If you come back to Florida too early, then you have a strong chance of dealing with a Hurricane. Ian, at this writing, is still only a Tropical Storm...but that will not last long. By Sunday night it should be a Category One Hurricane. By Tuesday morning it should be a Category Three, and when it hits Florida, it will be either a Three or a Four. Oh, how fun!
This is a snip-it of the MIMIC-TPW2 map of total precipitable water. If you visit this site here, you can see the full map which includes a 24 hour moving map so you can see right where the storm(s) are moving. It also allows for you to change the view ranging from the entire earth, to a North America or South America, or other regions. You can also change the time frame from 24 hours to 3 or 4 days!
So what are we going to do? The five day forecast calls for this hurricane to hit shore about 50-60 mile south of us...but five day forecasts are just that, forecasts. The 'cone of probability' ranges from the panhandle all the way down to the keys below Miami. But most likely, it will land near Tampa. Because the highways will be full of people getting out of the hurricane's way on Monday and Tuesday, we are leaving on Sunday. We will travel about 100 miles north to Chiefland Florida. I hope we don't have to go any further, but only time will tell.
NOTE: A new forecast came out and the storm is now predicted to hit landfall NORTH of our location, almost to Chiefland! So now we are in a "Wait and See" mode. In 2018 Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 Hurricane, went by us on the evening of the 9th, and went up the Gulf and hit the Panhandle near Mexico Beach on October 10th. We had about 5, maybe 10 minutes of high gusty winds, and we had rain (heck, it rains a bit nearly every day this time of year), and that was it. So time will tell what we do.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck! Let us know what you decide and what happens.
ReplyDeleteI just hope we don't get our butts beat in by this hurricane, that's for sure!
DeleteAnd of course we ALL believe the weather guessers. I hope the hurricane watchers know a whole lot more. I'll be waiting on pins and needles for your update!! I see it growing on the radar. Stay safe!!!
ReplyDeleteWe are heading over to Deland Monday, other side of Orlando from where we are. This is where Marcia's brother lives, and we should be safe from the Hurricane.
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