I have nothing but sympathy for people who can’t leave. But as a life-long Gulf Coast resident I have nothing but contempt for people who are have the ability to leave but are acting like this is the biggest surprise ever. If you live in a hurricane zone then you should have a plan in place.

I’m hunkered down in Palm Harbor! Hope you stay safe!

Don’t forget Shane, the other woman in the article, who thinks that staying inside the house she can’t afford to shore up for the storm is somehow going to protect her house from the storm. I get that people have complicated reasons for staying or leaving, and this storm has thrown people for a loop, but no one quoted…

Yeah, Splinter’s Irma post is far better.

I think maybe there was a good post somewhere in there about how prepared the west side of Florida was in dealing with this, but framing it around some random person’s twitter rants misses the mark. I mean, maybe if it was Beyoncé.

People can’t make a fucking decision. I have loads of friends in a city in Florida. I was encouraging people to flee town on MONDAY! Offering to help with skymiles, hotel points, cash whatever I could. But no. Now mind you this is about thirty different households in this city - not just two dumbkoffs. “Well, I’ll…

Uh, what is this? Let’s base an entire article on hurricane Irma on one girl’s twitter rants? Lexi, weathermen use these things called models because it’s impossible to predict where a hurricane will go as it’s traveling hundreds of miles. I was sick yesterday and did nothing but watching MSNBC and CNN. The governor…

People who blame the weatherman/meteorologist really have no clue how “forecasting” works. The variables that effect the path of a storm are numerable - and even now we’re not sure what it’s going to do or how strong it will be as it moves north (and whatever else).

St. Petersburg resident Jeff Beerbohm, 52, told the AP yesterday. “As usual, the weatherman, I don’t know why they’re paid.”

Jesus Pete, the models show what the storm is *likely* to do, they are models. You can’t complain in one breath that the storm could pull a Charley and turn, and in the next breath that no one can predict it. You make the best plans for yourself with the info you have. I detest our governor as much as the next…

Until evacuation orders actually include physically moving people, saying “if you stay, you’re on your own” is not fair. Gas stations had no gas, flights out were canceled. This isn’t Harry Potter—people need to be able to leave to get out.

Wow- a real, live version of the “two boats and a helicopter” joke!

A friend’s parents ignored her urgings to them days ago to pack their car and come stay with her (well out of the hurricane’s path), because everything would be fine, it would probably “only” be a Cat 3 by the time it got to them in Fort Meyers, anyway. Now they’re on FB asking everyone to pray for them and talking…

I am increasingly sure this storm is actually on a trajectory to Jeff.

Because idiots like my father are from the north and have no experience with hurricanes.

Unless the forecasts have changed since this morning, it’s heading right for him. I told him to get out 5 days ago but his wife “is having back surgery Tuesday”.

Uh huh.

My house is where its projected to make landfall. We left yesterday evening after I put the shutters up and shut down electricity. Although I used sandbags on the doors, I doubt flood waters will reach them given all of the manmade retention ponds and canal systems all round the place, connected to Peace River. I…

Port Charlotte area here. Put up my shutters, sandbagged the doors, headed for farm family in Ocala. We’ll see.

This comment drove me nuts. I know people are freaked out, and they say stupid stuff when they’re freaked out, but for fucks sake. You live in Florida. How can you not know that hurricanes can turn on a dime?

For five days, we were told it was going to be on the east coast, and then 24 hours before it hits, we’re now told it’s coming up the west coast,” 52-year-old entrepreneur Jeff Beerbohm told the AP. “As usual, the weatherman, I don’t know why they’re paid.

“For five days, we were told it was going to be on the east coast, and then 24 hours before it hits, we’re now told it’s coming up the west coast,” 52-year-old entrepreneur Jeff Beerbohm told the AP. “As usual, the weatherman, I don’t know why they’re paid.”