2017 Hurricane Season

[Enough]

OMG.

[Dogstar]

Down to 916 mb. Some of the more recent storm models have it down to under 900 by the time it gets to Florida. This is an unbelievably powerful storm.

[stessier]

Winds in Antigua. Stick with it to the end. (Should be visible to tapatalk as well)

[Isgrimnur]

We've got a put a stop to deforestation!

[LordMortis]

This seems odd to me.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... oded-homes

ut while everything has changed for this family, they are still expected to pay for their abandoned home.

“Our landlords say we have to pay rent and late fees and every day it is going up,” Fuentes said. “We are paying rent for somewhere we can’t live in. They said ‘you aren’t the only ones in this situation’, but what are we supposed to do? We don’t have any money. We don’t have anything.”

One would think the landlords and their insurance would liable for having an unlivable space and therefore collecting rent would be off the table.

[coopasonic]

One would think the landlords and their insurance would liable for having an unlivable space and therefore collecting rent would be off the table.

Hey, they signed a lease.

[Isgrimnur]

Texas Apartment Association PDF on natural disasters.

. Paragraph 26 of the TAA Lease Contract imposes a duty on the rental property owner to "act with customary diligence to make repairs and reconnections, taking into consideration when casualty insurance proceeds are received." It also states, "Rent will not abate in whole or in part."
...
Under Texas Property Code Section 92, an owner has a duty to remedy a condition if the condition materially affects the physical health or safety of an ordinary resident.
...
The habitability statute requires an owner to make repairs or remedy the condition in a "reasonable time" after the owner has been notified in writing by a resident of the condition. In order for a resident to exercise remedies such as lease termination, statutory civil penalties or "repair and deduct," the resident must notify you in writing of the condition that is in need of repair. The condition must be one that materially affects the resident's health or safety. The notice must be by either a single certified mail notice or two regular mail notices. After that notice is received, you have a "reasonable time to repair" the damage. However, as a practical matter, after a catastrophe, you should not wait until a resident makes a written request to begin undertaking post-catastrophe repairs and clean-up.

Section 92.054 of the Texas Property Code says that if the condition materially affecting an ordinary resident's health or safety results from a casualty loss such as a flood, the "reasonable time period for repair" begins when the owner receives the insurance proceeds, assuming of course that the owner has flood insurance. However, common sense would indicate that you should move as quickly as possible (faster than required by statute) in making damage repairs. You should give first priority to those conditions that affect a resident's health or safety regardless of insurance delays.

Under Section 92.054(b) of the Texas Property Code (see below) if the premises are totally unusable after a catastrophe, the resident can terminate the lease. The owner can also terminate the lease if the premises are totally unusable. "Insurance delay" and "reasonable repair time" are not factors if the premises are totally unusable.
...
Under Section 92.054(c), if the premises are partially unusable (i.e., only part of the premises are usable or the entire dwelling was unusable for a short period of time like a day or two because of high water, etc.), the resident cannot terminate the lease merely because the casualty is causing inconvenience or unsightliness-but the resident is entitled to a proportionate rent deduction unless otherwise agreed in a written lease.

[LordMortis]

"Rent will not abate in whole or in part."

I don't get how that reconciles with

if the premises are partially unusable (i.e., only part of the premises are usable or the entire dwelling was unusable for a short period of time like a day or two because of high water, etc.), the resident cannot terminate the lease merely because the casualty is causing inconvenience or unsightliness-but the resident is entitled to a proportionate rent deduction unless otherwise agreed in a written lease.

Now if they signed a lease where they said they were screwed in the event of natural disaster, I don't know what to tell them.

[xwraith]

Yikes.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

I can't believe they were flying in that!

[Moliere]

[Blackhawk]

"Rent will not abate in whole or in part."

I don't get how that reconciles with

if the premises are partially unusable (i.e., only part of the premises are usable or the entire dwelling was unusable for a short period of time like a day or two because of high water, etc.), the resident cannot terminate the lease merely because the casualty is causing inconvenience or unsightliness-but the resident is entitled to a proportionate rent deduction unless otherwise agreed in a written lease.

Now if they signed a lease where they said they were screwed in the event of natural disaster, I don't know what to tell them.

The first part refers to a situation in which the residence is damaged (IE - broken windows that can be covered.) The second refers to situations in which the residence is uninhabitable (IE - floating past Cancun.)

[Unagi]

So... United Airlines is charging $6,000 for flights out of Florida ?? Is this true? (or is my wife making stuff up again)

[Moliere]

So... United Airlines is charging $6,000 for flights out of Florida ?? Is this true? (or is my wife making stuff up again)

A quick search of their site shows this to be false. I found flights from Miami to AZ and NY for less than $1000.

[Daehawk]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q2CzQclKQc

St. Croix Caravelle Hotel & Casino Live Feed

[Kurth]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q2CzQclKQc

St. Croix Caravelle Hotel & Casino Live Feed

I checked in on this earlier today, and everything looked calm as could be. Just checked in again, and it looks like the wind is starting to pick up. After watching the clip from Antigua, I can't imagine being in the path of this beast. I feel for the people on those islands.

[Vorret]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q2CzQclKQc

St. Croix Caravelle Hotel & Casino Live Feed

Looks normal. Fake news!

[Holman]

The Caribbean island of Barbuda is relatively flat and has a population of about 1,600.

Irma hit it today, and they're saying that 90% of the buildings and vehicles have been destroyed.

[Daehawk]

A guy in Houston saved his home wit ha $8300 Aqua Dam.....filled with water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Cou3Hp3rs

[Enough]

The Caribbean island of Barbuda is relatively flat and has a population of about 1,600.

Irma hit it today, and they're saying that 90% of the buildings and vehicles have been destroyed.

Richard Branson road out the storm on his private island and it looks to have taken it even worse than Barbuda.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

Current projections have Irma heading directly to St. Augustine, FL. Last year Matthew caused widespread flooding (my place and the lab I worked in got 6 inches, but many people I knew had feet of water) and currently Irma is projected to cause a higher storm surge. This is the first time since moving that I'm glad to no longer be in Florida...

[Punisher]

This seems odd to me.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... oded-homes

ut while everything has changed for this family, they are still expected to pay for their abandoned home.

“Our landlords say we have to pay rent and late fees and every day it is going up,” Fuentes said. “We are paying rent for somewhere we can’t live in. They said ‘you aren’t the only ones in this situation’, but what are we supposed to do? We don’t have any money. We don’t have anything.”

One would think the landlords and their insurance would liable for having an unlivable space and therefore collecting rent would be off the table.

I suspect that this is just scumbag landlords trying to get over on people they hope don't know the law....

[Lassr]

My cousin is a nurse in the US Virgin Islands; been waiting to see if she can get any communication out to let us know she is OK. She may be very busy right now though.

[Jaymann]

The Caribbean island of Barbuda is relatively flat and has a population of about 1,600.

Irma hit it today, and they're saying that 90% of the buildings and vehicles have been destroyed.

At least they weren't decimated.

Too soon?

[TheMix]

The Caribbean island of Barbuda is relatively flat and has a population of about 1,600.

Irma hit it today, and they're saying that 90% of the buildings and vehicles have been destroyed.

At least they weren't decimated.

Too soon?

I chuckled. Quietly, but still chuckled.

Not at the plight of the islanders, but at the poke at me.

[TheMix]

A guy in Houston saved his home wit ha $8300 Aqua Dam.....filled with water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Cou3Hp3rs

Not Houston. And not current. I remember that video. Possibly from Katrina's flooding? Someone in the comments also pointed that out. Not sure who Aska Newz is, but that is definitely recycled. And I doubt that they got permission.

[YellowKing]

Got word they will most likely activate the storm team Sunday night here at work (NC). Which means I'll have to go in and stay Sunday night through possibly Tuesday (given the current track). Unfortunately we are required to be on site during the entire window of threat, so that means we have to be in place before the threat of winds appears and can't leave until that threat has passed. At this point I'm not really expecting more than possible Cat 1 gusts (if that), but even a slightly sooner northern turn could throw that optimism out the window.

While spending the night at work isn't high on my list of fun things to do, we basically get extra pay to stand around watching Netflix and playing board games. So I'll survive.

[Captain Caveman]

Irma relative to Andrew (1992), the last Cat 5 to make landfall in the U.S.

link

[Moliere]

Size isn't everything.

[Isgrimnur]

Size isn't everything.

Spoken like an Andrew.

[Captain Caveman]

Size isn't everything.

Unfortunately Irma also has more motion in the ocean.

[msteelers]

Got word they will most likely activate the storm team Sunday night here at work (NC). Which means I'll have to go in and stay Sunday night through possibly Tuesday (given the current track). Unfortunately we are required to be on site during the entire window of threat, so that means we have to be in place before the threat of winds appears and can't leave until that threat has passed. At this point I'm not really expecting more than possible Cat 1 gusts (if that), but even a slightly sooner northern turn could throw that optimism out the window.

While spending the night at work isn't high on my list of fun things to do, we basically get extra pay to stand around watching Netflix and playing board games. So I'll survive.

We are a little northeast of Lake Okeechobee. The last NHC forecast has the eye of this thing going right through my neighborhood as a Cat 4 Hurricane. The last European model is slightly better for us, because it has the eye going to the west of Lake Okeechobee. Still hurricane force winds at my house, but nothing like a Cat 4.

I wouldn't be too concerned, except I have to cover the storm for work, which means I'm spending the entire storm at the Emergency Operations Center with my wife home alone with our two pets. I tried to send her away, but she refuses.

Edit: 5pm NHC update shifted the track to the west a little, going right up the middle of Lake Okeechobee. Every little bit helps.

[dbt1949]

They are having all sorts of drive to raise money to help the hurricane victims.
What do they actually spend the money on?
Bottles of water? McDonalds hamburgers? Do they walk around handing out $100 dollar bills? Concert tickets?
Or do they spend it on things they may think people want like a new park or something? Or do they give it to the cities to spend on whatever they want?

[pr0ner]

Got word they will most likely activate the storm team Sunday night here at work (NC). Which means I'll have to go in and stay Sunday night through possibly Tuesday (given the current track). Unfortunately we are required to be on site during the entire window of threat, so that means we have to be in place before the threat of winds appears and can't leave until that threat has passed. At this point I'm not really expecting more than possible Cat 1 gusts (if that), but even a slightly sooner northern turn could throw that optimism out the window.

While spending the night at work isn't high on my list of fun things to do, we basically get extra pay to stand around watching Netflix and playing board games. So I'll survive.

We are a little northeast of Lake Okeechobee. The last NHC forecast has the eye of this thing going right through my neighborhood as a Cat 4 Hurricane. The last European model is slightly better for us, because it has the eye going to the west of Lake Okeechobee. Still hurricane force winds at my house, but nothing like a Cat 4.

I wouldn't be too concerned, except I have to cover the storm for work, which means I'm spending the entire storm at the Emergency Operations Center with my wife home alone with our two pets. I tried to send her away, but she refuses.

Edit: 5pm NHC update shifted the track to the west a little, going right up the middle of Lake Okeechobee. Every little bit helps.

You would rather have the eye go EAST of you, not west. The NE quadrant of the eye is traditionally the strongest part of the storm.

[Isgrimnur]

My folks are leaving tomorrow from Panama City and headed into Alabama.

[Unagi]

(cross post in Global Warming thread...)

[msteelers]

You would rather have the eye go EAST of you, not west. The NE quadrant of the eye is traditionally the strongest part of the storm.

Yes, that would be best. But I'll take being in the north east quadrant if it means being 30-40 miles away from the eye wall.

[Pyperkub]

Please note that the European modelwas far more accurate than the US/NOAA model in predicting Harvey's path:

[Holman]

The popular tourist destination of St. Martin is reported to be 95% destroyed.

[Unagi]

So... Not a 'Gulf Coast' or an "Atlantic Shore" thing.... but a Straight Up Florida thing...


(* added: and a No More St. Martin)