Originally posted by The Mom
On a positive note, the storm seems to be weakening (but is still a catergory 4...not to be trifled with) so this will make a turn even more likely.
This is certainly a storm to be watched ! I would rather be prepared than surprised; I don't think this one is going out to sea. (But I hope I'm proven wrong.)
Actually, dropping down to a C4 at this point isn't much of a positive note. The winds are down to 140MPH, but movement of the storm has also slowed to just 8MPH. When a storm slows down, it typically gets stronger or attempts to re-gain its peak strength. The other scenario there is it could be beginning to make its northerly turn, and once it does that, the winds will most likely pickup again and the storm itself will probably speed up a bit.
Hurricanes are tricky little buggers! If a storm moves fast once it hits land, most of the damages will be from wind. If it slows down once it makes landfall, then you've got a double whammy of wind and heavy rain. If it were my choice, I'd take the fast moving wind machine.
I live on the upper Texas gulf coast and storms are no stranger to those of us here. We've had a couple of tropical storms and a C1 hurricane this year already! I had a storm in 2001 that dropped over 20 inches of rain in 24 hours...then it went away and came back, dropping another 15-20 inches in 48 hours! The tropical storm -- yes, not even a hurricane -- popped up in about two hours time. There literally was nothing there and then all of a sudden there was one of the most destructive storms of all time. I went to a class at 3pm and when it got out at 5pm the city was filling up really quick. I was lucky and my car didn't flood out going through the water -- I should not have driven through it, but I sure as heck wasn't staying alone in a bad part of the city for days! I made it home in about 3 hours...normally takes about 20 minutes. Everything was flooded...18-wheelers were floating down highways, hospitals were completely flooded. We still haven't fully recovered and won't for a long time.
I'm really hoping it makes that northerly turn and goes for the east coast. Don't get me wrong -- I don't really want the people there to get hit, I just don't want it in my yard this time! I am really worried about how unprepared people in the track of the storm are. I don't know if I said it in this thread or another that I had a news director in the Washington DC area call me yesterday in total panic...if the television stations aren't equipped for this type of emergency, you know the people aren't! To those of you on the coast in the track of the storm, in case you don't know already...pack up the car and leave. Leave now. Seriously, leave. Get the kids, the pets and any little sentimental things you have to have and get out. Don't wait until tomorrow to see if it takes another course...go now. It's always easier to get out quick and come back if it's going to be ok than to wait and not be able to get out (mostly because everyone else will be trying to leave then, too, or because the weather is too bad to escape). If you decide to ride it out (good luck!), at least get a tank of gas because all your gas stations will probably be gone soon. Stick some boards on the house if you want (not that they'll do much if any good in a C4 or C5 hurricane) and go. If you're a good distance inland and plan to ride it out (good luck to you, too), fill the cars up with gas, get lots of bottled water (if you can find any; if not, fill up some containers with tap water now...fill up the bathtub), non-perishable food, flashlights/lanterns, a radio, a battery-powered television with antenna if you can afford it, lots of extra batteries (for the TV, radio and flashlight), get some sand and make your own sandbags (put them in the garage so you can put them out BEFORE your house floods), make sure you have lots of baby products if you have a baby and re-fill your medications now -- you never know how long you may be stuck, and when you're able to get out the pharmacy may no longer exist.
I don't want to sound incredibly negative and stir-up unnecessary panic, but this type of storm is not to be taken lightly. I wish everyone in the path of the storm a whole lot of luck! :lookaroun
