Hey Tampa/St. Pete...Get In Your Car and Start Driving...

[Guest]

I was watching the TWC, and even here in DC charley is supposed to give us tropical storm force winds. They showed a graphic of the altitude of the Tampa-St.Petes area, and most of the St.Petersburg area will be underwater if the surge is above 10 feet. I was recently in Tampa St.Pete, and it was great. All I can say is that if you live within 10 miles of the coast anywhere from Tampa South, evacuate to the South East and East before its too late. Miami looks like it won't get the storm, so try there.

[Janie34]

Janie 34--For Frederic I was working in an emergency department of a hospital in Meridian. It was a really bad night. I had a lady from Mobile in the ER having an anxiety attack--that wasn't you was it? LOL. My home in Meridian was without power for 7 days. Trees falling in the yard took the power box off the side of the house. We were in the last group to have oower restored.

Which one was it Bev, Riley's or Rush? LOL! No, it wasn't me. I did just about have an anxiety attack late that night when a tornado hopped over our row of houses and landed in the field a few hundred feet away. What a weird night that was. We were living in Gulfport and didn't sustain major damage to the house. Just the odd tree and a few branches. We were lucky.

My grandmother never, ever stayed for any hurricanes. She always headed away.

And yah, I know we're talking about hurricanes gone by and swapping a few stories......but we've been there and we know how much effort, stress, and worry there is, and we know how scary it can be. I know this is a very stressful time for the folks in Florida, and my heart goes out to them. It sure isn't easy by any means.

[Miss Mary]

The problem in Pinalles County is that there are 4 routes via bridges and only one real land route out to the North. On a good day it can be terrible. The bridges may close due to the approaches being very close to the water. Here the best advise is to get to high ground and hunker down. That's exactly what we're doing.

As I've posted elsewhere on the Tropics forum, I've visited Pinalles county many times in the past 10 years, visiting my father-in-law at his condo on the beach. Marshall's right! On a good day, traffic is terrible trying to get to the beaches!!! In fact my husband's entire family is talking about this impending hurricane b/c we'll all been to their dad's condo and know the traffic patterns quite well. I'm always so glad to get off the bridges and either onto the beaches or back towards I-75. I hate the bridges! Good luck to those who are evacuating.

Our Bengals team is going into Tampa, not away from Tampa, from the latest local news I've heard Friday afternoon. Pre-season game on Saturday in Tampa. Now isn't that crazy? Sounds like it to me. They have changed their flight plans, flying into Orlando instead of Tampa and then bussing over to Tampa. But now I read that power is being cut. Where is the football stadium, close to downtown? It's just a frigging pre-season game!!! Can you tell, I'm not a football fan...LOL

Back to being serious. Stay safe everyone.

Mary

[snoopj]

Our Bengals team is going into Tampa, not away from Tampa, from the latest local news I've heard Friday afternoon. Pre-season game tomorrow in Tampa. Now isn't that crazy? Sounds like it to me. They have changed their flight plans, flying into Orlando instead of Tampa and then bussing over to Tampa. But now I read that power is being cut. Where is the football stadium, close to downtown? It's just a frigging pre-season game!!! Can you tell, I'm not a football fan...LOL

Back to being serious. Stay safe everyone.

Mary

Raymond James stadium is just a little N and E of the airport. Between the airport and the actual downtown area.

--snoopj

[therock1811]

Map of Tampa with Raymond James Stadium marked with a star...it is more or less in the downtown...

[mf_dolphin]

Raymond James stadium is about 4 miles from downtown. On the map jeremy posted the downtown area is south of where the interstates join.

[Sean in New Orleans]

Well, I have a question that I'm kinda perplexed about. I saw the traffic leaving Tampa/St. Pete on the news and it is bad and is very backed up. And I also saw one side of the interstate with just a handful of cars traveling INTO Tampa/St. Pete, as well. Why don't they open both sides of the interstate for exiting traffic? We have a plan in New Orleans in place for hurricanes and it states that I-10 to I-55 heading West has both sides heading OUT of the City and I-59 has all traffic heading OUT of the City all the way to Hattiesburg, MS. We have an agreement with Mississippi in place to handle the 2.1+ million people that live in SE Lousiana South of Lake Pontchartrain needing to exit the area when a Category 3 or higher hurricane threatens. It seems like Florida could handle both sides of the interstate going out of town--especially when it doesn't have to make complicated plans with another state as Louisiana had to do with Mississippi.

[Miss Mary]

Thanks Marshall and Jeremy for the location of the stadium.

Sean - I've also wondered the same thing for many areas around the country - Outer Banks, barrier islands, etc. Just this morning Jim Cantore said on air that all lanes to Sanibel would be going out to the mainland, with no one allowed in. I've never been there but I'm guessing that would be 4 out instead of 2 maybe? Then just 15 minutes or so later, he corrected that info. One lane that was going to be changed to accomodate evacuations, would still be open TO the island, for emergency purposes.

Maybe someone will see this if I respond and bump it up. Hope you get a good answer.

Mary

[mf_dolphin]

I wish I had an answer but i don't. The bridges are the choke point and yet they're in normal traffic mode.

[Stormsfury]

I wish I had an answer but i don't. The bridges are the choke point and yet they're in normal traffic mode.

Oh man ... I remember many years ago vacationing in Tampa-St. Petersburg that 3-4 mile long bridge that connects the two cities through Tampa Bay ... and man, can it get clogged under "normal" volumes of traffic ...

SF

[birdwomn]

They aren't forcing all lanes one way because it is not a barrier island or anything, there could be a justifiable reason for going the opposite direction. Also, the evacuations only became mandatory at 6pm in Pinellas county.

As someone earlier stated, traffic on a normal day can get VERY backed up in this area.

[Sean in New Orleans]

They aren't forcing all lanes one way because it is not a barrier island or anything, there could be a justifiable reason for going the opposite direction. Also, the evacuations only became mandatory at 6pm in Pinellas county.

As someone earlier stated, traffic on a normal day can get VERY backed up in this area.

I understand this, but, a major hurricane is approaching!! New Orleans isn't a barrier island. Maybe they'll open all the lanes going out now that the evacuation has started (after 6)....Stay safe!

[KBBOCA]

Somewhere else someone posted on "best case" scenarios... I TRULY hope and pray the Tampa-St. Pete area is spared the horrific damage and casualities many here are beginning to discuss. I'm praying for a miracle for Charley to fall apart or blow out into the Atlantic...

And yet, clearly the Tampa area NEEDS a wake up call. It's been pretty shocking to read throughout the day of just how unprepared they are (like not making the bridges one way). I hope this can be that wake up call even without serious damage.

It seems SE Florida DID learn from the huge mess of the Floyd evacuation. Now in any evacuation from PB, Broward, etc., I-95 and the Turnpike would be made one-way.

[Guest]

anyone in the peninsula of pinellas county needs to get to the center because its practically too late to get away (traffic). look at this graphic of the altitude: http://gulfsci.usgs.gov/maps/dem/images/dem1.jpg
if you don't live on the yellow or green areas, get to those areas ASAP if you havent evacuated already. The peninsula wil basically be turned into an island.

[mf_dolphin]

The major roads have cleared up a lot in the last few hours. the bridges will close when the sustained winds get above 40MPH.

[Guest]

dolphin are you still on the peninsula or have you evacuated?

[mf_dolphin]

We're moving about 3 miles to the central part for Pinellas first thing in the morning

[opera ghost]

I just saw someone on my live journal list in Pinellas County who is planning on staying through the storm (not in the mandatory evac areas) Is this even REMOTELY safe? I can't imagine anyone at all who would want to stay there if they dind't have to....

[kevin]

Hope everything goes well with you Dolphin. Us folks in Ocala don't bite, and I hear besides the rodent problem Orlando is okay. But nevertheless, here's to the best for you and all!

[mf_dolphin]

My father-in-law had surgery on Tuesday and can't be moved. My mother-in-law won't leave so we're going to stay with her. We're going to be as far from the water as you can get in Pinellas. Thanks for the prayers and good wishes!