UPDATE: We will continue bumping this thread to keep the communication lines available.

...”I live in the Western part of the US; reading these comments is like listening in on a (telephone) party line. This is the first I’ve heard firsthand live reports from the people directly affected. For the first time there is no canned, approved spoon fed mis-information delivered by the faceless and unaffected paid to be there.”….

Which is exactly the reason we keep this thread going!

As the areas in Eastern Tennessee, Western North Carolina and the Western gulf coast of Florida continue recovery operations from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, our thoughts are with those who are still impacted and dealing with the long-term recovery process.

If you have stability and the ability to communicate, we are wondering how you guys are doing.

Can we get a Standing Ovation for our hardworking Linemen? pic.twitter.com/jyP2hmbqub

— Still🏝️Roaming (@roaming_rn) October 17, 2024

Working with several ground groups, we have sent toolboxes and resources into the area for the arduous tasks that remain.  There are many who feel overwhelmed; just know our thoughts and deepest prayers remain with you. It will get a little better every day.

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has initiated an emergency fuel service in the central and western Florida regions impacted by Hurricane Milton.  Fuel is the lifeblood of all recovery efforts.

The program is for several areas to have tanker trucks that can pump directly to consumers.  Each resident who can go to the fuel distribution center will get 10 gallons of gasoline free, either in their gas cans or into their vehicle gas tank.   Distribution will be made in Port Charlotte, Pinellas, Sarasota and Hillsborough counties, with more on the way.

Additionally, 50 highway patrol vehicles have been assigned escort duty to assist fuel tankers getting quickly to gas stations in the needed areas.  There are a few videos below outlining the emergency distribution:

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Additionally, FEMA has extended the full reimbursement for debris removal to a 90-day window.  This will help municipal areas quickly get their contractors working to remove debris.

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Appearing in Bradenton, Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis discusses ongoing recovery efforts from the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.  There is plenty of fuel in the supply chain, the issue is that many gas stations may be waiting on power restoration.

Debris cleanup from both Helene and Milton is now being handed back to the municipal regions who are the first responders for debris removal.  For those unfamiliar, generally a hurricane creates 7 years’ worth of debris that needs to be cleared and removed.  FEMA underwrites the first 10 days and reimburses the local authorities for debris removal.

Full state DOT assessments have been completed for state roads and bridges. Power restoration continues. Governor DeSantis walks through the current state of recovery. WATCH:   

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis delivers remarks to the state and media in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton that crossed Florida overnight.

“The worst-case scenario did not unfold” … “Milton began falling apart at the coast.”

Governor Ron DeSantis delivers a strong warning about post-hurricane recovery.  Stay away from powerlines, use ladders and generators safely, be careful with chainsaws, avoid bacteria that always follows in dirty standing water.  The downstream river flow remains a concern for rising water.

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Try to stay within your immediate neighborhood for the first 36-48 hours. Keep the roadways and main arteries clear for recovery workers, power companies and fuel trucks.

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Hurricane Milton hit Siesta Key as a cat-3 storm with hurricane winds 35 miles from center, and Milton departs Florida near Cape Canaveral as a cat-1 storm with hurricane winds extending 35 miles from center.

Tampa Bay narrowly avoided a direct hit as Milton made landfall 70 miles south. Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, at 8:30 pm Wednesday as a Category 3 storm. At landfall, the storm was producing maximum sustained winds of 120 mph while moving toward the northeast at 15 mph.

As the sun rise Hurricane Milton leaves a wake of tremendous damage behind him across the entire state.   Assessments are now being made.

At 500 AM EDT (0900 UTC), the center of Hurricane Milton was located near latitude 28.5 North, longitude 80.5 West. Milton is moving toward the northeast near 18 mph (30 km/h) and this general motion is expected to continue today, followed by a turn toward the east tonight. On the forecast track, the center of Milton will move away from Florida and to the north of the Bahamas today.

Maximum sustained winds are near 85 mph (140 km/h) with higher gusts. Gradual weakening is expected, but Milton is forecast to become a powerful extratropical low tonight. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles (335 km). (more)

If you are in the area let us know how you are doing.

Tampa10 Livestream Below:

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Hurricane Milton is traveling at a forward speed around 17 mph. With winds near 120 mph the eye of the storm is roughly 70 miles wide (35 miles from center). The storm is wavering in strength but should be anticipated to maintain this intensity as it makes landfall tonight.

The National Hurricane Center is forecasting just south of the Tampa Bay area as the most likely location for landfall. A few miles in any direction can make a big difference with this track. The greatest storm surge potential is south of the eyewall, extending well below the impact zone. Those who encounter the eye will likely be in strong hurricane force winds for 3 hours.

At 500 PM EDT (2100 UTC), the center of Hurricane Milton was located near latitude 26.9 North, longitude 83.4 West. Milton is moving toward the northeast near 17 mph (28 km/h), and this motion is expected to continue through tonight. A turn toward the east-northeast is expected on Thursday, followed by a turn toward the east on Friday.

On the forecast track, the center of Milton will make landfall near or just south of the Tampa Bay region this evening, move across the central part of the Florida peninsula overnight, and emerge off the east coast of Florida on Thursday.

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gives an update on state preparations for Hurricane Milton.  There is a strong state emphasis on fuel supplies and alternatives from Port of Tampa to ensure fuel is available.  This is a very prudent approach.

Emergency debris cleanup operations were able to remove approximately 50% of all roadside debris from hurricane Helene.  To give you an idea of scale, during each hurricane landfall event the average of debris created equals 7 years of cumulative debris.  Meaning, each hurricane creates 7 years of debris in the impact zone.  Getting that moved out quickly is a monumental task.  FEMA reimburses the municipal region for the first 10 days debris removal post storm; this reimbursement window provides the county with motivation to get it done fast.

34 search and rescue teams from around the country have joined in staging areas alongside Florida groups.  There are expected to be 50,000 linemen in place for electrical grid restoration; this is the largest grid recovery mobilization in history.  500 state police from outside Florida have arrived to help in law enforcement post storm.  I am critical of DeSantis and his always political crew around him; however, when it comes to emergency leadership Governor Ron DeSantis does a great job. WATCH:

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We will continue to monitor election events as well as national news events that are pertinent and continue posting articles.

I am also going to provide a link to livestreams below.  Clockwise from top left.  (1) Tampa Bay – rotating cam.  (2) Key West – the southernmost point closest to current storm. (3) Matlacha Bridge between Cape Coral and Pine Island. (4) Central Cape Coral amid one of the many canals.

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By now I am assuming many people on the West and Southwest coast of Florida are either evacuated or staying put.  With approximately 12 hours before deteriorating conditions arrive, I have been asked for some last-minute advice.  [Full Prep Here]

Here’s the key part. Do not allow your mind to listen to the dark imaginings that create fear, stress and panic.  Stay busy, do stuff, you will find that taking an action-oriented approach will calm your mind.  Don’t just sit around and think about dark thoughts.

Yes, it is still possible to do some preparations – here is a quick recap of what you can look at in the final 12 hours of you are planning to hunker down.  Keep occupied.

♦ Change the voicemail message on your cell phone to let people know your plans. EXAMPLE:  “Hey, you’ve reached Sam, I’m ok and currently preparing for Hurricane Milton. Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you when possible.”  …..  After the storm, in an effort to reassure family, and in a method to preserve battery life on your phone, change the message again.  “Hey, you’ve reached Sam, I AM OKAY after the hurricane, and I am safe. If you leave a message, my reply may be delayed.”   This is one simple way to communicate to your friends and family, so they know you are okay.

Communication is important. Select a single point of contact for communication from you that all others can then contact for updates if needed. You can see the importance of this communication plan, from the recent results of the emergency in Western North Carolina. Tell your family who your primary contact person is, then tell that contact person your exact plans. That contact person then becomes the information hub for you that relays information to your family and friends.

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UPDATE:  My apologies for the prior update, too little sleep. Hurricane Milton 8:00am advisory. All interests in the Tampa area and South to Fort Myers/Naples should pay attention.

Today is the final day for any storm preparation. Conditions will deteriorate tonight as Milton approaches land. The exact location of impact is not yet defined. It looks like Sarasota Bradenton is in the bullseye. Information from the National Hurricane Center puts the predicted path at/near Tampa. Trust me, on this one a few miles will make all the difference.

At 800 AM EDT (1200 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Milton was located near latitude 25.0 North, longitude 84.8 West. Milton is moving toward the northeast near 16 mph (26 km/h). A northeastward motion is expected through tonight. A turn toward the east-northeast and east is expected on Thursday and Friday.

On the forecast track, the center of Milton will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico today, make landfall along the west-central coast of Florida late tonight or early Thursday morning, and move off the east coast of Florida over the western Atlantic Ocean Thursday afternoon.

Maximum sustained winds are near 155 mph (250 km/h) with higher gusts. Milton is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Milton is expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida tonight.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles (45 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles (205 km). The minimum central pressure based on NOAA and Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter data is 915 mb (27.02 inches). (more)

High tide in Tampa (Hillsborough) is at 6:11am tomorrow Thursday.  Unfortunately, a rising tide overnight can enhance the impact of storm surge. The total of the eyewall is currently 60 miles (30 miles from center). That’s an average buzzsaw in relative terms.  This one is slightly smaller than Ian (’22) in size and but moving faster 16mph. Keep praying for this one to get torn apart by windshear.

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Hurricane Milton’s unpredicted shift/wobble southward closer to Yucatan Peninsula now puts Milton on a more traditional East-NorthEast track as it heads toward the Southwest Florida Coast. [Latest NHC Update Here].

A large evacuation program is underway as people leave the west coastal Florida areas.  However, the exact path of Milton is still unknown. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis holds a press conference to discuss, among other things, the urgent distribution of fuel to assist in keeping fuel flowing to the gas stations on the evacuation routes.

Additionally, debris removal from the areas impacted by Hurricane Helene will continue through today on a 24 hour operation; which will continue until conditions deteriorate and it is no longer safe.  A massive assembly of state resources for search, rescue and recovery operations continue being staged.  Due to the needs in Eastern Tennessee and Western NC, an additional 36,000 linemen and power recovery operations are flowing toward Florida from far west.

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As many of you are aware, my homebase is directly in the path.  I will provide updates as soon as possible and share plans for communication and ongoing CTH site operation (tonight).  We will pre-schedule the daily open threads so that discussion of all important topics can continue uninterrupted.

My message….  Despite the chaos around us in the deep south, for those outside the impact region, we need to keep pushing information for voter registrations (and ballot challenges) ahead of election deadlines and stay focused on the longer-term mission of MAGA 2024.  For those in the impact region – focus on your immediate needs, follow prior advice on planning and preparation, evacuate if needed.  Don’t forget to pause, breathe and PRAY. Love to all y’all. /SD

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