Posted by  wazzamattau, Tampa Bay, FL on 10/24  at  09:22 AM

Dear Weather Forecaster:
Please stop sending some poor unfortunate intern out into the storm to report while the wind and rain make (most) reasonable people stay inside.  We need information; not watching someone without enough common sense to get in out of the deluge!

Posted by  John M, largo on 10/24  at  05:08 AM

Have been ready all year. Food, water, flash lights with rechargeable batt. meds,first aid kits ect. weather radio, three ham radios and emg ant. generator, transfer sw for main electric, cell phones charged.l ist too long to go on.
Just another day in paradise.
PS also a new keg in the cooler for after wilmas departure lol

Posted by  Cindy, North Port, Florida on 10/24  at  12:25 AM

Could you please talk more about Sarasota county and south.
Tampa is out of the hurricaine area.

Please let the people who need to know.
Thank You

Posted by  Kevin Griggs, Davis Islands on 10/23  at  09:12 PM

We are very prepared. My neighbors have returned from Publix with their hurricane supplies. They have bought:
1 gallon water
1 bottle of wine, red
1 tray sushi
1 pint coffee ice cream
1 bag doritos

Typical south Tampa yuppies!

Posted by  Kelly Gribbles, Sarasota on 10/23  at  03:27 PM

Gribbles in Sarasota here.  We are hunkered down big time!  All windows and doors are borded shut.  Body bags are laid out in garage.  Family has full body armor on (helmets, galoshes, etc).  The hurricane room is prepped and stocked full of tuna and swiss cake rolls.  Power will be going out any minute.  Roof will blow off any second.  HERE WE GO!!!!!  OOOOHH MYYY IIIIIMMMM GETTTING NERVOUS!!!!  I DONT THINK IM PREPARED FOR THIS!!!!!  All family members have ID glued to their bodies to be easily identified.  OH WILLLLMAAAA JUST TAKE ME NOW!!!!

Posted by  Barbara Scheible, Belleair Beach on 10/23  at  02:20 PM

Hi, we have just moved down here from NY in June.  I have never been in a hurricane, or a tropical storm.  My husband tells me I’m crazy to worry, but I do.  We have 2 dogs, and our condo is right on the water.  The whole thing is making me a nervous wreck. We have done nothing in preparation, other than having water and flash lights.  What I want to know is when it would be necessary for us to evacuate.  I watch the TV non-stop so I assume I would hear something as long as we don’t lose power.  On a lighter side I don’t know if I can live here year round and go through this every year.  Hoping for the best.

Posted by  TBO.com, Tampa on 10/23  at  11:23 AM

We have added the link for Highlands County in our closings area.

http://tbo.com/hurricane2005/wilma/submitclosings.htm

Thank you for your interest in TBO.com

Posted by  Face, St. Pete on 10/23  at  10:14 AM

In reference to: “When should I board up”
When you should board up is based strictly on how good you are at it. If you have no boarding up materials, I suggest you get them as soon as possible. Right now is not too late. However if you have waited until now, you may have to do the Home Depot shuffle for a few hours or so. Once you have the materials and it has all been fitted to your home, you can sit back and wait. If you just now buy your material and get it all fitted, leave it on to see what happens with the current storm. It takes me about 45 minutes to an hour to do my house. I also have family and friends who are not able and can do each of their houses in less than an hour each. Plywood is the fastest. Corrugated metal types takes a bit longer. Probably 2 to 3 hours per house. Once you have the materials fitted, storage is the key afterwards. With the metal, store it in an easy to get to place. Keep all the fasteners in a place where they can’t get misplaced. CONTINUED BELOW

Posted by  Face, St. Pete on 10/23  at  10:12 AM

CONTINUED FROM ABOVE
Label EVERYTHING! Assign a window the number 1 position and mark the appropriate panel(s) number 1 as well. Then move around your house labeling them in order 2, 3, 4 etc. Store plywood in a totally upright position. Any angle and your sure to end up with warped wood that will not fit next time. I lean all the boards against the garage wall and compress it against the wall as tight as possible. Then I screw a board into the ground so they cant move. At the top I screw 2 tapcons (concrete screws) into the wall and wire the wood to them as well. This way it’s all packed away for next time. If you have time, paint the plywood with a good sealertype paint. This will help to make it last for several years so you don’t have to re-cut every year. It also helps keep water out of the wood. Well, based on my experience from doing 7 houses last year, I have found this to be the best way. I hope this helps those of you who aren’t sure on what to do and how.

Posted by  Shirl Kuz, Sebring, Fl on 10/23  at  08:15 AM

Why are there no updates, closings etc for Highlands County, I don’t have children but heard on the radio that schools will be closed, information should be posted.

Posted by  Kelly Gribbles Neighbor, Sarasota next to Kelly Gribbles on 10/23  at  01:46 AM

Kelly, I don’t think your over reacting. I like how you boarded up the dog house, but one thing I was thinking was maybe you should have taken the dog out first?? I didn’t buy galoshes, I bought rubber overalls and sprayed them with silicone for extra protection from the raw sewage.  I got the 3 pack body bags at the dollar store because I’m very thrifty. I just hope the quality is good because my wife is a little overwieght.

Posted by  ha, Hillsborough on 10/22  at  09:53 PM

why aren’t schools closed yet?  i am not sending my son out in a tropical storm!!

Posted by  Rick, Avon Park, Florida on 10/22  at  06:55 PM

Let’s see… I got a generator (Thanks Florida for holding the taxes earlier this year).  And, because I have a generator, I don’t have to supply myself with toidy flushing water now… So, canned food, frozen food, okay.  New roof (thanks Charlie, Jeanne and Frances)… Lots of candles and a couple flash lights… Got a cheap DVD/TV combo and we’re good with our window air conditioner (Except, it’s turning cool anyway..)

You know, I also have an RV that I gassed up the other day.  Someone from another pump yelled at me “Hey, quit hoarding all the fuel!"… My thoughts?  If you had an RV, it would be full of gas too…

So, are we prepared?  No, not really.  This gets tiring after a while.

Posted by  Ann Story, Dade City, FL on 10/22  at  04:41 PM

Our generator is fueled up and checked out.  We have gasoline for several days without power (and cash on hand if we need more).  We have plenty of food and propane gas for the grill and stoves.  Vehicles have enough gas to get us to Georgia if we have to evacuate—pets will go with us, livestock will stay behind.  We do not expect to have to evacuate but have tentative plans in place if we do, including boarding up windows and securing items that might blow around.

Posted by  a fla native, fla on 10/22  at  09:10 AM

Does anyone remember Galviston, 1900? The un-named storm that devastated that barrier island and killed over 8000 people? (And they had a sea-wall constructed against such a storm.)
Appearantly no one does because most of Fla’s barrier islands are so thickly developed that they are almost on top of each other. (And they have no sea-walls to speak of.)
Mother Nature gave us barrier islands in order to take the brunt of the storm surges, thus protecting the landmass behind them. So when we do get the BIG ONE, guess who’s going to get the brunt of the storm.
I don’t write this out of hate or malice towards our northern transplants but with a hint of commen sense. If you choose to build on a barrier island then you face the fact that you are going to be in the path of devastation. No if, ands or buts.
So if you choose to live on one then don’t expect the taxpayers to bail you out and don’t go crying to FEMA for money to re-build.

Posted by  Jesse, Lakeland on 10/22  at  09:04 AM

I have a feeling this is the storm that will surprise everyone in where she actually makes landfall in Florida. However I don’t anticipate her regaining to much strength once she gets in the Gulf as she’ll be moving to quickly.

I’m not going anywhere...I picked up the trash cans and other loose outdoor items and that’s about it.

Posted by  Naomi, Riverview/Brandon on 10/22  at  08:40 AM

I did stock up on bottled water and read all the info provided by my apartment complex.  I have a radio that uses batteries and I have a lot of batteries.  I have a lot of candles and a lot of matches. I have an excessable flashlight in each room. After last year I remembered I needed to get a full tank of gas, a car charger for my cell phone and a phone that plugs in for my apartment (gosh, cordless phones don’t work when there is no electricity!).  One thing a lot of people who use their atm card all the time don’t remember to do is to actually have cash!  I have a ton of canned meat and vegetables. I bought extra snack foods this time in case I was stuck and have some good books to read in case there is no tv or pc.

Posted by  So, when is a good time to board up?, Tarpon Springs on 10/22  at  03:14 AM

One thing I’d love to know and haven’t been able to find out: when should one board up (if you’re planning on doing that)? With Wilma, it seems prudent to see what happens when she leaves Mexico. But in general, I’ve been hearing a lot of “make your preparations now” advice from the TV newscasters, but have yet to see anyone in northern Pinellas county actually putting up storm shutters. I’d like to go with the general “better safe than sorry” idea, but don’t really want to spend stressful time boarding up too early either. Any thoughts on this?

Posted by  bob, gibsonton on 10/22  at  01:59 AM

i moved here from conn 20 yrs ago after a hurricane of 90mi hit the conn coast we were without power for a week.i did my prep in may at the begining of the season.gassed up the generators,extra canned goods,extra gas.just need to get ice.last year we were without power for a week and we never got hit hard by any of the storms.i was the only one with power and air .this year neighbors got generators.

Posted by  Spaffy Duck, Seminole Heights on 10/22  at  12:40 AM

  WILL SOMEONE PLEASE DEPOSIT A BONUS INTO THE DIRECT DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS OF THE PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES (see comment below from ‘city of tampa’

Posted by  Spaffy Duck, Seminole Heights on 10/22  at  12:36 AM

IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD to evacuate or buy hurricane supplies, here is some advice from someone that has done alot of creative financing… If you bought some things you don’t really need right now - take it back for a refund (you saved the receipts right??).  Then pawn any CD’s and DVD’s.  Take that $$ and buy some gas and go to the stores and buy stuff.  Then if the hurricane doesn’t hit take the stuff back for a refund.  And for a ‘small’ (rather $mall) fee you can get your CD’s out of hock. IF YOU ARE OLD/DISABLED - don’t be afraid to reach out for help, just not to me as I’ll have to pawn my treasured copy of ‘the divine secrets of the ya-ya sisterhood’ to buy a half gallon of gas.

Posted by  Julie, Lakeland on 10/21  at  11:02 PM

I understand it’s better to be safe than sorry however I am seeing a lot of over-reacting going on! SSHHEESSHH..the water shelf at Wal-Mart was looking pretty slim and I live in central Florida..miles from the predicted landfall of this weakening storm. Yes, these storms are unpredictable but let’s not get crazy people. We should be focusing on Mexico and praying for our friends down there.

Posted by  Julie,  on 10/21  at  10:45 PM

Everyone..stay calm. The more you hear about this hurricane, the more it looks as though it will be no big thing once it nears Florida. I live in central Florida and I keep hearing people talking about preparing. I guess it is better to be safe than stranded but I’m sure we’ll be just fine.

Posted by  GILBERTO SCHEID, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 10/21  at  09:13 PM

We have a niece, his husband - at St. Pete - and a grand nephew at Clearwater. We are very worried about what will happen to them. We hope they will be in a safe place during the Wilma passage trough Southwest Florida.

Posted by  Kathy, Lakeland on 10/21  at  08:59 PM

You know...I grew up in Southern Illinois where we know what a good storm is...the sky turns an eerie shade of green and nothing moves, not even the birds...then the lightning strikes, the thunder booms, the winds blow, and we all run to the basement.  I personally love a good storm...although I can’t say that I’ve really seen one down here.  So...bring on Wilma, just leave the destruction behind.