The dreaded ticking clock is upon us. South Floridians who have been here decades know the drill. Watch the tv all day for days on end waiting for the updates, hoping against hope that something will turn the behemoth barreling towards us slightly away , sparing us the damage of a full blown Hurricane. As it gets closer hopes change from "will it hit" to "hopefully it will weaken" or "hopefully we are on the weak side". We get our waters, and batteries(or those of us that are in the know, check our already procured supplies and flashlights), put up shutters, gas up the car, or generator and get a battery powered radio ready, because surely the power will go out. For how long? Who knows? After Andrew in Homestead Florida where my Dad lived it was six months without power. Why? The lines couldn't be put back up. Why? Because the fucking POLES were GONE. You hope it isn't like that.
You hope it is a 2 or 3 or 4 at the most because high 4's and 5 causes tornados and rips your roof off. No amount of prep can do anything for that.
You hope it near misses and want to punch anyone in the face who laments having to prepare and put up shutters for "nothing". You tell them "be glad it did miss you fucking asshole."
Gone are the "Hurricane Parties" people used to have before Andrew , when most South Floridians had not been alive when the last major storm hit.
People who have gone through major storms and their aftermath, have their game faces on. No joking. This is serious shit coming at us .
So now we wait. The clock ticks and we stay tuned, hoping for those minor changes which could be life or death.
Pray to the Gods you worship Roth Army for Florida to get a near miss or a weak hit so that those of that know can breathe a sigh of relief and let the assholes lament.