Thanks. We haven't decided yet. We'll decide tomorrow. We're not going to board up the house, unless we board up one particularly large window. (then again I though that last time and we ended up doing it, but I don't think this time as it would have to happen tomorrow and it will be in the mid 90's by the time we would get close to finishing) Across the canal from me, due south, are two story high apartments, with really high roofs that make it like three story. On my east side and west side are two story houses. Mine is one story. I think they are all well built, but I don't know for sure. Usually it's concrete block around me. The wind may not be quite as bad in a storm for that reason. I have a vulnerable large window facing due north, but if the storm is west of me, I don't think that will be as big of a problem potentially, unless it got really bad. The house across from me to the north is one story.
Water is the usual biggest threat. It's going to come over the seawall, which it often does in a storm, it's just a question of how much. Latest forecast is 4 to 7 feet.
We're going to take things inside and/or put stuff in the garage, like patio furniture, potted plants, plastic cover over air conditioner and maybe some gutters that blew off in the last one. For some previous storms I took off the fan blades on the patio fan. Forgot in last one and it destroyed one blade. Might do that just so it doesn't go flying against the glass doors we have. I'm backing up files on my computer. All my pictures are still in two containers from the last hurricane, so that is easy this time. It was three containers, but I had all the video digitized so that is like 25 to 30 less VHS tapes. We'll pack up important records and a few other things tomorrow. My niece offered to let us stay in southeast Alabama, though if we did evacuate, depending on the storm track, we might just head inland and then go south some. Might just stay in the car for a few days. I just hate using up a hotel room unless I have to. Car is gassed up. I have a lot of empty bottles so I'll fill a lot of them up for water in case we stay. Probably some anyway if we go for when we got back if things were relatively okay.
The NHC's 11pm EDT Sunday discussion says:
"The center has been moving erratically since earlier today, and may
have even sagged southward, pulled toward the recently developed
deep convection."
That jog it has made today does make it more likely I'll evacuate. I didn't like that motion yesterday and today. I thought it might be more right of the forecast track and models at the time potentially. Still early, but you have to make a decision before you really know. The angle of approach and the angle of the coastline, and a shallow vulnerable shelf off Florida, make it dangerous. Water can come up more easily. The path and cone can lure you into a false impression with the angle. You think it's going to make landfall a long way north, but it's going to bring you potentially dangerous effects because it's not far off the coast on the track. And with just a small deviation to the right, it can be headed right for you. |