[Miss Hepburn]

My heart is breaking for you all on the West Coast. Mandatory evacs already?
Wow, this could be a very bad one.
How are you doing?

[LKJ1988]

It's a nothing burger for me.

[hardluk1]

What do you expect , sunnys with an occasion shower 365days a year ?? It's florida , you have to expect the occasion hurricane to blow thru .

[kab0906]

Going to pass by Tampa. Only storm surge to worry about coastally.

Today I bring in my plants and outdoor furniture cushions. That's about all for us.

[mrviking]

Yea! We get rain for a few days. Silver Lining.

[StraightTalker2022]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3nH7euL7xI

[Travelassie]

Hurricane Idalia is forecast to make landfall around the Big Bend of FL, which is comparatively sparse in development and population ( or so I've heard) when you consider the areas south of there on the Gulf or east coasts, and around Orlando. That said, I feel for the people who live in the Big Bend, and I'm assured they will get all the help they need to get through and past the effects of the storm, from resources and people from the other parts of the state.

The areas so devastated by hurricane Ian last year, ie, SW FL, including Lee and Charlotte counties, are expecting relatively minor effects from the storm as it passes by us on its way north, including tropical storm force winds, possible storm surge of 2-4 feet and maybe minor flooding. The Emergency Management folks and their partners have made some "safe haven" shelters in Lee and Charlotte counties available for those residents living in trailers, or homes still going through reconstruction after Ian, even though the weather events here aren't anticipated to be bad enough to require evacuation.

And for those areas expected to have major impacts from Idalia, it looks as though preparations are in place to get residents evacuated as needed, shelters for those who need it, and the people and resources in place ( ie, National Guard, employees from power companies, first responders, law enforcement, volunteers) to help get things back together afterwards, as they did for us after Ian).

They're good at this, I'm happy to say. Seems they get plenty of practice.

[wizrap]

Although not a population center like South Florida, the Big Bend area is one of the state’s nature centers. It’s home to St. Mark’s National Wildlife Refuge. This storm will devastate not only the people who live there, but the wildlife.

It’s ironic that as much as we’ve preserved the area’s natural beauty, nature may now destroy that area.

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by LKJ1988

It's a nothing burger for me.

It is a nothingburger for most of us South of Tampa Bay.

In Sarasota County, thunderstorms will begin at Noon today (Tuesday Aug 29th), & continue off and on for 2 days. 6" of rain will fall in a 2-day time frame, so we'll have a lot of standing water in low lying areas.

Sustained winds will be 31 mph, w some higher gusts. Some awnings, diseased trees, & limbs will fall. The blue tarps leftover from Ian will blow off of some rooftops where they are not tightly secured.

A 2'-4' storm surge wont even breach the beach heads in most places. Casey Key, & all barrier islands could see water breach the beach heads, & cause minor flooding in places like Siesta Key, Lido, Longboat. Most of it will recede in 2-3 days.

[Sunbiz1]

Originally Posted by kab0906

Going to pass by Tampa. Only storm surge to worry about coastally.

That's about all for us.

And that's what Ft. Myers thought last year, when Ian was supposed to hit Tampa.
Don't let their inaccurate forecasting influence your preparation.