Hurricane Dorian strengthens to Category 3 as it targets Florida and Southeast U.S.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

The forecast for Hurricane Dorian keeps becoming more ominous and serious, particularly in Florida, even as the specifics as to exactly where it will strike remain uncertain.

Dorian steadily strengthened Thursday night and Friday morning, growing into an “extremely dangerous” Category 3 storm with winds of 115 mph according to the National Hurricane Center’s 2 p.m. bulletin. This intensification trend is forecast to continue.

By the time Dorian is bearing down on Florida on Labor Day, it is forecast to become a Category 4 with 140 mph winds. (The Hurricane Center notes that its forecast is actually weaker than some computer models are showing when it comes to storm intensity.)



In both Florida and the northwestern Bahamas, the storm has the potential to unleash catastrophic winds, exceptional flooding rains and a life-threatening storm surge, which is the storm-driven rise in water above normally dry land at the coast. The storm surge will be exacerbated by naturally occurring astronomical high tides, which are some of the highest of the year this weekend into early next week.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/08/30/potentially-disastrous-hurricane-dorian-looms-closer-stronger-targeting-florida-southeast-us/?wpisrc=al_news__alert-national&wpmk=1

[Leghorn21]

1. ..and, per The Weather Channel just now, 50% of the gas stations in the Miami area are

out of fuel

dayam

[at140]

3. What good is a gassed up car if

the roads are flooded and full of debris. Unless one wants to evacuate early to as far as Tennessee in which case there should be no gas shortage out of Florida. All gas stations here in NE Florida have gas today and I did not see long lines to get gas. But yesterday I was at Walmart and there was no drinking water left in the store!

[Leghorn21]

4. Yes, I'm figuring Miami people want to gas up and GO - and the aggravation of driving around

looking for fuel when you're ready to roll would just make me so mad!!

Boy, as soon as a TS appears in the Atlantic, stores should start shipping in water, STAT!! (plus, get those gas trucks coming in!)

I realize nobody really knows what's coming, and all are doing their best to cope - and now that I know you, I'll be watching NE Florida more carefully!!

[mnhtnbb]

5. Anybody in Florida needing gas, check out gasbuddy

You can put in your city or zip code and it will bring up stations and locations with fuel (out of fuel) or having limited fuel options.

Example, I put in Miami

https://tracker.gasbuddy.com/?q=Miami

[GulfCoast66]

7. Most Floridians are encouraged not to evacuate.

Usually only those that are very coastal, in trailer homes or in Flood prone areas.

And the Miami folks don’t need to go to Tennessee. The 100,000s of hotel rooms around the central Florida attractions will be emptying of tourist over the next day or so and all of them give discount rates for evacuees and many like Disney even waive their no pet policies so people don’t stay in unsafe locations for their pets.

2 of my coworkers who live in mobile homes already booked rooms for early next week. Discounted to $50 per night.

The hotels here in central Florida are a little known but vital resource for coastal evacuees. They will be packed next week.

[at140]

8. That was pretty much my point...panicking to fill gas tanks

You are exactly right, unless you live close to coastal in a flood prone area there is no need to to fill up the tank so you can drive to Tennessee during a hurricane.

I live about 10 miles from Atlantic ocean, and during the 2016 hurricane Mathews our relatives from Arizona were more scared about us than we were. There was tremendous amount of wind, lots of trees came down and many streets became impassable due to broken tree branches and other debris. But we are not in a flood zone and had no intention of evacuating.

[GulfCoast66]

9. Sorry, missed the point. We are in the same page

[GulfCoast66]

10. And now I seems to be doing what many predicted it will do.

Run up the coast off shore.

How long you live here? I’ve been here 32 years and every couple of years there is a ‘big’ one going to clobber the Florida Atlantic coast. It gets old. Granted, it could still hit, but history argues against it. The geography of the peninsula is not conducive for a strike on the Atlantic coast much north of Miami. Does it occasionally happen, yeah, but rarely.

The weather channel is already carrying on about how North Carolina is going to get creamed!! They know it is not likely to make a direct hit on Florida. But the hyperbole drives revenue. I get tired of relatives who have never liked in Hurricane prone areas texting every few years asking if I am evacuating. I live in Lake County on a 100 foot tall hill 70 miles from the coast. I would be in more danger on the highway than in my well built home.

[at140]

11. Got here just in time to welcome hurricane Mathews in 2016

Living about 40 miles south of Jacksonville, and 10 miles from ocean.
I am watching the weather channel right now, but not going in a state of panic.
Stocked up on water and flash lights and some non-perishable foods because power could go out and even water supply could get interrupted. But no plans to evacuate!

But as you said it gets old after a while! Would you believe our relatives were texting us with addresses of nearby shelters during Mathews?

[GulfCoast66]

12. Get used to it! The weather channel gins up the fear!

You live in the part of the state least likely to be hit by a hurricane by a country mile. Once storms make it to that latitude they are almost always pulled east. And people don’t realize how much the peninsula of Florida runs northwest to southeast.

I’ve seen it time after time in my 32 years here.

I predicted here 2 days ago this thing would not hit Florida. Yeah, it could. But the odds are against it.

I have very good friends living just North of St. Augustine off US 1. You close to there? If so, you are good unless you have big old pine trees over your house.

They are already talking about how the Carolinas are at risk! They all knew from experience this was the most likely scenario. And yeah, they need to make people aware. But until tonight how often have you heard any serious discussion about the storm turning north? Despite the fact this happens every 2-4 years. Fear gets viewers. And it works. Look at all the post from DU members from out of state. It’s cool they are concerned. It’s the nature of liberals. We care. But they are getting played in a way. If not directly on the coast, in a manufactured home or a flood prone area, we make it thru just fine. I spent 13 days after Charlie with no power. No fun but was in no danger. Brought the neighborhood together like nothing else!

Stay safe. And look for sharks teeth on the beach next week. There will be a ton.

Have a nice evening.

[at140]

13. Sincere thanks for all the insights based on actual experience

I am west of St Augustine near I-95. Back of the house is thick and tall woods and this subdivision has 300 houses pretty closely packed. But yes there are 2 tall pine trees in the woods which could reach the house if they fall in the right direction. I will assume if they did not fall during Mathews, may be they are strong enough.

Best of luck where ever you are.

[at140]

2. Stay safe all fellow Floridians....

Do not take this hurricane lightly. Most likely you will lose power and could be for 2-4-6 days.
So prepare accordingly. Plenty of drinking water on hand is a must. Cooking food may become
impossible due to loss of power or gas. Stock up on canned foods which can be consumed without
needing heat.

In 2016, during the last hurricane, we had streets flooded and full of debris making driving impossible for several days.

[FloridaBlues]

6. This has all of us (24 million) about crazy with this storm.