Wow.
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Hurricane Irma
- Thread starter JohnD
- Start date
Wow.
GregorClegane
Member
I am racking my mind on what to do about this. My wife and I are arriving in Orlando around 9am on Sunday morning and staying until the following Sunday. I booked through Priceline, which when I read on Disney's policy it sounds like there is nothing they can do for me. All I can do is keep an eye on everything to see what might be impacted, but right now my wife and I are planning on going, if we can't rebook anything thats just a lot of money down the drain.
Because if one of the projected tracks is accurate, this storm will blow through Central Florida straight up through Georgia. Irma is still east of the Lesser Antilles. If/When it hits the Gulf, it's going to get bigger.
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I live in Tallahassee. My evacuation would be to North Alabama, not Georgia.
First Saturday....and now this....
Epcotfan21
Well-Known Member
Let's not talk about Saturday.
kthomas105
Well-Known Member
Travel Guard Trip Insurance is really good. Its very reasonable for what it covers and how much it cost, but to be honest at this stage I cant see any insurance company picking up a policy in FL, GA or SC
GregorClegane
Member
Yeah I didn't even think about travel insurance when I booked. Never really needed it before. Might have to consider it next time I book Disney trips.
Should I cancel all my dining reservations now, or should I wait? I know they charge you 10.00 if you don't show up.
If you didn't have trip insurance, I'd check immediately to see if you can add it.
To all you out-of-staters who travel to Florida (or anywhere in the Caribbean) in the summer. Never, ever decline trip insurance. August and September are the most active months during hurricane season. Hermine and Matthew last year were a prelude. The last hurricane to hit my part of the state - Kate in 1985. The last to hit Florida - Wilma in 2005. When the governor puts ALL 67 counties - from Monroe to Escambia - under a state of emergency, it's big. Never seen that in the 51 years I've lived in this state.
Another tip. If you have a top loading washing machine, fill it with ice. It can hold most of your fridge and freezer. And when the ice melts, you can use the water to wash clothes.
21stamps
Well-Known Member
It always blows my mind when Floridians don't have supplies for a hurricane. Tax Free Week exists for this very reason. More water, boards if you don't have hurricane shutters, and a few extra items I understand, but some people have literally nothing until less than a week before the storm. These are usually the people on tv blaming the government.lol
They did, but it's still too many people. Well over 6 million just in the Greater Miami area- Dade/Broward/Palm Beach. Then add Monroe and you're well over even that number.
You have until midnight to cancel. If wait until the day before the ADR to make that decision.
Don't know what to think yet. The Weather Channel is saying it could turn north and make landfall around Tampa. That would put Tallahassee on the west. Not good for Tampa area, though. Simply put, it sucks for Florida no matter what.
I'm supposed to start 9/16. It will have blown through but what will it leave behind at home before the supposed start of the trip? Don't know what to do.
Alyssacuse
New Member
We're supposed to at WDW from 9/9 to 9/17... I'm not sure what to do except watch the reports for now. Hope all of you who are located in Florida are preparing and doing well!
Yeah, hitting the most populous region of the state isn't good. However, not everyone will need to evacuate.
Projecting 145 mph winds for Miami Sunday.
FigmentForver96
Well-Known Member
I myself am starting to wonder. I have lived in Florida my whole life and seen my share of storms. Is a trip this Friday-Sunday morning still a good idea? It seems like if the storm does make landfall, it will be Sunday afternoon when we have already left? Also, will the interstates be closed going southbound on early Friday morning? I had family saying they would stop anyone from going to Orlando?
sudokujesus
Member
This is ridiculous thinking.
Yes, it will be rainy and windy in Georgia. But not catastrophic. If you are in a decent built structure, and most hotels are, Georgia will be just fine for evacuations. You don't evacuate to where it will be sunny. You evacuate to where you are sure you won't be flooded out by an insane storm surge and winds that rip brick homes apart. Even if a category 5 makes landfall in south Florida and it tracks right over Orlando, it is unlikely Orlando would see winds over 100mph. And storm surge is a nonfactor there which is why evacuations are issued in the first place for most people.
And even if you don't feel safe in Orlando, which you should, so long as you had supplies like food and water... to insinuate Georgia isn't a viable evacuation area is ridiculous and to be honest, dangerous. Millions of people will need to be evacuated. We don't need millions more who don't need to be evacuated clogging things up for those in actual peril.
That's what happened to me last year with Hermine. Was scheduled to drive to Uni that Friday. Cancelled the trip since (1) my street was blocked by 3 huge pine trees, (2) had no power and (3) the vet was open, but they had no power or water.
I'd wait to see. If Irma heads for the Big Bend/Panhandle, we're in deep too doo...
Jordanaous
Well-Known Member
The modelling is still drastically different between the two most reported models - the European and the US. Based on the US model, Central Florida could see Irma on Monday around 4am - 11am. The track shows it hugging the coastline before heading up towards Savannah. This is sort of similar to Hurricane Matthew.
The European Model (which is usually the more accurate of the two) tells a different, more harrowing story. This model estimates that the eye will directly hit Cape Coral and head through the centre of the state. Estimated to hit central Florida at 4pm on Monday and linger for quite a while. Eventually losing quite a bit of strength as it heads north towards the state...
Both these models have already changed drastically, and they're likely to change again. The best thing to do right now is keep an eye on the consistently changing forecasts, and prepare. It's best to be prepared for a storm that never comes, than to assume that it doesn't come and then be blindsided by it.
The European Model (which is usually the more accurate of the two) tells a different, more harrowing story. This model estimates that the eye will directly hit Cape Coral and head through the centre of the state. Estimated to hit central Florida at 4pm on Monday and linger for quite a while. Eventually losing quite a bit of strength as it heads north towards the state...
Both these models have already changed drastically, and they're likely to change again. The best thing to do right now is keep an eye on the consistently changing forecasts, and prepare. It's best to be prepared for a storm that never comes, than to assume that it doesn't come and then be blindsided by it.
sudokujesus
Member
The reality is we won't really know if Disney World will be in REAL danger until probably Friday. Shifts by 50-100 miles are incredibly common and until it makes its turn and models really come into agreement on exact location (which is rare more than 72 hours out), we just won't know.
Unfortunately, because of the logistics of preparing and evacuating.... millions of people, many of whom will ultimately not suffer significant damage, will have to evacuate.
Unfortunately, because of the logistics of preparing and evacuating.... millions of people, many of whom will ultimately not suffer significant damage, will have to evacuate.