This Gulf disturbance......

[GulfTide]

Opal was such a scare for everyone on the Alabama Gulf Coast. Before we left the State Park in Gulf Shores, we could see the waves crashing on the end of the Pier. The waves just smashed the concrete floor at the end of the pier. Because of that storm and others like it, all us Gomers have to pay special attention to anything in the Gulf.

[vbhoutex]

Opal went from 75 to 150 overnight


Amazing !

It was AMAZING and the thing was that NO-ONE expected it! I think she is the reason that I don't close the door on anything tropical until it is GONE!! To increase intensity 75mph overnight cause many people to panic. Thousands of people were trapped on I-10 when she started coming ashore with tornadoes raging next to their cars. We ended up sleeping in a hotel lobby with about 80-100 other people. If I knew then what I know now, I would not have tried to leave with the panic level that high!

So True! We left also when she was at 150mph and forecast to keep on churning into a Cat.5. Of course, we are all thankful that she weakened after getting north of the warm water eddies.

I too remember the incredible sights on I-10 and the mad rush of humanity trying to escape. Thankfully it is very rare to wake up any giving morning and be told a cat.4 storm is knocking at your door - surprise!

I will never leave Pensacola again for a hurricane unless it is of Biblical proportions. I live in a house that I built myself last year with nearly double the amount of normal door and window cripples. I personally nailed over 2,200 nails in over 200 of the new grade hurricane clips into each truss. Most deaths do not occur from being inside the house anyway.

Glad to hear you did that with the house!! Where in P'cola are you? I presume high enough you don't have to worry about the surge. BTW, I grew up in GB and graduated Woodham so I know the area well.

[EmeraldCoast1]

David...

I live near the airport at appx. 120' elevation. Storm surge and even urban flooding are not a problem in my neighborhood - trees are what scare me the most.

Always nice to hear from a native!

[ColdFront77]

Opal was such a scare for everyone on the Alabama Gulf Coast. Before we left the State Park in Gulf Shores, we could see the waves crashing on the end of the Pier. The waves just smashed the concrete floor at the end of the pier. Because of that storm and others like it, all us Gomers have to pay special attention to anything in the Gulf.

Nice to see you here GulfTide: http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=16079

This tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico does indeed need to be followed. There are several threads you will see here discussing the situation. There are variables involved with weather systems in the tropics, especially in the Gulf of Mexico in the months of September, October and even November, considering.

[mobile bay girl]

Amen to all of the above Opal stories.
My older sis was living in Fort Walton (Shalimar) right on Choctawhatchee Bay at that time. Her husband, as a doctor, had to be at the hospital the entire time. She called at 10 the night before to say she wouldn't make it over to Mobile as the storm was moving faster. She'd planned to get her kids up at 5 to drive over. I begged her to just leave right then. She said they'd be okay. I couldn't sleep a wink! Finally, at 12:30AM she called and said they were packed and leaving. She got here around 3AM and we went to bed. When we woke up, a whole 3 hours later, Opal was a Cat 5 and I-10 in Florida was a parking lot! So glad she headed out when she did or she would've been stuck. The storm surge came up over the bluff and into their house. Just unbelievable! :o

Yep... never turn your back on storms in the Gulf!

[wrkh99]

Welcome to the board Mobile girl