It looks as if this hurricane is heading toward central Florida. Usually when they predict a landfall somewhere along the Florida coast this far in advance as time goes by the estimates move northward until when the storm hits it is further north as in Georgia or South Carolina. But this time the estimates have stayed close to where they were two days ago. I checked Ventusky which shows wind patterns across the Atlantic and there is a strong southwesterly flow across the mid Atlantic that may keep Dorian on a westerly track. I'm still hoping it will veer of to the north and stay away but I am preparing anyway.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

One of the tracks for Dorian lines up with an island called East Grand Bahama, which if one looks due West points at or near to Mar a Lago, will the two come together? Who knows.

I hope people get out of there fast.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

If Dorian comes in your direction you can blame https://twitter.com/AKimCampbell/status/1167457272814948353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Kim Campbell, Canada's 19th Prime Minister and Founding Principal

The OP said

Well, we will see if Mrs. Post’s design can stand up to the assault! I know Palm Beach well and am sorry if it gets a big hit. I wish I cd believe that it wd shake up Trump’s climate change denial! Only today his admin has removed regs to limit methane- a worse GHG than CO2! https://t.co/zwkv87Exec
— Kim Campbell (@AKimCampbell) August 30, 2019

before it was deleted.

Upgraded to Category 4.
Looks like a good chunk of Florida is going to get the stuffing knocked out of it, and the parts that don't get the wind look like they can expect to drown under the rain that is being forecast. At least it's moving along at a reasonable speed, all they'd need is for it to slow down as it reaches the coast to make things even worse.

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Grant
Darwin NT

As I live approximately 50 miles inland due west from New Smyrna beach and am on high ground, my chief concerns are the high winds and probable loss of electric power. My chair that I get around in exclusively needs to be recharged at least once a day from a charger that plugs into house current. I plan to seek out a charger cable that will allow the chair to charge from my automobile if such a cable exists. I have a gas range so I will be able to cook if the power goes out.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

I assume you are talking "high ground" in Florida terms not Himalayan terms...

I hope you keep your feet dry and manage to keep your chair charges.

(Just a thought, and this is probably not possible this time around, have you considered a standby gas-powered generator to keep you going through the storms?)

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Rob, I would very much like to have an emergency generator at my disposal, but, having just spent most of what was left of my life savings on a van that I needed and use most every day there is nothing left in the till to spend on a device that I might use once every ten years or so, The cheapest generators I could find were in the neighborhood of $800 to $1,000 and add to that the difficulty of me having to add fuel every few hours I have never considered having one all that practical. Of course the Generac emergency power systems can be set up to run off natural gas which I have a connection to, but they start at around $5,000 and at this point it is a moot issue.. It is possible that the state would assist in the purchase of an emergency power supply since I am disabled and depend on electricity for my mobility. I know that they do so for people who need power for life support but again it is a bit too late to start down that road for this emergency. My lack of preparedness my bite me in the ass this time but I've got nobody to blame but myself.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

Well… You do sort of got a auxiliary power generator. In the near future when possible. Check into getting a power inverter big enough to handle your chair charger.

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OUCH - those prices are eye-watering :-(

I can't blame you for not getting one at that price.

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Well… You do sort of got a auxiliary power generator. In the near future when possible. Check into getting a power inverter big enough to handle your chair charger.

Nice. Just have to put gas in the car to keep the car battery charged.

I'm a bit surprised no one has built a small wind generator for hurricane use. Seems there is an excess of wind with those storms. Just need to make it tough enough to not fly apart. Making it stay put would be the other issue.

Unfortunately solar isn't useful, clouds. But after the storm passes for the few days while the power company puts the lines back it could be vital. I do mean portable panels so they aren't in the storm while it rages.

That would be useful if you also had a battery storage pack to put excess power into.

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Well it's starting to look like my original thoughts on the projected path of the storm are coming to fruition They are predicting now that the storm will make an abrupt turn to the north while still off shore over the bahamas and that the eye will make landfall further north, sorry Georgia and South Carolina. We will get a lot of rain and wind but not the full fury of the storm.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

Current forecast is showing the coast will cop the worst of the wind (and even that may be less than the highest strength winds), and even then it won't extend very far inland. And the rain forecast is even better; most of that will fall over the ocean, only a few inches is expected over land.
Only issue at the moment is the storm has slowed down, so that areas that do get hit will have to take it for a while.

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Grant
Darwin NT

Well… You do sort of got a auxiliary power generator. In the near future when possible. Check into getting a power inverter big enough to handle your chair charger.

Nice. Just have to put gas in the car to keep the car battery charged.

I'm a bit surprised no one has built a small wind generator for hurricane use. Seems there is an excess of wind with those storms. Just need to make it tough enough to not fly apart. Making it stay put would be the other issue.

Unfortunately solar isn't useful, clouds. But after the storm passes for the few days while the power company puts the lines back it could be vital. I do mean portable panels so they aren't in the storm while it rages.

Solar can make power even with clouds overhead in the daytime, solar photovoltaic panels operate in the same spectrum that humans see in and thanks to the atmosphere light scatters, it's why you can see in shadows here on Earth.

What happens to solar panels on cloudy days?

As with nighttime hours, the efficiency of solar panels decreases on cloudy days since less sunlight can pass through the clouds to reach your solar roofs; however, this does not mean that zero power is being produced – just a lot less. Maximum sunlight is necessary in order to provide optimal performance.

The same applies to areas/properties that have a lot of obstruction from things such as trees and other buildings. The good news is that solar panels work very well in the summer (during those much needed AC days) due to more sunlight availability at extended hours.

https://synergypower.com/what-happens-to-solar-panels-at-night-and-on-cloudy-days/

Wind turbines have a maximum speed at which they shut down to preserve themselves and they have a minimum wind speed before they start up.

The diagram below shows the power output of a turbine against steady wind speeds. The cut-in speed (typically between 6 and 9 mph) is when the blades start rotating and generating power. As wind speeds increase, more electricity is generated until it reaches a limit, known as the rated speed. This is the point that the turbine produces its maximum, or rated power. As the wind speed continues to increase, the power generated by the turbine remains constant until it eventually hits a cut-out speed (varies by turbine) and shuts down to prevent unnecessary strain on the rotor.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Rob, I would very much like to have an emergency generator at my disposal, but, having just spent most of what was left of my life savings on a van that I needed and use most every day there is nothing left in the till to spend on a device that I might use once every ten years or so, The cheapest generators I could find were in the neighborhood of $800 to $1,000 and add to that the difficulty of me having to add fuel every few hours I have never considered having one all that practical. Of course the Generac emergency power systems can be set up to run off natural gas which I have a connection to, but they start at around $5,000 and at this point it is a moot issue.. It is possible that the state would assist in the purchase of an emergency power supply since I am disabled and depend on electricity for my mobility. I know that they do so for people who need power for life support but again it is a bit too late to start down that road for this emergency. My lack of preparedness my bite me in the ass this time but I've got nobody to blame but myself.

Um.. You can get a simple "generator" for under $200. Mostly they are 2 stroke but not all.
I do "NOT" recommend these "cheap ones" to run electronics but to charge batteries and run "induction motors" it should be good.
NOTE : Charge your Wheel Chair batteries with a "cheap" auto battery charger when using the "cheap" generator and disconnect them from the "Chair" and it's electronics just to be safe. Charge the batteries disconnected from the chair!

Here is a Walmart link
https://www.walmart.com/ip/WEN-4-Stroke-98cc-1600-Watt-Portable-Generator-CARB-Compliant/673877431?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227243426460&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=289726397405&wl4=pla-495859293292&wl5=9032298&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=673877431&veh=sem&gclid=CjwKCAjwtajrBRBVEiwA8w2Q8PV5voKXoDqAMqTC_27Z_xUa3oAiuIB030F29HRwnt_0mekd3drTpxoC_TAQAvD_BwE

I bought a 2 stroke for $119 from ebay and it really worked hard when I needed it to right up to the time it took a crap. So spend more then $119 on a 2 stroke from ebay. Not that I wouldn't get another one :)

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ᴡᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴇsᴀʏ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀsᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ɪs ғɪɴɪᴛᴇ ʏᴇᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ ɪs.

Here is a Walmart link
1600-Watt-Portable-Generator

Unfortunately with a lot of generators, like that Walmart unit, their model number is often their peak rating, not their continuous rating (I noticed one listing for a 4750W unit that can supply 3800W continuously) . And the continuous ratings can best be described as "optimistic" on the cheaper units.
That cheap 1600W (1400W continuous) generator would probably be ok for 1000W continuous. Much over that, you'd want to have a fire extinguisher handy.

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Grant
Darwin NT

Oh for sure.. Cheap is as Cheap does.
However for charging batteries and running things like a swamp cooler they are basically good.

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ᴡᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴇsᴀʏ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀsᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ɪs ғɪɴɪᴛᴇ ʏᴇᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ ɪs.

I hire generators fairly regularly to drive the PA I hire out when "planted in the middle of a field".
Most of the really cheap ones are best described as "poor performers", in that they require an undefined load to stabilize them, have a very poor response to changing loads, the wave-form is "not exactly sinusoidal". One of the local hire places has allowed me set up my PA in their yard and run through their stock of generators to "cull the duds" - now when I go in to get one they have been known to swap a known one back from another hire so I get a "good one". Indeed such is the relationship they've booked me for a couple of days in November to go through the new generators they are getting in (and then do the sound for their "new building bash" - for which they are paying me top dollar - and I gave them a sensible discount in payment for their troubles over the years).
In Bob's situation I would guess he doesn't want the bother of having to buy 2-stroke fuel (or mix it himself), needs a generator that starts at the push of a button, not the pull of a string, and probably doesn't need the generator for more than a few days a year thus doesn't want to pay top-dollar. While solar and/or wind plus battery sounds a "good idea" both depend on having a property suitable for their installation, and Bob may not be in a suitable building (many shared occupancy places will not allow such installations).

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Thanks for all of the ideas. A power inverter that runs off my car is high on my list to investigate after the storm has passed. It would be a great mistake for me to buy something while in a panic. I have ordered a charging cable that plugs into a car's cigarette lighter port but this storm will be long gone before it arrives. I am sure that all local stores that sell emergency generators have already sold everything worth buying. So, no matter what, I will have to ride out this storm with what I already have. For a while it looked like the storm would veer off to the north well before hitting Florida, but as of the last advisory it is still moving due west. The longer it holds that track the more likely it will have a strong impact to central Florida. As my situation is complicated being disabled and having a dog that I won't leave in the hands of just anybody it is most likely that I will ride out the storm in my home. It's been here for nearly 50 years without any major damage and I'm counting on it surviving through this event.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

Thanks for all of the ideas. A power inverter that runs off my car is high on my list to investigate after the storm has passed. It would be a great mistake for me to buy something while in a panic. I have ordered a charging cable that plugs into a car's cigarette lighter port but this storm will be long gone before it arrives. I am sure that all local stores that sell emergency generators have already sold everything worth buying. So, no matter what, I will have to ride out this storm with what I already have. For a while it looked like the storm would veer off to the north well before hitting Florida, but as of the last advisory it is still moving due west. The longer it holds that track the more likely it will have a strong impact to central Florida. As my situation is complicated being disabled and having a dog that I won't leave in the hands of just anybody it is most likely that I will ride out the storm in my home. It's been here for nearly 50 years without any major damage and I'm counting on it surviving through this event.

Good luck you will need it. It is now reported as tying the strongest storm on record by wind speed in the North Atlantic, equaling the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. Gusts are reported to 220, or an EF5 tornado. That speed is expected to cause catastrophic damage large buildings like hospitals. It can pick up cars and throw them up to a mile. Once the wind picks up it is too late to change your mind and evacuate. Shelters are ready for people with disabilities and pets. Be safe!