Irma does Dominica

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by decimon, Sep 6, 2017.

Loading...
  1. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

  2. heirophant

    heirophant Well-Known Member

    Dominica just got the edge of it, tropical storm strength.

    I'm more worried about the islands to the north like Antigua, St. Martin and Anguilla. They seem to have gotten it pretty much head-on, and if it's as strong as they say, most buildings on those islands have presumably been blown away with potentially huge loss of life.

    The French interior minister says that their information is that even the four strongest buildings on the French half of St. Martin have been destroyed, and he expects that all of the "more rustic" structures (that locals live in) have been destroyed too.

    Irma: Category 5 hurricane causes major damage and flattens 'most solid buildings' on Saint Martin island | The Independent

    It's headed for the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas and maybe Florida too.
     
  3. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    I don't think I can keep up but St. Martin seems to have been flattened but the others not. That story could change any minute now.
     
  4. heirophant

    heirophant Well-Known Member

    The eye of this thing is currently just north of the US Virgin Islands. Some video on the Weather Channel shows very strong winds in St. Thomas.

    In San Juan PR, FEMA has several shelters. Hotels are sealing up. Streets are deserted except for a few police cars with their lights on. Grey, rainy, winds about 70 mph.

    The French Minister for Overseas Territories, Annick Girardin, says: "We have a lot to fear for a certain number of our compatriots who unfortunately didn't want to listen to the protection measures and go to more secure sites.... We're preparing for the worst."

    The Netherlands is sending Dutch Marines to the three small Dutch islands in the area. St Maartin, Saba and St. Eustatius.

    Speaking of Marines, the US Navy has the Amphibious Assault Ship Kearsarge on alert (one of those small aircraft carriers with lots of Marines, helicopters and landing craft) ready to head out wherever it's needed most, depending on where this things goes.

    The Florida Governor is currently giving a news conference.

    The entire FL National Guard is being called up. Approx 100 helicopters, 1000 military trucks should be available. Other states are sending help.

    People are evacuating the Florida Keys. They are being told to go to Florida International University. Apparently the evacuation is very orderly so far, not the traffic gridlock that was feared (there's only one road out).

    The FL Governor is asking for volunteers to staff shelters and food kitchens. He tells all Floridians to listen to local officials, evacuate quickly if told to, prepare emergency kits and have a plan. Refill prescriptions today.

    South Florida stores are selling out of supplies but additional stocks are being rushed in. Utillity companies are staging personnel and crews.
     
  5. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    I'm reading that Barbuda is incommunicado. Ominous.
     
  6. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    The prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda visited the latter and literally cried. He said that everything there has been demolished, and that the island is effectively uninhabitable now.

    My youngest was in St. Martin overnight just five days ago. I'm glad his itinerary was what it was.

    A friend on Anguilla, right next to St. Martin, said that there's a lot of damage but only one death there.

    I just hope Irma pulls a curveball and Florida doesn't get it like the Leeward islands did. They're calling it "Irmageddon". :sad:
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  7. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    Richard Branson's digs have returned to a somewhat virgin state.
     
  8. heirophant

    heirophant Well-Known Member

  9. heirophant

    heirophant Well-Known Member

    Britain is sending HMS Ocean, another of those small helicopter aircraft carriers, to aid their overseas territories, including Anguilla (which took a direct hit), the British Virgins which were sideswiped, and the Turks and Caicos which reportedly are taking a direct hit as we speak.

    Things seem to be getting more frenzied in South Florida as Irma approaches.
     
  10. heirophant

    heirophant Well-Known Member

    I'm getting the same bad feeling about this that I had before Katrina in New Orleans. Kind of a feeling of gathering doom.

    Southwest Florida from Tampa Bay southwards looks to be the latest bulls-eye. (Miami might dodge the bullet.) They are predicting storm surges of up to 15 feet in places like Ft. Myers, Sanibel Island and Naples. That's extraordinary, it can knock buildings down or totally gut them. St. Petersburg, Tampa and Sarasota are going to be getting those big surges too. Monday morning, whole communities might just be... gone.

    (They say that the reason why the surges in Florida will be worse than in the Caribbean is because the ocean floor slopes downward gradually off the west Florida coast, not dropping abruptly like with volcanic islands. So water might just kind of pile up.)

    Something like 5 million people are evacuating (to where?) That's 1/4 of the population of Florida!

    I hope that a lot of this growing dread is just the result of the non-stop TV hype, and that real-life events out to be a lot less destructive.

    Tampa Bay, Florida news | Tampa Bay Times/St. Pete Times
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 9, 2017
  11. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    I'll second your wish.

    Some annoying hype involves terms like 'unprecedented' and 'record breaking.' Reasonably accurate records aren't very old and older records aren't very accurate. What is known is that Caribbean and Gulf Coast sites have been getting storm-wiped since there have been people there to notice.
     
  12. heirophant

    heirophant Well-Known Member

    https://twitter.com/richardbranson

    https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/08/richard-branson-survived-hurricane-irma-on-necker-island.html

    RFA Mounts Bay, a large landing ship operated by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (naval support ships owned by the Ministry of Defense but crewed by civilians) was already in the Caribbean stocked with emergency supplies as a routine precautionary measure during the hurricane season, and it's on scene in the British Virgins which were hit very hard. Widespread destruction, still no electricity and things are reportedly growing a bit anarchical.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RFA_Mounts_Bay_(L3008)
     

Share This Page