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Hurricane Ian: "Know Your Zone"

By Jeralyn, Section Disasters
Posted on Tue Sep 27, 2022 at 12:09:15 PM EST
Tags: hurricane Ian (all tags)
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Tampa and Fort Myers seem to be in the cross-hairs of Hurricane Ian, which is headed their way. According to the 1:00 pm statement by the National Hurricane Center, there is also a Tropical Storm Warning for the upper Florida Keys and a Tropical Storm Watch for the Middle and Lower Florida Keys.

Florida has set up "Know Your Zone" so Floridians know when they should evacuaate their homes. The Zones are from A to L with A being most likely to get an evacuation call and it is unlikely that Zones E or after will be called.

That's only half of it. The website says Floridans must also "know their homes".

If an evacuation order is not issued for your area, you may consider sheltering in place. Not all evacuations zones are always ordered. If you shelter in place, it’s important to Know Your Home and its ability to withstand strong winds and heavy rain.[More...]

How do you know if your home is strong enough? You have a leg up if your home was built after 2002. You can also check this website.

Then, readers are instructed, to know the difference in terminology. Low-lying areas are different than storm surge evacuation zones.

Flood zones are similarly named to storm surge evacuation zones. Don't confuse "Flood Zone A" with "Evacuation Zone A. So an evacuation zone is not the same thing as a flood zone. For instructions on the latter, you need to go to this FEMA site.

Then the site reports that meterologists always say, ""run from water, hide from wind." When I see hurricanes on TV, I always see tons of rain and the reporter swaying in the wind.

I'm already confused. I think Florida could have done a better job of explaining these terms. Here are more definitions from the National Weather Service.

To our Florida readers, please stay safe, and let us know in comments how you are doing.

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    Hurricane Ian: "Know Your Zone" | 46 comments (46 topical)

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    last (5.00 / 2) (#2)
    by FlJoe on Tue Sep 27, 2022 at 05:25:53 PM EST
    forecast has it passing 70 miles to my West, Thursday morning as Cat 1, not too worried.

    Ron DeSantis, (5.00 / 3) (#24)
    by KeysDan on Thu Sep 29, 2022 at 06:48:16 PM EST
    as  new US Congressman representing Jacksonville, voted against a 10 billion aid package for Hurricane Sandy.  Thought those victims should pick themselves up by their bootstraps.

    Maybe there are some good (5.00 / 2) (#25)
    by Peter G on Thu Sep 29, 2022 at 07:29:59 PM EST
    construction workers on Martha's Vineyard who need jobs and could be flown to Florida.

    Parent
    Sounds (none / 0) (#26)
    by KeysDan on Thu Sep 29, 2022 at 09:53:24 PM EST
    like socialism.

    Parent
    I wonder what portion of the public (none / 0) (#1)
    by Jack E Lope on Tue Sep 27, 2022 at 04:31:29 PM EST
    ...clearly understands "For instructions on the latter", and applies it to the correct sentence.

    We're ok here in the Florida keys. (none / 0) (#3)
    by fishcamp on Tue Sep 27, 2022 at 08:25:31 PM EST
    Over on the east coast of Florida around Sarasota and Tampa there will be big problems at 120 mph when it lands.  Hurricane Ian is huge, it's over 500 miles wide; wider than Florida.  We started getting severe rain, wind, thunder, and lightning yesterday from the outer rain bands while it was still south of Cuba.  Today we get the same effect every few hours, but no wind has been over 50 mph.  Hurricanes rotate counter clockwise, and we are on what they call the dirty side with these big fat bands flinging off while the thing spins.  They can have their own storm cells inside, but they pass rapidly, soon to be replaced by another.  It's dark and rainy now, but will soon stop for a couple of hours and then start up again.  Quite nerve racking, and my cat doesn't like it at all.  More reports to follow after the next Report from the hurricane hunters up in their big prop planes.  What a crazy job.   🌴

    Sarasota and Tampa are (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by Peter G on Tue Sep 27, 2022 at 10:22:30 PM EST
    on the west coast of Florida, I think you mean. The Gulf side, rather than the Atlantic (east) coast. How about the northwest, btw, by the federal prison area of Marianna?

    Parent
    Oh, East is East ad West is West, (5.00 / 2) (#11)
    by fishcamp on Wed Sep 28, 2022 at 02:50:17 PM EST
    and never the two shall meet, Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment seat;  But there is neither East nor West, Border nor Breed, nor Birth,  When two song men stand face to face, tho' they come from the ends of the Earth.
    Rudyard Kipling

    Parent
    Strong men (none / 0) (#12)
    by fishcamp on Wed Sep 28, 2022 at 02:51:28 PM EST


    Parent
    Thinking of you, my virtual friend. (none / 0) (#5)
    by oculus on Tue Sep 27, 2022 at 08:39:28 PM EST


    Parent
    The (none / 0) (#7)
    by FlJoe on Wed Sep 28, 2022 at 06:08:03 AM EST
    forecast has inched closer, with the eye passing 50 miles to West, had a moderate drizzle all day with a steady light to moderate rain with winds up to 25 with gusts up to thirty. Radar indicates we will clear up for several hours before the next band sets up.

    If the forecasts hold up we should be on the outer edge of the inner core, the good news is that the wind trajectory at that time will be overland and not over the ocean so the wind speed shouldn't be that bad.


    Parent

    stay safe (none / 0) (#9)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Sep 28, 2022 at 02:46:22 PM EST
    fish.

    Parent
    Jan 6th Committee hearing has been postponed... (none / 0) (#4)
    by desertswine on Tue Sep 27, 2022 at 08:32:33 PM EST
    due to Hurricane Ian.

    No announcement yet as to when they will reconvene.

    It (none / 0) (#8)
    by FlJoe on Wed Sep 28, 2022 at 09:03:45 AM EST
    looks like the outer feeder band has parked overhead, steady moderate to heavy rain, winds 25-30 gusting to   37, The center is still 180 miles away.

    Sounds (none / 0) (#10)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Sep 28, 2022 at 02:47:35 PM EST
    like the worst of it is going to pass you.

    It also sounds like the Naples/Sarasota area is going to literally be destroyed on the level Miami was with Hurricane Andrew in '92.

    Parent

    It (none / 0) (#13)
    by FlJoe on Wed Sep 28, 2022 at 05:14:08 PM EST
    looks like my side of the storm as dried up, for now.

    We had near tropical storm conditions for a few hours this morning but since then it's been relatively calm with spotty strong but tiny cells, "only" 2.5 inches so far.

    I got a feeling we will get another shot of serious weather when the next band get's close to the coast and starts picking up moisture.

    Parent

    Is there any chance that Mar-a-Looney ... (none / 0) (#14)
    by desertswine on Wed Sep 28, 2022 at 09:37:16 PM EST
    will be washed out to sea?

    looks (none / 0) (#15)
    by FlJoe on Thu Sep 29, 2022 at 05:08:08 AM EST
    like we dodged the bullet. The center is pretty close, only about 20 miles to the West.

    Currently wind is about 25 gusting to 40, light rain.

    The worst was last night around 11 when it was blowing at 35 gusting to 55. We lost power but I was pleasantly surprised when it was restored in about 2  hrs.

    Most of the rain appears to have passed, although we might get one more surge on the backside, so far we have received 4+ inches in total.

    Saw videos of Fort Myers Beach (none / 0) (#27)
    by MO Blue on Fri Sep 30, 2022 at 06:20:01 PM EST
    Completely flatten in some areas. We have been going there for a long weekend (late January/ early February timeframe) the last couple of years. Have flights and hotel reservations booked this year as well. Needless to say, that it isn't going to happen now.

    How sad for the people who have lost their home, businesses and jobs.

    Parent

    It is sad (none / 0) (#28)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 30, 2022 at 07:30:38 PM EST

    I have sympathy for people who lost everything

    but living in some of these places, Cape Coral great example, is just dumb.  Look at the place on a map. It's nuts.  I think you would have to be nuts to live there unless you can afford to lose everything.

    You could not pay me enough to live there.

    Parent

    But then (none / 0) (#29)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 30, 2022 at 07:33:08 PM EST
    I've never been a beach and swamp person.

    Parent
    It pretty much (none / 0) (#30)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Sep 30, 2022 at 07:57:54 PM EST
    is a Florida thing it seems. My oldest son did Tae Kwan Do with someone from Florida. This was when they had 3 hurricanes come across the state one season. She said it's the end we're leaving and they moved up here to GA.

    Cape Coral actually was a planned community. Otherwise it seems nobody was gonna live there.

    Parent

    It was (none / 0) (#31)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 30, 2022 at 08:07:52 PM EST
    and is a swamp.  It is the poster child for out of control land developers.

    Anyone should live where ever they want but if you make that choice IMO you should not expect the tax dollars of people who accepted living without and ocean view to make you whole when you are blown away.

    Because it will happen.   It's not rocket science.  And with climate change it going to get a lot worse.

    Parent

    My (none / 0) (#34)
    by FlJoe on Sat Oct 01, 2022 at 05:30:16 AM EST
    family moved to a planned community here in the early 60's, population ~3000 now it's pushing 120,000, during that time there have been a couple of more "cities" planted nearby. There are still times when I go to a part of the county I haven't been for several years and I feel lost because things have changed so quickly.

    Parent
    Are they many like Cape Coral? (none / 0) (#35)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Oct 01, 2022 at 06:15:04 AM EST
    Where it's just a network of canals and houses a foot above sea level for miles and miles?

    I've seen some planned communities that are not like that.  Nothing against planned communities.

    Parent

    All (none / 0) (#37)
    by FlJoe on Sat Oct 01, 2022 at 10:53:35 AM EST
    of the mainland communities are relatively high, 20+ ft above sea level, the barrier islands range from 20 ft at the dune line to 0 ft on the lagoon side with plenty of canals, all of the preplanned cities are on the mainline, most of the development on the beachside is relatively older and definitely not preplanned,

    Parent
    It is even (none / 0) (#36)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Oct 01, 2022 at 08:30:39 AM EST
    worse than that. People build on swamps, expect us to bail them out and then deny climate change is a thing and actively work against any legislation that might help.

    Parent
    Any federal aid (none / 0) (#39)
    by KeysDan on Sat Oct 01, 2022 at 11:47:05 AM EST
    to Florida should be conditioned on written assurances by DeSantis that it will be provided. equitably  to all Floridians in need, including gays and people of color.

    Parent
    How many homeless Floridians (5.00 / 1) (#44)
    by Chuck0 on Sat Oct 01, 2022 at 07:59:53 PM EST
    are getting free trips to Marths's Vineyard?

    Parent
    A trick question? (none / 0) (#46)
    by Erehwon on Mon Oct 03, 2022 at 01:44:24 PM EST