Hurricane Helene / Invest 97L

This sounds like shit I should've learned in science class, but is one side of the hurricane both stronger in terms of wind AND wetter? I don't get why it's supposed to go directly over Tennessee and Kentucky but outside of the easternmost fringes those areas are mostly only 4-6 inches of rain and little/no tropical storm winds but they've got tropical storm warnings up to the West Virginia border and North Carolina is getting 12-18 inches of rain in the forecast. Can't just be mountains since Tennessee and Kentucky are full of mountains too.
 
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Here's some tips for staying safe out there, I hope everybody makes it through this okay. First off, what to do in the event of a flash flood:

If you are in a car
Get to a safer location immediately, which usually means higher ground. If the Emergency Alert System (EAS) is telling your area to evacuate, follow their instructions on where to go and how to get there. Don't drive around barricades as responders often use them to keep people out of flood-prone areas.

Stay off bridges over water — water can rise and take out bridges without warning. NEVER attempt to drive through high water even if you think you can make it through. Just one foot of water is enough to lift a car off the ground. If your vehicle gets stuck in moving water, stay inside. If water starts to rise inside, then get out onto the roof.

If you are on Foot
DO NOT try to wade through water. All it takes is six inches of water to knock you over, especially if it's moving quickly. Floodwaters also often contain dangerous debris and can easily become electrified by downed power lines.
Seek refuge inside on a higher floor. Make sure you always have an exit route – don't get trapped in an attic with no windows, for example. If the water looks to engulf the house/property, get on the roof if you can and signal for help.

Final Do's and Don'ts
DON'T use electricity in a home that's flooded or leave it on if you're evacuating. If water touches live electrical outlets, you could be electrocuted or it could cause a devastating fire.

DON'T handle wild animals in the floodwaters. They could carry disease or become aggressive especially because they're dealing with an unfamiliar situation.

DO make sure you have a weather emergency kit packed and ready to go ahead of time. If you're not sure what you should have in it, here's a list to get you started.

DON'T leave valuables or irreplaceable furniture on the lower levels of your house. Bring them upstairs whether or not you're evacuating.

DO wear protective clothing if you need to brave the flood at all. Waders or tall rubber rain boots are great if you have them. And if you have to move any debris, make sure you're wearing gloves.
source

Reminder to always have a emergency bag with supplies you will need in an event of a power outage or if you need to evacuate your home. If you don't have one right now, try to get one ready in the future, it made my life easier during a natural disaster I went through a few years ago I need to restock mine

If you are using generators, be safe with them. Incorrect use could kill you and your loved ones. I heard a heart breaking case of a family that died from improper use of generators, so make sure you are using them correctly. Here is some links that explain how to use them safely.
Fema Red Cross

Another tip I didn't think about but was very obvious once I learned it is to wear proper shoes during a severe weather event. This is more of a tornado tip, but with disasters there will be sharp objects and debris everywhere and you need to keep your feet protected. Don't wear open toed shoes! Get the most durable pair you got with strong soles, like work boots. Although with flooding, the guide said rubber rain boots so I would go with that if you are escaping from water and have a pair.
 
This sounds like shit I should've learned in science class, but is one side of the hurricane both stronger in terms of wind AND wetter?
Don't worry, if you don't experience them every year it is easy to forget.

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Source. And it's different for a cyclone in the southern hemisphere due to rotating the other way.
 
Question for the Floridians.
You live in a holiday destination, why not/do you have a trade deal setup with a family in an inland state where they can stay at your place for holidays if you can evac to theirs when American weather pops up?
 
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I don't want to think about the drive to work.
Do you have to go in? There's likely some road closures.


Question for the Floridians.
You live in a holiday destination, why not/do you have a trade deal setup with a family in an inland state where they can stay at your place for holidays if you can evac to theirs when American weather pops up?
This depends on both travel expenses and the relationship you have with your family. If you guys are not that poor and could at least afford a greyhound bus trip or go on a car ride, that can work. If you are that poor, you're boned. If you have no family and you're a 70+ year old retiree, you can't do it. If you hate your family or you are seriously considering a hurricane preferable, you'll do the hurricane. But if you have the means to travel and a decent relationship with anyone out of state, it's a great trade.

My goodness, did the Florida handle just get fucked up the ass by a giant cock?
Considering how nasty Taylor county and the surrounding areas will be, yes. I'm waiting for the sun to rise for news because no one can see anything there, the power is fucking OUT. It's a no-man's land unless you're rescue services, and even they have to wait until it's safe for them.
 
Question for the Floridians.
You live in a holiday destination, why not/do you have a trade deal setup with a family in an inland state where they can stay at your place for holidays if you can evac to theirs when American weather pops up?
I suspect this might be a "European struggling with the Scale of America" question, but consider how big the storm is. If you were living on the Florida panhandle, driving north you would have to drive practically to Ohio to get out of the areas significantly impacted by the storm which is about 12-14 hours of driving under non-everyone evacuating conditions. Most people settle for a motel somewhere inland where it will just be a rain event. But people do evac to family yeah. I live very inland Florida and we host my brother's family living about 5 miles off the Atlantic coast when it makes sense for them to evacuate.
 
If you were living on the Florida panhandle, driving north you would have to drive practically to Ohio to get out of the areas significantly impacted by the storm which is about 12-14 hours of driving under non-everyone evacuating conditions. Most people settle for a motel somewhere inland where it will just be a rain event. But people do evac to family yeah. I live very inland Florida and we host my brother's family living about 5 miles off the Atlantic coast when it makes sense for them to evacuate.
Always good to go further inland. Going to a place also off the hurricane path is a possibility, like the opposite side of the state depending on the size of the storm. Alabama is a closer area and was pretty unaffected by the storm compared to the panhandle, which is closer to a 2-4 hour drive depending on how far west you go.

@Croaking Spider I was wrong, seems like you guys might be ass pounded by flooding. Let us know if you lived later. :(
 
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I suspect this might be a "European struggling with the Scale of America" question, but consider how big the storm is. If you were living on the Florida panhandle, driving north you would have to drive practically to Ohio to get out of the areas significantly impacted by the storm which is about 12-14 hours of driving under non-everyone evacuating conditions. Most people settle for a motel somewhere inland where it will just be a rain event. But people do evac to family yeah. I live very inland Florida and we host my brother's family living about 5 miles off the Atlantic coast when it makes sense for them to evacuate.
I get the scale and have driven 600+ miles in a day for work a few times in the last year. I used to drive 400+ miles a night including what I did at various sites.I appreciate the context.
 
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I've been getting absolutely pissed on for the last three days, today is the worst with high wind and nonstop rain. Can't wait for this to end so I can drive and survey the damage. We don't get bad weather much here, so when we do its a disaster. No idea how my shit electricity hasn't gone out yet. No phone service and no wifi leaves me fucked, my fault for being an unprepared sheeple. At least I get to have a comfy sleep in between all the flash flood warnings every hour.
 
Question for the Floridians.
You live in a holiday destination, why not/do you have a trade deal setup with a family in an inland state where they can stay at your place for holidays if you can evac to theirs when American weather pops up?
tbh 99% of storms by the time you've driven out of the state and back the storm and most of the cleanup is done, driving out of Florida once you're south of the panhandle it's like escaping Earth's gravity well
it's much more likely you'll have somebody in-town who's got power with whom you can crash

or if a job has power but some homes don't you'll see people hanging around work all day then just going home to sleep
 
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