Hurricane Watch: Hurricane ISAAC.

[photonrider]

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/205537.shtml?5-daynl

Headed towards Haiti right now. This unfortunately is a disaster in the making. As I understand it, almost 400,000 people are huddled in tents that exist right in its path. After which it may/may not hit Florida ( I know we have many members from there) with maybe only 24 hours warning as to whether it will really hit the GOP Convention being held in Tampa on Monday. To make it worse flights out of Florida may be cancelled because of the weather. A heads-up to all those who may be affected.

 

[Omnis]

Hopefully it will bust apart on Hispanola and Cuba before it screws us up too badly. Don't want the east side of that hurricane.

 

[photonrider]

My Floridian friends always tease me when I worry about them; "What? That breeze? Just a little stronger than usual! You Canadian wussies playing in the snow, bah!"

This particular storm though, is not one to ignore, due to the many problems it could cause. We'll expect the best, as usual, but always wise to prepare for the worst. Those in Haiti, though, due to the conditions there, may be adversely affected. Tents don't make for very good storm-shelters. It's a tropical storm at the moment, but if it turns into a hurricane.. . .

 

[Pupik]

Despite the never-ending media babble, this is a large Category One storm at worst. Part of the fuss is that America hasn't been hit by a hurricane in over five years, and memories of Hurricane Andrew (a genuinely terrible storm), which struck Florida exactly 20 years ago.

 

[TankAss95]

There are currently 4 different storms active across the world now.

 

[photonrider]

Not one heading towards a bunch of tents filled with people and a GOP Convention.

We all hope it will dissipate. Storms, quite often, suddenly die off. Hurricane Andrew influenced a huge number of building innovations that Florida has adopted. Weathering storms is an annual ritual in Florida - the people are no strangers to stocking up water, fuel, food, plywood . . . but if it turns into a hurricane, then there is going to be considerable damage.
As for those in Haiti - and other places - these storms travel the world. Eventually everyone is affected (if only by the Butterfly Effect).

 

[Pupik]

Edit...As of 5pm Saturday...

 

[photonrider]

Thanks, Pupik 👍 Will keep tabs on this myself - we need to give Omnis fair warning.

 

[wfooshee]

That Tuesday "H" keeps getting closer and closer ......

And I learned today of a truly serious typhoon headed towards Korea. Guess whose future daughter-in-law, an Army captain, is living there right now, in a trailer??!?!?!

OTOH, everybody knows that Florida is the hurricane magnet of all hurricane magnets, right? I mean, just look at 2004 (Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne) and 2005 (Dennis and Katrina)!!! But when people talk about Florida hurricanes, they seem to not realize that we haven't had one since! Not one hurricane has made landfall in Florida since 2005. Yet we're an annual disaster area in everyone's mind, especially those companies which provide homeowner's insurance!

Still, Isaac seems to have our address........

 

[Pupik]

This is how I felt paying 5.75 for a couple of D-size batteries...basically per pack of four instead of the "club size" packs which are a far better deal (they were out).

Fortunately, we have gas and buying a few gallons in reserve was no biggie, and we prepped back in June with our checklist. With the latest five o'clock advisory, it looks like this won't be a big deal to South Florida, even if it pulls a "Charley" and ducks east suddenly. The Panhandle and Gulf Region might be in for something more serious in the coming days.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

Well, hopefully it won't affect Florida too badly. They don't seem to think that it will make landfall until it gets to Mississippi or Alabama. However, considering the temperature of the gulf water, they're going to have some problems.

 

[photonrider]

Big relief that it didn't do as much damage as expected to Haitians - though the long-term effects of this are yet to be seen. The chance of another Cholera outbreak is high, and of course there is still the probabilty of mudslides. The positive that came out of it was that for a moment the rest of Paradise was focused on this desolate bit of tent-hell, and its inhabitants, and hopefully there will be more aid and attention given to these people, hardly recovered from the earthquake that hit them.

Folks in Florida have to be alert till its all over; still a Hurricane Watch for most of it.

 

[Techy]

The county I live in is under Tropical Storm Watch but I expect it to change as time goes by. So as what Omnis said, don't wanna be in the east side of it.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

Well, it now seems that a large portion of South Florida is being hit by the storm.

 

[photonrider]

There are currently 4 different storms active across the world now.

Now I'm hearing more about BOLAVEN - and that the Okinawa Islands are going to be battered by 12 metre waves from this Type 4 Typhoon. Flights are cancelled, and the monorail and ferries shut down; I know we have some Japanese members - but not sure if any in Okinawa.

That Tuesday "H" keeps getting closer and closer ......

And I learned today of a truly serious typhoon headed towards Korea. Guess whose future daughter-in-law, an Army captain, is living there right now, in a trailer??!?!?!

......XsnipX........

Still, Isaac seems to have our address........

Hoping that Army Captain is safe - and yes, seems like you are definitely going to have to sacrifice something to ISAAC. It is going to alter stuff around town.

EDIT: Loiusiana - Heads Up! Gov. Bobby Jindal warned that voluntary evacuation may be needed in at least 15 parishes in the low-lying areas S of the intercoastal waterway. Could be a Cat 2 - 3 by the time it hits landfall - again only a prediction. It's the weather we're talking about anyway. Whether it does or doesn't remains to be seen.
Florida was rattled enough to move GOP schedules around - still no proper confirmation on dates.

 

[Pupik]

Two days of cabin fever. Windy, rainy, nothing dangerous...hopefully my flight isn't canceled tomorrow.

 

[wfooshee]

Looks like I'm pretty much in the clear. That earlier forecast had me nailed, but it keeps moving west. Unfortunate for them, but.... what can you say?

 

[otakukid96]

He's gonna make landfall on the 7th anniversary of Katrina? Good thing Issac isn't as strong as her. I and K hurricanes seem to love this time of year to make landfall.

 

[LancerEvo7]

It's been a year exactly since Irene too.

 

[otakukid96]

I know. That's pretty much all the local news talked about all day.

 

[photonrider]

The positives from Katrina was all the work done to prepare the State from cat 2 - 3 hurricanes and storm surges. Also, as we become more efficient and complex in our communication and transport technologies we seem to weather this sometimes alien planet more successfully.

Right now battle stations in all States concerned.

 

[Pupik]

Apparently, Isaac is going to strike as a Category 1 hurricane, at its strongest. Still, we received a lot of rain...but this won't be a repeat of Katrina.

 

[photonrider]

OP title updated - this is now officially a Hurricane.

135 miles at the moment from New Orleans. Right now a Cat 1, but may increase in intensity. A spokesman from the Hurricane Center confirmed that most deaths in a hurricane result from drowning.
Stay safe, people. 👍

 

[sumbrownkid]

We got really lucky here in Tampa and only got scattered heavy showers.

Besides that, we thank USF for the extra day off.

 

[Crispy]

Hopefully my girlfriends family will be okay. Hurricane is expected to hit between New Orleans and Houma, and they live in Houma.

 

[photonrider]

Floridians must definitely feel relieved.
In Louisiana, over quarter of a million people are without power. Storm surges upto 12 feet are expected. 85 mph winds with 100 mph gusts. The hurricane is moving across the surface now at around 8 mph - so a big blow throughout the night as it circles it way inland and over the Gulf.
Lots of flooding reported everywhere, as well as some levees collapsing.
Maximum rainfall may be upto 24 in.

Funny twist; cops had to threaten people with arrest if they didn't stop iReporting and get off the beaches.
Even stranger side to it: drought stricken areas are getting the water they need; Mother Nature licks her wounds, while we get in her way.

Stay alert and safe, Louisiana.

 

[Blitz24]

Floridians must definitely feel relieved.
In Louisiana, over quarter of a million people are without power. Storm surges upto 12 feet are expected. 85 mph winds with 100 mph gusts. The hurricane is moving across the surface now at around 8 mph - so a big blow throughout the night as it circles it way inland and over the Gulf.
Lots of flooding reported everywhere, as well as some levees collapsing.
Maximum rainfall may be upto 24 in.

Funny twist; cops had to threaten people with arrest if they didn't stop iReporting and get off the beaches.
Even stranger side to it: drought stricken areas are getting the water they need; Mother Nature licks her wounds, while we get in her way.

Stay alert and safe, Louisiana.

Plaquemines Parrish was hit hard. The storm in some aspects is worse than Katrina because the storm is hitting WEST of New Orleans, NOT East. All of the water is being flowed INTO the city.

That being said, Plaquemines Parrish is probably one of the worst locations you can live if trying to escape extreme weather.

 

[photonrider]

Plaquemines Parrish was hit hard. The storm in some aspects is worse than Katrina because the storm is hitting WEST of New Orleans, NOT East. All of the water is being flowed INTO the city.

That being said, Plaquemines Parrish is probably one of the worst locations you can live if trying to escape extreme weather.

Really makes you wonder; if the Earth were a body and we were microbes -which part of the body's surface would be the best part to live on?
Plaquemines is getting hit really hard - hard enough for official search and rescue operations to be taking place.
Interesting story I heard - if you want to chase it down - is that a guy out in that Parrish was trapped in an attic with a very solidly built roof with no way to get out of his flooded home and for lack of any other efficient enough tool, put his gun to good use and blasted a hole in the ceiling to save himself.

The pictures and videos of people daring enough to stream live are quite unnerving. Somewhat surreal for me, as the weather in Scarborough is blissfully fair, sunny and mild . . . the bird on the wing, the snail on the thorn.. . . .

My thoughts (and this thread, of course) are with all those battling this storm. Stay alert, stay safe.

Cheers,
Harry.

 

[CodeRedR51]

If anyone is interested, TVN Weather is streaming live from a parking garage near Waveland, MS. When you click on the link, click the little red dot on the map and it should load the video stream. These are the same guys from the Storm Chasers show on the Discovery Channel.

http://live.tvnweather.com/

 

[lbsf1]

If anyone is interested, TVN Weather is streaming live from a parking garage near Waveland, MS. When you click on the link, click the little red dot on the map and it should load the video stream. These are the same guys from the Storm Chasers show on the Discovery Channel.

http://live.tvnweather.com/

No longer in car park as it flooded.

EDIT: Never mind they were doing some circling after seeing some wild hogs. :?: