California's Tropical Storm

[Easto]

Hey guys I'm feeling a little hurt. No one posted asking if all of us in So Cal were ok?

Just so you can all sleep ok... I'm ok. I have to tell you, the hype before this thing actually got to our area was incredible. I understand that there is a need to know and people want the latest updates but... holy smoke! Also, most of the pictures and videos you see are all of the same thing. If you don't count the stupid people who want to drive through a huge body of water in the street and then get stuck, I don't think there was much of anything to call this a disaster.

[Philip]

Glad you're ok

I was wondering, but I've grown used to the tropical storm/hurricane media hype I suppose.

[TonyT]

Talked to my son in LA. He laughed and said the storm was just like a common heavy Northern VA thunderstorm. No big deal.

[YeOldeStonecat]

Reminds me of this...

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[Humboldt]

Nothing up here in NorCal.

Just bad smoke, way bad.

[Philip]

Wait till early Thursday, hurricane Idalia is coming up from the gulf... Well, tropical storm by the time it gets to the Carolinas.

[Easto]

Isn't it tracking through Tampa and up to JAX?

[YeOldeStonecat]

Isn't it tracking through Tampa and up to JAX?

Looks to be dead on for "the nature coast". The Eye likely to lock onto Cedar Key...and pass over it. Quite north of Tampa/St Pete area.

The Nature Coast is...sorta what looks like the arm pit of FL if you picture an arm sticking out to be the panhandle.

My wife and I had been planning to move to South West FL this winter.....either Englewood, or just south of it...Cape Haze and Placida area.
But after last winters nearly 2 month stay...we spent a few weeks in Homosassa and Crystal River area.....and we had been pondering that area instead... (or just north...Dunellon...by Lake Rousseau).
According to the reports, if this hurricane hits the Nature Coast right at the arm pit....the south east corner of the storm will whack the Crystal River/Dunellon area pretty hard.

So far the hurricane is still a Cat1 (as of the time I type this).
But the cute little flat island of Cedar Key....if this storm cranks up to what they were saying "it could"...if it does get even near the possible 11 foot surge they said it "could"...Cedar Key would be living close to what Ft Myers went through last fall with Ian. (which was 15' surge)

[Philip]

Fortunately that coast up around Cedar Key is sparsely populated, not like the Ft. Myers area. We shall see, seems like it will skirt north of Tampa Bay again, and it will be far from Jax. We will likely get 20-30mph winds, but nothing dangerous.
As far as the Crystal River area and north of there for living - it's very different scene than down south, much more rural with a southern feel, farms and small towns.

The sites I look at for hurricanes are the NHC, and:
https://www.cyclocane.com/
https://www.ventusky.com/?p=28.13;-81.32;6&l=wind-10m

I was actually planning to go on a sailboat regatta with a friend on his boat for Labor Day weekend, it's a sail from Jax up to Fernandina Beach on Saturday (~30nm north ocean race), then a day of "festivities" at the marina there, and a sail back down on Monday. Not sure if it will happen now, or they're going to cancel it, depends on the weather.

I am prepared, stocked up on beer and wifey even bought water

[YeOldeStonecat]

As far as the Crystal River area and north of there for living - it's very different scene than down south, much more rural with a southern feel, farms and small towns.

Kinda what we liked about it up there last year...
So this year, we're spending 1x month down in Englewood (1x block away from the west end of the well known Dearborn Street...right by Lemon Bay), and then we'll be spending 1x month up in Crystal River.

While we LOVE the Lemon Bay, Don Pedro, Boca Grande, Cayo Costa area....the boating, the beaches....majority of that area is full flood or AE flood zone at best. A few rare X zone areas.
We plan on moving there next year....but due to..insurance companies fleeing the area, eh...we're just not sure.
SO...strongly considering Crystal River area. What would run 300k to 350k and more in Englewood, you can get for 200k-250k around Crystal River/Dunellon/Homosassa/Hernando/Iverness/etc

Yeah, no gorgeous beaches. And salt water boating in that area...the water is "tea colored"....not the gorgeous blue of Lemon Bay. However, those "springs" you can kayak....like Rainbow River, ...they just blow your mind. And dozens of springs in a 1 hour drive to explore. And the panhandle...for a weekend of gorgeous beaches and water, isn't too far away. Nor is driving down to Tarpon Springs or Dunedin.

..and I can have land..instead of the 0.23 acres of down south, can get an acre, or two, or three..or more.

...eh...choices!

[Philip]

Yeah, I was going to say, look south of Crystal River down all the way to Tarpon Springs, you'll find something good that's decent and not far from Tampa Bay (civilization). Clearwater beaches are great, so is St. Pete beach area down by Don Cesar, Ft. DeSoto area is really cool too.
Went to Crystal River scalloping last year, it was fun.
I went scuba diving the springs/caves in Crystal river long time (20+ years) ago, even before that nuclear plant closed up.

[Easto]

In case you guys are looking for a house there's one 3 door down from me that just went up for sale.

[Philip]

In case you guys are looking for a house there's one 3 door down from me that just went up for sale.

Likewise


Update, there is not much going on with the hurricane in my neck of the woods, just some rain bands and gusty winds as expected, noting stronger than ~30mph. Eye of the storm is now over land (weakening), moving towards Georgia, looks like it's going to pass close to Savannah.