Note: I will write entries to this offline, and post all when the storm passes and I have power/internet connection. Currently I have both, but I expect to lose it tomorrow.
Background: I’ve never experienced a Hurricane before, Mathew came close but stayed enough miles east that all I received was some rain and (very little) wind. I’m situated on Ocean Dr, Miami Beach which is currently under a mandatory evacuation order.
September 8th – 4:54pm: Another Day in Paradise
Just looking at the weather you wouldn’t know anything was wrong. As Irma churns towards Florida, about 300 miles SE of Miami, Miami has lightly breezy conditions, balmy and sunny conditions. What is absent from South Beach is the sound of traffic, horns, screaming and all around chaos. You can hear the birds chirping, the waves crashing. Crossing streets is no longer a frustrating experience. Of course, almost all the people have left. Miami Beach is under a mandatory evacuation since September 7th. And while storm tracks keep putting Irma’s landfall more and more West of Miami, the most destructive quadrant of the storm – the North East sector – will pummel Miami still with storm surge and rain. 7-10 feet storm surge is expected, which will reduce the barrier island of Miami Beach to just another sandbar. My decision to stay comes with the realization I will be trapped in my apartment for days without power, – and potentially cell-service – and unable to leave my building due to storm surge.
But be that as it may, not everyone has left. A local restaurant owner decided to stay and keep his shop open “until the storm hits.” When pressed, he says he’s frustrated with all the hurricane predictions that turned out to be duds.
Looking at my balcony, I see two people fighting the waves. Waves are unusual in Miami Beach, due to the protective reef (the third largest barrier reef) just offshore blocking swells. I see a surfer running frantically to the ocean – either too excited or on some deadline – for surfing.
My building has shut down power to the elevators as a safety mechanism so no one is trapped there during the storm. Emergency Services will be suspended as it hits, so you get stuck there, hope you don’t suffocate because no firefighters or police will come to your rescue until Irma passes.
As I’m making my long way down the stairs, I see a couple with supplies (mostly alcohol) in seemingly high spirits.
It seems hurricanes divide people. Most seem to run, evacuate whereas a few stay, excited. They plan to drink, surf, and celebrate this force of Nature. I wonder if some psychological attributes distinguish these two groups. Of course, it can simply be naivety. A lot of people who demand to know why I’m not leaving ask me if I ever experienced a hurricane before. I stammer: no. And they exclaim – yes, obviously, otherwise you’d be leaving. Perhaps some can learn from other’s mistakes and other’s need to make them for themselves. I always have been the latter.
As I peer over my balcony, I notice a few cars still in the parking lot. They will be the first causality of the storm surge. Wonder if the owners are even here. A lot of the people in my building are part-time residents.
September 8th – 7:41pm: Sunset
Tomorrow conditions are expected to begin to degrade throughout the day. But as of tonight, besides a very breezy evening, nothing is out of the ordinary. A beautiful evening.
There were 3 businesses opened I was using, now there is only one. The other two simply closed, shuttered up, and got out of town. With only one choice, I stopped in and almost did a double-take. Anderson Cooper (from CNN) was dining with someone I did not recognize. After I order my food, I call out, “you’re Anderson Cooper, right?” He turns around, and says rather unimpressed: “Yes, I’m.”
From here, we have no interaction, neither does he have much interaction with the person sitting at his table, glued to his phone, like everyone is today. After some time, he got up, brought his dishes to the waitress/cashier (a very nice gesture) and paid a 20% tip. He disappeared.
After, I finished, I decided to take a stroll on Ocean Dr. News van, after news van had staked out their portion of Ocean Dr, almost to give the illusion while filming that they’re braving the conditions on their own.
The last of the evacuees have left Miami Beach. The rest are residents, first responders, and news-reporters.
September 9th – 0:00am: Irma is coming
After talking with an old friend for over 3 hours, I noticed something different. Lightning. I peaked outside to see a strong wind blowing the coconut palms back, waves piling up menacingly. One look at the doppler radar confirmed my suspicion – the outer squall bands of Irma have finally found their way to Miami.
I was expecting more time before conditions soured, afterall landfall is only expected for Sunday. But this hurricane is a beast – 400 miles in diameter.
So far, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Power is still here, no flooding. Let’s see how much longer this goes.
September 9th -4:30pm: Irma is not coming
According to updated tracks, Irma will make landfall on the western side of Florida. However since these tracks have been repeatedly wrong, biased towards to the East, it’s quite possible the eye of Irma doesn’t come ashore the Florida peninsula.
That doesn’t mean we haven’t been feeling the effects of Irma. Howling win, clouds and rain have been going on all night and day. But really, nothing super out of the ordinary. Still have power, no flooding, etc.
The test will be by tomorrow afternoon, when Irma is expected to make landfall. Will there be storm surge, or widespread power outages? Mayor Philip Levine (of Miami Beach) has already issued a mandatory curfew – from 8pm to 7am, no one on the streets for tonight, tomorrow, and Monday night.
Ultimately I spent most of today sleeping, partly due to the pain of my injuries, partly due to the weather conditions outside. So far this hurricane has been a joke, at least in the Miami area.
September 10th -6:16am:The howling wind
As Irma makes its slow course towards the north, we down in Miami Beach are firmly in its NE quadrant. Constant wind, rain. While I haven’t lost power yet, my internet (Atlantic Broadband) is gone. I still have a cellular single though.
What’s remarkable, at least for a person experiencing their first hurricane, is how consistent the wind is. There are no lulls, just nonstop assault for hours and hours.
My hurricane proof balcony doors are so far holding, but every now and then they groan, as if to betray they may not hold.
And all of this for a storm where the eyewall is hundreds of miles away. Just imagine what it would be like if the original forecast held?
September 10th -9:10pm: And there goes my first Hurricane
I wonder if your first Hurricane is like your first love? More hype than substance?
While I was not directly hit by the eyewall of Irma (which was a Category 4 storm as it swung by me and impacted Key West, then Marco Island and finally the Gulf Coast of Florida), the only aspect I can say that separated Irma from a severe squall was just the persistence. Strong, howling winds for at least 24 hours.
I have been trapped in my condo for 48 hours, and realized that my supplies would have been woefully inadequate if I needed to rely on them for much longer. Just sandwiches for 2 days, ugh. I should have bought some frozen pizzas.
While the power flickered in and out at one moment, I never fully lost power. I did however lose internet. According to the Miami Beach mayor, Philip Levine, this is because my internet provider lost power.
And no flooding to talk about in my area. It seemed the sand dunes kept the ocean at bay. I hear that Miami, especially in the DT and Brickell areas has experienced catastrophic flooding however.
I did venture on my balcony and then outside to experience the winds first hand. The winds made it hard to walk, and at one point tore off my glasses and sent them flying into the abyss. Video’s below.
The damage I see in my area are some fallen trees and a gate ripped out of the ground. Nothing major, except my favorite coconut, tall and majestic and visible from my balcony and the ocean was a casualty. Snapped in half by the winds.
According to the mayor of Miami Beach, access back to the island will be restricted until crews get a chance to come back tomorrow and clear up. Curfew still in effect for tonight and tomorrow. Looks like I will need to rely on sandwiches a bit longer.
The winds have died down, the ocean is still crashing.
Conclusion:
Hurricane Irma has left behind a lot of landscaping damage, trees are down all over Miami Beach. Supposedly, areas of Miami (such as Brickell) experienced severe storm surge and a lot of property damage.
Power and Internet come and go unexpectedly, even 2 days after Hurricane Irma has left. Supposedly 15 million people in Florida lost power at one point.
As of September 12th, curfews still exist and many businesses are closed.
This is the before and after picture from my balcony.
