Topic: Hurricane Irma and related current severe weather events

[Phil M]

Mother Nature is at it again.

Terrifying stuff!

Eric Blake 🌀 ✔ @EricBlake12
#Irma has now maintained 185 mph winds for 24 hours - no Atlantic or eastern Pacific #hurricane has ever stayed this strong for so long.


https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2017/sep/06/hurricane-irma-caribbean-islands-category-5-storm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-41172726


http://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/06/us/hurricane-irma-puerto-rico-florida/index.html

[Zeb]

Via Eric Holthaus



Scale of it is just something else. Satellite imagery) And it looks like it's still strengthening rather than weakening.

[Antoine Lavoisier]

I can only imagine the fear you'd have knowing something like that was approaching. I heard earlier people paying five figure sums for last minute plane tickets out. Can't blame them really. You'd get your kids out if you could afford it like that, wouldn't you.

[Roady]

My boss is due to fly home Saturday evening from Florida . Just when it's due to hit there. Likely to have down graded by then I imagine.

[Chakan]

My boss is due to fly home Saturday evening from Florida . Just when it's due to hit there. Likely to have down graded by then I imagine.

Flight will more than likely be cancelled.

I'm assuming mine will in the morning.

[Trada]

They are saying on CNN a big Hurricane has started up in the bay of Mexico Hurricane Katie and another one Hurricane Jose has started up taking the same route as Irma first time ever 3 at the same time.

[Trada]

Its like Mother nature is trying to prove to Trump climate change is real.

[Antoine Lavoisier]

Its like Mother nature is trying to prove to Trump climate change is real.

Don't be so stupid! God is punishing gays. And brown people.

[Purple Red]

Terrifying stuff. Stay safe any RAWKites that are affected.

[dirkster]

Wind speeds of 185mph.  I can't even begin to imagine how terrifying that must be

[Buggy Eyes Alfredo]

first time ever 3 at the same time.

Hurricane Igor, Julia, and Karl in 2010.

[Caligula?]

My parents live in South Florida and they're all ready and bunkered down. It's been near on impossible to buy drinking water and gasoline for days now and if you do luck out and find it, you'll have to spend hours waiting for it. They also entertained the idea of leaving via plane for somewhere, but the ticket prices are insane. They can find cheaper flights to Asia than New York, it's absolutely ridiculous. Plus that and not knowing when they'll be back because of power outages at airports, damage, cancelled flights, etc.

I can't believe the people who have (and will be) affected most by disasters in these states mostly voted for Trump -  the man who slashed the EPA budget, who entertained slashing FEMA's budget, and who thinks global warming is a hoax. My parents are staunch Democrats, for the record.

[MBL?]

My parents live in South Florida and they're all ready and bunkered down. It's been near on impossible to buy drinking water and gasoline for days now and if you do luck out and find it, you'll have to spend hours waiting for it. They also entertained the idea of leaving via plane for somewhere, but the ticket prices are insane. They can find cheaper flights to Asia than New York, it's absolutely ridiculous. Plus that and not knowing when they'll be back because of power outages at airports, damage, cancelled flights, etc.

I can't believe the people who have (and will be) affected most by disasters in these states mostly voted for Trump -  the man who slashed the EPA budget, who entertained slashing FEMA's budget, and who thinks global warming is a hoax. My parents are staunch Democrats, for the record.

Would driving not be the best way out?

[vagabond]

Are ticket prices going up because people are selling them on for inflated prices or are airlines trying to make money off this disaster?

[Caligula?]

Would driving not be the best way out?

There are only a few major freeways that head north and out of Florida. The biggest concern is that everyone will hit the roads and traffic will be at an absolute standstill. Even with a full tank of gas and some extra canisters with fuel in the back, they'd only make it to northern Florida at best, and that's if they don't stop at all. Run out of fuel somewhere in the middle of your journey and you're basically fucked.

Plus, the storm is so monstrous in size it will eventually make its way north anyway. It'll weaken in strength, but I suppose the northern parts of the state will get hit hard as well. So they're unlikely to avoid it anyway, unless they drive really far.

[Caligula?]

Are ticket prices going up because people are selling them on for inflated prices or are airlines trying to make money off this disaster?

I'm guessing it's the airlines. They've checked all the popular websites, including the airlines directly themselves and prices are still out of control.

[killer-heels]

Irma hit the eastern Carrribeans yesterday and the island of Barbuda has been hit. No contact since 12 hours and apparently the PM just reported 90% damage and the island being "obliterated". Unconfirmed reports of 1000+ deaths, The island's population is 1600.

Hoping for better news.

Wow. Hopefully thats not true.

[Zeb]

Irma hit the eastern Carrribeans yesterday and the island of Barbuda has been hit. No contact since 12 hours and apparently the PM just reported 90% damage and the island being "obliterated". Unconfirmed reports of 1000+ deaths, The island's population is 1600.

Hoping for better news.

There's been news since. Massive devastation (90% of the houses gone) but their PM, who flew in from Antigua to check what had happened, seemed to only report one known death (so far). The 1000+ deaths seems to have come from someone on social media mishearing what the PM said. (source: Caribbean press eg https://antiguaobserver.com/barbuda-update/ )

[Lush is the best medicine...]

I'm guessing it's the airlines. They've checked all the popular websites, including the airlines directly themselves and prices are still out of control.

have they tried phoning up the airline, could be their pricing models going mad with so many looking to get out of town rather than anything else

[vagabond]

I'm guessing it's the airlines. They've checked all the popular websites, including the airlines directly themselves and prices are still out of control.

Disgusting.

[Caligula?]

There's been news since. Massive devastation (90% of the houses gone) but the PM, who flew in to check what had happened, seemed to only report one known death (so far). The 1000+ deaths seems to have come from someone on social media mishearing what the PM said.

These are pictures from Gustavia, St. Barts I saw on Facebook earlier. They were right in the brunt of it, winds of 170+ mph reported. I'm shocked that most of those houses are intact, roofs and all. If anything, flooding seems to be the bigger issue.

[Zeb]

He's not back from Barbuda yet I think, Which is why we can't make out what he said over the phone line. The word 1000 was audible what followed it was inaudible.

Unless this is after, Which is improbable because the phone call happened just 1 hour ago.

The link I posted also has this: https://antiguaobserver.com/one-dead-after-hurricane-irma-destroyed-barbuda/

The CEO of the helicopter company which flew the PM into Barbuda confirmed that it's one known fatality.

[Caligula?]

have they tried phoning up the airline, could be their pricing models going mad with so many looking to get out of town rather than anything else

Yeah, you could be right. Demand must be through the roof right now, no pun intended. Who knows.

[Antoine Lavoisier]

I'm guessing it's the airlines. They've checked all the popular websites, including the airlines directly themselves and prices are still out of control.

Hey, supply and demand. What a wonderful world.

[Zeb]

These are pictures from Gustavia, St. Barts I saw on Facebook earlier. They were right in the brunt of it, winds of 170+ mph reported. I'm shocked that most of those houses are intact, roofs and all. If anything, flooding seems to be the bigger issue.

That's bonkers. Was watching some footage of one of the islands where it was trees going, and cars and vans just being blown all over. I know some of the climate boffins I follow on social media were talking of storm surges of anything up to 20' being possible on some of the islands which may explain some of the flooding there.

[Ekul]

JetBlue apparently listed their flights at $99 out of Florida. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jetblue-caps-ticket-prices-florida-99-ahead-hurricane-irma-173232462.html



Funny enough, my parents moved down to Florida YESTERDAY. Oops. Luckily they're fairly far north so it should have weakened by that point. They're just north of Daytona.

Generally in hurricanes, flooding is the largest problem. The storm surge can wipe out buildings much more easily than the winds. Then flooding will cause permanent damage and destroy buildings from mildew, rot, etc.

[Caligula?]

JetBlue apparently listed their flights at $99 out of Florida. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jetblue-caps-ticket-prices-florida-99-ahead-hurricane-irma-173232462.html



Funny enough, my parents moved down to Florida YESTERDAY. Oops. Luckily they're fairly far north so it should have weakened by that point. They're just north of Daytona.

Generally in hurricanes, flooding is the largest problem. The storm surge can wipe out buildings much more easily than the winds. Then flooding will cause permanent damage and destroy buildings from mildew, rot, etc.

Good on JetBlue for doing that.

Also, tell your parents to prepare. I'd imagine that currently things aren't as hectic up north as they are in the south, so they should stock up on food, fuel and supplies. I've no idea where they live but if they can board up their windows by Friday or Saturday in the latest, that'd be good too. They might be far from it now, but if the forecasts that we're seeing remain true then they'll probably experience something of a category 2 hurricane even as far north as where they are.

[Ekul]

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/dA5qYrboTUE" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/dA5qYrboTUE</a>

Good on JetBlue for doing that.

Also, tell your parents to prepare. I'd imagine that currently things aren't as hectic up north as they are in the south, so they should stock up on food, fuel and supplies. I've no idea where they live but if they can board up their windows by Friday or Saturday in the latest, that'd be good too. They might be far from it now, but if the forecasts that we're seeing remain true then they'll probably experience something of a category 2 hurricane even as far north as where they are.

I let them know. They also live just a street over from my uncle who grew up there, so he knows what to do as well.

[killer-heels]

To think i moaned about what a crap summer we had in the UK and how the weather is much better elsewhere. Its only when nature reminds you of its force like this that you remember how lucky we are in the UK to have generally such benign weather.

[Antoine Lavoisier]

"It looks like it could be something that will be not good - believe me not good"

One day, I hope to tell my granddaughter that "this man was real, but his like will never be back. So don't worry". I can but hope.

[Caligula?]

Has everyone heard of that famous airport near the beach at St. Maarten where people take pictures of very low-flying planes as they land right above them?

Well, it's been pretty much destroyed now.

https://twitter.com/SxM_Ricky/status/905477675791392769/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Ftravel%2Ftravel-troubles%2F96582686%2Fworld-famous-st-maarten-airport-destroyed-by-hurricane-irma

[Antoine Lavoisier]

To think i moaned about what a crap summer we had in the UK and how the weather is much better elsewhere. Its only when nature reminds you of its force like this that you remember how lucky we are in the UK to have generally such benign weather.

I know, it is peculiar isn't it? I remember watching a Prof. Brian Cox series a few years ago about the solar system and the harshness of its planets and moons. By comparison and in one particular sequence, we'd imagined the acid rains, unimaginable winds and crushing forces of Jupiter. Then he was standing in a rainforest on Earth - soaked to the core, heavy, warm beautiful rain. Green and life giving.

I've never looked at or stood in a rainy day the same since. I've never complained about the rain since.

Nature here is both beautiful and at times, terrifying. We truly don't know how lucky we are. Though I'd never chat such shit to those poor people facing what they are right now.

[Corkboy]

[deFacto please, you bastards]

No where to buy water and gas is running low at the moment, people panicking. Thankfully I'm not in south florida, but still close enough to be worried.

[Antoine Lavoisier]

5.5 hours per day on average - cant complain I suppose?

[Antoine Lavoisier]

No where to buy water and gas is running low at the moment, people panicking. Thankfully I'm not in south florida, but still close enough to be worried.

Where are you my friend? Are you seeing anythin yet?

[4pool]

The US airlines are not charging for cancelling or changing flight reservations for those cities effected. It's all over the news here.

Anyone in the path of Irma, stay safe.

Personal weather prediction is the eye of the hurricane goes just east of Florida mainland. I think those in the Carolina's need to prepare.

[bornandbRED]

I have a friend on holiday with his GF in the Dominican Republic right now - where the storm has just started hitting. They've been told not leave their hotel rooms.

[Antoine Lavoisier]

I have a friend on holiday with his bid in the Dominican Republic right now - where the storm has just started hitting. They've been told not leave their hotel rooms.

I remember holidaying there in the north of the island some 20 years when a storm hit, we had to lock down. Thankfully for us it wasn't anything really bad, the south of the island however took a severe hit. I hope people have had time to get to safety.

[kavah]

I remember holidaying there in the north of the island some 20 years when a storm hit, we had to lock down. Thankfully for us it wasn't anything really bad, the south of the island however took a severe hit. I hope people have had time to get to safety.

These big ones do seem to be becoming more frequent? (although I'm not sure that is logical / predicted by climate change models) We cancelled our honeymoon in Jamaica nearly 30 years ago when H. Gilbert hit, many hundreds were killed and it was described as a once in a lifetime event.