HURRICANE UPDATE

 Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

Uncle Milty, as my great good friend Lorraine at Rocking Retirement called the latest and greatest hurricane, arrived in Florida as a Category 3 storm, then settled down happily into Category 2. According to CNN, more than 1.6 million people in the state have lost power. Wind gusts of 100 mph were recorded near Tampa. The center is 75 miles southwest of Orlando. DisneyWorld closed this afternoon. Multiple tornadoes hit other parts of the state today.

In my part of Jacksonville, we had light rain on and off most of the day. Heavy rain started at about 5:30 p.m. The wind picked up a while after that. It's now 11:54 p.m. EDT, October 9.

We are fine. Lake Junebug is very wet but the sparkling waters haven't accumulated sufficiently for me to even consider the possibility of opening The Lake Junebug Resort & Rumpus Room. I'll probably be telling a different story by morning. 

About 7:30 p.m. the power flipped off and right back on three times.  

We filled the bathtub with water. We have water in pitchers and some of my beloved Tupperware bowls. We have plenty of non-perishable food, just in case it gets worse, and it probably will.

Rebekah and I also took showers so when rescue workers find our bodies, at least our bloated corpses will be clean. (I'm kidding!)

Someone who evacuated from another area last night posted on Facebook that the interstate was packed and it took seven hours to travel 200 miles. Plenty of people in evacuation zones don't leave because it's so difficult. And what about people who have no transportation? What are they supposed to do? The governor said the state will have a "robust response" to storm damage, but the issue to work on next is how to get people out of evacuation zones smoothly and safely. At least Ron admitted to receiving assistance from President Biden. DeSantis is such a trump kiss ass that he's been refusing to take calls from the president and from Vice President Harris since Hurricane Helene. Who the hell does he think he is? 

Anyway, the word from the Dept. of Emergency Management this afternoon was if you haven't left, then it's too late. Shelter in place.

I don't know if I'll get much sleep tonight. If the electricity goes off and comes back on multiple times during the night as it did during Helene, I wake up every time it goes off. 

Just to reiterate, I am not in an evacuation zone and never have been. If we were not able to stay in the Little House On The Swamp for some reason, I would find the nearest Hilton still standing and head there with Rebekah and the dogs––Maureen, too, if she needed to leave.

Speaking of dogs, Princess is asleep on the couch next to me. Penelope is hiding in the bedroom closet. Fritz The Wonder Dog is in bed with Rebekah.

It's now Oct. 10 so I'll say good night. If you don't hear from me later, it will be because the internet is out, but that would be very unusual. 

Thank you all so much for your concern and kindness.

Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug