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Hurricane Milton

(57 Posts)
nanna8 Wed 09-Oct-24 11:30:23

Here’s hoping and praying it may weaken and not create the devastation predicted! It must be really terrifying to live near there.

Indigo8 Wed 09-Oct-24 11:33:51

I read the chilling advice given to people "Leave or you will die"

nanna8 Wed 09-Oct-24 11:35:18

It must be so frightening. We get bushfires some years and have to evacuate but nothing on such a scale.

Allira Wed 09-Oct-24 12:18:35

nanna8

It must be so frightening. We get bushfires some years and have to evacuate but nothing on such a scale.

Cyclones can be devastating, though, especially Category 5 with winds of up to 300 kph. People were evacuated from the hospital in Cairns but luckily it did pass further south.

Cyclone Tracy was a Category 4 but caused widespread devastation and the loss of at least 65 lives.

Allira Wed 09-Oct-24 12:20:59

I do hope everyone can manage to leave before this Hurricane hits.

Dickens Wed 09-Oct-24 12:25:38

To add to the awfulness and misery for those affected is the 'grand-daddy' of all conspiracy theories doing the rounds.

Georgia Republican, Marjorie Taylor Greene, is suggesting that they (Democrats) can "control the weather" and are deliberately targeting Republican communities with the hurricanes. She is actually insisting that the 'Deep State' is steering the storms where they can do the most damage.

If people are willing to believe that, it won't be difficult to convince them - should KH win by a narrow majority - that the the election was stolen - again.

I've been complaining about the amount of rain here in Gloucestershire - but compared to the viscous storms which threaten death and destruction over there - I'm going to stop mithering and thank my lucky stars that the only event I have to worry about is taking the bins out and getting soaked in the process.

Allira Wed 09-Oct-24 12:29:18

Oh dear, whatever next!

It has been deluging, hasn't it Dickens, but watching the programme last night about the 1968 floods in Chew Stoke, Pensford and surrounding areas in Somerset made me thankful I live up a hill, although we find the hill difficult to manage these days.

Grannmarie Wed 09-Oct-24 12:36:32

We visited Clearwater when my brother and sister in law lived in Florida. I remember driving across a very long bridge over Tampa Bay on our way to Universal.
So sad to think of that area now in the path of the hurricane, hoping and praying that people get to safety.

JenniferEccles Wed 09-Oct-24 12:38:33

It must be simply dreadful for those poor folk having to lock up and leave their homes without knowing if they will even have a home to come back to.

Even if they do all they can by boarding up windows, there are no guarantees that will be enough to withstand the onslaught.

I have noticed with previous years though that these hurricanes are often downgraded before they reach land, thereby minimising the destruction.

Let’s hope that’s the case here.

Sarnia Wed 09-Oct-24 12:40:45

These poor people are still trying to clear away the debris from Storm Helene. A problem for those who have left it late to evacuate, their gas stations are closing as they have no fuel left. I hope it weakens before it hits land.

Casdon Wed 09-Oct-24 12:41:56

Those poor people, I hope as many as possible have already left or are leaving now, because it’s going to be devastating. Unfortunately it hasn’t been downgraded, it’s now a Category 5 hurricane. If anybody wants to follow progress, there’s a live feed on CNN news.
edition.cnn.com/weather/live-news/hurricane-milton-florida-10-09-24/index.html

Visgir1 Wed 09-Oct-24 12:42:43

We were in Florida when Hurricane Katrina hit it, it was about 1am when the alarms all went off.
We only knew it would hit that night as it had changed path to go over Florida The Keys and miss Miami.
A was an event you would never forget
It completely trashed the area, the rain came down so fast it was like a White Curtain covering the area. All electrics out, trees down, but fortunately the Hotel we were in, was designed to take the hit.
It was frightening for our Children especially when the Alarms where going off.
But it was impressive how they turned the area the next morning around. Fixing the Electric supply by using School busses to ferry the electricians to the area, distribution of bottle water by late lunch time they had it all back on. The shops reopened and we ventured out.
It was something none of us would ever forget. I feel for those if they are in the Eye of the Hurricane, we were on out-skirts of it, and that was bad enough.
My thoughts with them.

HettyBetty Wed 09-Oct-24 14:07:27

I hope it weakens before it hits land, but that is seeming unlikely.

Reading that people refusing to evacuate are being recommended to write their name, dob and details of next of kin on their bodies in permanent marker is very sobering.

dogsmother Wed 09-Oct-24 14:11:31

So frightening, a friend in Florida has reassured me it is central and won’t reach too far south. I so hope he is correct.

Dickens Wed 09-Oct-24 16:20:06

HettyBetty

I hope it weakens before it hits land, but that is seeming unlikely.

Reading that people refusing to evacuate are being recommended to write their name, dob and details of next of kin on their bodies in permanent marker is very sobering.

Reading that people refusing to evacuate are being recommended to write their name, dob and details of next of kin on their bodies in permanent marker is very sobering.

I can understand the reluctance some feel to leave - but they are risking the lives of the rescuers and emergency services as well as their own. A point that, I believe, was made to people living in the area.

However, I'm not going to judge - I've no idea what it's like to be in that situation.

... may their Gods, Spirits, or whatever, be with them.

Indigo8 Wed 09-Oct-24 16:28:30

I remember the hurricane/cyclone of 15-16 October 1987 in the UK and how devastating and frightening it was. This is something a hundred times bigger.

midgey Wed 09-Oct-24 16:29:40

My poor sister is in Florida, I know she is very worried.

Aveline Wed 09-Oct-24 16:34:07

DD and family are booked for Disney Florida and due to fly out today. They're still hoping to go tomorrow. I'm appalled at this. How can they be so daft?! I'm really hoping they make a decision not to even try to go. Florida will be no place for a holiday.

GrannyGravy13 Wed 09-Oct-24 16:37:29

We were in Florida when Hurricane Floyd hit (September 1999) we were in the Magic Kingdom (Disney) when they started making announcements that all parks were closing at 1pm. Our Disney Hotel closed all restaurants apart from one along with the shops. It was a scary 24 hours with high winds and rain, despite the main storm missing Florida and making landfall in the Carolina’s.

GrannyGravy13 Wed 09-Oct-24 16:41:22

Aveline

DD and family are booked for Disney Florida and due to fly out today. They're still hoping to go tomorrow. I'm appalled at this. How can they be so daft?! I'm really hoping they make a decision not to even try to go. Florida will be no place for a holiday.

Our Daughter-in-law’s parents live between here and Florida, there flight into Tampa was cancelled yesterday (due to fly tomorrow. Normally they would have flown out at the beginning of October, thank goodness they didn’t.

They have friends who have secured and sandbagged their house, garden and pool area as much as possible, now it’s just a waiting game.

I hope all who wanted to get away have 🤞🏻

JenniferEccles Wed 09-Oct-24 17:15:52

I see it’s now a category 4 storm.
Bad enough of course.

Casdon Wed 09-Oct-24 17:37:59

It actually looks very bad indeed. From CNN just now:
‘A weaker Milton won’t mean less devastation, particularly with a larger storm. Over the past 24 hours, the tropical-storm force winds expanded from 105 miles to 125 miles from its center. This means its disastrous impacts will be felt over a much larger area. Tropical-storm force winds are expected to cover the entire width of the Florida peninsula.’

BlueBelle Wed 09-Oct-24 18:13:20

I have ‘in laws’ in Tampa who have in their words ‘hunkered down’ mad as a box of frogs I d be out of there with no hesitation Total madness to stay

Aveline Wed 09-Oct-24 18:42:05

DD's flights now changed to Friday. Flying in to devastation by the sound of it. I wish she'd listen to me.

Fleurpepper Wed 09-Oct-24 18:49:09

Going there on holiday? wow- you must be so so worried. Surely they should cancel and claim on Insurance???

On BBC News showing some families with small children 'hunkering down' in the belief God will keep them safe. Just unbelievable.