Batten down the hatches...

[bugsNbows]

We gots a big blow named Mathew headin' our way. Craziness abounds in stores (for supplies), gas stations and highways. May be a windy wet couple of days here. 

[DirtTime]

News said they are already evacuating almost a million people down south. I hope it misses us. Ma Nature has been a real snot bucket the past few years and I am not liking her attitude much these days.

[grampy]

Just saw that the hurricane probably won't impact NY at all now. After bouncing off the Carolinas it heads out to sea.

[Lawdwaz]

13 hours ago, bugsNbows said:

We gots a big blow named Mathew headin' our way. Craziness abounds in stores (for supplies), gas stations and highways. May be a windy wet couple of days here. 

Where in Central Florida are you?  My FIL just went back down to Kissimmee as he's a resident but spends the summer up north.  88 years old and getting frail.....he has a couple in the neighborhood that will be taking him to their house to ride out the storm.  My wife talked to him yesterday morning and he is pretty nervous about it, understandably.  

Here's a little from the NWS.  Pretty ominous stuff...........

  DANGEROUS HURRICANE MATTHEW MOVING NORTHWESTWARD OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS, IS FORECAST TO MOVE VERY NEAR OR OVER THE EAST CENTRAL COAST OF FLORIDA TONIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, LIFE-THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MATTHEW CONTAINING THE STRONGEST WIND GUSTS, STORM SURGE AND HEAVY RAIN SQUALLS WILL MOVE ALONG OR OVER PORTIONS OF THE EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA COASTLINE VERY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING AND INTO THE AFTERNOON. WIDESPREAD EXTENSIVE TO DEVASTATING WIND IMPACTS WILL BE FELT. AIRBORNE DEBRIS LOFTED BY EXTREME WINDS WILL BE CAPABLE OF BREACHING STRUCTURES, UNPROTECTED WINDOWS AND VEHICLES. EFFECTS SUCH AS THESE RANGING FROM THE COAST TO WELL INLAND HAVE NOT BEEN EXPERIENCED IN CENTRAL FLORIDA IN DECADES. LOCAL WINDS WILL EXCEED WHAT OCCURRED DURING THE HURRICANES OF 2004. ANY EVACUATIONS AND STRUCTURE PREPARATION SHOULD BE COMPLETED THIS AFTERNOON. TRAVEL WILL BE STRONGLY DISCOURAGED BEGINNING AT DUSK. EXPECT WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES. INLAND FROM THE COASTLINE, THE THREAT IS HIGH FOR SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME FRIDAY MORNING WITH A HIGH THREAT FOR STRONG TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS FARTHER INLAND OVER LAKE COUNTY. WITH AN EXPECTED TRACK CLOSE TO THE COASTLINE, THE POTENTIAL FOR LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE FLOODING IS HIGH. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 TO 7 FEET IS EXPECTED ALONG THE BARRIER ISLANDS OF VOLUSIA AND BREVARD COUNTIES, WITH 3 TO 5 FEET OF INUNDATION EXPECTED OVER MARTIN AND SAINT LUCIE COUNTY BARRIER ISLANDS. LARGE BREAKING WAVES ALONG BEACHES WILL PEAK BETWEEN 12 TO 18 FEET AND PRODUCE ROUGH, POUNDING SURF RESULTING IN A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD OF COASTAL FLOODING FROM DUNE BREACHING, ALONG WITH VERY SEVERE BEACH SCOURING AND SAND DUNE EROSION. COASTAL FLOODING WILL BE AGGRAVATED BY HIGH TIDE ESPECIALLY IN VOLUSIA COUNTY. SIGNIFICANT DOWNWIND PILING AND SURGING OF WATER WILL OCCUR WITHIN THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY, LAGOONS, AND INLETS. THE CLOSE APPROACH OF MATTHEW`S EYE TO THE EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA COAST MEANS PROPERTIES FACING EAST AND WEST ALONG THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY WILL BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO WIND DRIVEN PILING OF WATER. ADDITIONALLY, WIND DRIVEN PILING OF WATER WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE BANKS OF THE SAINT JOHNS RIVER IN LAKE AND VOLUSIA COUNTIES. HEAVY RAIN, ESPECIALLY IN SQUALLS, WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND FREQUENCY ACROSS EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE COAST. SATURATED SOILS IN MANY AREAS FROM HEAVY SEPTEMBER AND EARLY OCTOBER RAINFALL WILL HOLD VERY LITTLE ADDITIONAL WATER BEFORE WATER QUICKLY BEGINS TO POND, ESPECIALLY IN LOW LYING AND URBAN AREAS. STANDING WATER WILL BE CAPABLE OF QUICKLY RISING, ESPECIALLY IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS, AND COULD ENTER HOMES AND BUSINESSES DURING MATTHEW`S PASSAGE. RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO MONITOR THE LATEST TRACK AND INTENSITY FORECASTS FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER. TAKE ACTIONS TO ENSURE YOUR READINESS PLANS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.

[Core]

As usual, shelves emptied because people keep NOTHING in their house! 

[Nomad]

No kidding! I'm in Western NY, but keep a supply of food, water, camp stove and fuel, batteries, led  lanterns, tarps, plywood , back up heating , back up sump pumps..... 

11 days without power during an ice storm helped me refine my preps.

[Jeremy K]

Hopefully it doesn't flood New Jersey again .

[bugsNbows]

1 hour ago, Lawdwaz said:

Where in Central Florida are you?  My FIL just went back down to Kissimmee as he's a resident but spends the summer up north.  88 years old and getting frail.....he has a couple in the neighborhood that will be taking him to their house to ride out the storm.  My wife talked to him yesterday morning and he is pretty nervous about it, understandably.  

Here's a little from the NWS.  Pretty ominous stuff...........

  DANGEROUS HURRICANE MATTHEW MOVING NORTHWESTWARD OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS, IS FORECAST TO MOVE VERY NEAR OR OVER THE EAST CENTRAL COAST OF FLORIDA TONIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, LIFE-THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MATTHEW CONTAINING THE STRONGEST WIND GUSTS, STORM SURGE AND HEAVY RAIN SQUALLS WILL MOVE ALONG OR OVER PORTIONS OF THE EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA COASTLINE VERY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING AND INTO THE AFTERNOON. WIDESPREAD EXTENSIVE TO DEVASTATING WIND IMPACTS WILL BE FELT. AIRBORNE DEBRIS LOFTED BY EXTREME WINDS WILL BE CAPABLE OF BREACHING STRUCTURES, UNPROTECTED WINDOWS AND VEHICLES. EFFECTS SUCH AS THESE RANGING FROM THE COAST TO WELL INLAND HAVE NOT BEEN EXPERIENCED IN CENTRAL FLORIDA IN DECADES. LOCAL WINDS WILL EXCEED WHAT OCCURRED DURING THE HURRICANES OF 2004. ANY EVACUATIONS AND STRUCTURE PREPARATION SHOULD BE COMPLETED THIS AFTERNOON. TRAVEL WILL BE STRONGLY DISCOURAGED BEGINNING AT DUSK. EXPECT WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES. INLAND FROM THE COASTLINE, THE THREAT IS HIGH FOR SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME FRIDAY MORNING WITH A HIGH THREAT FOR STRONG TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS FARTHER INLAND OVER LAKE COUNTY. WITH AN EXPECTED TRACK CLOSE TO THE COASTLINE, THE POTENTIAL FOR LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE FLOODING IS HIGH. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 TO 7 FEET IS EXPECTED ALONG THE BARRIER ISLANDS OF VOLUSIA AND BREVARD COUNTIES, WITH 3 TO 5 FEET OF INUNDATION EXPECTED OVER MARTIN AND SAINT LUCIE COUNTY BARRIER ISLANDS. LARGE BREAKING WAVES ALONG BEACHES WILL PEAK BETWEEN 12 TO 18 FEET AND PRODUCE ROUGH, POUNDING SURF RESULTING IN A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD OF COASTAL FLOODING FROM DUNE BREACHING, ALONG WITH VERY SEVERE BEACH SCOURING AND SAND DUNE EROSION. COASTAL FLOODING WILL BE AGGRAVATED BY HIGH TIDE ESPECIALLY IN VOLUSIA COUNTY. SIGNIFICANT DOWNWIND PILING AND SURGING OF WATER WILL OCCUR WITHIN THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY, LAGOONS, AND INLETS. THE CLOSE APPROACH OF MATTHEW`S EYE TO THE EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA COAST MEANS PROPERTIES FACING EAST AND WEST ALONG THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY WILL BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO WIND DRIVEN PILING OF WATER. ADDITIONALLY, WIND DRIVEN PILING OF WATER WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE BANKS OF THE SAINT JOHNS RIVER IN LAKE AND VOLUSIA COUNTIES. HEAVY RAIN, ESPECIALLY IN SQUALLS, WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND FREQUENCY ACROSS EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE COAST. SATURATED SOILS IN MANY AREAS FROM HEAVY SEPTEMBER AND EARLY OCTOBER RAINFALL WILL HOLD VERY LITTLE ADDITIONAL WATER BEFORE WATER QUICKLY BEGINS TO POND, ESPECIALLY IN LOW LYING AND URBAN AREAS. STANDING WATER WILL BE CAPABLE OF QUICKLY RISING, ESPECIALLY IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS, AND COULD ENTER HOMES AND BUSINESSES DURING MATTHEW`S PASSAGE. RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO MONITOR THE LATEST TRACK AND INTENSITY FORECASTS FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER. TAKE ACTIONS TO ENSURE YOUR READINESS PLANS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.

I live inland just west of Whorelando. We are expecting 70+ mph winds and rain. As you travel eastward it will be much worse. Projected strengthening to a Cat 4, the winds would be 120-130 mph. 

[grampy]

Larry, sending good thoughts and a prayer, that your FIL will ride the storm out and be OK.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Good luck and be safe to OP and all others in the path. Looks like an October rare, very dangerous storm heading for Florida's east coast. Tornado's as well as hurricane force wind and 12"+ rainfall, a threat. Give me an old fashion snow storm any day, thank you.

[maytom]

15 hours ago, ....rob said:

I hope it misses us. Ma Nature has been a real snot bucket the past few years and I am not liking her attitude much these days.

Ditto that.....Rob!!!