have kept power beyond the initial 12 hour outage.

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## CWS

I have a 20k standby generator and if it died today I would be getting a new one tomorrow. We were out of power for a week a few years ago and have shorter outages often in the country . We never stopped using any of our appliances. (hot water tank, kitchen stove, clothes dryer, AC, and most of all the wood shop. It starts up every Wednesday for 15 minutes. I feel for everyone without electric, because I have been there. Stay safe!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950

If i stilled lived in the country i would have one. Power was sporadic in the winter. But here in 29 yrs we have been without power over a day twice and that was in the ice storm and 2 days for a windstorm.


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## Blueglass

He is fine but owes me. I knew who to send to find him.

Reactions: Way Cool 3


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## rocky1

Tom Smart said:


> I have both, 16kw standby generator that self tests once each week and an on demand water heater. Both fed by a 500 gallon under ground propane tank. Folks here think those water heaters are new technology but they have been in Europe forever. You gain the floor space the 60-80 gal heater would take up and are not trying to keep that water continuously hot.
> 
> Only issue with them is those are in VA and I'm not right now. Thankfully, we have kept power beyond the initial 12 hour outage.



Yeah... Not doing you a lot of good down there, when they're in Virginia!  

Tempted to go with the outdoor water heater. I'd loose any/all the heat it puts off inside the house too. Since we're warm enough to run the AC at times 12 months out of the year, moving any heat source outdoors is an invest in savings. 

My mother was talking about the advances in technology in these water heaters, I explained my former brother-in-law put in a tank type on demand water heater 20+ years ago! Tank held 8-10 gallons. He had 4 daughters and a wife, said every time he got in the shower, there was no hot water, even with an 80 gallon electric. Little bitty propane heater kept up fine however.



CWS said:


> I have a 20k standby generator and if it died today I would be getting a new one tomorrow. We were out of power for a week a few years ago and have shorter outages often in the country . We never stopped using any of our appliances. (hot water tank, kitchen stove, clothes dryer, AC, and most of all the wood shop. It starts up every Wednesday for 15 minutes. I feel for everyone without electric, because I have been there. Stay safe!



Was looking at the Power Use Worksheet, and clothes dryer topped the list on power consumption. We have a high efficiency front load, but the women folk seldom use it because of the electric bill. If I went gas water heater and range, I could do the shop easily, and from what I'm seeing in use of generators, I could probably do all of it without changing anything, with a 20 KW.




Blueglass said:


> He is fine but owes me. I knew who to send to find him.



They have to pluck him out of the top of a palm tree?

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## Lou Currier

Anyone heard from @Spinartist?

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## Tom Smart

The water heater I have @rocky1 hangs on the wall of the basement and holds 0 water. Gives off no heat. When hot water is required at a shower head on the second floor of the house it is there in the time it takes for the water to move through the pipes.

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## Tony

Tom Smart said:


> The water heater I have @rocky1 hangs on the wall of the basement and holds 0 water. Gives off no heat. When hot water is required at a shower head on the second floor of the house it is there in the time it takes for the water to move through the pipes.



My 40 gallon one is 24 years old and the click is ticking in it, going to have to replace it soon. I think tankless is the way I'm going. The present one sita in a closet in the Shop, so if I go that route I'm going to put the dust collector in there. Tony

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## Nature Man

I changed over to tankless 8 years ago and couldn't be happier. It's not instant hot water, as previously indicated the water in the pipes needs to clear out ahead of the unit. My particular unit requires electricity in order to fire it up, even though it runs on natural gas. Something worth checking into for sure. Chuck

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## Tony

Nature Man said:


> I changed over to tankless 8 years ago and couldn't be happier. It's not instant hot water, as previously indicated the water in the pipes needs to clear out ahead of the unit. My particular unit requires electricity in order to fire it up, even though it runs on natural gas. Something worth checking into for sure. Chuck



My only concern is the price, I'm sure it's more, haven't checked into it yet. How scary was it Chuck? Tony


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## Nature Man

Tony said:


> My only concern is the price, I'm sure it's more, haven't checked into it yet. How scary was it Chuck? Tony


About $2500 or so 8 years ago. Definitely was pricey, but I'm in it for the long haul and it's cheaper than keeping 75 gallons of water hot at all time. Think I'm finally at the point of making money on the energy savings. Chuck

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## Mike1950

We have pretty hard water, hot water tank lasts about 8 yrs. Neighbor got on demand 9 yrs ago. I tried to convince them it was a bad idea but what the hell do i know. He teachs math at EWU. Cant plunge a toilet but knows everything. They changed back last year. It plugged up.

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## rocky1

Lou Currier said:


> Anyone heard from @Spinartist?



Last I heard, he was alive and well, cleaning up after the storm. Still had electricity, never lost it, but lost his cable TV and Internet.

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## rocky1

Tony said:


> My only concern is the price, I'm sure it's more, haven't checked into it yet. How scary was it Chuck? Tony




Depends totally upon how much hot water you want at one time. 6.6 GPM is about $600 - $700... 9.9 gpm gets up there about $1200. From what I was reading 6.6 gpm will work in the average household, with flow restriction shower heads. You can do 3.3 gpm for about $350, but from what I was reading... That's about good for a shop shink. Single person in the household, 1 fixture at a time.

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## rocky1

Mike1950 said:


> We have pretty hard water, hot water tank lasts about 8 yrs. Neighbor got on demand 9 yrs ago. I tried to convince them it was a bad idea but what the hell do i know. He teachs math at EWU. Cant plunge a toilet but knows everything. They changed back last year. It plugged up.



Neighbor is a drywall contractor, said his buddy the plumber said, "Don't buy the crap at Lowes, go down to Gainesville, and buy a commercial unit." 

Haven't priced those Tony! 

My buddy in Missouri, who is a HVAC Tech, questioned water quality, and said... There is a valve in them that is bad about accumulating mineral deposits and sticking. Especially if you have hard water, be sure to put in isolation valves so you can work on it. 

Water is a little hard here, but not bad.

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## rocky1

Finally have power back as of about 4:00 this afternoon! Yee Haa!!

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## Tony

Glad to hear it Rock!! Tony


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## rocky1

Shower sure felt GOOD tonight!!

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## Tony

rocky1 said:


> Shower sure felt GOOD tonight!!



I'm really happy for you but please...

NO PICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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## rocky1

One other thing on the On-Demand tankless water heater... Buddy up in Missouri said if you go with the 90% efficient, assuming it is vented, you can vent them with PVC pipe, through the wall. You don't have to go out through the attic with metal pipe, which if you have electric water heater now, that saves costs of pipe, cap, flashing, plumber crawling in the attic, and on the roof. If you're looking at a couple hundred bucks difference between a 75% and 90% efficient unit, you'll probably save enough on cost of installation to pay that, and then you save the extra on your gas/electric bill for years to come.

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## SENC

rocky1 said:


> One other thing on the On-Demand tankless water heater... Buddy up in Missouri said if you go with the 90% efficient, assuming it is vented, you can vent them with PVC pipe, through the wall. You don't have to go out through the attic with metal pipe, which if you have electric water heater now, that saves costs of pipe, cap, flashing, plumber crawling in the attic, and on the roof. If you're looking at a couple hundred bucks difference between a 75% and 90% efficient unit, you'll probably save enough on cost of installation to pay that, and then you save the extra on your gas/electric bill for years to come.


Had mine mounted on the outside wall of my old house where water and gas come into the house, so an absolute minimum of installation costs. Great replacement for a big tank, will do the same when the tank on our new house gets a few more years on it. Never had a generator, but this thread has me thinking about one down the road.


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## Tony

That's what I've seen down here are the ones mounted outside. My gas and water line come in right outside the shop wall, figured to mount it out there. I keep thinking I need to get a generator as well. Tony


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## rocky1

Spend 4 - 5 days without electricity on an annual basis, and you'll think about it harder believe me!!

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## rocky1

SENC said:


> Had mine mounted on the outside wall of my old house where water and gas come into the house, so an absolute minimum of installation costs. Great replacement for a big tank, will do the same when the tank on our new house gets a few more years on it. Never had a generator, but this thread has me thinking about one down the road.




Henry what does that thing do about freezing during winter? Does it kick the burner in and cycle occasionally to keep water lines from freezing within or what? 

Anyone have any comments good or bad on their On Demand Water Heater experiences, I would love to hear them, because this IS going to happen around here. Just need to figure out where to put it for the sake of running the gas. Crawl space was designed for a lizard, water lines are all under the house. ZERO thought went into planning a whole lot of stuff around here over the years.


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## CWS

Mike1950 said:


> We have pretty hard water, hot water tank lasts about 8 yrs. Neighbor got on demand 9 yrs ago. I tried to convince them it was a bad idea but what the hell do i know. He teachs math at EWU. Cant plungeca toilet but knows everything. They changed back last year. It plugged up.


When we built our cabin 5 years ago and from what I found was they need to have a yearly maintenance flush to clean inside coils.

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## Tom Smart

rocky1 said:


> Henry what does that thing do about freezing during winter? Does it kick the burner in and cycle occasionally to keep water lines from freezing within or what?
> 
> Anyone have any comments good or bad on their On Demand Water Heater experiences, I would love to hear them, because this IS going to happen around here. Just need to figure out where to put it for the sake of running the gas. Crawl space was designed for a lizard, water lines are all under the house. ZERO thought went into planning a whole lot of stuff around here over the years.


I am happy with mine @rocky1 and would/will do it again. Like you mention above, mine is a 90% efficiency model that is vented directly through the wall where the utilities enter the house. It is mounted on the outside wall inside of my basement. That might be what Henry was saying vs outside of the house. I'm not an expert, but I would think it would have to be mounted inside, likely where ever the water tank currently is. You don't want to run a lot of extra water lines. There is no question they are more expensive and than a traditional water heater, but the energy savings over time and the extended life expectancy offset that in my mind, unless you have rocks in your water like Mike.

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## rocky1

Actually, they do list indoor and outdoor models Tom, so Henry's might be hanging outside the house.

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## Tony

Down here they hang outside most of the time. Hard freezes are not a great concern here.

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## Mike1950

hot water tank outside....

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## Tony

Mike1950 said:


> hot water tank outside....



We could just have a container of water setting outside and bring it in. After a bit outdoors it's hot!!

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## TimR

We had a demand heater mounted outside our home in Charlotte. Originally, a fatboy heater was in the crawlspace, but that's an awful place in my opinion. Went thru having one spring a leak when I was out of country 20 yrs ago, and buckled hardwood floors above on main level. 
We had our demand unit for 10 years (gas powered Rinnai) and zero issues. Never flushed it, but probably should have at least once every two years.
Primary advice would be making sure it's located closest proximity to kitchen and/or main bathroom. We kind of lucked out in ideal location to mount outside was also within about 10-15ft of both kitchen and main bath lines. The upstairs bath took some extra time to get hot, so you wouldn't want that in your kitchen especially. Can install a recirc system if you need to keep hot water lines hot, but then you're reducing some efficiency gains you're looking at also. Hope that helps. There are both inside and outside versions of these units...

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## Mike1950

Tony said:


> We could just have a container of water setting outside and bring it in. After a bit outdoors it's hot!!


Yep and full of Skeeters..  I will stick to our crude indoor plumbin

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## Tom Smart

Started back north today, covered about 550 miles. As we drove north there was a constant stream of power company trucks, flatbeds with generators, generator powered light sets and telephone poles heading south. Tonight/tomorrow is a week since Key West was hit and reinforcements are still flowing in.

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## SENC

rocky1 said:


> Spend 4 - 5 days without electricity on an annual basis, and you'll think about it harder believe me!!


We've had our stretches of regular hurricane activity and associated outages in SE NC over the last 20 years, but our last major outage was a freak ice storm and I can tell you 5-6 days without power in freezing temps pushed me closer to a generator than any of the summer outages. Thanks goodness we had a traditional fireplace in that house. But I am considering it for the house we'll move into in a few weeks.


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## SENC

rocky1 said:


> Henry what does that thing do about freezing during winter? Does it kick the burner in and cycle occasionally to keep water lines from freezing within or what?
> 
> Anyone have any comments good or bad on their On Demand Water Heater experiences, I would love to hear them, because this IS going to happen around here. Just need to figure out where to put it for the sake of running the gas. Crawl space was designed for a lizard, water lines are all under the house. ZERO thought went into planning a whole lot of stuff around here over the years.


Yes, its on the outside wall - and though we rarely have a freezing issue here I did opt for an add-on t-stat that cycles the burner on and off periodically when the temp drops below 35. Works like a champ. No special venting, and minimal new plumbing. Efficient and never runs out. I don't know that the math works straight up, but if you need to replace the tank then the math definitely works.

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## rocky1

Everything in the house is electric, but - 80 gallon electric water heater... $400/month electric bills.

Washer and Dryer are high efficiency, not real old. Do have 2 refrigerators and a Freezer, but all of them are pretty much full, none of them are necessarily antique either. Electric range is only 3 years old, relatively efficient, so it's not eating a lot of juice. Toaster oven catches most of the smaller over jobs to boot. AC was just redone 2 years ago, moved it to a nice shady location on the north side of the house, newer compressor, replumbed it all, recharged it, cleaned the unit in the house, keep the filter changed. House needs to be reinsulated, but the electric bill is high ALL the time, winter, spring, summer, fall, so I can't really blame it on the heat and air.

I'm pretty certain, the water heater is the biggest culprit, it's the oldest electric appliance in the home. If I had to guess this water heater is probably 25 years old, maybe more. And, it has some serious elements in it, because they can wash clothes, rinse dishes, turn the dishwasher on, take 3 - 4 showers back to back, and there is never any shortage of hot water.

Thanks for the info Henry!

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## rocky1

Tom Smart said:


> Started back north today, covered about 550 miles. As we drove north there was a constant stream of power company trucks, flatbeds with generators, generator powered light sets and telephone poles heading south. Tonight/tomorrow is a week since Key West was hit and reinforcements are still flowing in.




You shoulda yelled! You drove by within about 20 miles of me on I-75!

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## Tom Smart

rocky1 said:


> You shoulda yelled! You drove by within about 20 miles of me on I-75!


I actually toyed with the thought Rocky but I'm taking dad up with us for a bit to get him away from the house. I dumped off I75 just north of Ocala to pick up 301. Maybe when I bring him back down.


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## rocky1

TimR said:


> We had a demand heater mounted outside our home in Charlotte. Originally, a fatboy heater was in the crawlspace, but that's an awful place in my opinion. Went thru having one spring a leak when I was out of country 20 yrs ago, and buckled hardwood floors above on main level.
> We had our demand unit for 10 years (gas powered Rinnai) and zero issues. Never flushed it, but probably should have at least once every two years.
> Primary advice would be making sure it's located closest proximity to kitchen and/or main bathroom. We kind of lucked out in ideal location to mount outside was also within about 10-15ft of both kitchen and main bath lines. The upstairs bath took some extra time to get hot, so you wouldn't want that in your kitchen especially. Can install a recirc system if you need to keep hot water lines hot, but then you're reducing some efficiency gains you're looking at also. Hope that helps. There are both inside and outside versions of these units...




Believe me, I have thought all that part through Tim, problem is, I don't know if I could talk the plumber into going back under the house to connect the water lines, and I sure as hell am not going under this house! Last time he was under there he gave the little skinny crackhead that worked for him one of them little bitty military folding shovels, pointed him under the house on one end and told him he wanted a trench 2 feet wide and a foot deep to the other end of the house, with right turns under the kitchen, and bathrooms. Thought they were gonna loose him under there a time or two. Pretty sure they walked around the house yelling SNAKE on occasion to get him to back out of the laterals.

Might be able to get to it under the kitchen sink, both bathrooms are within 15 feet. Washroom is about 30 ft. the other way. Protected, west side of the house, only problem is, we just tore up the wood deck and poured everything back there in concrete. But, I'm pretty sure we can cap the pipe and slide 2 sticks of black iron pipe in to reach it, if I can talk the plumber under there. And, stub a gas line up behind the range or under the heater, while he's under there! They're back to back, you could run it through the wall for the other, wherever you came up. 

Thanks for the info Tim!

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## rocky1

Tom Smart said:


> I actually toyed with the thought Rocky but I'm taking dad up with us for a bit to get him away from the house. I dumped off I75 just north of Ocala to pick up 301. Maybe when I bring him back down.



At 10 and 75, we're 6 miles east on 10, then 11 miles north. If you Google it you can get off at Jasper on State Road 6, run across to 441, go south 6 miles and find us, if you like looking at trees. Local attractions... Stephen Foster Folk Center just across the river from us in white springs. Kind of a quiet place, magnificent old buildings, manicured lawn and flower beds. Really kind of a cool place, it's a quiet tourist attraction, unless you make one of the many festivals held there.

But, by all means, give me a shout when you come back down. Don't hesitate to bring the old man over. Mine will typically be around the office or somewhere and he enjoys visiting with everyone. Especially those that have gray hair, can relate to anything in the 50s, and laugh at his jokes.

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## Mike1950

rocky1 said:


> At 10 and 75, we're 6 miles east on 10, then 11 miles north. If you Google it you can get off at Jasper on State Road 6, run across to 441, go south 6 miles and find us, if you like looking at trees. Local attractions... Stephen Foster Folk Center just across the river from us in white springs. Kinda of a quiet place, lots of magnificent old buildings, manicured lawn and flower beds. Really kind of a cool place, it'sa quiet tourist attraction, unless you make one of the many festivals held there.
> 
> But, by all means, give me a shout when you come back down. Don't hesitate to bring the old man over. Mine will typically be around the office or somewhere and he enjoys visiting with everyone. Especially those that have gray hair, can relate to anything in the 50s, and laugh at his jokes.



Getting really close to meeting Clyde again- just cause.....

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## rocky1

Well if you'd detour this way when you get to Houston, and carry the wife to Disney World, you and him could probably spend a day or three telling each other stories. He's maybe got a year or two on you! You might NOT be the oldest guy in the room!

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## SENC

Mike1950 said:


> Getting really close to meeting Clyde again- just cause.....


Why would we have thought of you? It was pretty clear Rocky meant that his dad likes talking to anyone who can relate about the 1950s, not literally the 50s.

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## Mike1950

SENC said:


> Why would we have thought of you? It was pretty clear Rocky meant that his dad likes talking to anyone who can relate about the 1950s, not literally the 50s.

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## TimR

@rocky1 , your crawl space sounds like my sisters, their house predates electricity and central air! The skinny kid who fished a duct and some elec lines under theirs sounds like same breed used under yours. Hope it works out with the demand heater.


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## rocky1

There is 6 - 8 inches under this one Tim. I have no clue what they were thinking when they built it.


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## Spinartist

rocky1 said:


> Depends totally upon how much hot water you want at one time. 6.6 GPM is about $600 - $700... 9.9 gpm gets up there about $1200. From what I was reading 6.6 gpm will work in the average household, with flow restriction shower heads. You can do 3.3 gpm for about $350, but from what I was reading... That's about good for a shop shink. Single person in the household, 1 fixture at a time.




You may also have to upgrade your electric unless you have gas. I installed an electric on demand WH for a buddy few months back & he only had 10 gauge wire to old tank unit. Tankless required 6 or 8 ga wire.

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## Spinartist

rocky1 said:


> Spend 4 - 5 days without electricity on an annual basis, and you'll think about it harder believe me!!




I bought a Troy Built generator back in '06 the summer after Hurricane Wilma. Never opened the box. Been in the loft at my woodturning studio. My ex lost power (damn, I still got a thing fer her. Wish she'd get rid of the damn dogs...) so I got it down after the winds subsided, unboxed it, put oil & gas in it & it started on the FIRST Pull!!! I was amazed!!.

She got power 30 hours later so I took it to a clients townhome (rich folk. they went to hotel fer $325 a night) & hooked it up their fridge so the food wouldn't stink it up & need replacing. Three days & 25 gallons of fuel & its now back in my studio. Plan to run it every month now so it'll work when I need it.

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## Spinartist

Survived The dominatrix Irma. Worked way to hard & more on take down & clean up. Irma wasn't near as bad as Wilma back in '05

Lots of folks without power. Some trees down. Lots of branches. Piles of them on the side of most roads. I Finally got internet & cable tv back Sunday evening.
The dozen Norfolk Island Pines (NIP) a block away look like nothing happened. Only heard of 2 NIP's down & saw 2 that lost their tops.
3 of 4 flags in photo are still on flag poles & are shredded. The USA flag was gone... Terrorists I think.

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## Lou Currier

@Spinartist welcome back! Glad to hear you are safe.

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## rocky1

Spinartist said:


> I bought a Troy Built generator back in '06 the summer after Hurricane Wilma. Never opened the box. Been in the loft at my woodturning studio. My ex lost power (damn, I still got a thing fer her. Wish she'd get rid of the damn dogs...) so I got it down after the winds subsided, unboxed it, put oil & gas in it & it started on the FIRST Pull!!! I was amazed!!.
> 
> She got power 30 hours later so I took it to a clients townhome (rich folk. they went to hotel fer $325 a night) & hooked it up their fridge so the food wouldn't stink it up & need replacing. Three days & 25 gallons of fuel & its now back in my studio. *Plan to run it every month now so it'll work when I need it.*



Dump a can of Stabil in it, run it a little to let that work through the carb good. Shut the gas off, let it run out of gas, then pull the line and drain the tank. Mine had been sitting for longer than I had been here, which was 9 years, when I drug it out last year. No one recalls when the last time it had been used was. There was several years accumulated dust on it when I arrived here. Long enough the fuel line had pretty much rotted off of it. When I tried to pull it off the carb, it ripped in two. Dumped a little gas in, and shook it around to wash the tank clean, and drained that, replaced the fuel line, installed a cheap in-line Briggs filter. Dumped gas in it, pulled the rope once, and it fired right off. And, I doubt it had the Stabil run through it. Butterfly on the governor wanted to stick, shut it down, sprayed a little PB Blaster on the butterfly shaft, worked it back and forth several times, and it worked flawlessly after that. Ran it relentlessly between 4 homes last year. Put about 25 gallons of gas through it.

Ran it out of gas last year, drained the tank, and put it away, this year drug it out, filled it up with gas checked the oil, pulled the rope once, and it fired first pull again. Ran it non-stop here at the house for 3 days, 2 days of jockeying it back and forth between here, Dad's house, and the Sister-In-Law's. Changed oil morning of the 3rd. day, put close to 35 gallons of gas through it this year.

Dad's was put away somewhere back in time with gas in the carb, gas in the tank, gas on... Had a helluva time with it last year, never did get it started until after we no longer needed it, and I got the right carb kit for it. Got it running last year with the new carb kit, shut fuel off, ran it out of gas. Fired first pull this year, ran decent on test run. Had our share of issues with it, but considering what I cleaned out of the carb last year, I am almost surprised it started and ran as good as it did this year.

Whatever you do with it, you should shut the fuel off and run the carburetor out of gas before storing. That way the alcohol isn't sitting in the carb eating things up until the next time you start it. Nor is it gumming the carb up, if you forget to run it monthly. I would also cut the line and install a fuel filter if there isn't one on it. When you need the generator, is not a good time to discover debris in your gas can.


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## rocky1

Spinartist said:


> You may also have to upgrade your electric unless you have gas. I installed an electric on demand WH for a buddy few months back & he only had 10 gauge wire to old tank unit. Tankless required 6 or 8 ga wire.



Going propane!! Cut the electric bill 30 - 40%, and then have gas for whole house generator.

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## Spinartist

Finally got a good "tree down" call from Irma.
Got probly 25 -30 calls/texts about trees down, most were undesirable trees for woodturning.
I did pick up some Florida Mahogany at a friends house to make her a salad bowl.
A guy I made a few commissioned pieces has a pickup full of Norfolk for me. He told me of about 6 other species of trees which I didn't want.

Here's the money shot!!! 17" diameter and a bunch of 7" & smaller Bottlebrush burls!! Turned two mushrooms from the 2 smallest ones today. They will warp & change shape while drying giving them a cool look. Also got a 13" diameter triple crotch with burl throughout it.
Going to make some mini cowboy hats from the other small ones.

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