Hi,

Hurricane Irma, the cat5 storm, is heading towards Florida.
Some predictions say 25 miles of land will be under water what will include my area.

One house is close to the water but the driveway is going ~15 feet up to the house and has a three car garage. I heard from neighbors that there was, so far, no problems with flooding in the past.
In the end, the location is evacuation zone B. (Zone A is an island on our coast)

The other house with two car garage is Zone D with being located around 10 miles to the Gulf. We haven't had any flooding issues till last week when the street was filled ~5 feet high and half my driveway was half under water. My assumption is that the storm will exceed the water from the flash flood rain last week.

Some websites and friends suggested to park my cars in public park houses on a second or third floor.
I called my Insurance Grundy to ask about coverage since my policy requires overnight parking in garage but the rep on the phone told me only MY garage covers the insurance. If I move my cars to a public garage, I risk to lose coverage. M3 and Aston are insured with Grundy.

I'm not sure what to do at this point, I will probably leave Florida with my family by Thursday. The car of choice is the X5 since it has the most space, weight and range out of our four cars.

Thinking of parking the Audi Q5 in the Zone B house.
Aston and M3 in the Zone D house on Jack stands.

If I stay in FL during the storm, the X5 should be covered too but not sure if the Zone B house makes much sense.

Any suggestions?

 

Tobi

i dont envy you, difficult times

do what you can, move the cars to the highest safe place possible (other house or friends) - same with the house contents

and be ready to call on your insurance if needed - thats why you have it

most importantly keep family safe and over prepare incl leave early so not to get caught in traffic

when Brisbane flooded in 2011 so many people didn't take it seriously or event recognise the potential threat and suffered accordingly

good luck

Graeme

 

My Aston is in my garage in Tequesta. I wish I was there to put it up onto jack stands. But I love the idea of putting your cars up into a parking garage. That sounds like a great idea, except for the prospect of flying debris. I may ask my wife to park it at the airport.

Good Luck!!!

 

I hope this all goes well for you. I think I'd be inclined to let the wife drive the X5 and I'd follow in the Aston to a safer zone.

Good luck.

 

Florida has too few driving escape routes for the potential hundreds of thousands who will want to go. If you are going to leave, do it early.

 

There is good mall parking at the Gardens downtown behind the theater, and also in Legacy place behind the main strip of stores. Closer to you than the airport... which will be packed. Even Cityplace has more room.


I am thinking in the same decision circles of garage at home vs 3rd floor parking deck. Currently leaning to my own garage given history of good drainage... Just hope the storm keeps moving.

 

Parking Garages in a spot that likely will see no wet weather or wind would probably be the best safety wise. Any home is subject to flooding regardless of past history if in the path of the rain amount.

What about somehow scheduling a service at the AM dealer. They it would be on their INS. Or pay them to put on lift during that time. Options that may or may not be even viable. A local garage on a hill might take money to put on a lift. Yes there is liability for them, but they may take that risk.


Worst case, I would start heading NORTH or west to TAMPA and then stay in a HIGH RISE hotel with a high rise parking garage for the 8th thru the 11th. Those days would cover you from what I have seen on tracking the storm. But, I bet traffic will be terrible starting tomorrow likely. Try Tampa Marriott Downtown, I think their parking is high rise, its on Florida Ave I think. There is high building all around so should keep wind to a minimum if the storm moves that way.

 

Gene G I think lives outside of Orlando, might give him a ring and see if he has additional parking available, or see if he knows which Disney or Downtown hotels have 4-7 story parking garages. I would want to be on the 3rd to 4th likely. Yea, 2nd might be just fine and lower in the wind levels a bit, but better safer than sorry, and its not likely a building will topple over, or else all of downtown Miami should be highly worried.

 

worst case, get some flood bags from somewhere? Best of luck, this storm can hit in a ton of different spots, if you are evacuating do it yesterday!!!

 

Irma is gone and everyone of my family and friends is fine!

My personal threshold was 100 mph winds to stay (or leave if my wife wont feel save in FL). My Wife planned a hurricane party and I was working every day pretty late due to Irma perpetrations.

When I saw the storm path changed and should go right through my house as a Category 4 with the Friday 11:30Pm update, I decided to leave.

Packed valuables, scooped son I pajamas and abandoned our home Saturday 1:30AM with the plan to drive as long till I find a Hotel.
Had to stop for a 40 min nap somewhere and get more energy with Red Bull.

My wife called all hotels with a 150 mile radius while driving and we ended up in North Carolina and got the last room in the Marriott.

Our area was very lucky and dodged the bullet.
When Irma came up the coast, the storm shifted right before Sarasota towards inland what saved our area.

I left NC and drove through the outer bands of Irma on the way back to get ahead of millions of Floridians trying to get back. Was scary to be on the road and Florida scenery reminded me of the walking dead.

No gas. Gas stations destroyed or no power. I tried couple gas stations GasBuddy suggested to have gas but no luck.

I filled the tank in GA and my Diesel X5 was able to roll over 500 miles on this tank with a quarter tank left when I arrived home.

However to the point, both houses have no damage, cars are fine only yards looks like a war zone.

 

Zettinger, Happy to hear of the escape adventures of you and your brood. Your survival strategy was sound; then Irma helped with that inland shift.

No damage to your home (homes) or cars, including the ghost white Vantage in your avatar, fantastic!

Tell me, do you think Irma's inland shift also spared Siesta Key? (My winter vacation hide out.)

 

good to hear you are all ok

from what we see on the media here it was an amazing storm with enormous damage

Graeme

 

Good to hear all is good with family and cars. I have friends in Corpus that survived the storm then lost cars in the tornadoes. Thank God no personal injury though.

Regards,

 

Oh boy, it all worked out for you. Out here on the west coast, we were watching in amazement. How everyone helped out. It is nice to see people pull together.
Ron

 

We prayed for no damage to our home or the homes of our children. We had no damage as did three of our children in Jacksonville. Two weeks ago or son Tim in Houston also had no damage to his home. We only lost power for 13 hours and the generator worked like a champ. I felt bad for so many around Jacksonville. Saint Augustine, and Flagler Beach. One of our friends had a foot of water in his home a lost two cars. Hope everyone on the forum came through with out damage.