Hurricane Irma and the search for a shelter

Hurricane Irma is approaching slowly.   For those watching the storm since what seems like almost three weeks being tired is the order of the day.  This morning there was a gust of 50 mph in South Miami and I guess we are off to the races.

There have been three forecasts about the hurricane.  #1 had it going through the Keys and up the middle of the state, then #2 up the east coast causing destruction from Homestead through Miami and Fort Lauderdale, then maybe #3 tracking further west and further west until this morning it looks like it is going to go up the west coast from Marco Island, north through Naples, Fort Myers, Sarasota, St. Pete, and Tampa.  Miami seems out of the cone of destruction but it may be a really wet time, not like Harvey, but enough to cause some serious flooding on the beaches and in low lying places.

Individually I thought about bugging out, staying with a friend with a newer roof and hurricane resistant windows and going to a shelter.  The shelter might have been mandatory had the storm stayed on the eastern course because of storm surge concerns.  Thursday night at about 3:00AM I realized I was in a part of zone C that had an evacuation order.  If there was a possibility of 3-6 feet of water from storm surge on the ground, winds of 140 mph, no electricity, I thought about Katrina and felt I might as well get ready to leave where I had lived for about twenty five years.  Papers, medicines, clothes were packed.  Water, some food, a camping mattress, batteries for the radio, a crank radio, a flash light and a lantern were packed and ready to go.

I drove to South Miami High School after checking whether the lift station pumps for the place where I live were working at about 5:30AM.  The front door was manned by a police office rand two Red Cross volunteers .

A few years earlier I might have been one of those volunteers.  Now I was on the other side.  I would have had to provide id and complete an application and listen to the rules.  I explained I was a refugee from zone C and asked if they had room at the inn. 

The young volunteer asked if I might have another place to stay.  I guess if I had started the process earlier there would have been friends that might have put me up for a couple of nights.  She said I had better decide quickly because they would be out of space soon.  They did not take reservations. When I returned at 9:00AM South Miami High School was full.  The school had about 2000 visitors for this hurricane event.  The volunteers were handing out information about another shelter at Coral Park High School.  The cop at the front desk suggested that location would be filled soon.  He knew of another shelter would be opening at Jose Mas Canosa School down south closer to the possible course of the storm and further from home and the return drive home would be an adventure without traffic lights and various stuff on the roads. 

Back at the condo, more than a few neighbors were closing shutters if they had them or covering windows with plywood.  The condo president wanted to fine owners that used plywood $125.00.  This will cause a shit storm after the hurricane.

Meanwhile the search for shelter continued.  Coral Park High School wasn’t listed as a shelter.  A call to Jose Mas Canosa confirmed they would be opening as a shelter but it might not be till later in the afternoon. 

The storm was not getting weaker, the track was still ominous although moving west and so I did the next best thing.  I went to the Moose Lodge to have a beer and regroup.  Maybe there would be a drinking buddy that would accept me as a lodger.  Sort of like a sailing trip.  There were still plenty of places selling beer and nobody had jacked up the price of beer (yet).  The bartender/slash/ administrator gave me his number to call if I needed a place to stay.  I thanked him.  He would be a resource if things went South.

Listening to AM radio they were listing open shelters and those that were filled.  At home the County Website did a very poor job regarding providing up to date information.  I realize this is one aspect of a disaster.  The mayor announced that they would be opening more shelters.  A total of 43 would be opened by the evening and you were referred to websites that listed about thirty shelters and for more information or to call 311.  Meanwhile, the media was reporting long, long, lines at shelters that would open but were not ready.  There would be space for an estimated 100,000 of about 650,000 who live in evacuation zones:  A(the beach) B(the Bay)Part of C( in areas that might be affected by storm surge of an estimated 6-9 feet).  The call to 311 was returned eventually and I was told that Coral Park High School was listed as open and accepting customers.  I asked if they were sure because I had been told something completely different at 9:00AM.  The employee indicated that the shelter had just opened at 4:00PM.

Thankfully, the forecast continued to show Irma moving WNW and probably much more W than WNWHurricanr  

I’m staying with my friend and her daughter for the time being.  My little sister and her family are together in Fort Myer and it looks like they will be getting the worst of it, but they are prepared with shutters and other protections.