Some residents refusing evacuation orders; claim the storm is overhyped

[davidn3600]

A deadly Hurricane Matthew steamed toward Florida with maximum sustained winds of 140mph on Thursday as hundreds of thousands of people boarded up their homes, grabbed their belongings and fled inland to escape the most powerful storm to threaten the Atlantic coast in more than a decade.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Matthew has been upgraded to a Category 4 hurricane and should hold its strength until it approaches the Florida coast.

As the threat from the major hurricane rose along the Southeast seacoast, the center extended a hurricane warning area on a large swath of Florida’s east coast farther up to Altamaha Sound, Georgia. And it said a newly expanded hurricane watch area would now reach from the Altamaha Sound to the South Santee River in South Carolina.

None of this mattered to John Long, who lives in the Florida town of Cape Canaveral.

“The hype is going to be worse than the actual storm. I feel I can do quite well,” said Long, who owns a bike shop and plans to ride out the storm with his cat in his 32-foot recreational vehicle a half-mile from the ocean. He has lived in the Space Coast area for three decades. “There’s always tremendous buildup and then it’s no stronger than an afternoon thunderstorm. I’m not anticipating that much damage,” he said Wednesday.

----

Yet despite evacuation orders and dire warnings, Robert and Georgette Tyler said they were staying put in their 500-square foot rental home in Cape Canaveral, undeterred that Matthew might soon be pounding at their door.

Taking a break from putting plywood on windows, Robert Tyler said he feared getting stuck in traffic and that it was too much trouble to pack up his motorcycles and firearms. He has two generators, 50 gallons of fuel and enough food and water for a week. Plus, he is a handyman and his phone will be ringing off the hook once the storm passes.

“It’s part of Florida life I guess, especially on the coast,” he said.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/first-warning-wx-matthew-strengthens-to-cat-3-hurricane-u-s-on-alert/

[Scurrilous]

1. So long John Long...

[steve2470]

2. yep he isn't thinking clearly about this one nt

[dixiegrrrrl]

20. In Mobile, Al.the police have a way of dealing with hold outs

They go door to door during mandatory evacuations, and bring a camera.
They tell the hold outs to write their SS number on the inside of their forearm with indelible ink, then they take a face pic, and arm pic.

" That is so we can identify you at the morgue more easily and notify your next of kin."

Works about half the time.

During the storm, 911 calls pour in, wanting rescue as the water floods into the homes.
But there is ...very literally....no way anyone can move around in the rain and deep water.
And Mobile area, fed by major rivers, floods easily. Downtown floods even during heavy downpours.
Twice that I know of, hurricane storm surges pushed the river upstream.

I don't live in Mobile anymore.....

[elfin]

35. Additionally have them sign a contract agreeing..l

To pay the government at least 10 grand per living thing if they require and receive rescuing.

[smirkymonkey]

25. He's not thinking at ALL.

A 32-foot RV a half mile from the ocean in a Cat 4 hurricane? Darwin award for that one.

[Hubert Flottz]

27. LOL

If it's a cat 4 and it comes right up the coast, that dude is soggy toast.

[steve2470]

44. yep nt

[irisblue]

3. poor cat

and how do you keep kitty litter dry during flood surges? He's a fool.

[avebury]

31. I feel sorry for the cat. No sympathy for him but he is selfish

to take the cat with him.

[RockaFowler]

5. Just thinking the same thing

Stay safe Scurrilous

[Scurrilous]

7. You too!

[Warpy]

4. Yeah, his phone will be rining off the hook...

Oh, right, phones will be out for at least a couple of weeks while he sits in wet rubble. But he's got his GUNZ, so he can face anything! They'll go down cold and crisp when there's no water.

Dumbasses.

Of course, no hurricane has made a direct hit on that part of the coast in recorded history, so all the old geezers (and young dopes) think that means it never will. I ran into that attitude with my dad but to his credit, he was in his 80s and said something was going to kill him and it might as well be a hurricane. He's been gone for 10 years now so I don't have that fight on my hands this year.

I hope for the sake of all those Florida Men that the sucker shifts eastward. If it wobbles even 20 miles to the west, they'll be in a world of hurt.

[exboyfil]

6. My mom is in Ormond Beach

She has moved inland looking for a shelter. She has a very small dog, and I think she is having problems finding a place that will take her and her dog.

[Mariana]

12. My parents have had this problem with their pets.

They aren't threatened by this one but they do live on the coast and they have to evacuate from time to time. Rather than going from shelter to shelter, trying to find one that will take animals, they now just go to the home of some family member that is within a day's drive - there are 3 of those right now in various directions from their house. Of course so many people don't have that option available. This is a serious problem because some people simply will not evacuate if they can't take their pets.

[exboyfil]

13. Unfortunately my brother lives in Ohio

and I live in Iowa. Her sister is in California.

That is a good thought though. My grandma used to live in Ocala, and my wife and I were speculating that someone from my grandma's old church might be able to take her in.

[PatSeg]

51. This has to be a concern

for a lot of people. Not everyone has somewhere to go or the money to evacuate. For the elderly, the sick, and the poor, leaving is not always an option.

Of course, staying in a RV 1/2 mile from the beach does not sound rational. This man clearly CAN leave and take his "house" with him.

[VMA131Marine]

8. An RV in 100-125 mile an hour winds ....

What could possibly go wrong? The Hurricane is forecast to go right over the top of him.

[GentryDixon]

11. He'll end up floating in the ocean.

Maybe he can use his long guns for a paddle.

His poor cat.

[Hubert Flottz]

28. Maybe the guy just wants to...

"Go Airborne!"

[Binkie The Clown]

9. Candidates for the Darwin Award. Sad. n/t

[boomer55]

10. I dunno I never see it as sad for people like this. Good for the overall survival of our species.

[Mariana]

14. There are always some of those.

Not much to be done about it, unless you can have them arrested and let them ride out the storm in jail. One hurricane I was in years ago there were stories that the sheriff's department had done exactly that, went to the areas that were certain to flood and took everyone they saw to the jail, and turned everyone loose next day when the storm was over. I don't know if that really happened, but very few people died in that storm and it was a bad one, so maybe it is true.

[Scurrilous]

15. It's here!

https://weather.com/weather/radar/interactive/l/USFL0316:1:US?animation=true&layer=radarConus&zoom=8

[citood]

16. Yikes

"ride out the storm with his cat in his 32-foot recreational vehicle"

He's in a motorhome...in a hurricane!?!?

[snooper2]

19. Yep- he is going to die- basically an F2 tornado

Just a little wider- just a little

[nolabear]

17. Happens every time. You're on your own, John.

People like him put lives in danger. First responders try to help but there comes a time when they can't. Snakes, rubble, unimaginable disease-spreading aftermath...I've evacuated in front of some storms that changed the world. Buddy, you're on your own.

[irisblue]

18. he could not have lived through Andrew in 92.

[Stinky The Clown]

21. They will be voting for Trump, too, I suspect.

[GreenPartyVoter]

22. Only if he already turned in his ballot.

[Stinky The Clown]

32. Ha!

[tblue37]

23. I am concerned for his poor cat. nt

[mcar]

24. They are idiots

Media may be hyping it but look at the freaking track. Better safe than dead.

[CanonRay]

26. I didn't know the Darwin Awards had auditions.

Ride out a Cat4/5 hurricane in an RV.

[HockeyMom]

29. Weather Channel Reporter: "If you have family or friends on the Gulf Coast,

maybe you should visit them now". My daughter's SIL and family, who live in Cape Canaveral, have gone to stay with the grandparents in Tampa.

[Wounded Bear]

30. Chalk it up to the "don't believe the media" assholes....

and "don't trust the government."

You can hang at least a part of this on the Limbaughs and Hannitys of the world.

[spanone]

33. good luck mr long...you should stand in the path of a tornado too

dumbfuck

[pansypoo53219]

34. chlorine in the punchbowl.

[tammywammy]

36. I feel bad for his cat.

[roamer65]

37. These people are going to be sorry they didnt evacuate about 4-5 hrs from now.

Freeport in the Bahamas is taking an absolute beating, they just said on the news.

[Thrill]

38. Listening to Drudge

[Cal Carpenter]

39. Tell that to the 100+ people who died in Haiti

[workinclasszero]

40. But..but Rush said hurricanes are a left wing plot

And Drudge says you cant trust the goobermint weather lefties either.

That idiot in the RV is a dead man walking. Darwin award winner for sure.

Sucks for the kitty. Maybe he can survive somehow.

[Retired George]

41. Let me guess

These fools also think climate change needs more study.

[Blue_Roses]

42. This is really sad.

What an idiot. I feel sorry for his poor cat.

[herding cats]

43. Poor kitty. ☹️

It not the cats fault it's living with a fool.

I just hope they don't suffer too much.

[cwydro]

45. These storms rarely live up to the hype.

I rode out several when I lived in south Florida.

We suffered loss of cars due to the surge in two storms and property damage. But nobody died.

[spiderpig]

47. MSNBC couldn't hide their disappointment when Matthew was downgraded

from Cat 4 to Cat 3.

They acknowledged it was still a bad storm, but their voices said it all - that they were missing an op to cover a Really Big One.

[mnhtnbb]

50. The worst is yet to come with storm surge...and that can be deadly. Remember Katrina?

The hurricane is going to be off Jacksonville this afternoon when it is high tide: expecting 7-11 ft storm surge. It could be really, really, ugly.

[cwydro]

54. Storm surge is truly terrifying.

The worst of the winds that Wilma brought had passed, and I fell asleep on the couch that morning.

My housemate woke me shouting, "there's a surge!" We'd been through one in Georges, but this one was worse.

The water rose to my height (5'3&quot before it began to subside. I had the dogs and the cats in the canoe ready to paddle to a neighbor's stilt house. She lost her car. My truck was spared because I'd parked it near a bridge (only high ground in the Keys).

We lost everything in the house. My cats were very annoyed at the canoe episode.

[mnhtnbb]

56. That is exactly why people have been told to get out of storm surge areas.

This friend of mine in Jacksonville is in the A zone that was told to evacuate that is at risk of 6-9 feet of surge. They have not evacuated. They are near
a creek not far from the beach. The hurricane eye should be just off shore of Jacksonville when it is high tide this afternoon.

I hope they have a plan to get out if the water starts coming up in their house.

I know what it's like to lose everything in the house--from fire in our case--and sorry you had to go through that.

[cwydro]

58. Fire is the worst.

I'll take a hurricane over that any day.

Glad you survived.

[misterhighwasted]

52. Back to the other nauseating disaster..trump.

I could just see the excitment leave their bodies as the dread of "more Trump" became the reality.

[cwydro]

55. I saw one reporter standing next to a branch that had blown down.

I remember CNN in the Keys driving around to find puddles to broadcast from.

I just don't take the media seriously in these storms. And they do a disservice to everyone. They blow things out of proportion, and then no one will listen when it is truly dangerous.

[bullwinkle428]

46. Wind gusts of up to 107 mph hitting Cape Canaveral now.

https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/hurricane-matthew-bahamas-florida-georgia-carolinas-forecast

[steve2470]

49. that's where Mr. Long in the OP lives in his RV....he may be dead already, very sad nt

[mnhtnbb]

48. They just announced the first death in FL due to Matthew--in the Port St. Lucie area

I think.

I feel bad for his kitty.

[steve2470]

53. Mr. Long is in Cape Canaveral, and yes he and his kitty may be dead by now

A 107 mph gust was reported IN Cape Canaveral. Very sad, especially for the kitty.

[pampango]

57. Matt Drudge agrees. Says the hype is a conspiracy to promote climate change hoax.

Hurricane Matthew: Matt Drudge conspiracy comments kick up storm

Conservative US blogger Matt Drudge has kicked up a storm by suggesting that the warnings over Hurricane Matthew are a government conspiracy to make “an exaggerated point on climate” change.

The founder of the Drudge Report tweeted that the US hurricane centre had a monopoly on data and there was “no way of verifying claims”.

Matt Drudge tweeted: “The deplorables are starting to wonder if govt has been lying to them about Hurricane Matthew intensity to make exaggerated point on climate.”

“Deplorables” is believed to refer to supporters of US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has expressed scepticism about climate change, following comments from his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37584987