2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season Running Thread

Yeppers. Both wind and storm surge. All the barrier islands, Bradenton, Sarasota, North Port, Port Charlotte, Sanibel again...

A lot of people need the landfall to be 30 miles south of what's forecast now.

 

This is kind of a non-sequitur but my only connection to Florida is to a Keys-based squad of goofy golden retrievers on social media. It kind of seems like for an area that vulnerable, the Keys manage to dodge these a lot.

 

Cantore already reporting from Tampa.

 

Our RV park is on the northeast corner of the Terra Ceia Preserve. Or directly under that black line with the big M. I don't know when the park manager is even going to be allowed back in to take pictures for the insurance company. Gwen just remembered our Christmas ornaments are in the storage hold. Until Thursday morning, at least.

Again, I'm much more worried for the people in the way of this monster than I am in the property. Palmetto and Bradenton may cease to exist. Anna Maria Island may get cut in two. But you know, the NHC could at least not drop the hammer on us.

 

HA! And now the Ford dealership called and said the car needs a new engine at $7,000. When it rains, it pours!

EDIT: The "check engine" light came on last week. So called the dealership and we couldn't even get it to start yesterday morning. Technician called and said they test drove it, brought it back and started pulling spark plugs. Found coolant in the third cylinder. Ugh.

Plus the battery and brake job, they're looking at 75 percent of the car's current $12,000 value. Their trade-in offer is $1,500, which means they don't want to fix it either.

 

Ugh. Lovely. Sorry to hear it, mate.

 

This made me chuckle in Geek.

 

Remind me, are you in Florida now or still up in the Georgia hills?

 

Leave it behind, hope it gets swept away and then get the insurance claim for a totaled car.

 

Up in the mountains right now. So I called USAA and chatted with their title people and loan people. Their suggestion was to declare the vehicle salvage, take whatever the dealer offers as a trade-in and roll over the loan.

 

HA! I actually thought about asking the dealer to jumpstart it and let me roll it down the embankment behind the building. Then call USAA and report an accident claim on it.