We were up late last night and again early this morning studying the course of hurricane Matthew very intently. It's still headed for Florida as a category four hurricane with winds around 170 mph. It devastated Haiti and is ready to hit Cuba and the Bahamas before skirting the coast of Southeastern Florida. At least two forecast models project the hurricane eye moving inland near Lake Okeechobee, while other forecast models show it tracking along the coast with varying distances from land. It's due to hit our area in just over 48 hours!
Since Okeechobee is less than 40 miles from Florida's East coast, we would be well within the 170 mph wind bands if Matthew came very close to shore. Also, recent rains have increased the water levels of all of the canals around our house and Lake Okeechobee is at the highest water level we have seen since we've been living here. Also, the US Army Corps of Engineers has several projects underway around the lake to repair the aging dyke that surrounds the lake. This spells DISASTER and we don't have much time left to decide what were're going to do!
Our local storm shelters do not allow pets, and there's no way we're going to leave Kallie behind. So, we filled our gas tank, purchased extra water, and loaded our camper with enough food, clothing, and water to last several days. We also took some things that we just didn't want to loose should our home be destroyed. Within four hours we were on the road, but not exactly sure what our destination would be. At first, I was thinking the Tampa area would be safe, but it's 2-3 hours from here. So, we called one of our favorite campgrounds near Fort Myers to see if they would hold a spot open, and a very nice lady in the camp office took our name and said she would try to hold a spot since we were already under way.
The good thing about leaving early is there's no long lines for gas and the roads are not packed with vehicles evacuating the storm. So, we made it to WP Franklin Campground located just a dozen miles from Fort Myers in less than an hour and half.
Here we are set up on site #5.
This campground is always immaculate and all the sites here are on the water front. We are on the Caloosahatchee River, which is part of the Okeechobee waterway connecting Florida's East Coast with West Coast through Lake Okeechobee. We have a nice view of this beautiful Spanish style home and I love looking at this boat! Not a bad way to wait out a hurricane, don't your think?
As the sun started to settle on the Western horizon, these ominous clouds moved in and quickly brought use back to reality. Matthew is less than 48 hours away!
If Matthew decides to make land fall in Southern Florida, we may not be safe here. So, we must continue to pay close attention to it's track and be prepared to head out again.
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