Hurricane Irma - #3

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When I was at the meat counter at the market yesterday, a butcher who chats with me regularly asked if I was enjoying the lovely weather we've having in metro Detroit. After nearly two weeks of unseasonably chilly weather during which we actually had to turn on the furnace, we've been blessed this week with summerlike days and comfortable overnights. I told the butcher that it was difficult to dwell on our good fortune when so many are suffering in the wake of two significant hurricanes. He mentioned that his mother lives in Florida and has been told that she could be without power for up to three weeks. He suggested that she come to Michigan, and I said I hoped she would take advantage of her son's invitation.

My thoughts and prayers are with all members who have been affected by Harvey and Irma. I hope life returns to normal as quickly as possible and that you will not be unduly inconvenienced by the storms' impact. :grouphug:
 
Death toll continues to rise:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/09/13/irma-death-toll-rises-as-5-dead-at-south-florida-nursing-home/?utm_term=.0f6f9b8f09b5

The death toll left behind by Hurricane Irma continued to rise Wednesday, as six people died at a South Florida nursing home that apparently was without air conditioning amid ongoing power outages statewide, according to local officials.
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http://abcnews.go.com/US/fema-90-percent-homes-florida-keys-damaged-hurricane/story?id=49814367

The death toll from Hurricane Irma continued to climb today after officials in Monroe County, Florida, which includes the Florida Keys, said there were storm-related deaths there.

Monroe County Emergency Management said eight people died in the county during Irma; however, it was unclear how many of the deaths were storm-related.

Not including the new deaths reported in Monroe County, at least 23 others died in the United States from the storm: 16 in Florida, four in South Carolina and three in Georgia.

Causes of deaths included car crashes and carbon monoxide poisoning from improper use of a generator.
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Update:

Day #3 without power. More parts of Sarasota are getting power back including that traffic light at Rt 41 and Stickney Point Rd - an intersection deadly enough when the lights ARE working.

Went to a nearby Five Guys for lunch for the first time. Food isn't bad.
 
JerseyGirl said:
Updates on the Key Deer, Marsh Rabbits and the Miami Blue Butterflies

Key Deer
David Sutta, a reporter for CBS in Miami, shared a video of a trotting quartet of deer on Big Pine Key, where the refuge sits. Sutta's video certainly means they're not extinct. Key deer have been on the islands for 13,000 years, weathered many a previous hurricane and are strong swimmers. Evacuating the herd — which some fans have suggested should have been done — would have been impractical and might have caused some deer to die of stress, he said. The biggest immediate concern now is fresh water, though the nature of the storm — which dumped down fresh water — makes it unlikely the deer will go thirsty. The deer eat more than 200 species of plants and have plenty of habitat, so food shouldn't be a problem.

Marsh Rabbits
Clark said he's more worried about other threatened and endangered species on the refuges he manages. Among the most vulnerable are Lower Keys marsh rabbits, whose little legs would have prevented them from moving fast or far to seek shelter. "They exist in very small pockets," Clark said. "Their host plants could be damaged."

Miami Blue Butterflies
The very rare Miami blue butterfly, which was thought to have gone extinct after Hurricane Andrew in 1992, might also be in trouble.

I'm sorry if I'm posting silly little things like this. We have vacationed in the Florida Keys every Christmas/New Years for over 20 years now, on Bahia Honda, Key West, and Key Largo. It just breaks my heart seeing this area badly, badly damaged and the effects of the wild animals that roamed the islands. I don't own there (although my husband and I look at real estate whenever we're down there as we have for a long time thought about trading in the beachfront home in NJ for something in FL - but, it's was out of our price range).


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...e-know-about-its-fate/?utm_term=.337a36eef4bb

In other news the death toll didn't rise since last night. I've been watching videos on YouTube, Twitter, SnapChat Maps and Periscope (NEVER heard of this app until Irma - love the app!) and some people have rumored that the death toll will rise, that they are still assessing the damage on Cudjoe, Marathon and Sugarloaf Keys and a few of the smaller keys to the right of the approaching storm, or the "dirty side", another reference I learned during Irma.

Forgot to add, here is aerial footage of Big Pine Key, the hardest hit of the Keys. Big Pine Key is a big key (in Keys terms). When we were looking at real estate Big Pine Key's real estate prices (on the bay side, not the ocean side) were within reach for a middle class family. Marathon and Big Pine Key were mostly homes where people lived year around, these are actual homes, not trailers. I see some 2 story homes in the video that had been lifted off their foundation and in streets, some appear to have been shattered in pieces. Truly heartbreaking.

[video]https://youtu.be/Hl-9BdPkp-0[/video]
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Boatguy (s) also said there were dead iguanas everywhere. This all has affected so many animals in addition to humans, as we've seen in all the pictures and articles. Thanks again for all the updates everyone.

Can't imagine the damage to all the reefs.
 
Call me crazy - but IMHO the Florida Keys - what is left of them - have all building debris cleared and the rest of the land return to wildlife inhabitants.

I just don't know these keys were meant to be inhabited by people.
 
JerseyGirl said:
I was afraid of that, they need to open shelters for people without power. Screens on a lot of home are broken, how will people survive if they leave their windows open. The standing floodwater is going to produce mosquitoes and we could have a major outbreak of West Nile, Zika. :moo:
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I read months ago they released genetically modified mosquitos in the Florida Keys to aid in the prevention of Zika. When these male mosquitos mate, the offspring dies, (I think that's how it works). There was quite a debate about messing with nature (genetic modification) vs actively approaching the Zika threat.
 
margarita25 said:
Boatguy (s) also said there were dead iguanas everywhere. This all has affected so many animals in addition to humans, as we've seen in all the pictures and articles. Thanks again for all the updates everyone.

Can't imagine the damage to all the reefs.
Click to expand...

Yes, and those iguanas are BIG. We went camping at John Pennekamp and the iguanas look like alligators and they climb trees!

I have also been thinking and praying that the reef off of Looe Key (hit in the area of the eye) and John Pennekamp's coral reef have not been damaged too much.
 
MaryG12 said:
Call me crazy - but IMHO the Florida Keys - what is left of them - have all building debris cleared and the rest of the land return to wildlife inhabitants.

I just don't know these keys were meant to be inhabited by people.
Click to expand...

If there is land and access, it will continue to be inhabited. Besides, this is $$$$ prime real estate. I would bet that the building codes will be even stricter from now on and I'm thinking the permanent trailer parks and RV parks will be a thing of the past. When we were looking at real estate years ago, they already had restrictions on building. Some of these home that were built of wood were left in splinters, I'm sure in the future all homes will be built of concrete or some heavy duty material.
 
bluedivergirl said:
I've been wondering about the Burrowing Owls. Silly little things with oddly long legs,they nest in the ground.

If you look at them too long, they get agitated and start to bob and scold you.
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I checked to see if there was a concern for these Owls and I haven't seen anything mentioned. I believe they are found in all of Florida?
 
JerseyGirl said:
Yes, and those iguanas are BIG. We went camping at John Pennekamp and the iguanas look like alligators and they climb trees!

I have also been thinking and praying that the reef off of Looe Key (hit in the area of the eye) and John Pennekamp's coral reef have not been damaged too much.
Click to expand...

(This is very o/t, but it's been a very intense time with all the hurricane stuff...I think we could usesome levity...speaking of iguanas, check out this video from AFV if you get a minute (komodo dragon)...no animals are harmed.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DuoYSgNIkbI)
 
BetteDavisEyes said:
When I was at the meat counter at the market yesterday, a butcher who chats with me regularly asked if I was enjoying the lovely weather we've having in metro Detroit. After nearly two weeks of unseasonably chilly weather during which we actually had to turn on the furnace, we've been blessed this week with summerlike days and comfortable overnights. I told the butcher that it was difficult to dwell on our good fortune when so many are suffering in the wake of two significant hurricanes. He mentioned that his mother lives in Florida and has been told that she could be without power for up to three weeks. He suggested that she come to Michigan, and I said I hoped she would take advantage of her son's invitation.

My thoughts and prayers are with all members who have been affected by Harvey and Irma. I hope life returns to normal as quickly as possible and that you will not be unduly inconvenienced by the storms' impact. :grouphug:
Click to expand...

I've been reading stories on Reddit and the elderly are so vulnerable. Someone posted that they live in CA and their mom is in Florida and the dogs ate all her food and she doesn't have anything left. She didn't want to leave the house because there is debris still on the roads and it's difficult to find gas. He was thinking of sending her a care package or food and was wondering if the Postal Service, FedEx or UPS was delivering. So so so sad.
 
Outages throughout the Southeast

Massive power outages still crippled much of the Southeast on Wednesday. Those without power, according to utilities and authorities:

-- FLORIDA: About 3.8 million customers as of Wednesday morning. They include homes, organizations and businesses.
-- GEORGIA: About 560,000 customers as of Wednesday morning.
-- SOUTH CAROLINA: About 68,000 customers had no power as of Wednesday morning.
-- NORTH CAROLINA: About 31,000 customers don't have electricity as of Wednesday morning.
-- ALABAMA: About 1,400 customers as of Tuesday night.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/13/us/hurricane-irma-aftermath/index.html
 
https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/irma-aftermath-southeast-florida-south-carolina-georgia

Irma's Staggering Toll: At Least 62 Dead, Billions In Damage From the Caribbean to the U.S.

Story Highlights

Florida officials say they have already spent nearly $250 million on preparation and recovery efforts.

At least 29 deaths have been reported in the U.S.

Millions still remain without power in the Southeast.

The situation is becoming dire in parts of the Caribbean as resident run out of food and water.
 
Flooding may close portion of I-75 as Florida evacuees return

The Santa Fe River, under I-75, has rapidly risen 15 feet in the past 36 hours due to heavy rainfall over North Florida following Irma.

The agency is monitoring, and it’s possible a portion of I-75 from south of Interstate 10 and north of Alachua County can completely shut down. If the river rises to an unsafe level, the bridge will be impassable in both directions, and would be closed immediately.

In the event that I-75 closes, drivers can either take U.S. Highway 19 heading toward Ocala and Gainesville, or Interstate 95 along the east coast of Florida.

Additional bridges may be impacted, including U.S. Highway 27, U.S. Highway 47, State Road 47 and possibly U.S. Highway 121. Detours for these potential closures are forthcoming.

As of 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, I-75 remained open.

I-75%20DETOUR%20WEB_1505321407037_4153811_ver1.0_640_360.jpg
 
ATTENTION: TAMPA AREA HELP AND RELIEF:

Various Tampa Bay organizations are in need of donations for residents impacted by Hurricane Irma, especially non-perishable food and water.

The following organizations are taking your donations, or if you need assistance, those details are provided as well. We will update this list as we receive more information:

Seeds of Hope, Inc:
This charity is based out of Lithia, FL is accepting monetary donations online. Visit their EventBrite page to donate.

Salvation Army - needed supplies: Sheets, Towels, Drinks, Flashlights, anyone willing to sponsor a meal

Donation Collection Sites: This includes shelters
The Red Shield Lodge
1514 North Florida Avenue
Tampa, FL
(813) 221-4440

Meal Distribution: TBA

Metropolitan Ministries
The organization is open to the public at both of its locations with food boxes, water, hygiene items and clothing. They are onsite in Tampa with a canteen truck and serving hot meals. The Tampa location does not have power at the moment.

Needed Supplies: Non-perishable food, Water, any leftover supplies

Donation Collection Sites: This includes meal distributions and shelter locations.
2301 North Tampa Street
Tampa, FL
813-209-1200

3214 U.S. Highway 19
North Holiday, FL
727-937-3268

Meal Distribution: Both Tampa and Holiday locations are open to the public to provide food, water and other supplies.

Feeding Tampa Bay
All monetary donations will be matched. The organization said every $1 you donate can be turned into 20 meals for hurricane victims.

Needed Supplies: Canned, ready-to-eat items with pull tops (i.e. vegetables, fruit, etc); protein in pouches or pull top-cans (i.e. tuna, beef stew, chili, canned chicken); Snacks (i.e. granola bars, breakfast bars, etc); Peanut butter; Toiletries; Paper goods; Diapers; Cleaning supplies (i.e. mops, mop buckets, brooms, bleach wipes, bleach, garbage bags, bug spray)
Donation Collection Sites: Tampa: 4702 Transport Drive

Meal Distribution:
Boys & Girls Club at Stanley Park
38725 Mudcat Grant Boulevard
Lacoochee, FL 33523
Wednesday, September 13 at 11 a.m.
Feeding Tampa Bay will distribute ready-to-eat food, bananas and water to those in need.

The Source Church - Meal Distribution:
The Source Church
5412 State Road 64 East
Bradenton, FL
Will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 13. Serving hot meals of pasta and tacos inside the church to those who are still without power in their homes.

http://www.fox13news.com/weather/tr...ay-organizations-need-post-hurricane-supplies
 
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