On Sunday, Tampa Bay and other bays and canals up and down the Gulf coast emptied out — a rare phenomenon that typically precedes a massive storm surge.
The worst is yet to come.
Offshore winds coupled with a low tide have water levels six feet below normal. When this reverses, water levels are expected to be as much as 15 feet above normal.
Even though its downgraded to category 2, Irma is still very dangerous.
Damage is widespread. More than 2.7 million people are without power.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
Just shows the power of nature to literally move water from the ocean. When a hurricane sucks the water away, it means the coming storm surge will be even bigger. Most hurricane deaths are a result of the storm surge, rather than the winds.
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Lots of hype.
Millions evacuated for nothing.
Hotels and restaurants make a killing.
Great for media ratings too.
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So, you’d rather have no one evacuated but with some 5,000 to 10,000 people drowned?
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5,000 to 10,000? I haven’t read about major flooding in any residential areas. Have you?
I think we’ll see far fewer Floridians complying with mandatory evacuations in the future.
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Look at Naples fool and get back to me
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Downtown old Naples? “Built” at sea level? Yep, that’s flooding like the 5th ward in New Orleans. Check. The majority of Collier county came thru a direct strike cat4 hurricane with a lot of work for the landscaping crews to do
Dozens of financially failing media outlets exhibiting their jealousy toward more successful people? Check and check.
Gloom and doom reporting, mixed in with their socialist jealousy?
Yep. I have very low expectations of the media — and once again their infantile snipes mixed with hyperbole and hysteria have “earned” them a very temporary ratings boost.
Damage to glorified beach shacks was as bad as any rational person would expect. Damage to homes built to code (and on solid land) was no where near as bad as forecasts warned
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Getting back to you. I can’t find any evidence of widespread life-threatening residential floods in Naples. Catastrophize much?
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One of the most beneficial pieces of advice i have followed throughout my life has been prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I wouldn’t feel one bit foolish for having evacuated.
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If you had a 1% chance of dying at work on a given day. Would you skip work that day? Or would you call it hype and go into work?
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Florida has a population of 21M. According to reports 5 died during Irma. Mostly from car accidents during the evacuation.
Last year over 35000 Americans were killed in auto accidents. At what point do you consider it not worth the risk to drive a car?
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Havana
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Ahhh socialism…
Even if one ignores the failed drainage systems in a capital city (thanks DPW comrades!!), look at the condition of the buildings well above flood water level.
They haven’t been cleaned in decades (except by rain?). They desperately need some paint.
But first perhaps the glorious workers party could take a look at some of those structural cracks?
Its silly to blame the storm for damage that was obviously caused by neglect — and that includes the flooding caused by neglecting drainage systems.
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No drainage system works with storm surges. Where do you think the water drains to?
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It goes to places with lower elevation …. unless the drains are neglected and blocked.
Plenty of cities, all over the world, are elevated well above sea level and have drains that take water out of the city and into lower surrounding areas.
This is hardly advanced technology, ancient civilizations from the Mayas to Egypt to Mesopotamia all had to deal with flooding… and they all figured it out just fine, thousands of years ago.
Cuba has a socialism problem. The water still goes downhill just like everywhere else
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If I had titled it “Venice” then people would be wondering where the gondolas were… some seem to be enjoying the wade at least.
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Haven’t we been inundated with stories in recent years about not playing on beaches where the water recedes? And yet there they are.
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Reminds of the fools who ran into the ocean during the Christmas tsunami in Thailand.
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Now that Irma is declining in strength, it’s time to take a look at José which is out in the Atlantic @ 115mph and doing some kind of loop that has it headed towards Florida near the end of the week.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at2+shtml/025600.shtml?cone#contents
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It’s no threat to the US.
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Here is the updated ‘cone’:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at2+shtml/025600.shtml?cone#contents
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probably more will have died in the evac than from storm when final tally is made
surge seems a dud except for manatees
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I am in Lecanto FL, about 70 miles north of Tampa and 5 miles east of Crystal River – which is right on the Gulf. The hurricane came through here around midnight and blew like crazy for about an hour, but that was it. Our power never went out and there is very little property damage. Just small tree branches and lots of debris strewn about. We were expecting much worse and feel very lucky.
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I am wondering how Tony’s place in the Keys did… I don’t think they had a massive surge there in the end, probably because it drained through.
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I have family in Tampa area, and they just reported in. A lot of leaves and debris in the yard. One small puddle in the back corner of the yard (the lowest point).
The causeway out to Sanibel Island (off Ft Myers) was open for traffic by 10am this morning — that bridge was fully exposed to the storm as a cat3 or cat4 (depending on time).
And there is a reporter for WINK (cbs affiliate in southwest FL) driving around Northern Naples and as far south as she can. The areas right on the beach flooded (as you would expect). But a couple hundred yards inland? She reports there are lots of palm fronds in the road, and a few downed trees.
They had 140mph gusts at Naples airport. Rain gauges reported 11″ of rain. Nothing like the flooding someone posted above in Havana.
Good solid civil engineering, and sheltering people in place — much better than panicked evacuation and TV hysteria.
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Reblogged this on World4Justice : NOW! Lobby Forum..
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