beulah
Registered User
Reged: Wed
Posts: 1
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If you live in the Orlando area, is that far enough inland to reduce the more devastating effects of a hurricane?
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Ed Dunham
Former Meteorologist & CFHC Forum Moderator (Ed Passed Away on May 14, 2017)
Reged: Sun
Posts: 2565
Loc: Melbourne, FL
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The short answer is 'no'. I don't think that there is a single location on the Florida peninsula that would be considered as far enough inland to avoid hurricane force winds. On September 11,1960, Hurricane Donna passed over Orlando as a Cat II Hurricane. On August 13, 2004, Hurricane passed over Orlando as a Cat I Hurricane with winds of 80mph gusting to 105mph. In Florida, the first concern is to get away from the immediate coastal areas where the storm is expected to make landfall. The second concern is to pick an inland area for evacuation that is perpendicular to the expected motion of the storm (and hope that the forecast track is accurate).
ED
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Lamar-Plant City
Storm Tracker
Reged: Mon
Posts: 383
Loc: Plant City, Florida
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I will second Ed on this one. My parents thought that eastern Polk County (just north of Lake Wales) was far enough inland that Charlie wouldn't have much left when it got there. In fact that was what the was predicting....that it would be down to 100mph or less by the time it got to them. What they got was the full force of 130-135 mph winds whipping across their lake and into their house. Over $80,000 of rebuilding later, they know they aren't safe in almost the dead center of the state. That said, I wouldn't leave my C/B/S home that is 15 miles east of Tampa (and out of all potential flood zones) as there aren't many places you could get to that would be any safer in a big storm.
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If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes...
2023 Season Prediction: 17/6/2
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SkeetoBite
Master of Maps
Reged: Sun
Posts: 298
Loc: Lakeland, FL
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Charlie, Jeanne and Francis all crossed several miles south of my house in South Lakeland. We went over to Lake Wales to help after Charlie and were absolutely stunned by the damage we saw. Flew out of Orlando a few weeks later and could see blue tarps on roofs as far as the eye could see. Charlie was still a Cat 1 storm when it left the state.
My fear: A Cat 4 or 5 coming into Sarasota or Tampa Bay with a 100 mile wide eye. When the storm is half on shore, I'm in the eye wall already. Bad news. Of course, this is a huge storm, but not unprecedented.
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