Hurricane Dorian -thread

Warbirds

8/29/19 9:00PM est:
I live in Orlando & it looks like this one is going to hit Florida with intensity.

I am on vacation this week and was heading north for a USPSA match @6:15AM pulled into a gas station and it was crowded- had to wait a minute for gas as everyone was filling up. Really wanted to shoot but decided I better get the house in Order.

My generator- this had been in storage since December when I moved and oddly I had procrastinated and planned to go through it this week- get it out of the garage and take a look at it -the gas tank is full of rust. Spend a few hours trying to find a path forward on the generator with no luck.

If the choices are stay or go- I have 3 boys and a wife to think about. However- I have been traveling For work and I haven?t been in the office for 6 weeks and next week would make it 7 if I left town. Not ideal.
I live A little West of Orlando- I am about 40 miles from the coast as the crow flies. Important factor if we should take a direct hit.

I will almost certainly lose power & my office will almost certainly remain open.
With my generator down I decided to keep the family in Orlando a few miles farther West and take the family to a resort. It is rated for a Cat5 storm and has generators to keep it running.

I am covered on food and gas & other essentials.
Everything with an engine has a full tank & we have water & food reserves.

I?ll keep y?all posted & yeah- bad on me for not having the generator up & running- but Im playing the Hand I?ve been dealt now.
5 day forecast:

Ricci Wright

Hang in there buddy. I spent eight days hold up in my house last sep due to the flooding from Florence. Be sure you have a way to charge your phone and computer without power and plenty of batteries for everything. As far as what this hurricane is going to do I don?t think anyone knows for sure. They have a mind of their own. I hope it stays the hell away from Wilmington,N.C. Good luck.

shilowar

I've got a co-worker that is in the application process for Orange co Sheriff's Dept...I wonder if he is reconsidering that idea! his brother works there. I check my generator every six months, and keep treated PURE gas in it, and rotate it about every 12 months. I used to keep it dry, but then I was giving up 7 gallons of fuel storage. After 8 days in July, in Virginia with out power after a Derechio I don't intend to do that again....was miserable. Best of luck to you.

sxsnuf

Best of luck to you and yours. Sounds like you've got a good plan to ride it out.
Stay safe!

mogley98

Best wishes and prayers, I hate Hurricanes.

The media had a field day when Trump suggested blowing one up, not that scientists haven't considered that idea.

If we could find a way to get the colder ocean water under the surface to rise up into the storm I would think that should take the steam out of them.

Like a reverse vortex of water rising into the cane.

Anyway until I figure out how to kill them stay hunkered down and don't forget to buy all the bread and milk you can get your hands on. (not sure why)

Rocky Raab

Spooky flashbacks here. I lived in Satellite Beach in 1985 when another "D" storm - David - came through on Labor Day. We evacuated to a motel in Orlando for three days. As soon as we could, we hustled back in fear of looting and to see how our house fared. All fine with only minor damage.

bambihunter

Warbirds wrote:

My generator- this had been in storage since December when I moved and oddly I had procrastinated and planned to go through it this week- get it out of the garage and take a look at it -the gas tank is full of rust. Spend a few hours trying to find a path forward on the generator with no luck.

Just a thought, use something else as the gas tank and run the tubing to the fuel filter on the engine. A friend of mine completely disconnects his generators tank. He has a T in the line. One can go to the tank, or he can hang up actual gas cans above it. I think they are 2.5 gallon that he made a little adapter for. This allows him to go get gas, and when he needs it, he puts the adapter on, and flips them over after connecting them. The T valve will allow left, right, or both to flow. During the day he uses them one at a time, at night, he opens both so he doesn't have to refill them. Even though I like my Generac as it is, I may use the T line idea if for no other reason than it would make emptying the tank periodically much easier. Like someone else mentioned above, I only put 100% dino gas in mine, no ethanol. I generally go ahead and put Sta-Bil in it at that point too.

Good luck and be safe.

Sam06

You have time to fix the generator, I would give it a shot.

I don't have clue what kind you have but I think the 1st thing I would do is bypass the tank.

If you don't have storm shutters you need to board up the windows and water proof the doors with sandbags and plastic. Fill up the tubs and get some 5 gallon buckets of water so you can flush toilets.


Good luck.


For what its worth I live in a area that is notorious for loss of power. We have a little storm and I am without power for days. I have a whole house generator that runs on Propane and I have 2 500 gal buried Propane tanks that I own. I have run in the generator for up to 7 days with no problems.

Warbirds

8/30/2019- 9:30pm est
Updated storm track. Picked up some sandbags to control the drainage from the lot behind me. Just need to make sure the water flows away from my house.

Horse Plains Drifter

Prayers for all you folks in the line of that thing. I have never experienced such, and hope I never do.

Junkballer

I use a few 5 gal. plastic boat motor fuel tanks from Wal-Mart, swap your fuel lines at the carb. (completely bypassing the rusty generator tank) just set it higher than the generator for gravity feeding.....your good to go . After the emergency is over you can then clean out the rust

mogley98

Charleston IS A HURRICANE MAGNET

Rocky Raab

The latest forecast shows it may turn north and parallel the coast of Florida - the worst possible track for damage. Back in 1985, that's the path that David took, and it washed away 50 feet of beach from Palm Beach to Jacksonville. David was only a Cat 1 storm. A Cat 4 taking that path would be catastrophic to all those condos on the beach.

Rocky Raab

The former Floridian in me might secretly delight to see the whole "Concrete Condo Canyon" along Hwy A1A washed away - but even I don't have that much schadenfreude.

select-fire

CAT 4 now and will get stronger. It goes up the coast and it is going to be bad for everyone all the way to NC

Wulfmann

Rocky Raab wrote:

. Back in 1985, that's the path that David took,David was only a Cat 1 storm.

David was 1979. There were no hurricanes near Florida in 85

My neighbor had just moved from NJ to Margate FL in 79 and when David was headed for us he freaked and his family beat a path to NJ.
I told him no way a nice Jewish boy named Davis would hit Miami Beach but did he listen?
No
What happened>
David turned off the coast and followed that family all the way to NJ and hit them there.
They came back with their tails between their legs and swore they would never leave again

Not sure what will happen to Dorian. I trimmed a big oak that was 60 feet across down to 25 feet really butchered it over 3 days now. If it had hit that might have smashed my home
Bought lithium chain saw and pole chain saw. That pole saw is incredible

austin20

Wulfmann wrote:

Rocky Raab wrote:

. Back in 1985, that's the path that David took,David was only a Cat 1 storm.

David was 1979. There were no hurricanes near Florida in 85

My neighbor had just moved from NJ to Margate FL in 79 and when David was headed for us he freaked and his family beat a path to NJ.
I told him no way a nice Jewish boy named Davis would hit Miami Beach but did he listen?
No
What happened>
David turned off the coast and followed that family all the way to NJ and hit them there.
They came back with their tails between their legs and swore they would never leave again

Not sure what will happen to Dorian. I trimmed a big oak that was 60 feet across down to 25 feet really butchered it over 3 days now. If it had hit that might have smashed my home
Bought lithium chain saw and pole chain saw. That pole saw is incredible

Wasn't Kate in 1985?

austin20

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Florida_hurricanes_(1975–1999)

montanajoe

It shifted, Georgia and the Carolinas are in play now.
Stay safe Dave!!

Wulfmann

Technically Kate hit Florida but not anywhere near as it went through Cuba, up the gulf and through the panhandle into Georgia so Florida proper, so to speak did not get a storm.

Depends on how you want to look at it but I was referring to a David comparison and in that mode there was no storm in 85

Rocky Raab

Yup, memory failure here. Thanks for the correction. In '85 I was a city councilman in Satellite Beach and we had a nasty nor'easter come through and destroyed a lot of beach, leaving one condo hanging out over empty air, which I was delegated to inspect and then condemn. That's what I was remembering. David was before that, as noted.

Marc1301

David in 1979 reached Cat5 at one point, with 175mph peak winds. It tore up some of the islands and hit the DR at about 150. After crossing it was a Cat1, and then proceeded towards Florida.

It made landfall right at W. Palm Beach. I was still in HS in 1979, and remember that storm well, as the eye passed right over our heads. Fortunately it was pretty weak by then.

Warbirds

Day 3-
Interestingly enough Florida has gone to permitless concealed carry while in a state of emergency.
https://www.lawenforcementtoday.com/permitless-concealed-carry-in-effect-during-mandatory-evacuations-in-florida/

Today i focused just on making sure I had good drainage amd things would work as designed. Not real exciting. I also went to Lowe?s and got all the stuff I might need for clean-up efforts.

We are as ready as we will be apart from moving in all the outdoor furniture.

The storm also appears to be making a turn north. I hope it causes it to die out but I dont think it works that way.

kimi

Prayers for you folks and for your property that are in the path of the hurricane.

mjrfd99

It's Florida
Just because Dorian has the left turn signal on -- don't mean it's turning.
Prayers for all the ones in the path of this monster

Marc1301

As of 8AM, movement of a few models moved a bit further west, and caused a slight shift in the NHC track. Where I am just moved to the west side of 'the cone'. This is turning into a pretty nasty one, and most likely one of the worst,.....or THE worst the Bahamas have ever been hit by.

select-fire

Update at 9.30 175 MPH Cat 5

austin20

mjrfd99 wrote:

It's Florida
Just because Dorian has the left turn signal on -- don't mean it's turning.
Prayers for all the ones in the path of this monster

kimi

Marc1301 wrote:

As of 8AM, movement of a few models moved a bit further west, and caused a slight shift in the NHC track. Where I am just moved to the west side of 'the cone'. This is turning into a pretty nasty one, and most likely one of the worst,.....or THE worst the Bahamas have ever been hit by.

It does look real bad, Mark! Good luck, man!

Beeramid

It's a monster, 185mph sustained winds, and higher gusts. Just leave if you're in it's path.

bullshot

Thank God, we dodged another bullet but it looks like our family in Ormond Beach/Daytona are still going to get a lot of damage but we pray that Dorian will stay off shore and hopefully move even farther east as it skirts the coast.

select-fire

Mandatory Evacuation starting at noon tomorrow in Charleston SC, I 26 will do lane reversal toward Columbia.

Warbirds

Day 4 -storm is very strong. My house is as ready as it will be. I checked into a room at a local Orlando resort -they are built to take a Cat5 hit & have their own backup generators.
Storm is clocking sustained 185mph winds.

buschmaster

these guys are saying 225 MPH winds

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7417607/South-Carolina-orders-evacuation-MILLION-people-coastline-Dorian-barrels-US.html

does that make it a Cat5-E?

kimi

The worst hurricane that I ever recall was Typhoon Karen that hit Guam in '62. Karen destroyed 95% of the structures on the Island, and leveled the forests from one end to the other, laid over cyclone fences bending the metal postings almost level with the ground. Fortunately, no more than 11 people lost their lives due to an early warning. Experts in the know have been unable to estimate the windspeed of that super typhoon since every anemometer on the Island was blown out, ever now and again they up the estimated sustained wind and its gusts from that bad hurricane. Right now Hurricane Dorian is right up there with the latest wind speed estimates that Karen had...185 & 225 mph. Karen also had a barometric pressure of 894 which is likely too high and wrong as well. Get away from the coast!

bustedknee

I cannot believe we pay good money for these predictions!

I predict Dorian may or may not make landfall. I predict Dorian may or may not intensify. I predict Dorian may or may not dump a lot of rain on the east coast. I predict Dorian may or may not travel offshore, up the east coast.

Now, send me my check.

fatcat458

Weather forecasters and fortune tellers are one-in-the-S A M E :shock:

Simply tell me where Dorian 'IS' :!: NOT where you think its gonna be :idea:

DirtyDawg

bustedknee wrote:

I cannot believe we pay good money for these predictions!

I predict Dorian may or may not make landfall. I predict Dorian may or may not intensify. I predict Dorian may or may not dump a lot of rain on the east coast. I predict Dorian may or may not travel offshore, up the east coast.

Now, send me my check.

This same group of government funded "scientists" also predict the polar ice caps are melting, cow farts are causing green house gases, the ozone layer is shrinking, and coastal areas will flood because of "climate change".........

select-fire

https://www.facebook.com/ChiefRaymondHernandez/videos/654611135061696/?t=2

Quick&Dead

How many billions were spent by the people of Florida due to the impending disaster forecast of the National Weather Bureau and promoted by the dire words in the news broadcasts?

A disaster than did NOT occur and no apology from the weather bureau when asked by a reporter.

I have been to Florida twice in the late fall (Octorber) and no desire to ever return to the hot, super humid place.

Local government will make the building codes more stringent and it will cost the citizens more money in the years ahead.