Need some reassurance about Aug trip!

[Harry]

Originally posted by mariesoft
Not only will you be seeing footage on the telly but folk going out there now and in the future will be also seeing the victims.
Some evacuees are likely to be placed in Orlando homes and hotels.
The authorities are currently asking for details of vacancies in the area including private holiday homes.


Marie

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Why would this put you off going on holiday? Apart from obviously if all the looters got out and started causing mayhem down Downtown Disney ... I'm all for helping the people out... and by putting some of my hardearned dollars into their economy I will be doing my bit.

[gala]

Next year will be our 4th trip in August. Yes,we take a risk but so far so good. Last year we were only slightly affected, having come in just after the hurricane ended.
I do like the last 2 weeks of August. The Floridian kids have gone back to school and the parks are easily managed. The heat is tough but never takes away from our enjoyment.

Margaret

[Harry]

Originally posted by poet123
I am not saying that we should not see footage on our screens, quite the reverse! I am trying to point out that scenes such as those should not be happening at all in a civilised, capitalist country.
It has really shocked me to see such misery and despair, naively I thought if we were caught up in a hurricane small inconveniences such as plane delays, power loss, debris on roads, WDW closing may be the extent of the problems. Clearly this is the tip of the iceberg people are DYING,STARVING,DEHYDRATED,and law seems to have gone out of thewindow.
Mississippi may be located in a flood plain but Florida is a finger of land jutting out ito the sea. Barrier isalnds such as N Captiva were actually ripped apart in the hurricane last year which was nowhere near the strenght of Katrina. Are you aying that if Florida had been in the eye of this storm it would not have been devastated? maybe not Orlando but certainly the Gulf coast resorts would not fare too well.
So why was money not spent in New Orleans? can we be confident it has been spent in Florida?
I was ... but now my confidence has gone

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First time me and the missus went on our own was about 3 weeks after Hurricane Andrew (which was a massive storm) hit... we done a lot of touring that year... Orlando was not touched what we saw... some of the coastal places we visited had some cosmetic damage but it was life as usual... I saw Floridians in a different light...

We have been out there for Tropical Storms (one in April and one in November... so it's not just Aug/Sept that is hit)... it is part and parcel of life out there... I have got good friends and family that have lived there for years... now these are Brits who have chucked in their life in comfortable old Uk to go and live there... they do not feel they are living on a timebomb. One bit of advice if I can give people is not to go swimming the day after a tropical storm...

If it scares and worries people so much I would emplore that you find safer havens in European holidays etc where the climate is not so volitile... I mean you want to enjoy your holiday experience not to be constantly looking over your shoulder.

Keep the faith people...

[bevc]

We've been visiting Orlando during the hurricane season for the last fourteen years and will continue to do so for as long as the money and our health holds out!

Bev

[Guest]

Originally posted by Harry
First time me and the missus went on our own was about 3 weeks after Hurricane Andrew (which was a massive storm) hit...

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We were there then and there was loads of damage particularly south of Miami. Places totally flattened. We went to the Keys and couldn't believe the devastation on the way down.


Pete

[2point]

Looking at your considerations I'd say give Aug a miss.

The Hurricaines you do nothing about and is total pot luck (or not!).

The heat and crowds are a known factor and could make the experience less fun than it should be.

At Easter you have the variance of Spring Break but the heat is much more bearable.

[Harry]

Originally posted by pilotpete
We were there then and there was loads of damage particularly south of Miami. Places totally flattened. We went to the Keys and couldn't believe the devastation on the way down.


Pete

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Pete... as i said I think it was 3 weeks later that we was out there and we couldn't believe that there was not more damage than we had seen (on TV etc)... that's why I believe that FLA is far more capable of dealing with Hurricane season than the tradegy that has happened in N/O, Mississippi... don't forget that the last hit they had there was 1969 ( I think?)...

[Guest]

Originally posted by Harry
Pete... as i said I think it was 3 weeks later that we was out there and we couldn't believe that there was not more damage than we had seen (on TV etc)... that's why I believe that FLA is far more capable of dealing with Hurricane season than the tradegy that has happened in N/O, Mississippi... don't forget that the last hit they had there was 1969 ( I think?)...

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I wonder if the Floridians living in Punta Gorda whose devastated homes were still in evidence in July this yr from last years storms would agree with you?

Florida has never had a direct hit as strong as Katrina in modern times,so how can you be sure what procedures are in place? or how capable they are of dealing with largescale displacement of people etc.

Do you really believe the custodians of the city of N Orleans are not as capable as the Floridians to deal with the problems?

I think most people will still choose to go at whatever time of year suits their personal circumstances regardless of whether it is hurricane season or not, but my point is that we should not be under the impression that IF we are caught up in a hurricane that we will always escape unscathed.

We have been in several tropical storms and believe me they in no way equate to the power/violence of a hurricane.

[TinkTatoo]

Originally posted by alison1963 ... We are limited to August if we want a three week holiday - I hope we haven't made a mistake?

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Same here - we won't take the kids out out school so we go in August. We were there last year for Charlie and it only impacted on our holiday for 1/2 a day.

I wouldn't let "if's" and "mayby's" put me off going.

[Guest]

Originally posted by poet123
Florida has never had a direct hit as strong as Katrina in modern times,so how can you be sure what procedures are in place? or how capable they are of dealing with largescale displacement of people etc.

.

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Yes they did in 1992 with Hurricane Andrew and that was a Cat 5 and caused devastation in the Miami area. Luckily they say Andrew was a dry storm and didn't produce as much rain as Katrina.

Claire