Standing by in Panama City for Hurricane Opal

[rgano]

It is 2100 CDT on Monday night, and we have a predicted Cat 3 hurricane coming for us here on Wednesday afternoon. All the spaghetti tracks are in agreement, and there is little hope of escaping to wrath of Michael.

We have been preparing home and boat since yesterday morning and will continue right up to dark tomorrow night.

Our home is pretty low, but it is 14 miles from the Gulf, which gives us a glimmer of hope. However, VERY similar hurricane Opal in 1995 put knee-deep water in here - we bought the place in 2000. Many improvements related to storm readiness have been made since then, and we hope for better results than 1995. The wind predictions here on both NOAA and Windfinder.com indicate the eye will pass over us whereas Opal hit west of here about 60 miles or more a really piled in the water.

The boat normally residing in its 20,000-pound lift cradle would probably live through this, BUT I worry about the Big Top cover over the lift coming apart and wreaking havoc on the boat in the process. So the boat was moved today to a narrow and sheltered canal behind friends' house. It is anchored bow and stern with two 5/8 " lines per side tied to trees or pilings on either side of the canal - I waded ashore. I told my sailboat owning friends its presence there improves my their view.

This morning, before I came up with the idea of going just four miles to my friends' place, I gave very serious consideration to running the boat 123 miles (avg speed 16 MPH) west to Orange Beach to moor alongside my brother's Grand Banks 42 in the canal behind his home. OB was at the time on the very edge of the cone of uncertainty for Michael, but it was obvious that cone was going to narrow down onto us here in PC. I could have gotten there just at dark, and my wife could have been there to bring me back home to continue preparations.

Some of the other considerations going through my mind were:
I was going to be really tired when we got home tonight around ten PM making further preparations doubly hard.
Traffic on I-10 could have been a complicating issue possible being clogged and/or deadly.
A boat breakdown (single engine) would have left me in a really bad situation.
I would have to go through the same delivery process again in a few days to bring the boat home.

If I lived aboard, there is no question I would have left Sunday, headed a lot farther west that my brother's place. Surely on a slower boat, I would have kept right on going up the TennTom and been long gone before Michael struck!

I'll post again after the storm to tell how we fared.

 

[Benthic2]

If you waded ashore, I'm guessing you are in pretty shallow water. Doesn't storm surge also cause water levels to drop sometimes ? Will you be ok if the water drops a foot or two, and the waves build up to a foot or two ?

 

[ghost]

I have relatives in Panama City Beach. Last time was not pretty. I’ll be honest, I’m scared for them.

 

[HopCar]

I think you made the best decision you could. Now secure your home.

One of the things that people do is buy a bunch of bottled water in case the water supply goes out. I grab my biggest ice chest, clean it with bleach, and fill it with water. That gives me about 12 gallons of drinking water. I also seal my bathtub drain with silicone and fill it with water to flush a toilet with.

Good luck.

 

[Shrew]

You might consider plugging drains and toilets. A family friend in SC sandbagged his property, but still got flooded when flood waters backed up into the sewers and flooded his house from the inside through the toilets.

 

[BandB]

I'm not seeing it yet on television but am on other resources that the waves just off the coast are already reaching 10'. Off shore up to 32'.

 

[Steve]

Looks like it may come in a bit East of PC, that might help.
Take care and good luck!

 

[rgano]

If you waded ashore, I'm guessing you are in pretty shallow water. Doesn't storm surge also cause water levels to drop sometimes ? Will you be ok if the water drops a foot or two, and the waves build up to a foot or two ?

Good point, but not a problem. I was wading in water over my shoulders, and boat is 31 inch draft. Unlikely water will go down that far, and if it does, the bottom is soft mud.

 

[rgano]

Looks like it may come in a bit East of PC, that might help.
Take care and good luck!

It can wobble 50 miles either side of us, and you don't know which way until it is far to late. All the wind predictions I see indicate the eye passing over us.

 

[rgano]

You might consider plugging drains and toilets. A family friend in SC sandbagged his property, but still got flooded when flood waters backed up into the sewers and flooded his house from the inside through the toilets.

I am digging around looking for a plug in the sewer line to the septic tank which can be used to insert a vertical vent.

 

[caltexflanc]

Rich, are you really going to stay there and "ride it out"?

If so, why?

 

[OldDan1943]

Remember the hot water heater contains potable water too.

 

[rgano]

Rich, are you really going to stay there and "ride it out"?

If so, why?

While my house is not a safe place to stay since I am expecting water up to the roof, the other side of the bayou is a lot higher, and my friends there even have a safe room. I have previously watched hurricanes do their thing from there. My wife and everything we could move in three days has adjourned to family 35 miles inland.

 

[rgano]

I am digging around looking for a plug in the sewer line to the septic tank which can be used to insert a vertical vent.

Yippee, found the threaded inspection port at the inlet to the septic tank and screwed in my 2.5-inch tall 3-inch PVC tube pressure relief vent. At least we won't have that insult added to the injury of near certain flooding tomorrow evening.

 

[rgano]

I have relatives in Panama City Beach. Last time was not pretty. I’ll be honest, I’m scared for them.

Our two daughters and their families who live ON the beach are GONE, vamoosed to inland relatives of whom there are a bunch Your need to git!

 

[cardude01]

Rich, take care man. I don’t like the looks of this one. I’m in LB Key sending you positive thoughts.

 

[rgano]

I agree this one is dangerous, big time. The poor souls up in the Big Bend are going to have to go many miles to escape the surge. That land is low and flat over there.

 

[HopCar]

Remember the hot water heater contains potable water too.

Thanks OldDan, I tend to forget that. In my case that’s eighty gallons.

 

[BandB]

Looks like it will be CAT 4 by the time we wake tomorrow.

Several thoughts. The shelf makes the surge much greater than we'd see on the East Coast, especially than we'd see in South Florida. A lot more limbs and trees to fall as so many hardwoods and tree lined streets to catch the wind rather than let it blow through like Palms. Expect more flooding in the Carolinas and even with greatly reduced winds, a lot of downed trees as the ground is so soft and won't take a lot to knock some over. Fast moving storm, much the opposite of Florence. Tropical storm expected to reach NC by Thursday evening.

A lot of damage in Cuba, already 2' or so of surge from Sarasota to St. Pete.

 

[BandB]

Our thoughts to all of you as you face the strongest hurricane ever to hit the Panhandle. Please, protect your lives over anything else, including houses, boats or businesses. Life is sacred and irreplaceable.

 

[OldDan1943]

I guess we lucked out with Irma. After all said and done, the company who holds our insurance did not raise its rate.

 

[Donsan]

Wonder how loopers at Joe Wheeler are going to make out now and when they get to the gulf? Carrabelle and Apalachicola might be in pretty bad shape.

 

[healhustler]

Wonder how loopers at Joe Wheeler are going to make out now and when they get to the gulf? Carrabelle and Apalachicola might be in pretty bad shape.

I was thinking that too. The traditional crossings from the Panhandle cities might be considerably stretched. Folks doing the Big Bend route may find the waters to shallow and silted, even for boats like mine.

 

[OldDan1943]

A floating dock seems like a good idea until the storm surge exceeds the height of the piling.

 

[Montenido]

Good luck Rich, and all the other TF boaters down there. Sending you positive thoughts. Stay safe.

Cheers, Bill

 

[BandB]

A floating dock seems like a good idea until the storm surge exceeds the height of the piling.

That's why have very tall pilings, at least 15' above. Now, when you get record hurricanes like this one, still threatens.

 

[OldDan1943]

That's why have very tall pilings, at least 15' above. Now, when you get record hurricanes like this one, still threatens.

I guess that safety issue hinges on when the max storm surge hits and when high tide happens.

 

[BandB]

I guess that safety issue hinges on when the max storm surge hits and when high tide happens.

All changing as seas rise and temperatures of the water rises. It's an entirely new picture.

I'm still shocked at some marinas being built with pilings too short. Making them taller is a minor cost compared to all the other costs of construction.

 

[BIG CAT]

last update has it at 150 and still strengthening. it still has 50 miles left before land fall.

 

[BandB]

last update has it at 150 and still strengthening. it still has 50 miles left before land fall.

Surge already 6' in Apalachicola. Love that place. Hate to see this for them. Hate it for everyone.