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"Tracking Irma" Part II
8 years ago
General
As a follow-up to my previous journal - https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/8400610/ - I present a compressed schedule of events taking place before, during, and after the arrival of "Hurricane Irma"…
11:00 AM: Began preparing my condo apartment for "Hurricane Irma" (which, at the time, was a Category 4 storm). I'd used packing tape and two large trash bags to cover up my front bathroom window - so I won't have a repeat of what happened during "Hurricane Wilma" in 2005 (when the winds blew in the plastic glass, and horizontal rain almost flooded said bathroom).
2:00 PM: Using the same roll of packing tape, I sealed up a ceiling trap door that led to the underside of the roof, so that the high winds won't enter my apartment that way.
7:30 AM: I went to the supermarket across the street, to buy some last-minute supplies, including bottled water, a loaf of bread, and some packets of granola to nosh on during the storm.
10:00 AM: Following breakfast, I took some of the refrigerated food items and moved them into the freezer. This way, in the event of a power outage, they will keep cold just a little bit longer.
2:00 PM: I'd closed the glass shutters of my front door and sealed them with said packing tape. I also used the tape on four panes of glass from my front windows.
10:00 AM: Following Irma on local TV, it was still a Category 4 storm - already crossing over (and causing havoc on) many Caribbean islands. I'd decided to throw away some useless items on my back porch (otherwise, they'd become flying projectiles that could cause damage). Some of the more fragile bric-a-brack (e.g. glass table tops) was brought indoors. Using a strong cord, I'd tied down the rest of my stuff on said back porch. Finally, I used the packing tape on the glass doors leading in my bedroom and kitchen.
2:00 PM: Finished securing my home, I decided to take one last dip in the swimming pool behind the Oriole Garden Phase I clubhouse.
4:00 PM: My brother Glenn joined me in the clubhouse lobby, as we discussed our final plans to ride out the storm in a 'safe room' of our respective condos. We gave each other a hug, as we went our separate ways.
5:00 PM: The latest weather advisory reported that Irma had escalated to Category 5 status (with winds of 155 miles per hour, and some gusts exceeding 200 miles per hour). It was at this point I'd felt insecure, and decided to ride out the storm at the nearest emergency shelter, rather than stay at home.
9:30 PM: Having packed my essentials into three bags, Glenn picked me up in his Mini-Cooper, and drove me from my Margate home to Monarch High School in Coconut Creek. He rode back to hunker down in his condo, while I signed in at the school cafeteria with reps from the American Red Cross and the Broward Sheriff's Office.
10:00 PM: I'd found a spot in the cafeteria to settle in, with a nice view of one of four HDTV sets - all tuned to the local ABC-TV affiliate, covering the approach of "Hurricane Irma".
(The good thing about being sheltered in the cafeteria was that they served three meals a day to the hundreds of evacuees already there - even though I'd brought spare food and water for myself. Breakfast was served from 7:30 to 8:30 AM; Lunch was served from 12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM; Dinner was served from 5:00 to 6:00 PM.)
9:00 AM: I sent out a text message to my sister Rhonda (back in Wantagh, New York), to let her know I was OK. (However, I had to use my cell phone outside of the school building, as I couldn't get a signal indoor; Nor was there any Wi-Fi anywhere in this facility for me to communicate through my tablet.)
1:45 PM: HDTV coverage of the storm (now back to Category 4 status) showed Irma skirting the north shore of Cuba. We all weren't sure when Irma was going to turn north...
2:00 PM: I finally received a text reply from Rhonda (feeling reassured of my decision to be an evacuee, instead of riding out the storm at home).
4:00 PM: A mandatory curfew went into effect, as the doors of the high school were shut for the duration of the storm.
6:00 PM: I'd learned that Irma's intensity was fluctuating (first, down to Cat. 3, and then, back up to Cat. 4). Continued to watch coverage on HDTV during the evening.
10:00 PM: Tried to go to sleep, amid the din of restless evacuees...
4:00 AM: Slowly woke up to hear news about 'tornadic activity' in my part of Broward County (one of three times the area was under a 'Tornado Warning'). By this time, Irma remained a Category 4 storm (that was wider than the entire Florida peninsula itself).
9:00 AM: Irma was finally moving northward, with the eye of the hurricane crossing the Florida Keys (with Key West to its left, and Marathon on its right).
2:00 PM: Another 'Tornado Warning' was issued for our area.
2:20 PM: 'Tornado Warning's was finally lifted... but not before the high school had a brief power outage. But special generators kept the lights and other appliances in the building running. Unfortunately, we'd lost the Cable signal for the HDTV sets, so we had to ride out the rest of the storm, unaware of its latest status.
3:30 PM: Made arrangements with the Red Cross to have someone drive me back home on Monday morning, once the curfew is lifted around 10 AM. (I don't dare ask Glenn to pick me up in his car; For all I know, the roads between Margate and Coconut Creek could be littered with uprooted trees, broken branches, parts of damaged buildings, and other debris.)
6:30 PM: A B.S.O. officer informed me that (even after Irma leaves south Florida and the curfew is lifted) I might not be driven home right away, if Margate is subjected to flooded streets and/or downed power lines.
10:00 PM: Turned in for the longest sleep of my life...
5:00 AM: Woke up to see a majority of evacuees packing their belongings, and leaving Monarch High School (in the cars they came in, a few days earlier), even though the curfew hadn't been lifted yet.
10:00 AM: The remaining evacuees were shuttled to the gymnasium, where groups of people were sorted out by the cities they came from. These individuals would later by led outside to wait for special buses that would take them directly home.
11:00 AM: Waiting outside with the group from Margate, there were no buses available at the time. But me and another evacuee were able to get a free lift home in an alternate mode of transportation: from the back seat of Coconut Creek Police Department vehicle! (Now I know how it felt to be an arrested suspect!)
11:20 AM: I was dropped off (with my packed stuff) on the outskirts of Oriole Gardens, as the officer drove off to assist his second passenger. Lots of broken branches were strewn all over the parking lot. Leaving my belongings on the ground for a brief moment, I'd walked around one condo building - just to see if my own building suffered any damage...
11:25 AM: Miraculously, the only casualty was the tree behind my back porch - which snapped in half, but missed my building by mere feet! My only regret is, it was the part of the tree that gave my back porch some needed shade during the morning hours (which means, if I don't want to have the sun glaring down on me during breakfast on said porch, I'll either have to wear sunglasses when I eat OR have breakfast around lunchtime)!
11:35 AM: Carrying my stuff to my condo building, I was relieved that (1) the reinforced roof stayed in place, (2) the parking lot wasn't flooded at all, and (3) there was no damage to the front of my apartment, either. I'd placed my belonging inside the condo, and proceeded to see how my brother fared in his place.
11:45 AM: Glenn and his downstairs neighbor Andrew also survived the wrath of Irma, as their building was intact, too. The only problem for now is a lack of electricity for all of the Oriole Gardens residents, since Sunday afternoon. (When "Hurricane Wilma" assaulted my area over a decade ago, we went without power for over three days.) Taking out my tablet, I got Andrew to take a picture of Glenn and I (with its camera feature). I hope to post this 'photo-op' here at a later date...
3:00 PM: I began to remove the packing tape from the door and windows of my condo building, and started returning things to my back porch.
6:00 PM: Reuniting with Glenn in front of his apartment, we began to share stories about each mother's experiences during "Hurricane Irma". Halfway during my exploits in the high school cafeteria, a resident from my brother's building ran out of his apartment to announce "The power's been restored!" Sure enough, our state's utility company FPL (Florida Power & Light) was able to bring the electricity back to our area in less time than in 2005! The worst was over in our area. We returned to our respective condos, and turned on our own HDTV sets to see who in Florida suffered the worst from Irma...
It's going to be a slow and tedious process to get things back to normal. But I did show some concern to other Florida residents who weren't so fortunate. As soon as my local supermarket reopened, I'd contributed a few dollars to the Red Cross to help the victims of "Hurricane Irma" (with my grocery purchase). I hope that the worst is over for all of us here in the 'Sunshine State' (keeping in mind that 'Hurricane Season' doesn't officially end until November 30, 2017).
- - - - - - - - - - Wednesday, September 6, 2017 11:00 AM: Began preparing my condo apartment for "Hurricane Irma" (which, at the time, was a Category 4 storm). I'd used packing tape and two large trash bags to cover up my front bathroom window - so I won't have a repeat of what happened during "Hurricane Wilma" in 2005 (when the winds blew in the plastic glass, and horizontal rain almost flooded said bathroom).
2:00 PM: Using the same roll of packing tape, I sealed up a ceiling trap door that led to the underside of the roof, so that the high winds won't enter my apartment that way.
Thursday, September 7, 2017 7:30 AM: I went to the supermarket across the street, to buy some last-minute supplies, including bottled water, a loaf of bread, and some packets of granola to nosh on during the storm.
10:00 AM: Following breakfast, I took some of the refrigerated food items and moved them into the freezer. This way, in the event of a power outage, they will keep cold just a little bit longer.
2:00 PM: I'd closed the glass shutters of my front door and sealed them with said packing tape. I also used the tape on four panes of glass from my front windows.
Friday, September 8, 2017 10:00 AM: Following Irma on local TV, it was still a Category 4 storm - already crossing over (and causing havoc on) many Caribbean islands. I'd decided to throw away some useless items on my back porch (otherwise, they'd become flying projectiles that could cause damage). Some of the more fragile bric-a-brack (e.g. glass table tops) was brought indoors. Using a strong cord, I'd tied down the rest of my stuff on said back porch. Finally, I used the packing tape on the glass doors leading in my bedroom and kitchen.
2:00 PM: Finished securing my home, I decided to take one last dip in the swimming pool behind the Oriole Garden Phase I clubhouse.
4:00 PM: My brother Glenn joined me in the clubhouse lobby, as we discussed our final plans to ride out the storm in a 'safe room' of our respective condos. We gave each other a hug, as we went our separate ways.
5:00 PM: The latest weather advisory reported that Irma had escalated to Category 5 status (with winds of 155 miles per hour, and some gusts exceeding 200 miles per hour). It was at this point I'd felt insecure, and decided to ride out the storm at the nearest emergency shelter, rather than stay at home.
9:30 PM: Having packed my essentials into three bags, Glenn picked me up in his Mini-Cooper, and drove me from my Margate home to Monarch High School in Coconut Creek. He rode back to hunker down in his condo, while I signed in at the school cafeteria with reps from the American Red Cross and the Broward Sheriff's Office.
10:00 PM: I'd found a spot in the cafeteria to settle in, with a nice view of one of four HDTV sets - all tuned to the local ABC-TV affiliate, covering the approach of "Hurricane Irma".
(The good thing about being sheltered in the cafeteria was that they served three meals a day to the hundreds of evacuees already there - even though I'd brought spare food and water for myself. Breakfast was served from 7:30 to 8:30 AM; Lunch was served from 12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM; Dinner was served from 5:00 to 6:00 PM.)
Saturday, September 9, 2017 9:00 AM: I sent out a text message to my sister Rhonda (back in Wantagh, New York), to let her know I was OK. (However, I had to use my cell phone outside of the school building, as I couldn't get a signal indoor; Nor was there any Wi-Fi anywhere in this facility for me to communicate through my tablet.)
1:45 PM: HDTV coverage of the storm (now back to Category 4 status) showed Irma skirting the north shore of Cuba. We all weren't sure when Irma was going to turn north...
2:00 PM: I finally received a text reply from Rhonda (feeling reassured of my decision to be an evacuee, instead of riding out the storm at home).
4:00 PM: A mandatory curfew went into effect, as the doors of the high school were shut for the duration of the storm.
6:00 PM: I'd learned that Irma's intensity was fluctuating (first, down to Cat. 3, and then, back up to Cat. 4). Continued to watch coverage on HDTV during the evening.
10:00 PM: Tried to go to sleep, amid the din of restless evacuees...
Sunday, September 10, 2017 4:00 AM: Slowly woke up to hear news about 'tornadic activity' in my part of Broward County (one of three times the area was under a 'Tornado Warning'). By this time, Irma remained a Category 4 storm (that was wider than the entire Florida peninsula itself).
9:00 AM: Irma was finally moving northward, with the eye of the hurricane crossing the Florida Keys (with Key West to its left, and Marathon on its right).
2:00 PM: Another 'Tornado Warning' was issued for our area.
2:20 PM: 'Tornado Warning's was finally lifted... but not before the high school had a brief power outage. But special generators kept the lights and other appliances in the building running. Unfortunately, we'd lost the Cable signal for the HDTV sets, so we had to ride out the rest of the storm, unaware of its latest status.
3:30 PM: Made arrangements with the Red Cross to have someone drive me back home on Monday morning, once the curfew is lifted around 10 AM. (I don't dare ask Glenn to pick me up in his car; For all I know, the roads between Margate and Coconut Creek could be littered with uprooted trees, broken branches, parts of damaged buildings, and other debris.)
6:30 PM: A B.S.O. officer informed me that (even after Irma leaves south Florida and the curfew is lifted) I might not be driven home right away, if Margate is subjected to flooded streets and/or downed power lines.
10:00 PM: Turned in for the longest sleep of my life...
Monday, September 11, 2017 5:00 AM: Woke up to see a majority of evacuees packing their belongings, and leaving Monarch High School (in the cars they came in, a few days earlier), even though the curfew hadn't been lifted yet.
10:00 AM: The remaining evacuees were shuttled to the gymnasium, where groups of people were sorted out by the cities they came from. These individuals would later by led outside to wait for special buses that would take them directly home.
11:00 AM: Waiting outside with the group from Margate, there were no buses available at the time. But me and another evacuee were able to get a free lift home in an alternate mode of transportation: from the back seat of Coconut Creek Police Department vehicle! (Now I know how it felt to be an arrested suspect!)
11:20 AM: I was dropped off (with my packed stuff) on the outskirts of Oriole Gardens, as the officer drove off to assist his second passenger. Lots of broken branches were strewn all over the parking lot. Leaving my belongings on the ground for a brief moment, I'd walked around one condo building - just to see if my own building suffered any damage...
11:25 AM: Miraculously, the only casualty was the tree behind my back porch - which snapped in half, but missed my building by mere feet! My only regret is, it was the part of the tree that gave my back porch some needed shade during the morning hours (which means, if I don't want to have the sun glaring down on me during breakfast on said porch, I'll either have to wear sunglasses when I eat OR have breakfast around lunchtime)!
11:35 AM: Carrying my stuff to my condo building, I was relieved that (1) the reinforced roof stayed in place, (2) the parking lot wasn't flooded at all, and (3) there was no damage to the front of my apartment, either. I'd placed my belonging inside the condo, and proceeded to see how my brother fared in his place.
11:45 AM: Glenn and his downstairs neighbor Andrew also survived the wrath of Irma, as their building was intact, too. The only problem for now is a lack of electricity for all of the Oriole Gardens residents, since Sunday afternoon. (When "Hurricane Wilma" assaulted my area over a decade ago, we went without power for over three days.) Taking out my tablet, I got Andrew to take a picture of Glenn and I (with its camera feature). I hope to post this 'photo-op' here at a later date...
3:00 PM: I began to remove the packing tape from the door and windows of my condo building, and started returning things to my back porch.
6:00 PM: Reuniting with Glenn in front of his apartment, we began to share stories about each mother's experiences during "Hurricane Irma". Halfway during my exploits in the high school cafeteria, a resident from my brother's building ran out of his apartment to announce "The power's been restored!" Sure enough, our state's utility company FPL (Florida Power & Light) was able to bring the electricity back to our area in less time than in 2005! The worst was over in our area. We returned to our respective condos, and turned on our own HDTV sets to see who in Florida suffered the worst from Irma...
- - - - - - - - - - It's going to be a slow and tedious process to get things back to normal. But I did show some concern to other Florida residents who weren't so fortunate. As soon as my local supermarket reopened, I'd contributed a few dollars to the Red Cross to help the victims of "Hurricane Irma" (with my grocery purchase). I hope that the worst is over for all of us here in the 'Sunshine State' (keeping in mind that 'Hurricane Season' doesn't officially end until November 30, 2017).
It is a long time to recover from the hurricane