Update 3:30pm: We are doing okay so far. We’ve had light to moderate rain off-and-on all day; a total of 3 inches so far. I expect we’ll get 6-10 more inches by Monday afternoon. There have been no winds, storms or tornadoes yet. All the severe weather has been along the east coast from Miami all the way north to Daytona. Hurricane Irma made an initial landfall between Key West and Big Pine at 9:10am. The second landfall took place at 3:15pm on Marco Island and then north to Naples within the next two hours. The extended forecast in my area has the peak winds between 2 and 6am with 84mph gusts. Still have power, but expect to lose that sometime overnight. Don’t have a smartphone, do have a laptop, but the battery only lasts for an hour or so. Will update this post later this evening.
As I write this Sunday morning, the eye-wall of Category 4 Hurricane Irma is closing in with 130mph maximum sustained winds just east of Key West, moving northwest towards the Gulf of Mexico. We live in north-central Florida and will get the worst of the winds and rain beginning around 6pm tonight, until 4pm Monday.
The winds will likely have gusts between 75-90mph, but the sustained winds will depend on how close the center of Irma gets. The forecast from 48 hours ago, had the eye moving very close to our location. This morning, that track has gradually shifted over 60 miles west. Many people who evacuated from the Miami area, wound up in Tampa. They are now bracing for the possibility of a direct landfall.
I will likely lose power later on today or tomorrow morning, so I have scheduled my posts for the next week starting on Tuesday. I will update this post Sunday and Monday, as long as I have power and our house is safe.
Spank Me Hard! ... Please? 
In No. FL here as well. Take care!
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Thank you, you as well. Going to be sheltering in place.
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Stay safe. The thoughts of Australia are with our sisters and brothers in America. 🙂
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Thanks. I know Australia has their share of tropical storms too.
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It gets a bit blowy up north from time to time. Good luck to you and yours.
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You know precisely how I feel about this dreadful hurricane, and you. I will not reiterate all I have said about it here, but I beg you to stay safe. Every single reader you have will want to know that you have come out of this safely. Especially me.
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It can also be worse. We will be safe. I will keep you updated as I can.
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I know you will.
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Please stay safe and take care! I’ll be watching for updates.
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Thank you. I just added an update and reposted on this post.
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Good luck, be careful.
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Thank you, just did on update and reposted this post. Doing good so far.
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Hang in…
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