I have a prejudice, but when I worked in weather (many years ago), we always found the Navy's hurricane hunter data far superior to the Air Force. The Navy flew directly into the storm at levels as low as 300 feet above the waves, while the Air Force flew at 35,000 feet and used dropsondes to get data. We always said the Air "Farce" didn't want to get that close to water...or maybe they were just too scared. We dealt with REALLY big storms in the Pacific that sometimes exceeded 200 knots or more.
Currently, watching Headline News, CNN and The Weather Channel. There are people walking along some beaches refusing to leave. Law enforcement has told these people "beach is closed, please leave" and they drive on down the beach to tell other folks on the beach, but the people continuing walking the opposite way of law enforcement. Law enforcement doesn't want to arrest anyone, but if they have to later, they will. It was reported that a lady wanted some help leaving Morehead City, NC and law enforcement told her "sorry, you're going to have to stay where you are and wait until the storm is over." There are people that are staying on their boats in marina's. There is one couple who is staying in a condo that is within site of their large sailboat tied up in a marina. A CNN Reporter was talking to two different couples walking on Myrtle Beach. Both couples, older, like "Senior" older, said they were not going to leave. One wife said something like "this is fun and we don't want to miss it coming in". What do all of you think of this that I just wrote.
It's their choice. On a broader note... We proclaim our freedoms, while simultaneously lamenting the loss of freedoms. The freedom of stupidity has never been threatened and quite likely has been encouraged, imo.
I stayed on my boat through three hurricanes on another time in Vero Beach Florida we left the boat and when to a hotel and waited it out when we got back to the boat we found that two other boats had broke lose and passed by my boat luck we did not get hit. I would not like to be tied up in a marina if the water went up a lot. From that time onward we stayed with the boat. It is always a tough choice.
Here is an interesting map that shows the power plants that are exactly in the areas where hurricane Florence is supposed to come ashore at. If we have damage to nuclear power plants, it might end up to become and American Fukushima type event. Hopefully, this will not become another large disaster, like some of the predictions are saying. Here is an advertisement for crisis actors to role-play for a simulated “contamination event”, which seems to me like that could easily fit in with a nuclear power plant disaster, either real or fake news. http://work4hds.com/apply/
Our boat, a 20' 1992 Cuddy Cabin, sits on a rack in a so-called Dry Storage. So-called, because it has a roof and two ends, so not totally covered on all sides as inside a building would be. After Irma hit, not a single boat was damaged in our dry storage.
Yes, it is entirely up to people if they want to stay or go, but if there is a medical emergency of any type, nobody will be able to help them.
@Yvonne Smith , I think the man in the video is seriously overreacting. Sort of like the news media creating drama for effect. I don't think that Florence poses any threat to any nuclear power plant.
I feel for the weather folks trying to predict hurricanes. This one has changed path so much. They will be blamed no matter what happens. Folks who evacuate, and didn't have to, will be angry, and folks who should have, but waited will certainly blame them. Too many lives at stake. I wouldn't want that responsibility.
If I lived on the coast, I think I'd err on the side of caution. You can go back after the storm passes but you can't get your life back if you lose it due to stupidity.
Perhaps I'm a heartless bastard who doesn't care about anyone but himself, but I am getting sick of hearing about almost nothing but this hurricane on the news for the past several days. Not one of the possible models ever showed Hurricane Florence hitting Maine, and historically very few hurricanes have hit this far north in New England, yet that is pretty much all that we hear about on the news, other than squeezing in some anti-Trump stuff from time to time. In fact, Trump is even being blamed for the hurricane. Not that I read them, but our newspapers are also dominated by Hurricane Florence, and local radio stations break into syndicated talk shows to be sure we have the latest news on Hurricane Florence. I have to wonder how much actual news we're not getting while the entire country is wrapped up in a category two hurricane that isn't going to come near us. Today, unless it doesn't fit the agenda, every shooting, every crime, every scandal, and every drought, forest fire, or storm is nationwide news, non-stop until it's over or until some new anti-Trump allegations takes its place. Too much information and not enough relevant information. I don't care that much about Hurricane Florence. Even if a hurricane were to hit the coast of Maine, I'm so far inland that I'd probably get only some rain from it. Don't get me wrong. I am interested in knowing about major storms and things that are hitting anywhere, but I don't need to be updated every ten minutes, and I certainly don't need them breaking into talk shows with the latest updates unless they're actually interesting.
You have a point. WRAL is doing non-stop coverage until who knows when. I feel sorry for those poor people who have to fill those countless hours with the latest "dramatic" developments. I turn it on once in a while but more often, I check it on the computer. But, at least, while they are talking about Florence, they are not bad mouthing President Trump. There is that.