National Hurricane Center- Matthew Strengthening

a reply to: antar


Bless your heart!
What we Moms go through because of our kids!
At least he didn't stay on the boat!

Sending hugs & prayers your way!
WOQ

originally posted by: tweetie
a reply to: TrueAmerican

Red sprites generated above Matthew which makes this an unusual hurricane.

Spaceweather

Yes and these really are not like sprites that are found high in thunderstorms. This looks like something else......seriously.

Meh, this is barely going to be an issue for us on the gulf coast. We got four back to back from every direction back in '04. The moment they strike land from that side, it drops down to the cat below. After about an hour it drops another. Just another storm on our walls.

I'll be scoping around for fallen trees and such, but we mostly going to be spared on this side. Even most the people on the East coast will be fine. Will conditions be dangerous?? Yea sure. But we will see that there will be very little to no casualties in most areas. The real horror is trying to move heaven and Earth to get insurance to pay out while they try to say "oh sorry, no flood coverage. Thats separate!"

If it gets bad, I will volunteer to help clear damage in some areas. I helped people fill sand bags at a fire station some years back during a close call. I do what I can for my fellow city dwellers. In 2004 I catalogued dozens of great oaks that fell and damaged houses and vehicles. But other than that, we were mostly unharmed. Good luck to those of yall on the East though.

I just saw our local NBC affiliate show screenshots of some gas stations are now charging 9.99/gal gasoline and $20-$30 packs of water. Im looking to see if this is something that can be confirmed.

a reply to: roadgravel

I recall that during katrina, we were a fine band of members staying on top of the event as well as each other... good to see you, keep me in the know for Fort lauderdale area ok?

originally posted by: EchoesInTime
Hope people are smart enough to evacuate. It's going to be bad. Cat 4 and it may double back. There will be those who don't leave. I hope loss of life isn't much.

Not only is it going to be Cat4, but it's going to hit an area of the coast that generally does not get hit by storms at their full strength. The last time they took a shot like this goes back to the 1850s (?) I think.

a reply to: Logarock

My son was over joyed at the hurricane sprites, so not knowing wth they are I now get a little better idea...

a reply to: wasobservingquietly

Thank you will take all the support I can get. I will be here through the night for sure.

originally posted by: matafuchs
a reply to: carewemust

I live in direct line of the storm. No one should be riding this out on the coast. I am about 45 miles west of Melbourne and they are telling us to expect 100mph gusts. NEVER had anything like this before so far inland. It is a perfect storm to reach Cat 5. If it does, this will easily be the worst disaster in US history.

For the first time ever with a hurricane I am actually afraid of what the damage will be.

God be with you brother or sister

Please get to safety

Bracing For Matthew: An avalanche of price gouging complaints

Because Florida is under a State of Emergency, it is illegal for businesses to raise prices and overcharge for goods that are needed as a direct result of this emergency. And as Mike Vasilinda tells us, many businesses haven’t gotten the message.

Operator Guy Thompson says the worst case was a gas station. “Most recently we had gas had gone up a dollar a gallon.”

The calls are coming from across the state, said Chris Provenzano. We asked about his most recent complaint.

“The folks were charging ten dollars for a twelve pack of water.”

How to file a price gouging complaint

The number to call is 1-866-9-NoScam. you can also file a complaint online at myfloridalegal.com. The Attorney General’s website says the best advice to avoid being overcharged is to stock up before the storm is barreling down on the state.

VULTURES I tells ya!!

The gougers don't seemed to be punished to any major extent when it's over.

Some stressed out person might end up shooting one though.

originally posted by: roadgravel
The gougers don't seemed to be punished to any major extent when it's over.

Some stressed out person might end up shooting one though.

Gouging is nasty, but at the same time, when the price of scare resources is raised, it also helps to ration the goods out.

When batteries go up in price from the normal $10/pack to a sudden $30 or $40, it limits what a person can buy. That seems obvious and all bad, but if a person can't buy all the remaining batteries because the packs are so expensive, then it lengthens the amount of time that batteries are available.

In other words, if there are precisely 4 packs left and each is selling for $40 over the usual $10 and a man comes in thinking he will clean up as many batteries as his $40 lets him buy, he can only get 1 of the remaining 4 packs meaning that someone else can still buy batteries instead of that one guy buying all the remaining batteries. In effect, the high price is another means of rationing via supply and demand.

The major downside is that it gets much, much harder for people to get the things they need when it all gets more expensive even as it makes it harder for a few to easily hoarde what's left.

Still quiet here in Daytona. My sister in Ct. Is freaking out a bit. "Why aren't you heading inland?!?!?!". I dunno, this house has made it through every storm since '51. I'm pretty sure it'll make it through this one.

a reply to: ketsuko

But that might make it to where someone who desperately needs those batteries being sold at 30 and 40 dollars a pop, not able to get them.

There is a simple solution to rationing out, and stores do it all the time, even in non-emergency situations:

Limit the amount a customer can buy.

It's that simple. No need to price gouge.

a reply to: subject x

Just saw an update:

6 to 9 foot possible storm surge along the coast from Melbourne up to Jacksonville.

Hope you're not too close to the water.

Good Luck.

a reply to: ketsuko

Did you seriously just defend gougers? The hell, woman? o.O Contrary to what you think, gouging doesn't help "spread it around" any, it just jacks up the pricing to obscene amounts. Limit what the hell people can buy, that helps ensure people get a fair shot. Not just the ones with deep pockets. Jesus.

originally posted by: eriktheawful
a reply to: subject x

Just saw an update:

6 to 9 foot possible storm surge along the coast from Melbourne up to Jacksonville.

Hope you're not too close to the water.

Good Luck.

I'm on the first decent high point west of the Halifax River. Probably a good five miles from the shore. It would need a
biblical-scale flood to reach me.

As long as none of my trees come down on the house, I'll be fine and dandy, like cotton candy.

My fabulous girlfriend, in Key Largo, said "a little wind, a little rain. No big deal". Hopefully that will hold true here. So far, pretty quiet, but it's not here yet, is it?

Just have to wait and see.

My sister said if I survive she'll knit me a minions beanie!

Giving a little bumb

a reply to: eriktheawful

Most of the spaghetti models show it circling back around. Never seen a hurricane like this. Bizzare.
Then Hurricane Nicole right there too. Feel bad for Floridians and the lower east coast. Its gonna be a disaster, for sure.

Hope FEMA does a better job in the recovery and not screw it up like with Katrina.

a reply to: antar

Hey there, we are in a low income area on the barrier island Merritt Island. Most of these people don't have the money to board up or evacuate, no family to run to, or too proud to turn tail. Merrit Island is pretty much the predicted landfall of Matthew. Fort Lauderdale should be fine, some tropical storm force winds for a few hours and lots and lots of rain.

originally posted by: EchoesInTime
a reply to: eriktheawful

Most of the spaghetti models show it circling back around. Never seen a hurricane like this. Bizzare.
....

Hope FEMA does a better job in the recovery and not screw it up like with Katrina.

I've seen the loop before. Pretty annoying to get two whacks with the same storm.

They're pretty damn good at the whole storm recovery thing around here. The power guys don't stop until it's all back on. Like, hardcore.

Conveniently, I'm also on the same power grid as the hospital, so we get juice pretty quick, barring any local lines to the neighborhood.