First things first, for those writing and texting, I’m fine. I forget that new people don’t know the CERT work we do on the side. I’ve been cleaning, organizing and reloading toolbox containers. You don’t know how much stuff you use, lose and wear out in a year of recovery operations until you need to check inventory. Jumpin ju-ju bones we suck. My tribe is a hot mess, a scruffy mess; and I must have swept 5lbs of sawdust out of the toolbox lol. ~SD
Hurricane Idalia is already being felt on the Southwest coast. Idalia is sucking in energy from a long way, which tells me she’s going to be big, fast. Fortunately, the fast part is good, less time making life miserable. Unfortunately, the fast part is bad, the window for the evacuation decision closes tonight.
ALL PREPARATIONS should be rushed to completion. Overnight tonight we enter hunker down mode (more on that shortly). Get everything done by nightfall tonight.
[Personal non-scientific note. Every time these forecasts have a cone turn to the right; the variance of the forecast accuracy is directly proportional to the eyes distance from the Florida coast when the storm is traveling north. The closer to the coast, the less accurate the prediction… EVERY FRIGGIN TIME (including Charley and Ian).]
[National Hurricane Center] – At 1100 AM EDT (1500 UTC), the center of Hurricane Idalia was located near latitude 24.5 North, longitude 84.8 West. Idalia is moving toward the north near 14 mph (22 km/h). A faster motion toward the north and north-northeast is expected through early Wednesday while Idalia approaches the Gulf coast of Florida. A turn toward the northeast and east-northeast is forecast late Wednesday and Thursday, bringing the center of Idalia near or along the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 85 mph (140 km/h) with higher gusts. Rapid intensification is expected before landfall, and Idalia is forecast to be a major hurricane when it reaches the Gulf coast of Florida Wednesday morning. (read more)
Remember, you are in control right now, not Idalia. She takes control tomorrow. There is no need for panic or dark imaginings. Calm, prudent preparations should be taken if you are in the zone of uncertainty. A lot of change in impact zone can happen quickly with these northerly moving storms. Storm surge is expected to be significant.

“This is no small thing, to restore a republic after it has fallen into corruption. I have studied history for years and I cannot recall it ever happening. It may be that our task is impossible. Yet, if we do not try then how will we know it can’t be done? And if we do not try, it most certainly won’t be done. The Founders’ Republic, and the larger war for western civilization, will be lost.”


