New Tropical Depression forms in the southwestern Gulf, forecast to strengthen into Hurricane Milton before reaching Florida’s west coast by middle next week
Well crap! I either get the center of the storm or the dry side as usual, Not happy and my car decided to act up last night, too late to get it in for service before the storm hits so no evacuating if too strong. Bummer. Oh well, nothing to do but ride it out.
Laura, don't ride it out!! You don't know if this will stay a Cat 2 or get worse. If you are having car trouble, you maybe should consider taking an Uber car to some place maybe 10 or 20 miles inland where you would be safe from the worst effects of the storm. I don't want you to risk getting hurt. Until today, this storm didn't seem like it would be a big deal, but circumstances have changed, as you see in what Mike had to say in his article. Also, the storm is Milton already. It's already strengthening. It's only in the Bay of Campeche and is a slow mover, but will gradually increase in forward speed, but not as fast as Helene's speed was. If you choose to ride this one out, go to the safest area of the house should that eye make landfall at Punta Gorda. If you should see the calm eye, if you go outside in that eye, do not stay outdoors for too long because the sky will get dark fast again, and sudden high winds will come from the other direction. I REALLY don't want you to stay in that house, though. Instead, find a hotel someplace, take an Uber to that place, and stay overnight till the storm has passed. Thursday should be a much better day to return home.
Oh I won't go outside during the eye. One of my neighbors did that during Ian. He stayed out too long and when it started up rather abruptly he fell trying to get back in the house and hit his head hard. He died because EMTs couldn't get to him. Twenty miles inland would be Arcadia and they actually had storm surge flooding from Ian that totally missed me even though the same river is only 1/4 mile from my house. Glad I didn't put my patio furniture back out after Helene.
You were wise not to put it out, because no sooner than when Helene was called post-tropical, the weather models were already hinting at the system that now is Milton. I hope things turn out better than they think, but you need to think about your preparations NOW while you still have time to ponder and make sure all the important things are secured and put away to protect from fierce winds.
I leave my hurricane shutters up all through the season and although my trash bins were out for Friday pickup they are back locked up with the patio furniture. All I have to put away are a couple of potted plants which will take only a couple of minutes. I have plenty of supplies in for an extended period as needed, I keep them in every hurricane season so I don't have to go out for anything last minute. I've been refilling the empty gallon jugs with water so I'll have about 20 to 25 of them. Fortunately I have the lake out back to get water to flush the toilet with if needed.
WOW, 20 TO 25 gallons of water!! You certainly are prepared, plus you have the lake out back to flush the toilet with so that's good. Now, what if the power goes out for an extended period like those folks in parts of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee? Are you prepared to throw out any spoiled refrigerated food? r, can you get dry ice at a store to use to protect frozen foods?
I don't keep much refrigerated food during the season and when a storm looks to be heading this way I don't get anymore and try to use up what I have so that little goes to waste. Twice when I lived in Michigan I had to throw out a freezer full of food, once in the winter and once in the summer, same year at that when we were without power for a week each time. I was fortunate to have a kerosene heater for the winter and 5 gallons of kerosene. I figured having much in the refrigerator during the season would lead to the same.
I have about a month supply of nonperishable food for both me and the cats. I have several power chargers for the phone and will have them all fully charged by Monday along with my Fire tablet and Kindle Paperwhite. For a prolonged power outage I have about 1000 books or so in my personal library (real books plus almost the same on my Fire and Kindle. I have a few flashlights, lanterns plus a weather radio and the batteries to go with, plus a camp stove and propane for cooking. I have 300 paper plates and about 100 paper bowls so if I can't wash dishes no problem.
I did go out today and get more kitty litter as I was afraid of running low on that. My prescriptions are staggered so that they overlap by about a month on 90 day supplies so that I won't run out of them. The car is full of gas even though I am afraid to try to drive it until I find out what the hell is wrong with it. I have a service light saying Service Stabili Trak whatever that is. Also engine power reduced message comes up. That is why I have to stay instead of evacuating like I would prefer to. I am not happy to have to stay here for a major hurricane even if I am not in an area likely to have storm surge. Actually I am quite nervous about it though the house has come through everything since Charley fairly decently, after all it only takes one to succeed.
Well crap! I either get the center of the storm or the dry side as usual, Not happy and my car decided to act up last night, too late to get it in for service before the storm hits so no evacuating if too strong. Bummer. Oh well, nothing to do but ride it out.
Laura, don't ride it out!! You don't know if this will stay a Cat 2 or get worse. If you are having car trouble, you maybe should consider taking an Uber car to some place maybe 10 or 20 miles inland where you would be safe from the worst effects of the storm. I don't want you to risk getting hurt. Until today, this storm didn't seem like it would be a big deal, but circumstances have changed, as you see in what Mike had to say in his article. Also, the storm is Milton already. It's already strengthening. It's only in the Bay of Campeche and is a slow mover, but will gradually increase in forward speed, but not as fast as Helene's speed was. If you choose to ride this one out, go to the safest area of the house should that eye make landfall at Punta Gorda. If you should see the calm eye, if you go outside in that eye, do not stay outdoors for too long because the sky will get dark fast again, and sudden high winds will come from the other direction. I REALLY don't want you to stay in that house, though. Instead, find a hotel someplace, take an Uber to that place, and stay overnight till the storm has passed. Thursday should be a much better day to return home.
Oh I won't go outside during the eye. One of my neighbors did that during Ian. He stayed out too long and when it started up rather abruptly he fell trying to get back in the house and hit his head hard. He died because EMTs couldn't get to him. Twenty miles inland would be Arcadia and they actually had storm surge flooding from Ian that totally missed me even though the same river is only 1/4 mile from my house. Glad I didn't put my patio furniture back out after Helene.
You were wise not to put it out, because no sooner than when Helene was called post-tropical, the weather models were already hinting at the system that now is Milton. I hope things turn out better than they think, but you need to think about your preparations NOW while you still have time to ponder and make sure all the important things are secured and put away to protect from fierce winds.
I leave my hurricane shutters up all through the season and although my trash bins were out for Friday pickup they are back locked up with the patio furniture. All I have to put away are a couple of potted plants which will take only a couple of minutes. I have plenty of supplies in for an extended period as needed, I keep them in every hurricane season so I don't have to go out for anything last minute. I've been refilling the empty gallon jugs with water so I'll have about 20 to 25 of them. Fortunately I have the lake out back to get water to flush the toilet with if needed.
WOW, 20 TO 25 gallons of water!! You certainly are prepared, plus you have the lake out back to flush the toilet with so that's good. Now, what if the power goes out for an extended period like those folks in parts of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee? Are you prepared to throw out any spoiled refrigerated food? r, can you get dry ice at a store to use to protect frozen foods?
I don't keep much refrigerated food during the season and when a storm looks to be heading this way I don't get anymore and try to use up what I have so that little goes to waste. Twice when I lived in Michigan I had to throw out a freezer full of food, once in the winter and once in the summer, same year at that when we were without power for a week each time. I was fortunate to have a kerosene heater for the winter and 5 gallons of kerosene. I figured having much in the refrigerator during the season would lead to the same.
I have about a month supply of nonperishable food for both me and the cats. I have several power chargers for the phone and will have them all fully charged by Monday along with my Fire tablet and Kindle Paperwhite. For a prolonged power outage I have about 1000 books or so in my personal library (real books plus almost the same on my Fire and Kindle. I have a few flashlights, lanterns plus a weather radio and the batteries to go with, plus a camp stove and propane for cooking. I have 300 paper plates and about 100 paper bowls so if I can't wash dishes no problem.
I did go out today and get more kitty litter as I was afraid of running low on that. My prescriptions are staggered so that they overlap by about a month on 90 day supplies so that I won't run out of them. The car is full of gas even though I am afraid to try to drive it until I find out what the hell is wrong with it. I have a service light saying Service Stabili Trak whatever that is. Also engine power reduced message comes up. That is why I have to stay instead of evacuating like I would prefer to. I am not happy to have to stay here for a major hurricane even if I am not in an area likely to have storm surge. Actually I am quite nervous about it though the house has come through everything since Charley fairly decently, after all it only takes one to succeed.
Update: This storm has already become a named storm; Tropical Storm Milton, as of early this afternoon.