Will see how this works, Irma updates through the weekend.
9/9 evac day – Woke this morning early, couldn’t sleep. Turned on the weather channel and the forecast swung the storm further west, direct hit big pine and Tampa. You just can’t make this up.
Radar out of key west …
We packed up and shut down our house in st Pete. Water heater off, tv’s etc off, gas off, water off. Packed our laptop, backup data drive, scrapbooks, and the family silver. Add to it the lobsters, tequila, mixers and wine. If we are gonna go… might as well go happy.
Arrived at my sisters house in Brandon, and the dogs have made it a party! They are gonna be warn out!
As of now, we still have power and internet at the house in the keys. Wind is blowing but she is still standing!
1:00 update 9/9 – nothing new, except a good visit! Only time we come to Beth and jim’s is natural disasters – or Christmas!
4:00 pm update – 9/9
Starting to blow pretty hard. Still have power and cameras. It is high tide right now, and luckily still no water over the sea wall! Hang tight house and boats.
Laura asked where my fishing equipment was. I put all my rods and reels in the Lil Woody and she is locked the garage under the house. So I think they will be fine. My poor jeep though is outside, but it is tough!
Radar and webcam pics …
9/9 8:00 pm update:
Bad news – cameras are down at the house in big pine. Looks like the outer bands are firmly ashore. Kinda feels empty. All quiet here in Tampa. Here is the radar picture:
9/10 – 0800 Sunday morning
Direct hit on big pine, eye is now onshore. Don’t really know what else to say.
Our saving grace, if we have one is it is low tide, and a really low one.
9/10 – 0930 update
Port pine heights is in the eye. You can see us clearly right next to the super nasty red stuff.
9/10 11:00am update – good riddance!
Irma clears the keys. No idea of damage, but sure it is not pretty. Weather channel reports gust of 120mph on big pine key at the key deer refuge. Pretty sure that is the weather station at the end of Kyle blvd and key deer blvd.
9/10 1:00 pm update
Not much word on big pine, other than surge speculation. There was one guy who posted a video earlier around 7:00 when the eye wall hit. It was encouraging because houses still were standing! Weather channel reported 120mph gust at the key deer refuge weather station. That is located at the end of Kyle blvd, at the edge of our neighborhood.
Next on deck is my sister and brother-in-laws house on manasota key, near englewood. The eye will pass inshore if the a little bit. Naples looks like it will be a direct hit. Fingers crossed and pray for safety.
9/10 4:30pm update
Irma is hitting Naples dead on. Outer bands now hitting Beth and jim’s house on manasota key. Here is the radar:
Here in Brandon the wind is up and it has rained all day. But nothing bad yet. We still have power.
Got a Facebook link to this strange site – bayshore drive in Tampa, all the water sucked out before the storm comes by. Nuts – this is nuts
9/10 7:00pm update
She is starting to wind down a bit. We are still good in Brandon with power (unbelievable). Couple updates, it is now hitting manasota key pretty hard (Beth and jims house).
Ted sent this pic of his canal in st Pete. This no water thing is crazy.
We got the first picture from big pine, boats in the road. Looks like at the seacenter, across from the strike zone scuba. Good news, power lines are up!!
9/10 9:30pm update
Dogs are stressed …
Last one tonight. Power went out here in Brandon. Wine open, going to go to bed soon. Got the first official word out of the keys. Bottom line no official word from marathon or big pine, they were the worst hit.
This picture came from our friend Alan who found it on Facebook. It is tagged from port pine heights (our neighborhood). Flooding but structures in place.
Here is the radar out of st Pete. Worst for Tampa bay will be over night. Good night all
9/11 11:00am update
Gotta say the Tampa Bay Area is lucky! Still no power but all are safe. Checked in with team at work and most everyone is ok. 50/50 still have power!
The big news is there was no storm surge on Tampa bay. We got a shout out that our house in st Pete is ok, no flooding. No word our place on big pine .., if anyone hears word, let us know.
Don’t know when we will head home yet.
Gorham Fishing Team 