Our first stop will be on the coast, but we will most likely end up in Tennessee. We'll be leaving in the morning.

The Keys are only one foot above sea level in most areas. Some places are around 3 feet above, so I'm pretty sure we'll be under water.

Andrew was a 5 when it hit Florida...not sure why the news would say that..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Andrew

if Irma hits the keys, it will be deadly to anyone still there, where Andrew hit around homestead, about 100 miles north...

the highest elevation in Florida is only 400 feet, a trash pile in the panhandle...if i were you, i would leave ASAP... remember Rita? people sat on the highways here in texas for 24 hours, running outa gas sitting on the highways, in all directions... then rita hit beaumont, missing houston altogether...

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/8-years-ago-seemingly-all-of-Houston-evacuated-4839142.php
look at the pics of the traffic jams here...even worse for yall, you can only travel north...

sat through Andrew in the Bahamas,Nassau to be exact!
Early that morning it looked it were to hit us straight on,but it swerved one tiny bit,and Eleuthera caught the brunt of it!
Tore it to shreds!
Sat through Floyd as well!
Now that was a big sucker!
Problem is,living on an Island you can't just up and go!
Irma is one dangerous Hurricane,regardless where it makes Landfall!

http://weather.com/storms/hurricane-central/bulletin/advisory?bPIL=TCP&id=AL112017 IRMA

http://weather.com/storms/hurricane-central/AL122017
Tropical Storm JOSE

Not sure how they came to that conclusion moe, they said it started at Cape Verde, West Africa at present they say 157 mph winds, 150 mph at ground level. expected to increase when it hits the warmer water nearer florida
How high does the rating go? Is 5 the top?

5 is the highest, but the sustained winds can be higher than 175, as most typhoons in the pacific are...

Yes Mikey, 5 is the highest category. What they are saying here is that it's the worst since 2007. Maybe some of the news channels are just leaving that part out.

Thank you everyone for your blessings! We will be leaving by tomorrow morning.

it doesn't look like jose will ever touch US land...that cold front will push it out to sea...

http://weather.com/storms/hurricane/video/irma-path-still-uncertain

good thing too!

They are saying it is the strongest with the winds...


With Irma’s sustained winds topping at 185 mph, it becomes the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded outside the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean, National Hurricane Center forecasters said in their 2 p.m. advisory.

http://www.bradenton.com/news/weather/hurricane/article171303657.html

Thank you

Sitting here on the beach in Mississippi at 22 feet above sea level I'm wondering if I will need to pack up and go. I'll stay put for a direct hit of a cat 3 and a near miss of a cat 4 but any cat 5 is going to warrant a road trip.

The Keys are basically sandbars. If it stalls over the keys there may not be an island to go back to. Once the tree roots are eroded everything else will be just swept away. Plus if you think about the highways, mostly bridges, one collapse isolates the entire highway.

I suggest you take as much as possible. Rent a trailer if you have to. If you can get one. Just remember: things can be replaced, loved ones can't. My heart goes out to you and all the people in the path of destruction.

If possible, back up any pictures/documents to the cloud. That way even if the pictures themselves are lost it will still be available anyplace that has an internet connection. If you don't have a cloud account, you can email it to yourself as an attachment.
I have all my pictures and important documents online already, just in case. My scanner/copier/printer cost less than $100 and scanning requires no ink.

Pack nesting doll style. Everything will be heavier but you can fit more in a small load. Tight roll your clothes and linnens. You can iron them later. Stuff the rolls into other things, even down into the furniture. If you use a tarp, use too many bungie cords. Tarps will shred at highway speeds, they have to be kept tight.

Check your vehicle out before you leave. Tires and belts will cause you a problem. Have a gas can, preferrably with at least 2 gallons of gas. Have a spare qt of oil. You can buy 1 wiper blade. Put the new one on the driver side, if they are the same size put the old driver side one on the passenger side.

Carry some tools. Hammer, Phillips and flat tip screwdrivers, pliers or vice grips and a good sharp knife. Have a full roll of duct tape.

yea,i was thinking that...waters are about 10-15 degrees warmer in the gulf...

Not sure if it's correct but they say the waters are about 32 degrees c
89.6 f

http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/satl_tmap.html


thats about the temp for it to become a 5...

That's pretty warm, it's only 18 degrees c 10 miles from me

the waters n the keys are just as warm, so maybe the cooler air from the cold front will slow it down

We hear about most of the hurricanes that you get but is this the normal for the time of year?

Could be a 1-2 punch depending on the track.
For Houston a 1-2-3 punch.
Jose is following Irma so if Irma stays the predicted course and Jose intensifies they Keys will certainly be hit by both unless Irma's trailing winds send Jose up towards North Carolina.

Lately, during Harvey, The weather from the Keys has been hitting the panhandle and Mobile. That was with Harvey pushing it eastward.
Without that eastward push, Irma could make landfall right here or in NOLA. A Cat 5, Katrina made landfall right here in the bay. It destroyed Gulfport and NOLA. So no matter where Irma makes landfall between NOLA and Mobile it will hit me hard.

If Irma continues West, Texas will be in danger of having two major hurricanes back to back. That would be bad, very bad. Just think of all the loose construction materials that could turn into missiles.
Plus, People are returning to the area, trying to rebuild their lives, mourning their loss and helping others. Only to have pack up and flee again. Its just so heartbreaking to think about.

Its early September and we still have till November 30th as a threat. Will this year be the year they will need to extend Hurricane Season? Will the activity die down in November?