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Hurricane Irma

Vigilante

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I'm glad that it looks like most of our forum friends have made it out okay. God willing, cleanup efforts and rebuilding will not come with too much trouble.



Looking for restaurant recommendations?

We're back in Tampa. Thanks though!
 
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Lessons from Hurricane Irma on natural disasters and how they apply to life :

1. Mob mentality kicks in during natural disasters. Tampa looked like War of the Worlds, and necessities became scarce days in advance

2. People are looking for peace in the midst of the storm. A calm methodical opinion, a helping hand, free shit. You be the one giving it to them instead on the one taking it.

3. People are looking for a plan. Give them one.

4. The people that were the best prepared were the people that were prepared when there was nothing to prepare for.

5. There's no room for opportunists in the midst of crisis

6. There is no black/white, atheist/Christian, yankee/redneck in a crisis. We're all just people. Eventually, this unity will yield back to partisanship and divide. But for today, it's the world I wish we could keep.

7. The better prepared you are on the front side, the more prepared you are on the back side to help your fellow man when the storm passes

8. Life can be found in how you respond to adversity, and how you can positively impact people's lives in their darkest hours

9. Stuff doesn't go back to normal right after the storm passes. People still have no power, the grocery stores are still closed, and the gas stations still have no gas.

10. Cash is king, especially when there is no power.

11. Faith, friends and family are all that matters when faced with the loss of all else.

12. Physical possessions can all go away. I was sitting with a guy that was told to not come home because there was no home to come home to. Let shit go. It's just stuff.

13. You will take for granted other people's "storms" until and unless you have been through the "storm" yourself. This applies to hurricanes, but moreso it applies to life.

14. The sun comes up again the day after for anyone who was able to ride it out. Wait for the sun to come up again.
 

jpanarra

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5. There's no room for opportunists in the midst of crisis
6. There is no black/white, atheist/Christian, yankee/redneck in a crisis. We're all just people. Eventually, this unity will yield back to partisanship and divide. But for today, it's the world I wish we could keep.

As an indirect victim of Sandy, So much this..

There was several opportunities that popped up during the infrastructure rebuild for side-walker workers to do repairs and made loads of money just for them to piss it all away again within 5 years. Just an observation, i agree with your notion that there is no opportunities during a crisis like the marriott ship that turned away people because they didnt have a reservation, however, after a crisis there will be tons of problems that needs to be solved and they will be filled by someone.
 

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As an indirect victim of Sandy, So much this..

There was several opportunities that popped up during the infrastructure rebuild for side-walker workers to do repairs and made loads of money just for them to piss it all away again within 5 years. Just an observation, i agree with your notion that there is no opportunities during a crisis like the marriott ship that turned away people because they didnt have a reservation, however, after a crisis there will be tons of problems that needs to be solved and they will be filled by someone.

For better clarity, what I meant is that the community soundly and collectively repudiates people who blatantly attempt to take advantage of people during a crisis. This is one area where @Kak and I likely disagree, as we're both hard core capitalists. However, it remains my opinion that anyone who uses supply and demand to F*ck other people during crisis should be tarred and feathered. They have a RIGHT to screw people, but the community also has a right to repudiate, expose, and marginalize them.

I WAY dig people more who are handing out free water than I do the jackasses that are charging $40 for a case because they can.

There's money to be made, but with integrity and value... not praying on Maslow's fear to fleece people in a moment of legitimate need.
 
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MJ DeMarco

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that are charging $40 for a case because they can.

We all value money. Question is, do we value it more than our humanity? For some people, money is #1. We've seen it on this forum, bro-marketing, price gouging, etc.

Side question...

Has living through this hurricane changed your opinion on Florida? Tampa? Any place with hurricanes? After watching footage of apocalypse like behavior at the stores, traffic during the evac, I'm reaffirmed in my happiness to be stuck in the desert with the "dry heat."
 

Vigilante

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We all value money. Question is, do we value it more than our humanity? For some people, money is #1. We've seen it on this forum, bro-marketing, price gouging, etc.

Side question...

Has living through this hurricane changed your opinion on Florida? Tampa? Any place with hurricanes? After watching footage of apocalypse like behavior at the stores, traffic during the evac, I'm reaffirmed in my happiness to be stuck in the desert with the "dry heat."

I've been in Tampa now somewhere around 750 days. 749 of them have been some of the happiest of my life. 1 day sucked.

I was in MN and snowed in to my house once for 4 days.

I was in Hawaii once under a Typhoon warning.

Arizona gets flash floods, droughts, and dust storms. Rolling blackouts of the power grid. Extreme heat and monsoons.

Choose your poison.

I live where people vacation (so do you, by the way), and will continue to trade the 749:1.
 

scott.legendre

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3. People are looking for a plan. Give them one.

This this this this this this.

Dealing with Harvey over here. During the storm, there was more rescue efforts, trust, and help coming from the Cajun Navy and Texas Navy (volunteers with boats) than there were to the city, federal, and emergency officials. 911 calls were not going through because the lines were too busy while houses were being flooded and waters rising 2 ft+ in their homes. communications through facebook were going out to the boat rescuers. They worked their way from houston to port arthur to orange to wherever the hell the water was going next. Meet the volunteer 'Cajun Navy' saving lives in Houston

HEB, big texas grocery store, has an incredible reputation around here as a grocery chain and for their aid efforts. this explains why. Excellent read on execution.
The inside story of what it took to keep a Texas grocery chain running in the chaos of Hurricane Harvey

In the meantime, redcross is getting absolutely battered for such poor execution and because our own people are providing better help.
 
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Iammelissamoore

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We all value money. Question is, do we value it more than our humanity? For some people, money is #1. We've seen it on this forum, bro-marketing, price gouging, etc.

Side question...

Has living through this hurricane changed your opinion on Florida? Tampa? Any place with hurricanes? After watching footage of apocalypse like behavior at the stores, traffic during the evac, I'm reaffirmed in my happiness to be stuck in the desert with the "dry heat."

I hear you loud and clear on this. Currently, I do reside in the Southern Caribbean, in the history of hurricanes, we have not experienced anything of this capacity; however, it doesn't make us any more special than anywhere else that experiences the effects of natural causes. Currently, I have been looking forward to moving from my country, this decision was solely because of the ability to change my scenery - get out of my comfort zone with the intention of creating more opportunities in getting ahead, in the midst of this hurricane, it has helped concretise my decision to move - preferably somewhere that doesn't have monstrous calamities - don't get me wrong, I know everywhere there are challenges, but as Vigilante mentioned we have choices.

4. The people that were the best prepared were the people that were prepared when there was nothing to prepare for.

6. There is no black/white, atheist/Christian, yankee/redneck in a crisis. We're all just people.

7. The better prepared you are on the front side, the more prepared you are on the back side to help your fellow man when the storm passes.

10. Cash is king, especially when there is no power.

11. Faith, friends and family are all that matters when faced with the loss of all else.

12. Physical possessions can all go away. I was sitting with a guy that was told to not come home because there was no home to come home to. Let shit go. It's just stuff.

13. You will take for granted other people's "storms" until and unless you have been through the "storm" yourself. This applies to hurricanes, but moreso it applies to life.

14. The sun comes up again the day after for anyone who was able to ride it out. Wait for the sun to come up again.

As with everything in life, there's always the opportunity to take away something valuable and I adore ALL your points raised, even for a moment, it's good to pause and see the valuable lessons that we can all learn from, regardless of where we reside or choose to reside.

I'm happy to see all our fellow forum members and their families are safe and sound and though this hurricane passed, we look forward - together - to that sun which comes up, to get ahead in still being our best and using our ability to help others see the best in themselves too.
 

Ivan2BAlive

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Just got back to my house yesterday. Slight damage, I now have a no-screen porch. Other than that, no water damage, no tiles missing from my roof, no window damage and I even have power, praise God. :smile2:

I hope everyone else in Florida (and Texas) receive help, food and safety they need and a safe journey back to their homes.
 
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Aaron T

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Checking in from behind Disney, just near Clermont. Lost power, lots of trees. Lost a window from debris in an external home that apparently I forgot hurricane windows on. Roof lost some tiles. But really incredibly minimal damage compared to many around me. Most of that caused by falling trees onto homes or flooding. Literally just got power back 10 mins ago.

Fortunately it degraded to Cat 1 before the eye wall went over us, but that doesn't minimize by a lot what could happen during a hurricane. Even a tropical storm can cause serious damage and inconvenience due to power loss, flooding, and the occasional tornado in the bands.

My prayers, thoughts, and support to all those affected and certainly less fortunate than I was and my family has been.

Very happy to see so many of my friends and those I follow here and back online. I hope everyone else is safe as well.
 
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Kak

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They have a RIGHT to screw people, but the community also has a right to repudiate, expose, and marginalize them.

Totally agree, rights all around. ;)

I might argue no one who takes part in a capitalist exchange got "screwed". They valued what they purchased more than their money.

I'm not arguing in favor of these dickheads going around buying up supplies and holding them hostage. What I would say however is that skills like building and demolition do become a lot more valuable in a shortage of this type of labor. Just like certain supplies.

Read the book One Second After... it highlights the US after a potential EMP. Money basically becomes useless and selling things at the same price to your customers even though you might never replenish your supply is just stupidity. It becomes a trade based economy. The new currency is still value to others, but your net worth is your knowledge and supplies.

This is why someone who wants to haul cases of water from 3 states away and charge accordingly is actually helping the situation not hurting it. What he might not account for is competing with churches giving them away for free.

So yeah people holding things hostage from victims are cunts. But so is the attorney general of Texas for getting all the South Park characters of Houston panties in a wad over $2.29 gasoline "price gouging". Price gouging laws, not hurricanes, are what empty the shelves and create shortages in the first place.
 
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Get Right

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One of the few nice things about a hurricane - you get to actually know your neighbors. Lend an ear, hand or whatever you have in abundance. If you need an ear or hand, shoot me a PM.
 

jpanarra

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Read the book One Second After... it highlights the US after a potential EMP. Money basically becomes useless and selling things at the same price to your customers even though you might never replenish your supply is just stupidity. It becomes a trade based economy. The new currency is still value to others, but your net worth is your knowledge and supplies.


Read that book a few years ago.. That was one fantastic book and might need a re-read sometime soon.
 
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SquatchMan

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House hasn't had power for 48 hours.

We evacuated to my dad's office during the hurricane, drank beer, and watched the wind show from the windows (dumb) while working on business and are sleeping here because of the A/C...

because we can.
 

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Read the book One Second After... it highlights the US after a potential EMP. Money basically becomes useless and selling things at the same price to your customers even though you might never replenish your supply is just stupidity. It becomes a trade based economy. The new currency is still value to others, but your net worth is your knowledge and supplies.

EMP. The real danger of a North Korean nuke that no one talks about. Detonate that over the U.S. in the atmosphere... lights out.

Sounds like an interesting read, will check out.
 

Mattie

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I haven't heard anything yet from my friend. I did see on Periscope though Naples has a lot of trees down, but the NBC guy went down several streets and showed the surge was only like two feet, most things look dry, and a lot of trees down. A lot of damage in a mobile home park, power lines down in some streets making it a hazard to walk around, and some houses hit, but no deaths were reported at the time in Naples. I will probably have to wait until the power comes on to hear anything. He mentioned his Verizon phone he was using to capture visuals, wasn't very good reception and stated other companies weren't working at all, so I'll just have to believe he's fine, just hot from the heat. Hope he had enough water, but I'm sure he does.
 

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EMP. The real danger of a North Korean nuke that no one talks about. Detonate that over the U.S. in the atmosphere... lights out.

Sounds like an interesting read, will check out.
Better hurry and read...
These days the North Koreans are doing provocative missile tests (one flew over Japan) and the US forces are doing anti-ballistic missile drills.

On the North Koreans, it seems they are trying to piss off everyone. Their ambassador even got kicked out of my country for some slandarous statements....although we aren't hostile folks generally lol.
 
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Mattie

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I heard from Jordan last night around 8 P.M. Eastern Time. I am glad to hear he is doing well, healthy, and no damage to his home. He stated, that the neighbors roof came off, but him and his family untouched. He's still out of power and went and bought a Verizon prepaid phone to contact me, since other companies aren't working. Very relieved now! Seems he just has to wait like everyone else for the area to get back in shape and on track. Thanks everyone.
 

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Better hurry and read...
These days the North Koreans are doing provocative missile tests (one flew over Japan) and the US forces are doing anti-ballistic missile drills.

On the North Koreans, it seems they are trying to piss off everyone. Their ambassador even got kicked out of my country for some slandarous statements....although we aren't hostile folks generally lol.

Don't believe everything you see on a TV and hear on a radio. This North Korea nuclear joke is just a distraction.
 

ZF Lee

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Don't believe everything you see on a TV and hear on a radio. This North Korea nuclear joke is just a distraction.
Yes...on the other hand, there are loads of military sanctions on all sides. Their military, more or less their rocket tech might still be stuck in the Cold War age hahaha...

Such is the peril of not having productocracy systems that are encouraged in capitalistic countries....your degree of producing stuff, including weapons just falls flat.

So it might be impossible for them to get the actual tech or materials to boost their research and development, but knowing despotic governments....
 
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I evacuated to New Orleans then began driving back down as it passed. Since 7 am that Monday morning I began working and haven't stopped. I am looking to expand my crew to the Keys and the West Coast. These hurricanes suck but they are good for me as I own a construction company.
 

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Didn't want to start a new thread about this as I think it's been blown out of proportion by the media here and we don't have as many members affected by it but stay safe all other Irish members. We're about to be hit with a Hurricane for first time since 1961 (It's super super rare here). They are calling it the most powerful Hurricane in this area of the world in recorded history. It also turns out that my college city along the coast (Where I am during the week) is directly in the firing line. It's a CAT3 at the moment although it should have weakened very significantly by the time it reaches here. My house is on high ground but still very close to the shore. In my 19 years living here and have never seen a major status red warning for weather so it'll be interesting to say the least.

Hurricane Ophelia rages towards Ireland: Met Eireann warns it could be as bad as Debbie, which killed 15 and broke weather records - Independent.ie
 

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Forget the news and use Mike's Weather Page... powered by Sparks Energy! website for tracking the hurricane. It's a website created by a guy named Mike who follows weather patterns as a hobby. He consolidates all the models and forecasts. The news and their website articles are based on one projection then added with a ton of smoke.
 
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