OK, Florida Folks, get ready...HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!

[cracker39]

I know that there are different computer trackings for the path of Ernesto, but the one I just looked at shows it hitting the Florida coast right in Ira and Woody's backyard about 2AM Wednesday, going a few miles east of me later that morning, and leaving the state right through Steve's front yard about 2AM Thursday.

Get your supplies together and get ready to HUNKER DOWN!!!

I hope it doesn't cause anyone much damage, and leaves Anastasia intact for our Nov. gathering.

[Ira]

Oy vey--I've had enough.

Looking at the path now, there's no way it's missing me and Woody. In fact, the center of the thing is going right up the middle of the state, and guess where Coral Springs is, where I live?

It's as far west as you can go before you hit the Everglades. (Weston is a little further west, but they're also south of me.)

They say it's a matter of how long it stays over Cuba. If it goes a little more westerly, it'll be over Cuba longer, weakening it. and emerging onto a path that brings it over a less expanse of water to strengthen again, but it's still hitting us dead on.

If it just jogs north right over Cuba without going west too much, it now has a LONGER path over water before hitting the Keys, strengthening it a lot, and again, hitting us dead on.

Plus, since the front or west end of the storm will be over the Everglades, that ALSO strengthens it, since the warm water of the Glades acts like the ocean.

I am worried about this one A LOT because of the path. Even if it hits us as a tropical storm, this will be no fun at all. You can already feel a difference in the air here, and I looked for flocks of birds on my drive to work this morning--and didn't see any. Wilma hammered us as a Cat 1, and that path didn't look half as bad as this one does.

The only saving grace is that it's now moving at 10 to 12 mph, whereas Wilma moved at 5. So hopefully, if it picks up a lot of strength over the ocean, it'll also pick up speed so it travels through faster.

I filled up the truck with gas this morning (90 bucks!), and I already hit WalMart for extra propane, charcoal, food, batteries, etc. I also bought a 62-can Coleman 5-day cooler (because it was all they had left), but I noticed it was missing the cap for the drain spout! (Anyone know the size off-hand?)

Man, I wish I had that generator right now. But at least my wife won't yell at me for buying two of those Coleman propane ovens!

[Joseph]

I also bought a 62-can Coleman 5-day cooler (because it was all they had left), but I noticed it was missing the cap for the drain spout! (Anyone know the size off-hand?)

At this point I'd say you can get a replacement later. I'd just whittle down a wine cork or even a piece of white pine and gently drive it in the drain from the inside - basic Navy Damage Control.
When you need to remove it, use a chopstick and a hammer to drive it back out.

Good luck to you and Woody!

Joseph

[Ira]

I'd just whittle down a wine cork

If Budweiser used corks, I'd be all set.

And thanks for the good wishes!!!

[Woody]

I am ready plenty of beer on hand. We'll see as it gets closer. I know one thing if it rolls this teardrop again I'll be very pissed off after Wilma tried to destroy it

[cracker39]

Yeah, Ira, you seem to be gettin' ready. I'm off to WalMart today for a couple more propane bottles. I already have two coolers, a camp stove, several jugs of water, several flashlights and portable radios, and lots of batteries. I still don't have a gernerator and may wish I bought one.

I'm going to prepare the big freezer by putting in 4 or 5 large bags of ice so it will stay cold longer if we have a power outage. Another bag or two in one of the coolers wouldn't be a bad idea either. My wife goes through a large bag of ice in 3 or 4 days, so it will get used. She won't use the ice in the fridge ice maker cause she says it picks up fridge odors, so I buy her bagged ice anyway. We have a self serve ice maker a few blocks away that sells 16Lb bags or 20LBS bulk for $1.50.

It Ernesto goes farther west than predicted, it could well hit my area dead center too. As it is, it won't be very far east of here and we'll still get the heaviest winds coming and going. My TTT is beside the house, with another one just 10 feet away, so it's protected on two sides. The neighbor had her large oak tree removed from her back yard last year due to trunk rot, so I don't have one with any limbs directly over my TTT or boat canopy this time.

Most of the winds will be from the east, north, and west, where I have the most trees to partially block them. I'm hoping to weather this one OK, like I did the 4 that came directly though this county in the past two years.

[Wright]

OK all, add this to the "not-for-nothing" file... But if my memory serves correct, (I remember this as Ernesto pounds Cuba) that Che Guevera's actual first name was Ernesto... coincidence or a plot by the Mob/CIA??? you decide...


ok... ok... I am not right... but my shrink is getting rich.

[Ira]

In the morning, I'm stopping over at the boatyard to retrieve my DC-AC inverter. (I'll charge the deep cycle battery tonight.) Also gonna choke the tires with 2 by 4s and rope like I did for Wilma.

And it's a good thing I bought a new TARP on Saturday.

[mikeschn]

Is anyone in FL going north and west to get out of the path of Ernesto?

Mike...

[Ira]

Is anyone in FL going north and west to get out of the path of Ernesto?

Mike...

That's what makes this such a weird one:

You can't really get away from it based on the path they showed this morning. That path showed it going straight up basically the southern 75% of the state before exiting.

But the 11AM path now shows it hugging more on the east coast, but still affecting the middle longtitude of the state. It's not like it's coming from offshore, from the east, and crossing a relatively narrow "width" of the state, and then exiting off shore again into the Gulf heading toward Jack and others, or into the Gulf for a little while and swinging back EAST to cross the state again, and eventually die in the Atlantic.

Of course, the storms normally weaken once they're over land, but my guess is that this one is going to be doing a lot of bouncing around. It's going to hit us south, stay on land for awhile as it heads north, then finally east into the Atlantic (God knows a what latitude), and then go west and make landfall AGAIN.

Just a prediction, because EVERYONE who lives in Florida is an amateur meteorologist--and I'm no exception.

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Ira,
That's a bummer you can't load up the family and the Crab and get the heck out of there...

[Joseph]

You can't really get away from it based on the path they showed this morning.

Oh, I dunno - central Alabama's looking pretty good...

Joseph

[tonyj]

Having weathered my share of hurricanes over the years, I am happy that Corpus hasn't been the landfall target in a good while, although the cat 1 that made landfall 75 miles up the coast 2 years ago did its share of damage to my property an hour north of here.

Even if Ernesto is only a cat 1, it will still pack a punch. Good luck. I hope it doesn't cause too many hardships for you and that you emerge unscathed. We're all thinking of you.

Post as soon as you can afterwards so we know you are alright.

[Ira]

ALABAMA!? ISN'T THAT WHERE THEY TAR AND FEATHER LIBERALS!?

And Tony--you're exactly right. Wilma was ultimately categorized as a one, although those of us that lived through it thought those guys were nuts--that it HAD to be at LEAST a 2. Even a tropical storm stinks.

Best irony of all:

I had my VERY expensive new AC installed on Saturday. If we lose power and I can't use it..or if anything happens to it...you're going to see a grown man cry.

[Joseph]

ALABAMA!? ISN'T THAT WHERE THEY TAR AND FEATHER LIBERALS!?

Dang, he's on to me...

Joseph