#Hurricane Milton hitting us here in Florida

[nando161mando]

Hurricane Milton hitting us here in Florida

[altruistic-meme]

CAN THESE HURRICANES PLEASE FUCK OFF I HATE IT HERE

[trollprincess]

So I have a friend from high school who is a cop. (Yes, I KNOW.) I shared a photo on Facebook of a packed highway of people attempting to evacuate from Hurricane Milton, all while the lanes going in the opposite direction were open and empty. And my Facebook post was basically me screaming, “Open the other side of the highway and reverse it so that people can GET OUT.”

His response was essentially, “Yeah, that is *really* difficult for us to do.” Not in a condescending way, because he genuinely isn’t a huge asshole. (Yes, I KNOW.)

And then I may have vented in my response, in which I tried not to imply that the police were a problem. Because to be honest, I don’t see this as a police problem. I see this as how we have fucked ourselves as a nation by making ourselves so dependent on cars.

There is that poll on this site – or multiple polls, at this point – asking how long people can tolerate being in their cars. And the thing is, Americans (and Canadians as well, I am imagining) have almost no other options. We have to be used to spending a good 12 hours in a car without breaking a sweat. Everything in this country is built around being in a car. There’s a reason when you ask us how far away a place is from somewhere else, we normally give that distance in hours and not miles.

Air travel sucks. It sucks for a multitude of reasons – cost, the hassle of dealing with security, the time suck, etc. – and in an emergency, only a select few are going to be able to use it to get away from a hurricane. And that’s one of the few disasters where air travel is an optional escape.

Train travel sucks. Amtrak is not something you’re gonna be complaining about if you’re trying to get away from whatever disaster you need to evacuate from. But next to so many other countries, Amtrak looks like we’ve been receiving other countries’s leftover railway systems from the 70s. It also doesn’t go everywhere. I live in northeastern Pennsylvania near Scranton, which prides itself on its history in the train industry. We have a museum and everything. We have multiple things named after that museum, including the Steamtown marathon which is happening tomorrow.

Can you get on a passenger train in Scranton? Nope.

(The main argument against this always seems to be that people will come here from New York City and commit crimes, which is hilarious considering if somebody wanted to come here from New York City and commit crimes it’s only a 2.5-hour drive.)

Anyway, disasters.

If the only option you’re gonna give most people to get out of areas of Florida that are being targeted by hurricanes or areas of California that suffer from wildfires or places in the Midwest that face flooding are cars, then we need a better fucking emergency management system regarding transportation in this country. You can’t just sit there and mock people for not evacuating because they can’t or won’t when getting away from Milton meant sitting on highway for hours with absolutely no gas stations whatsoever nearby having any gas at all. (It just makes me think of those photos of people stranded on the highway in their cars in blizzards where people are like, “Now imagine imagine how bad it would be if all of those cars were electric!“ Well, all of those cars in that photo in that blizzard run on gas and they’re fucking stranded, sooooooo.)

Look, we can change the transportation system in this country. we did it before and we can do it again. We used to have more train options, fewer highways. My small hometown had a fucking trolley in the 40s. Now, if you don’t have a car here, you’re stuck. You can’t even get Uber here. if a wildfire started here and surrounded the town, it would be a clusterfuck.

Regardless of how you feel about the police, if police and fire departments in this country cannot organize an evacuation on a highway in a way that will reduce the backup so that tens of thousands of people aren’t sitting in their cars when a hurricane hits, that’s a problem – not just for those people, but for the police, and the fire department, and emergency management in general.

The people in charge of emergency management are just people, just human. I’m researching the Camp Fire in 2018 right now, and you had a bunch of people calling 911 saying, “I can see a huge fire off to the east. Are we safe? Should we evacuate?” The 911 operators could only work off the information they had. They could have told people to evacuate earlier, but Cal Fire didn’t anticipate the strength of the fire. Which is understandable. Nobody could anticipate the strength of that fire. But the 911 operators were sitting in an office with no windows, and they had no idea what was going on the east. They couldn’t look out and see exactly what was happening. If they could have, they probably would have told people to leave as soon as possible much sooner than they were told to. Instead, they waited for official confirmation, and when they did start telling people to evacuate, traffic managed to back up in a small town of 25,000 people until many of them were trapped in an unimaginable hellscape.

When people need to evacuate from a disaster, and they stay instead, far too many people - including those in positions of power – just kind of wave their hands and say, “Well, we tried.” No, we didn’t. This country made not trying its watchword, and now we’re at a point where unless you own a car, which is a luxury a lot of people cannot afford in this economy, escaping from disaster is impossible. So you can get in your car or somebody else’s car and go sit on a highway and hope your gas doesn’t run out, since none of the gas stations for 100 miles have any gas to give you, or you can stay in your house and hope you don’t die.

Sometimes, I really wish somebody would make me the head of the department of transportation. I would demand an absurd amount of money to build a better train system, to provide better transportation options for smaller towns, to provide extensive training for rescue personnel in managing evacuations like the clusterfuck in Florida this week. I would become an absolute fucking nuisance to Congress. I would be asking for money left and right to make it so that our only options as Americans weren’t to get into cars we can barely afford these days and attempt to organize our own evacuations from the growing number of natural disasters in this country.

Y’all keep posting these polls about how long you can tolerate being in a car at the same time that tens of thousands of Floridians were sitting on highways trying to get away from Tampa so they wouldn’t die in a hurricane.

We can tolerate being in a car all goddamn day. It’s because we don’t have a fucking choice, even when it’s life or death.

[absurdthirst]

Hurricane Heat {Frankie Morales x F!Reader}

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 5.5k

Warnings: Hurricanes, dangerous weather, alcohol, fear, anxiety, sexual innuendo, the boys being menaces, oral sex (male and female receiving), sixty-nine, vaginal sex, unprotected sex

Comments: With a hurricane headed straight for you, you decide to shelter in place with the boys. Frankie's house being the best location to ride out the storm. Once the power goes out, the howling wind will push the two of you together.

A/N: @storiesofthefandomlovers and I wrote this as Hurricane Milton was barreling towards and affecting Charlie's area of Florida. This is not to make light of anyone's suffering from either hurricane over the past weeks or to encourage anyone to stay in the path of a deadly storm.

Co-written with @storiesofthefandomlovers

*Follow @absurdthirst-writes and turn on notifications to stay up to date on all new fics.

|| MasterList || Frankie Morales MasterList ||

Click Keep Reading only if you have read the Rating and Warnings and understand the warnings may not be complete to avoid listing spoilers. As AO3 says 'creator chooses not to use warnings'. You also agree that you're the right age to be consuming anything here.

“Hey man! I’ve got six cases of beer and twelve bags of chips!” Benny hits the door with a grin and holds up the two cases in his hands. “Let’s get this hurricane party started!”

You snort, shaking your head and coming to help him haul in supplies. The hurricane that is bearing down on your town is supposed to be a doozie and because of that, you had all agreed to hunker down at Frankie’s house. He’s got a generator and more importantly, a grill, so it’s a natural choice. “So what will you eat and drink?” You joke.

Benny snorts, “you laugh, but lemme tell you, Doritos have got me through a lot of shit.” He sets the cases down and you look over at Santi and Frankie while Will brings in another case of beer. “We got the ice in the cooler. Extra gas cans and flashlights.” Santi lists and Frankie pats his friend on the back, “we got it all covered. We just gotta ride it out.” He says and you nod, “the worst part is the air going. It’s been a heatwave. If I could guarantee AC and Internet, I’d be fine.” You confess with a sigh, glad to be with the boys for the storm. They are all highly trained and they wouldn’t put you in danger if they thought it was best to leave.

“We’ll grill up the steaks and make that five pounds of bacon I know Frankie bought.” Will snorts and Frankie shrugs. “You laugh, but bacon cures all ills.” He huffs. “BLTs, Bloody Mary’s, just eating bacon and drinking a beer while the wind howls. Good times.”

“Bacon and booze. The best combination.” You grin, “and I have my Bluetooth speaker so we have some tunes. It’s gonna be a bad storm but we are ready.” You nod and Frankie comes over, “I have the sofa bed pulled out for you. The boys are on the blow up beds.” Frankie says, methodical and wanting to make sure everything is ready before you shut up for the storm. “Thanks.” You smile, squeezing his upper arm. You’ve known the boys since you were their medic on their missions, serving your country with them by your side and you’ve been close ever since. You’ve been in love with Frankie for the same amount of time but the timing has never been right. You’ve been in a relationship or he has. You’ve yearned for him and the timing has never worked out for you. Even now, you’re both single and there’s a damn hurricane coming for you.

Frankie shifts and props his hands on his hips. “How are you doing, sweetheart?” He leans in closer and speaks quietly, sure that you wouldn’t want the others to hear. You are nervous about the storm, much more than you are letting on, he can tell. He’s spent plenty of time studying the way you act over the years. “I know you’re scared, but we will be fine. Even if the shit hits the fan, we have an evacuation plan and plenty of survival gear.” He tosses you a small grin. “Just think of it as a deployment.”

You nod, knowing he’s being logical but these storms always make you nervous. You can’t control them. It’s completely at the will of the earth and you hate that. With ops, you could control your destiny, account for all factors that could happen, and ensure your safety but Mother Nature? You can’t control her. You snort and lean a little closer. He’s always made you feel so safe.

Hugs have always been freely given and this time is no different. Frankie pulls you against  him, trying not to feel guilty for enjoying how you feel pressed along his body. He’s comforting you, not trying to cop a feel. “Come on. I’m almost done making that crack chicken dip you like so much.”

You grin, "you're too good to me, Morales." You enjoy how he holds you and you hug him for a moment before you step back, "come on. Let's finish up and get locked in." You wink at him and walk into the kitchen to finish getting your snacks prepped. "Fuck, Will. How much booze did you buy?" Santi chuckles as he looks at the bottles and Ironhead shrugs, "Publix had a bogo. It's a hurricane, man. Nothing to do but drink." You chuckle and shake your head, looking over at Frankie as he works on his dip.

“I’m going to put the extra gas cans out with the generator on the porch.” Will tells everyone, disappearing outside again to bring them in and you know that he will check and double check that everything is ready for the storm

You watch the news as the storm keeps its track and you are nervous now that you’ve locked yourselves in. You sit next to Frankie, biting your lip, and he slides his arm around you to rub your upper arm. “It’s gonna be fine, sweetheart.” You nod, looking at him before you look at the screen.

He ignores the sly grins from the guys, keeping his arm around you. They know how he feels about you. They’ve known from the beginning. Frankie doesn’t lack confidence, he has no problem going out and picking up a girl, but you are different. You are a part of their team, family in a weird way. If he took his shot and you turned him down, it would change the friendship you have and you mean too much to him. “Getting another beer.” Benny announces as he climbs up from his spot on the floor. “Anyone else want one?”

You shake your head and Frankie nods, “I’ll have one.” You chuckle, patting his leg, “you’re all gonna be wasted for this storm.” You look over at Santi who has Jack and Coke in a tumbler. “Nothing else to do. Other than fuck and I’m not Benny’s type.” Santi chuckles and Benny snorts, “in your fucking dreams, Pope.” You giggle and lean into Frankie, loving how he smells. Strong and capable. The musk has you crossing your legs to squeeze your thighs together but you are just friends and you cannot make it awkward.

He enjoys the way you curl into him. Pulling you close and humming. If it weren’t for the wind blowing outside and the guys here, he could pretend this is a cozy evening watching tv with you before he takes you to bed. “You okay?” He asks, checking in again to make sure you are good.

A few hours pass with pizza being cooked from the freezer, drinks poured and you are watching the news show the storm barrelling towards your state and you sigh, nerves twisting in your stomach. “You want another beer?” Frankie asks, sitting down next to you and you shake your head, “Valium?” You tease and he chuckles, “I’m fresh out.” You rub your cheek, “it’s the waiting that’s frustrating me. I wish it was here already so we could get it over with.”

“Ready for the dark already?” He teases. “The internet will be down and we will have to play poker or a board game to stay entertained.” He grins and jerks his head over at Will. “And that one is too competitive at Monopoly.”

“God and no AC. It’s gonna be killer.” You confess, “and you know I kick all your asses at poker.” You remind Frankie who chuckles and nods, remembering how you’ve schooled them during your time served together.

“We’re gonna play poker?” Pope asks as he smirks. “Strip poker?” Frankie rolls his eyes. “Why, cabron? So we can all be sitting butt ass naked while the only woman here is fully clothed?”

You giggle, glad that Frankie thinks you’d win and you nudge him, “why don’t we play Monopoly? I need a distraction from the storm.” You shudder as you look over at the TV to see the storm heading towards you. The boys nod, not arguing with you when they see you’re nervous and you work fast to get everything set up.

Frankie helps, wanting you to be comfortable and feel safe. The wind has picked up and the storm shutters are starting to rattle on the kitchen window. “Too bad they don’t have a helicopter playing piece.” Frankie huffs, picking up the ship. “I would definitely be playing that.”

You giggle, “I think the cat is the best one for you. Catfish.” You wink at him and he nods, taking the piece from you. The storm shutters shake and you shudder, nervous about the storm hitting you outside. You sigh and take a seat, calling the others over to begin the game.

****

“No fucking way. Pay up.” Santi demands from Benny, holding his hand out for the cash just as the lights flicker. “Shit.” You murmur, looking up at the light. “Dude, that’s not a hotel. I don’t owe you that much.” Benny argues and Santi goes to speak just as the lights flicker then it goes dark. “Well, fuck.” Will mutters, “maybe they will come back on.”

Frankie groans, knowing that it’s wishful thinking at this point. Power will be out for the duration and he immediately reaches for the lamp he had put on the end table and flicks it on before he grabs his headlamp. “We’ll give it a few minutes but then we start the generator.” Cords have already been run through the house to everything they need to power up to keep things somewhat comfortable. “Knew I should have bought one of those standing AC units.” He grumbles to himself.

“We will be fine. Hopefully power comes back soon.” You murmur, shivering despite knowing the heat will creep in soon enough. The power doesn’t come back and Frankie makes the decision to start the generator. The wind blows outside, rain hitting the shutters, and you fan yourself with the monopoly instructions as the heat starts to get to you. “Okay. I think we are done with Monopoly.” You sigh, reaching for the money. “How about truth or dare?” Santi suggests with a smirk. “Truth? We know literally everything about each other and we aren’t teenagers.” You scoff, gathering the tokens before you fold up the board.

Frankie glares at Santiago, knowing he would be pulling some shit in the effort to get the two of you together. All of them think that you want him, but he isn’t convinced. Normally, he knows when a woman is interested. “Why don’t we go to bed? Things will look better in the morning.”

The boys smirk, nodding at each other, and you don’t notice. “Sure, Cat. Let’s get to bed. It’s gonna be a long night and I’m sure we’d all rather sleep through this shit.” Will says and everyone nods. “I call dibs on the bathroom before you all go in there.” You declare and Frankie hands you a lamp. “Thanks.” You smile and make your way into the bathroom after grabbing your toiletries.

“Go to bed.” Benny scoffs as Frankie throws him a frown. “She’s scared enough that she might crawl in the bed with you.” He teases, Laughing when Frankie shoots him a bird. “Keep it up and I’ll make you sleep outside with the generator.” He threatens. Although he knows that he wouldn’t do that. The bad thing is that Benny knows it too.

“Just trying to get you guys together, man. It’s gotta happen. We are sick of watching you two make eyes at each other.” Benny says and Frankie scoffs, rolling his eyes in disbelief that you make eyes at him. You get ready for bed, changing into a tank top and shorts. It’s too hot to wear anything else, and you brush your teeth before you take the lamp and make your way back into the living room. “Bathroom’s free.” You tell the others, knowing they will want to clean up.

Frankie groans quietly when he sees your outfit. It’s nothing extremely provocative, but he still thinks you look stunning. All the guys go get ready for bed and Frankie changes into some shorts and a t-shirt. “You good, sweetheart?” He asks, coming through to check that .

You nod, “I’ll be fine.” You promise, offering him a small smile despite your stomach twisting with nerves. “Just - just nervous to go home and see how it is.” You confess, “what's gonna be damaged.” You bite your lip, “anyway, let’s get some sleep, baby.” You murmur and rub his shoulder, leaning in to kiss his cheek without thinking about the term of endearment.

Frankie hums and turns towards you, your lips brushing the corner of his mouth and he inhales sharply. “You- you come to me if you need anything. A distraction.” He manages, his voice rough and low.

His words make your stomach twist and you nod, “thank you.” You pull back to look at him. So many years you’ve hidden your feelings and tonight could be worse than all your nights spent on ops. The boys are ready for bed and you watch Frankie as he makes sure everyone is comfortable before he makes his way to his room. You settle into the sofa bed but it’s hot. So damn hot without the AC running. You toss and turn as the wind howls and the shutters shake against the windows. The boys snore around you and you huff, sitting up, and you decide to get some water. It’s dark and you curse quietly as you try to navigate the boys laying on the floor until finally you stumble into the kitchen. It’s so hot. You grab the lamp and turn it on, finding a bottle of water, and you decide to pull your tank top off since everyone is asleep, allowing yourself to cool a little with your bralette on.

Frankie wakes up the moment he hears someone moving. The drone of the generator chugging away mixes with the hurricane and honestly had become background noise. But he hears a cabinet door open and then the fridge. Getting up, he knows it’s one of the guys or you, but he wants to check. If it’s you, he wants to make sure you aren’t about to jump out of your skin.

You hear footsteps and turn to see Frankie standing there in his t-shirt. “Shit.” You hiss, still startled despite his slow approach and you place your hand on your chest. Your normally steely nerve is displaced by the storm. “Sorry.”

“No, don’t be sorry.” He murmurs, stepping closer and watching you in the lamplight. “Are you okay, sweetheart? I know you’re nervous.” His eyes dip down to where your hand is on your chest. “I’ve got a fan in the bedroom.” He offers.

You are tempted. It’s so damn hot. You press the water bottle from the cooler to your chest, sighing in relief. “I - are you sure? I don’t wanna - I’m sure you want to stretch out.” Frankie rolls his eyes which you see in the lamplight. “Come on. Cool down.” You grab your tank top and make your way into his bedroom, “oh God it’s so cool in here.” You groan, walking towards the fan.

“Sorry.” He swipes his hand over the back of his neck and chuckles softly. “I sleep better when I have a fan blowing on me. So instead of charging my phone, I plugged in my fan. It’s the only one I have unfortunately.”

You shake your head, walking to the unruffled side of the bed. “It’s your house. Your generator. Your gas. You are more than entitled to use the fan.” You promise and shift to lay down, still in your bralette and you sigh in relief as the cool air hits you. The wind rattles around the house and you shiver. “Too cold?” Frankie asks as he shifts to lay down next to you. “No. Just hate that sound.” You murmur, staring up at the dark ceiling.

“I know.” He hates it too, but he tries to not let himself think about what is happening outside. “You need to think about something else.” He offers. “What’s your craziest idea?” He asks, suddenly wanting to know. “Could be anything.”

You chuckle, “oh God. You cannot drag this out of me after tonight because I’ll never admit it but right now, anything for a distraction. I, uh, I want to have sex in a helicopter while it’s flying.” You confess, “everyone has a mile high club in a plane but that’s boring. I wanna have sex in a bird. Thought about it a lot when we were running ops.”

Frankie groans, cock twitching in his shorts. “Fuck yessssss.” He moans, not looking over at you. He doesn’t want to embarrass himself. “I have that same fantasy. Although it would be difficult to maneuver.”

“I know but if anyone could figure it out, it would be you.” You giggle, shifting to lay on your side to face him. He looks up at the ceiling and you bite your lip, knowing he doesn’t want you like that but right now it’s too easy to imagine. “Imagined it so many times when you were the pilot.” You confess quietly, keeping your eyes on him.

He closes his eyes, swallowing harshly and taking a deep breath. “Baby, you shouldn’t say things like that to me when you’re in my bed and wearing the sexiest little shorts and bra that I’ve ever fucking seen.” He opens his eyes and looks over at you, eyes dark with lust. “You have no idea what I’ve imagined doing to you.”

You inhale sharply, your heartbeat dropping into your pussy as you clench, slick from just being near him. “Show me. I want you to show me what you’ve imagined. Because I guarantee you it’s along the lines of what I’ve imagined you doing to me.” You promise, shifting closer to him.

Frankie takes a second, watching you to see if this is some kind of test or joke. When he doesn’t see anything but impatience, he lunges forward and grabs you as he presses his lips to yours eagerly.

You gasp into his mouth when his lips press against yours. Surprised but delighted as he pushes you back into his mattress, shifting closer to hover over you. You cup his cheek and eagerly let his tongue tangle with yours as the wind howls outside.

Your thighs part, letting him settle between them and press his hardening cock against your core. Making him groan into your mouth as his hands turn greedy, practically ripping your little bralette off your body to get to your tits.

He is immediately kissing along your jaw as his hand cups your tit, squeezing, and you moan, grateful that the storm is covering your noises from the boys sleeping in the living room. Your hands grip his shirt, desperate to feel his skin, and he reluctantly pulls back to let you drag the shirt from his head. You toss the shirt across the room, your hands sliding along your back, and you moan, “you are so fucking strong and sexy, Frank. Always thought that.”

He hums, taking the compliment when it would have been easier for you to have thought that about any of the others. You’ve chosen him to fantasize about and that makes him burn to make you happy that you wanted him. His fingers pinch your nipple and roll it around before he ducks his head down and wraps his lips around it.

You moan, sliding your hand up to tangle your fingers in his hair, his tongue lathes your nipple before he sucks on it, releasing it with a pop that makes you whimper. You rock your hips up to grind against his hard cock. He switches to your other breast and your hand snakes between you so you can slide your hand into his boxers and wrap your fingers around his hard cock.

Frankie grunts, rocking his hips forward and groaning against your nipple. You are so much more responsive than he ever imagined, your sounds sweeter. He flicks his tongue over the taunt bud and carefully grinds his teeth around it until you are whining his name.

You whimper when he switches over to your other nipple, making them deliciously sore and distracting you from the roar of the wind outside. You try to pump his cock, squeezing him in your hand as he releases your nipple with a pop to groan your name. “Lay down.” You plead, wanting to touch him.

“You don’t want me to eat your pussy?” He rasps out, nearly salivating at the thought. “What do you want, baby? I can lick your little pussy and make you forget all about the storm outside or you can ride my cock and see what’s louder, you or the wind.”

“Fuck.” You gasp at the filth from his mouth but it makes you wetter. “Wanted to suck your cock but shit. I need your tongue. You want me to sit on your face while I suck your cock?” You ask breathlessly.

“We can do that.” His grin is filthy and he licks his lips suggestively as he pulls away and flips onto his back. “Come sit, baby.” He coos, patting his cheek. “Always wanted to smother myself in your pussy. Drown in it. Bet you taste fucking amazing.”

You shift to kneel above him, dragging his boxers down to expose his cock, and you groan at the thickness of him. “Holy shit.” You murmur, “you’re gonna stretch me out.” You confess and he groans when you slide your finger along his length. “Sit on my face.” He demands and you push your shorts down along with your panties, naked as you straddle his chest.

“Fuuuuuuuck.” He groans when he gets the first glimpse of your cunt when you bend over. “Sorry.” You cringe slightly and rock your hips away from him as if you are embarrassed. “I didn’t know I was going to do this. I would have shaved.” Frankie snorts, shaking his head as he grabs your hips to drag you back. “I don’t give a fuck if you shaved.” He huffs. “You have a pretty pussy and I’m going to bury my tongue in it.”

You moan when he surges forward to slide his tongue through your folds. “Fuck, Frank.” You gasp and close your eyes as his hands squeeze your ass while he slides his tongue over your clit. The wind howls outside and you inhale shakily, reaching down to wrap your fingers around his cock. You love how he groans into your folds and you bend over so you can take him into your mouth. You flick your tongue over the head, the salty taste of pre-cum hitting your tongue and you swirl your tongue around the head before you close your lips around it.

He can tell that you’re surprised by his enthusiasm, but you shouldn’t be. Any and all of his girlfriends had bragged about his willingness to go down on them, but you make him eager for it. Wanting to show you how good he can make you feel and taste how you come apart for him. He groans into your flesh, enjoying the tangy taste of your cunt while you lap at his cock.

You moan around his cock, taking him deeper as you relax your jaw. He’s thick and stretching your mouth, but you love it. The storm shutters shake but you don’t pay attention as you focus on Frankie sliding his tongue through your folds and you take his cock deeper until you choke. It’s been a while since you’ve given a blowjob to a cock this big and you pull off to catch your breath.

“Don’t hurt yourself baby.” Frankie reluctantly pulls his tongue away from your clit to warn you. He knows he’s a lot and if you can’t handle it, he won’t be upset at you, “I’m still going to make you cry out even if you don’t suck my dick.”

His words make you moan his name and you wrap your fingers around him, pumping him while he’s slick with your saliva. “Wanna make you feel good.” You reply breathlessly, “fuck. Your tongue - it’s so good, baby.” You moan as he flicks your clit again.

He hums, knowing that you do make him feel good. Just letting him touch you is making him feel good so he dives back into your pussy with a long lick to your pussy and feels you squeeze his cock before lowering your head again.

You want to pleasure him, and distract yourself from the roar of the hurricane outside, so you take him back into your mouth, fingers working what you cannot wrap your lips around. Your jaw is stretched as you bob on his length, saliva dripping down into the coarse hair at the base of his cock.

He moans into your folds, toes curling when you swallow around him. It’s the best fucking blow job he’s ever had because it’s you. You are the girl he wants and everything you do is just amazing. He doubles his efforts on your pussy, wanting to feel you cry out around his cock when he makes you cum.

You moan around his cock when he pushes his tongue into your fluttering pussy. His mustache rubs against your folds and his nose nudges against your skin as he shakes his head. It’s incredible and you rock back against him as you relax your jaw. His efforts are not in vain as you get closer, thighs pressing against his ears as he works you over. “Fuck. Frank- oh fuck.” You gasp, letting his cock drop from your mouth when he sucks on your clit. “I’m gonna - oh God. It’s - shit. Fra-” You don’t finish your cry of his name as you choke and fall apart on top of him. Thighs smothering his face as you soak his chin in your cum.

The storm howls outside the house, but your sounds are covering them up. Making him groan ravenously when you start to shake and your pussy floods his mourn with a wave of your sweet juices.

You pant against his thigh as he works you through it, lapping at your clit, and you whimper when it becomes too much. You shift away from his face and wrap your fingers around his cock again. “Want you inside of me.” You murmur, squeezing him.

Frankie grunts, twitching against your palm. “How do you want me, sweetheart?” He pants. “You want me to be in control or do you want to ride me?” He knows you would never let him pressure you into sex to begin with, but he wants you to choose how you take him the first time. 

You let go of his cock and shift off of his chest, kneeling on the bed. “I want you to be in control. Show me what you’ve wanted.” You demand, shifting to stretch over his body so you can kiss him. “Take what you want from me, Francisco.”

That is fucking music to his ears. Gone is the worry, the softness. His jaw set and his eyes narrow as he wraps his arms around you and flips you both over on the mattress, eager to get you under him. “God, you won’t regret that.” He promises, his voice low and husky.

You stare up at him as he settles between your thighs. “I want you to fill me up. It’s safe. I have an IUD and fuck, Frank, I need you. I want you.” You promise as he hovers over you and you surge up to press your lips to his.

He hadn’t even thought about protection, but he trusts you. He knows you and knows you would never lie about something like that. So he’s kissing you back while he’s taking hold of his cock and sliding it through your folds to press against your entrance. Groaning when you nip his bottom lip with your teeth and he pushes inside you with a slow, firm thrust until he is buried in your pussy.

Your mouth falls open as he pushes into you, stretching you out, and you caress his shoulders until you grip his back. “You’re so thick, baby. God, so fucking good inside me. I need - I need you to move.”

He groans, loving how needy you are. Leaning down and pressing his lips to your before he starts to move. Right now, his control is threadbare and he shows that with the harsh, sharp snaps of his hips, pulling back and drilling into you again.

He seems animalistic and you love it. Your focus is solely on Frankie and you moan his name into his mouth as he slams his hips against your ass. “Oh fuck. I - I love this. You feel so much better than I imagined.” You moan into his chin and he squeezes your thigh.

He grunts in agreement, teeth snapped together and his brow pinched in concentration. Wanting to see how much you can take and greedy for every time your pussy squeezes his cock tight. “Fuuuuck.”

You tilt your head back into the pillow, mouth open as you moan, “oh shit. Yes. Right there baby.” You whine, rocking your hips up to meet his and the room fills up with noises of sex, drowning out the gusting winds.

He is spurred on by your breathless praise. The needy whine for more, making his hips plunge down again and again. He’s drunk on you, completely wrapping up in how you react to him.

You wrap your legs around him, needing to be closer, and you love how he looks as he looms over you, illuminated by the lamplight. “Wanted this for so long.” You confess breathlessly, squeaking when he adjusts his hips and thrusts into a spot that has your eyes rolling into the back of your head.

He groans, loving your confession. “Me too.” He pants into your neck. “Fuck, want you to cum for me baby.” He concentrates on that spot, hammering against it again and again and chuckling when you start to squeal every time.

He hits that spot over and over and it makes you squeal his name until you finally fall apart around his cock. You soak him, thighs shaking as you arch your back, consumed by an orgasm from the man you’ve wanted for so many years.

Frankie growls your name, hips stuttering and his pace grinding to a halt from how hard you are beating down on him. Your orgasm pushes him over the edge and he buries his face in your neck, painting your walls with ropes of his sticky seed as he cums.

You grip his back, your nails digging into his flesh as he rocks into you. Grunts muffled into your neck and you moan, loving how the warmth of his seed feels around you. “I love you.” You pant breathlessly, wrapping your legs around his waist, keeping him inside you.

Frankie whimpers your name, turning and pressing his lips to your pulse. “I love you too.” He promises. Even if you are just saying it because you’ve been caught up in the moment, he means it. He has always loved you. “So much, baby.”

You sigh, a smile on your face as your heart pounds. Maybe it’s the high of the moment for him. The stress from the storm and the first time you’ve had sex, but you feel warm throughout your body. “I think we are in the eye of the storm. It’s gone quiet out there.”

He listens for a moment, his head lifting from your neck. “You’re right.” He murmurs. “We are through the worst of it.” He promises, kissing you softly. “Are you still scared?”

You shake your head. “No. I know you’ll keep me safe. And the guys. Can hear them still snoring from in here.” You joke and caress his shoulders before you run your fingers through his hair. “I really do love you. I have for years. You’re - you’re the man I’ve always wanted. That’s why it’s never worked out with others. I love you, baby. I’m here and I’m all in if you want me.”

“You’re mine now.” Frankie promises. “The moment you wanted in my bed, I knew I was keeping you.” He reaches up and caresses your cheek. “We will work out the details, but I want you, sweetheart.”

You smile, kissing his nose and you whimper as he pulls out of you. “I’m gonna clean you up.” He declares and you stretch out on his bed while he grabs the lamp to get you a rag to clean up. Once you’re cleaned up, you settle under his sheets, glad to have the fan, and you curl into his chest. The winds are picking up again as the eye passes and you close your eyes. “Get some sleep, sweetheart. The storm will pass.” He promises and you sigh, listening to his heartbeat as you fall asleep. You feel protected and loved and safe which is more than you ever imagined when you heard the storm was heading your way. Yet here you are, you and Frankie together in the eye of the hurricane and you’ve never felt happier.

[cleolinda]

The Category 4 hurricane, bordering on Category 5 [as of Tuesday Oct. 8], was expected to reach Florida's Gulf Coast between 10 p.m Wednesday and 2 a.m. Thursday, according to the latest forecasts.

“You have time today. Time is running out," Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters on Tuesday. "But you do have time today to heed any evacuation orders and do what you need to do to protect yourself and our families.”

Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert said she's confident her constituents understand the consequences of not evacuating. "What everyone has been saying is, you have to evacuate, it is not survivable, to survive a 10- to 15-foot storm surge," Alpert told NBC News on Tuesday. "It just simply isn't."

Mr. Biden said he pre-approved emergency declarations in Florida and had sent FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell to Florida on Monday. He also called on airlines to provide "as much service as possible" and "not engage in price gouging."

Mr. Biden said he had spoken to "all political leaders" in the region, "some of them more than once," and he said he told them "anything they ask for, they can get."

I don’t want to add to people’s anxiety about this if you’re already safe or following the story from afar, but if this kind of warning convinces anyone to evacuate or make sure their loved ones do, it’s worth it. If you want to evacuate now but you don’t know where to go, lists of shelters by county are over here.

More about the predicted path:

It’s also been pointed out that you can travel north OR south—the hurricane is cutting across the state. Ideally you would get out of the path entirely, but any distance from the direct line of impact and/or the coast would help, even a little:

Scroll way, way down for the interactive map, which I have screenshots of below (again, accurate as of midday Tuesday October 8th). The hurricane will weaken as it hits land, but it’s still wildly intense, considering:

I wasn’t online much the week of Helene, or I would have posted then too. But Helene also gave us an idea of how bad things could get, and a baseline for “even worse,” so that’s one of the reasons I’m posting all this now. (I also have the luxury of being in a different state. I’m not someone to worry about.) I’ll look for disaster relief resources and post those when the time comes. I hope people are still helping Asheville and NC, but this is gonna have to be my lane for now.

[definitionsfading]

we finally got power back around 3pm today (Tuesday) after losing it in totality this past Wednesday night (October 9th) when Hurricane Milton hit Florida, so I finally feel like I can start to return to normalcy in life again, thank god

there's so much to kinda like, Process, and I sound like a nutjob because it obviously wasn't even *that* bad compared to what the people in asheville are still going through. actually weathering the storm is only like 20% of the trauma though, it's the aftermath that really strung me out lol

my personal home didn't get damaged or flooded, thank god, but many of the homes around me took tree fall damage and some of my local haunts and roadways are still partially underwater. shit was no fucking joke! cleanup is going to take months, if not years. it's the nature of taking a hit from a storm of this magnitude but it never feels easy when it happens. the loss of electricity, flushing your toilet with a bucket of water from the bathtub, sleeping in total dark and silence other than a candle flickering, walking around a pitch black house with a flashlight, eating meals out of cans, feeling exposed to the world around you. it's kinda primal in a way?

for me the main issue was the fact that we live in hot-ass Florida, and with the power knocked out my mother insisted on us sleeping with the house WIDE the fuck open at night for air circulation. windows, sliding glass doors, everything. our fenced in back yard did take some wind damage, so part of the fence blew over flat and anybody passing on the roadway beyond the water behind us could shine their headlights directly onto our house. it was just incredibly eerie feeling so exposed like that, especially knowing that criminals take advantage of the power outages because they know they won't be caught on camera. I would keep waking up in the night at the slightest sounds. anybody who wanted to walk into our house fully could have done it. I'm just glad we weren't singled out as a target for theft.

there was also a big issue with the cats being outdoors in the storm aftermath. I was supremely stressed out with the fence being down, because any wild animal, dog, or person could waltz into our back yard and hurt the cats. there was one night where I got up to pee around 1:00 in the morning and I heard a cat screaming outside, and I literally flew out the back door in my goddamn Birkenstocks, ran through the hole in our fence, and bolted AROUND the water behind the fence without falling or tripping to try and find the cat that I thought for sure was being eaten by something. it turned out it was two stray cats fighting near the fence line of the adjoining subdivision lmfao 🙃 and my cats were all safe at my house and patio area. but I didn't know that! you're living in a pitch black world, there are no street lights, no house lights, nothing. no stars because of the cloud cover. it was just me, adrenaline, and a fucking flashlight.

anyway, it's mostly over for me now, and I know I'm lucky we weren't caught up in the freshwater flooding. I just had to vent a little bit and stress how paranoid and anxious a weather event like this can make people. I know many of you have likely never been through a major hurricane in the same way I have never been through something like a blizzard or a tornado, but for empathy's sake. here is my casual testimony lol. fuck global warming dude

[jacquesthepigeon]

Milton's already been upgraded to a category five. It doesn't flood where I live, but I'm out in Pinellas County- that's the little peninsula on the Florida peninsula, currently projected to get directly hit. More worried about the abundance of trees in my area plus 175 mph winds and the fact that we apparently cannot board the windows at my place! Pivot pivot pivot

Nooooo that sucks pls don’t tell me if ur in the mandatory evacuation zone but if u are u better get a move on pls

Bruh my booty dying from sitting in line to fill sand bags 🙂

This is new to me cuz yeah I’m used to hurricanes but Florida is so gosh darn flat and the houses are made of paper and all the windows got too much glass and too little incorporated protection like wtf why don’t most houses here come hurricane ready

[newstfionline]

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Florida neighbors band together to recover (AP) When ankle-deep floodwaters from Hurricane Helene bubbled up through the floors of their home, Kat Robinson-Malone and her husband sent a late-night text message to their neighbors two doors down: “Hey, we’re coming.” The couple waded through the flooded street to the elevated front porch of Chris and Kara Sundar, whose home was built on higher ground, and handed over their 8-year-old daughter and a gas-powered generator. The Sundars’ lime-green house in southern Tampa also became a refuge for Brooke and Adam Carstensen, whose house next door to Robinson-Malone also flooded. The three families met years earlier when their children became playmates, and the adults’ friendships deepened during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. So when Helene and Hurricane Milton struck Florida within two weeks of each other, the neighbors closed ranks as one big extended family, cooking meals together, taking turns watching children and cleaning out their damaged homes. “Everyone has, like, the chain saw or a tarp,” Robinson-Malone said Sunday. “But really the most important thing for us was the community we built. And that made all the difference for the hurricane rescue and the recovery. And now, hopefully, the restoration.”

Thousands march in Spain to demand affordable housing (Reuters) Thousands protested on Sunday in Madrid to demand more affordable housing amid rising anger from Spaniards who feel they are being priced out of the market. “Spaniards cannot live in their own cities. They are forcing us out of the cities,” said nurse Blanca Prieto, 33. Spain is struggling to balance promoting tourism, a key driver of its economy, and addressing citizens’ concerns over unaffordable high rents due to gentrification and landlords shifting to more lucrative tourist rentals. Residents of the Canary Islands and Malaga have also staged protests this year against the rise in tourist rentals. Seasonal hospitality workers struggle to find accommodation in these tourism hot spots, with many resorting to sleeping in caravans or even their cars.

Russian Strikes on Ukrainian Ports Target Shipping (NYT) Russia has stepped up its assaults on Black Sea port infrastructure and civilian shipping in recent days, in what Ukraine says is an attempt to disrupt its exports and damage its economy. The attacks are part of an intensifying campaign of strikes on the city of Odesa and the region along Ukraine’s southern coast. Since last Monday, Russia has carried out five attacks in the area, killing 14 civilians and injuring 28, the U.N.’s Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported on Friday, citing local authorities. The strikes on ships were mostly aimed at those flying flags of small countries unlikely to retaliate against Russia. Last Monday, a container ship under the flag of Palau was hit, Ukrainian official said. The day before that, a missile damaged a vessel under a Saint Kitts and Nevis flag, according to the regional military administration.

Pakistan’s internet slows to a crawl as blame falls on government (Washington Post) Mobile internet in Pakistan has been painfully slow for over two months. Now, technology experts and political activists are accusing the government of intentionally throttling the internet to suppress political protesters. Digital rights activists fear that Pakistani officials are installing new controls to more tightly monitor social media and to censor political content.

China’s ‘New Great Wall’ Casts a Shadow on Nepal (NYT) The Chinese fence traces a furrow in the Himalayas, its barbed wire and concrete ramparts separating Tibet from Nepal. Here, in one of the more isolated places on earth, China’s security cameras keep watch alongside armed sentries in guard towers. High on the Tibetan Plateau, the Chinese have carved a 600-feet-long message on a hillside: “Long live the Chinese Communist Party,” inscribed in characters that can be read from orbit. Just across the border, in Nepal’s Humla District, residents contend that along several points of this distant frontier, China is encroaching on Nepali territory. The Nepalis have other complaints, too. Chinese security forces are pressuring ethnic Tibetan Nepalis not to display images of the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, in Nepali villages near the border, they say. “This is the new Great Wall of China,” said Jeevan Bahadur Shahi, the former provincial chief minister of the area. China’s fencing along the edge of Nepal’s Humla District is just one segment of a fortification network thousands of miles long that Xi Jinping’s government has built to reinforce remote reaches, control rebellious populations and, in some cases, push into territory that other nations consider their own.

Sri Lanka closes schools as floods hammer the capital (AP) Sri Lanka closed schools in the capital Colombo and suburbs on Monday as heavy rains triggered floods in many parts of the island nation. Heavy downpours over the weekend have wreaked havoc in many parts of the country, flooding homes, fields and roads. Three people drowned, while some 134,000 people have been affected by flooding, according to the country’s Disaster Management Centre. Sri Lanka has been grappling with severe weather conditions since May, mostly caused by heavy monsoon rains. In June, 16 people died due to floods and mudslides.

Can the Government Get People to Have More Babies? (NYT) In 1989, Japan seemed to be an unstoppable economic superpower. Its companies were overtaking competitors and gobbling up American icons like Rockefeller Center. But inside the country, the government had identified a looming, slow-motion crisis: The fertility rate had fallen to a record low. Policymakers called it the “1.57 shock,” citing the projected average number of children that women would have over their childbearing years. If births continued to decline, they warned, the consequences would be disastrous. Taxes would rise or social security coffers would shrink. Japanese children would lack sufficient peer interaction. Society would lose its vitality as the supply of young workers dwindled. It was time to act. Starting in the 1990s, Japan began rolling out policies and pronouncements designed to spur people to have more babies. The government required employers to offer child care leave of up to a year, opened more subsidized day care slots, exhorted men to do housework and take paternity leave, and called on companies to shorten work hours. In 1992, the government started paying direct cash allowances for having even one child (earlier, they had started with the third child), and bimonthly payments for all children were later introduced. None of this has worked. Last year, Japan’s fertility rate stood at 1.2. In Tokyo, the rate is now less than one. The number of babies born in Japan last year fell to the lowest level since the government started collecting statistics in 1899. Now the rest of the developed world is looking more and more like Japan.

The Brewing War With Israel Is Boosting Iran’s Young Hard-Liners (Foreign Affairs) The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s influential, ideological armed force, has been riven by divisions between its older, conservative commanders and its younger, radical ranks. The former generally favor exercising some restraint when it comes to Israel, whereas the latter want to go directly after the Islamic Republic’s nemesis. Typically, the older elite have held more influence with the supreme leader. But as more and more IRGC commanders and partners have been killed, the younger generations have gained the upper hand. They have done so by questioning the competence of their elders but also by suggesting that some IRGC elites are actually Israeli assets, including Esmail Ghaani, the IRGC commander who controls Iran’s Quds force—which, in turn, controls Iran’s network of proxy militias. After Israel killed Nasrallah, Khamenei’s calculus appears to have been shaped by this younger cohort. It is part of why Khamenei launched the October 1 attack.

Netanyahu Is Killing Us To Set Us Free? Logic, Grief And Resistance In Beirut (Daraj/Lebanon) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed us, the Lebanese people, and offered us a gift: a massacre. He sent soldiers to the Lebanese border town of Maroun al-Ras, raised an Israeli flag there, and sent the picture to the whole world. Netanyahu, who has so far killed more than 40,000 Palestinians and about 3,000 Lebanese, addressed us directly—and said that he is killing us for the sake of our future [by destroying Hezbollah]. Netanyahu tells us that he wants to give us after killing us, a homeland, one that is no more than a graveyard and no less than a colony. This speech he addressed to us is truly amazing, a summary of what awaits us if Netanyahu, owner of the “massacre doctrine,” achieves what he wants.

U.S. to Deploy Missile Defense System and About 100 Troops to Israel (NYT) The United States is sending an advanced missile defense system to Israel, along with about 100 American troops to operate it, the Pentagon announced on Sunday. The move will put American troops operating the ground-based interceptor, which is designed to defend against ballistic missiles, closer to the widening war in the Middle East. It comes after Iran launched about 200 missiles at Israel on Oct. 1 and as Israel plans its retaliatory attack. The THAAD battery, a mobile defense system, will give the Israel Defense Forces another layer of protection to defend cities, troops and installations from short- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles like those deployed by Iran in its last attack.

Netanyahu tells U.S. that Israel will strike Iranian military, not nuclear or oil, targets, officials say (Washington Post) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the Biden administration he is willing to strike military rather than oil or nuclear facilities in Iran, according to two officials familiar with the matter, suggesting a more limited counterstrike aimed at preventing a full-scale war. In the two weeks since Iran’s latest missile barrage on Israel, its second direct attack in six months, the Middle East has braced for Israel’s promised response, fearing the two countries’ decades-long shadow war could explode into a head-on military confrontation. It comes at a politically fraught time for Washington, less than a month before the election, and President Joe Biden has said publicly he would not support an Israeli strike on nuclear-related sites. When Biden and Netanyahu spoke Wednesday—their first call in more than seven weeks after months of rising tensions between the two men—the prime minister said he was planning to target military infrastructure in Iran, according to a U.S. official and an official familiar with the matter.

Is Israel deploying a ‘surrender or starve’ strategy in Gaza? (Washington Post) Northern Gaza, already pummeled by a year of ruinous war, is in the grips of a punishing new Israeli offensive. Israeli forces encircled the battered Jabalya refugee camp in a bid to “systematically dismantle terrorist infrastructure,” according to an IDF statement. Israel issued evacuation orders to some 400,000 remaining residents in northern Gaza, telling them to go to areas farther south that are already teeming with the displaced and still hit by Israeli bombardments. Airstrikes have killed dozens. Aid workers described a catastrophic scene. “It is like hell to be honest,” Fares Afana, the head of ambulance services in northern Gaza, told The Washington Post in a voice note on Sunday. Israeli forces were attacking the Jabalya refugee camp “for the third time and its surroundings in Beit Lahya and Beit Hanoun,” Afana said, and the camp was surrounded “from all sides.” Humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders said Friday that thousands of people—including five of its staffers—were trapped in the Jabalya camp. “Nobody is allowed to get in or out—anyone who tries is getting shot,” Sarah Vuylsteke, a project coordinator for the organization, said in a news release. The intensifying siege will “continue as long as required in order to achieve its objectives,” the IDF said in a statement. It comes alongside an apparent blockade. No food trucks have entered at all in October. Such a tactic may fuel further accusations that Israel is deliberately starving Palestinians in Gaza.

[thegospelhighways2020]

Good Morning my saints this morning we are going to use for an subject about missing children #rebeccareusch #brothercory2024 some of Y'all ain't with me church and Supporters I said we're praying for her say it with me come on say it with Brother Cory up in here we're praying for her Y'all know we're praying for her we're praying that Rebecca will be found and Brought back home safe and sound soon this is 2024 fixin to be 2025 soon and she hasn't been found come on somebody uh oh uh oh some of Y'all got quiet now I figured something was going on cause Y'all wouldn't have gotten quiet if something wasn't going on in here now talk about Rebecca Reusch she's been missing God said he saw her but we don't know yet Y'all I'm preaching about Rebecca Reusch because there's an #appreciationprayersforrebeccareusch #appreciationprayersforvanessagonzalez #vanessagonzalez why because we're praying for Them both Tonight today tomorrow last night we prayed for them yesterday all day is Sunday Happy Thanksgiving Day to Y'all I'm hoping to see that macy's thanksgiving day parade while I'm cooking in my kitchen and my girlfriend cherry is coming over to my house but right now this morning I'm Preaching About Rebecca Reusch and missing children nobody should kidnap the children nobody should Beat them up or hurt them I saw in a video that Kirra Hart was Beat up one time by Rhynisha Garecht or Grecht something like that y'all but she's missing Rebecca Reusch really is missing what is the police Doing at this point may I ask while she's missing what's the police doing doesn't look like their doing nothing about it back in October 7th a young girl named #shayleejennings Died Due to a Hurricane Milton in Florida meanwhile there were in September 24th a Hurricane helene hit Florida Georgia Tennessee North Carolina and Virginia and we prayed for all states of people and Children and animals just like now we're praying for Rebecca Reusch

[head-post]

Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida, causes deaths and flooding

Hurricane Milton has hit Florida’s west coast in the Tampa Bay area, spawning tornadoes and unleashing heavy rain and damaging winds on the region, resulting in unconfirmed reports of fatalities, US media reported.

The first images of raging waves and wild winds look apocalyptic. Surveillance cameras are flooded with water, they are switched off. The entire Florida coastline is predicted to change after its attack, four-metre waves will cause unprecedented flooding, remnants of buildings that Hurricane Helene two weeks ago did not tear apart will be blown away. St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson told WPBF News after a series of tornadoes hit an area near Fort Pierce:

“We have lost some life.”

Millions of people along a more than 483-kilometre stretch of coastline are at risk of evacuation. The storm is expected to cause a life-threatening surge of seawater to coastal areas.

The storm hit Siesta Key, south of the city of Tampa, on Wednesday evening local time, in a direct hit to the once-in-a-century region.

The National Weather Service reported flash flooding in the Tampa Bay area, which received more than 41 centimetres of rain.

Heavy rains could also cause flooding in rivers and lakes inland as Milton passes through the Florida peninsula as a hurricane and will enter the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday.

According to Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Office of Emergency Management, about 125 homes were destroyed even before the hurricane made landfall, many of them mobile homes in senior living communities.

Milton is “extremely dangerous major hurricane”

As of Wednesday morning, Milton was a Category Five hurricane – the highest level – with maximum sustained wind speeds of 260 kilometres per hour, but after making landfall, the US National Hurricane Centre downgraded it to Category Three and then Category Two.

It was later downgraded to category one with wind speeds of up to 150 kilometres per hour. But despite fluctuations in its strength, the agency said it remains an “extremely dangerous major hurricane.”

The hurricane’s impact, caused by unusually warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, covered an area of more than 3 million people, with an estimated 2 million people without power.

The region has already been hit by Hurricane Helene two weeks ago, which killed at least 230 people in six states.

After making landfall on the state’s west coast, Milton is expected to maintain hurricane strength as it crosses the Florida peninsula and pose a storm surge risk on the state’s Atlantic coast as well.

The National Weather Service confirmed that at least five tornadoes had touched down in South Florida by Wednesday afternoon.

Four bridges spanning Tampa Bay were closed before the storm was expected to hit the city, according to the Florida 511 website. Most of the levees connecting the Gulf barrier islands to the mainland were also closed, leaving anyone who chose to wait out the storm stranded despite calls from officials.

Matter of life and death

In Orlando, many residents said they had confidently weathered previous hurricanes, but Milton’s rapid strengthening and officials’ warnings forced them to take precautions unusual for an inland city.

Jim Nagini, a 61-year-old homeless man who has lived here for nearly three decades, said he had survived previous hurricanes on the streets but decided to seek shelter during Milton. He said:

“This hurricane feels different. After what happened last week in North Carolina, it seems like an unexpected disaster could hit unaccustomed places. That’s why I decided to seek refuge here.”

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris announced that Milton could become the hurricane of the century and urged residents to listen to local officials. Biden said:

“This is literally a matter of life and death.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said trucks were working 24 hours a day to remove piles of debris left behind by Helene.

Nineteen hospitals were evacuated, the Florida Hospital Association said. Mobile homes, nursing homes and assisted living facilities are subject to mandatory evacuations. Milton is the 13th storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began on June 1.

Read more HERE

[theaologies]

Afternoon y’all. Obviously storms have already come through and wrecked a ton this season but for folks who’ve more recently moved to Central Florida and not had it bad yet, here is my old hurricane preparedness post that went wild a couple years ago.

Milton is going to almost certainly be a Cat 4 when it hits Tampa. Honestly, if you have the means to evacuate I would recommend considering it. I’ve been through 30+ storms (including one in SoCal??) and I wouldn’t play with a Cat 4.

Something not covered in this post- because it wasn’t nearly as much of an issue at the time- is flooding. With so many areas flooding on the daily with just regular rainstorms and this being a very slow moving storm AND right now the forecast predicting it raining almost nonstop up until the storm- flooding will be an issue.

Most CF counties now have sandbag centers open. At most you have to supply your own bags and shovels.

The best way to protect your home from flooding is sandbags+tarps. Weigh the bottom of the tarp down under the bottom of the sand bags, wrap is behind the bags (the side facing your home), and then weigh the top down with the top layer of sandbags to create a sort of seal.

Avoid floodwaters as much as possible + wear as protective clothing if you must interact with them. There IS raw sewage in flood waters and chances of infections are extremely high. Pants+closed toed shoes+long sleeves can help prevent cutting yourself on anything that may be hidden by murky waters. There is also a risk of electrocution if there are downed live power lines in the water.

Florida also has, you know, creatures. There WILL be gators in the flood waters!! I have seen sharks in flood waters!! Remember, animals are also displaced when lakes/ponds/rivers flood.

This post is pretty old- those of us who didn’t experience Helene first hand have seen what it’s done. The one good thing about Milton is it’s a very slow moving storm (6mph as of Sunday afternoon) where Helene was hitting 30mph at times. There is TIME TO PREPARE! Get yourself, your pets, and your important documents in order. Get your supplies- check out places like dollar stores. Folks will flock to target/publix/walmart but while we couldn’t find toilet paper (fucking AGAIN) there our local dollar store still had a decent supply.

Anyway, I have to finish putting the shutters up on my mom’s house so I can go help her with my grandfather’s so I don’t have time to add much more. Be safe y’all

Alright alright alright back at it again with Hurricane info since Florence is gonna be bearing down on the Carolinas in a few days

Know your local shelters, just in case! IF YOU HAVE PETS BE AWARE OF THE ONES THAT ACCEPT PETS! Unfortunately not all of them do

Beware of price gouging! Especially on gas!

BE PREPARED FOR GAS STATIONS TO RUN OUT OF GAS!

SOMETHING TO ADD:

DO NOT ASSUME YOU’LL BE ABLE TO GET THINGS VIA PRIME RIGHT BEFORE THE STORM

I could not stress this more. It was a HUGE issue last year! Amazon can and WILL run out of things in their warehouses- INCLUDING FANS, BATTERIES, AND PORTABLE CHARGERS. And shipping will be delayed due to the storm! If there’s anything AT ALL you need from amazon via Prime order it ASAP. 3rd party sellers were gouging the shit out of stuff like fans just before Irma last year on amazon so if you want stuff and don’t want to pay and arm and a leg for it, GET IT NOW

Don’t bother with buying things like flour and eggs and milk! Don’t buy perishables! If you lose power they will do nothing for you!

Fill gallon freezer bags with water, seal them tightly with duct tape, and freeze them before the storm! If you lose power you’ll be able to toss them in your fridge to keep it cooler longer! You’ll also have extra emergency water if you need it

[worldofwardcraft]

It's all under control.

December 16, 2024

For years, right-wing conspiracy nuts have chased a cockamamie theory that the condensation trails behind jet aircraft — which wingers refer to as chemtrails — are full of toxic compounds spread by the government either to manipulate the weather or control people’s minds (take your pick). Last August, in response to a video promoting this imaginary plot, brainworm-infested Robert Kennedy, Jr. tweeted out, "We are going to stop this crime."

Once upon a time, such lunatic beliefs were to be found only on the far edges of the unhinged right. Back in 2013, for example, conspiracy monger Alex Jones insisted that then-President Barack Obama had deployed a weather weapon when a tornado hit Oklahoma. On his radio show, Jones argued that the government “can create and steer groups of tornadoes.”

But since no conspiracy is insane enough that dimwitted MAGAs won't gobble it right up, the notion that our government uses some kind of non-existent technology to control the weather has become part of the wider GOP catechism. Consequently, this past April, Tennessee Republicans passed a state law banning the release of airborne chemicals. More recently, Florida state senator Ileana Garcia introduced similar legislation that would ban “weather modification activities” in the airspace over that state.

Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, state senator and failed Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano has proposed legislation to outlaw experimental weather modification techniques. Reports the Pennsylvania Capital Star:

The legislation would ban the release of substances within the borders of Pennsylvania to affect the temperature, weather or intensity of sunlight.

And what crackpot idea would be complete without Georgia attention hound Marjorie Taylor Greene weighing in. Following the devastation from Hurricane Helene in September, she wrote, “Yes they can control the weather. It’s ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can’t be done.” Plus, Alex Jones still can't shut up about it. Here's an October headline from his now-bankrupt InfoWars: "Treason Alert — The Biden-Harris Admin Have Been In Control of Hurricanes Helene and Milton Using Pentagon Weather Weapons."

Some MAGAs even claimed those hurricanes were deliberately steered toward Trump-supporting communities. Science, of course, begs to differ. Those so-called chemtrails are actually water vapor near the exhaust of jet planes that condenses and freezes, creating a temporary cloud. Moreover, attempting to weaponize the weather is illegal, having been banned in 1977 under the UN's Environmental Modification Convention.

Yet, by combining an irrational distrust of both government activity and scientific reality, conservatives continue to believe "they" can control the weather. While also insisting that man-made climate change is “a hoax.”

[jodilin65]

We have survived! The old flagpole that was here when we moved in got knocked down, the car was pushed a few inches, and the AC broke—but we’re alive. Thankfully, the AC is under warranty, but we still have to pay a hundred bucks just to have someone come check it out. They can’t come until Tuesday, so I’m grateful we have the portables—one in the bedroom and another in the living room. Funny, because just the other day, I thought they were a waste of money. Now they’re lifesavers!

I’m surprised the AC broke, though. I thought we had at least 10 to 15 years before we’d have a problem. I noticed something was off as soon as I got up. I could hear it running, but there was no air coming out of the vents. But then again, I’m not that surprised. When you have money, you stay afloat like we used to, but when you’re poor, there’s no getting ahead. Moving out west to the desert to develop our own land and build a new house is starting to feel more like a fantasy than a reality. I just don’t see how we can pull it off. On top of that, I’m just not as healthy as I used to be.

Hurricane Milton wreaked havoc across Florida. It sounded scary out there at times, but all we could do was wait it out by candlelight. We were without power for 14.5 hours, and stepping out onto the lanai felt like stepping into a war zone. Nearly 20 tornadoes spawned from the storm, and it’s a good thing we didn’t go to Port St. Lucie after all! That area, Fort Pierce, and others were hit hard by the tornadoes. Even someone’s carport near the entrance was taken down. As frustrating as things are for us, it could have been much worse—we definitely couldn’t afford to fix a carport! Where we’re situated, I think tornadoes are a bigger threat than hurricanes.

At one point, there was a lull in the wind and rain, and I could hear dogs barking in the neighboring subdivision. I couldn’t believe it—who leaves their dogs outside in the middle of a fucking hurricane?! It’s bad enough to treat dogs like outdoor decor instead of pets, but to leave them out in a storm? Even though I can barely hear them down here, it amazes me that no one does anything about it. How do their owners or neighbors even sleep?

During the night, I was in touch with Irma and Toni on and off and others. It was still stressful, and I could have used some lorazepam at the time. Putting the therapist on hold for now, though. The most important thing is dealing with my sleep apnea. I have been able to get a little more sleep, which helps (until something fucks it up again). I slept a little over 7 hours yesterday, and almost 8 hours today.

Looks like Kathy decided to ghost me, even though I don’t know why. We weren’t arguing or anything. Oh, well. Her choice. Besides, nothing really surprises me these days. I don’t do do-overs, and I have a hard no-forgive rule. So unless it’s turned out she’s been hacked, she can’t come back into my life. I can’t even access her other account, so I’d say that yeah, I’ve been blocked. sighs I’ll never again have a friend like Aly.

I got a couple of shelves to put by the built-in desk in front, but they’re delayed. I also ordered a 12-piece wax sampler for $6.

We lost even more money because we had to throw some food out because of the power outage. I could have been smart and pulled some chicken or fish out of the freezer and made that up with veggies, but instead, when Tom wanted to Dominoes, I got a pizza and some lava cakes, and they made me feel kind of yucky. My heart raced and I sugar crashed. I’ve been eating horribly unhealthy for the last few days now. Because of the hurricane, we got a lot of pantry stuff, so I’ve had more bread than I eat in a year.

[bllsbailey]

FEMA Officials Ordered Relief Workers to Skip Hurricane-Ravaged Houses With Trump Signs

When Hurricane Milton crashed into Florida, officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency ordered relief workers to skip homes with signs supporting Donald Trump in the 2024 election. This isn’t hyperbole or an allegation; it was confirmed by FEMA. The Daily Wire had the scoop [emphasis mine]:

A federal disaster relief official ordered workers to bypass the homes of Donald Trump’s supporters as they surveyed damage caused by Hurricane Milton in Florida, according to internal correspondence obtained by The Daily Wire and confirmed by multiple federal employees.  A FEMA supervisor told workers in a message to “avoid homes advertising Trump” as they canvassed Lake Placid, Florida to identify residents who could qualify for federal aid, internal messages viewed by The Daily Wire reveal. The supervisor, Marn’i Washington, relayed this message both verbally and in a group chat used by the relief team, multiple government employees told The Daily Wire.  The government employees told The Daily Wire that at least 20 homes with Trump signs or flags were skipped from the end of October and into November due to the guidance, meaning they were not given the opportunity to qualify for FEMA assistance. Images shared with The Daily Wire show that houses were skipped over by the workers, who wrote in the government system messages such as: “Trump sign no entry per leadership.”  […]  The FEMA agents ordered not to help houses with Trump signs were operating in Highlands County, a deep-red area located in south central Florida that backed Trump by 70% on Tuesday. It was hit with tornadoes, torrential wind and rain, and flooding when Milton hit in October.  […]  Chad Hershey, Washington’s FEMA supervisor, told The Daily Wire that the agency is looking into the situation.  “We are aware of it and we are taking proper action in this situation currently,” Hershey said.   Pressed to confirm the messages, Hershey said: “We are aware of it and we are taking action at this moment regarding the situation that you’re talking about.” 

It’s the twofer here. The Biden administration showed it was callous and uncaring during the Afghanistan debacle. They still refuse to acknowledge or contact the families of the 13 American service members who were killed in a terrorist attack at Abbey Gate. That was abroad. At home, Biden’s FEMA told its workers to skip homes ravaged by a natural disaster because they supported his opponent. And yet, they say we’re garbage for supporting Trump. This news isn’t shocking if you’ve watched any anti-Trump meltdowns since Election Day. 

These people can and will use institutional power to punish their political enemies, which is why the ‘Trump will weaponize the DOJ’ talking points aren’t working; you people already did that. Is anyone wondering why Special Counsel Jack Smith is in the process of shutting down his sham legal actions against Trump?

What’s astounding is FEMA confirmed it outright. A lot of people need to be fired in January.

Trending on Townhall Videos

[internet-siren]

October 2024 Internet Culture Round-Up

KSI’s Latest Song Drop 🎶 KSI dropped a new track in October, and let's just say… people had a lot to say. The lyrics? Copypasta gold: “From the screen, to the ring, to the pen, to the king. Where’s my crown? That’s my bling.” 🤴💎 Memes flooded in, mocking everything from Prime Energy to his other ventures. Even KSI fans were like, “This... is a lot.” And DanTDM called out KSI, Logan Paul, and MrBeast for pushing “low-quality products” to kids. Honestly, how do we even handle this? 🤔

Stop Jumping, Elon! 🚶‍♂️💥 Elon Musk’s awkward jump at a Trump rally became the meme we didn’t ask for but definitely got. On October 5th, at the Butler rally, Musk leapt into the air in a cringe-worthy moment that exploded across social media. This isn’t even his first awkward jump—this man’s made a career out of awkward leaping. From his Tesla meeting to random rallies, Musk’s jumps are giving us all the second-hand embarrassment. 🥲

Jack Doherty McLaren Crash 🚗💥 Jack Doherty, the Kick streamer, livestreamed himself crashing his $200,000 McLaren. Instead of checking on his injured friend, he was more concerned about his car while speeding in the rain. The whole thing raised serious concerns about influencer responsibility, but at least he got banned from Kick, so there’s that. Content creation shouldn't come at the expense of safety—glad to see some accountability. 👏

The Joker 2: Folie a deux Flop 🎬 Joker 2—yeah, I saw it. The beginning was alright, Lady Gaga was decent, but Joaquin Phoenix? Maybe a bit too into the role. Halfway through, it turned into a drawn-out court drama that was honestly a little boring. I left before the explosion (because, honestly, I’d seen enough), and spoiler: it didn’t get better. Expect a third movie, though—because that’s how Hollywood works. 😬

Hurricane Milton 🌪️ Hurricane Milton hit Florida on October 9th, 2024, as one of the most powerful storms in Atlantic history. It went from a Category 1 to a Category 5 in a single day, leaving destruction in its wake. While Tampa Bay was hit the hardest, conspiracy theories about the storm began circulating, with some blaming the government for using weather technology to manipulate the election. Sure, why not? 🙄

Velma Series Ends... Maybe? 👻 The Velma series might be over after two seasons. The finale had Velma killed by Scrappy-Doo (yes, really), only for her ghost to plot a comeback. But it’s not quite over yet—there’s a Halloween special where ghost Velma somehow returns to life. Fans are celebrating Scrappy-Doo’s revenge, but honestly, this whole show might just end here. Let’s just leave it at that, yeah? 🤷‍♀️

"My 17 Diapers Moment" 👶💩 Nurse Hannah went viral on TikTok after sharing how she found 17 dirty diapers scattered around her home two weeks postpartum. While some moms roasted her, others shared their own messy experiences, coining the term “My 17 Diapers Moment” to symbolize the chaos of motherhood. It’s a heartwarming reminder that moms should support each other, not shame each other. 🤍

Liam Payne’s Tragic Fall 💔 Liam Payne’s apparent suicide attempt shocked the world. After weeks of drama involving his ex and accusations of abuse, Payne was reportedly incoherent and aggressive before falling from a balcony. TMZ posted details within hours, before his family even had time to process. It’s a tragic reminder of how invasive media can be, exploiting trauma for clicks. 📰

MrBeast’s Reputation as "Nice Millionaire" Unraveling? 💸 MrBeast is facing backlash for his new product, “Lunchly,” which many fans called a cash grab. Things got worse when Rosanna Pansino called him out for shady business practices. Fans are starting to question his “nice millionaire” image, and the narrative around him is shifting. Is this the end of his golden reputation? Maybe. 🤔

Meet Luce, the Vatican’s Unexpected Anime Mascot 💙 The Vatican just introduced an anime mascot, Luce, designed by Simone Legno. With her blue hair and yellow coat, she’s here to connect with younger Catholics. Alongside other characters like Fe, Xin, and Sky, she’s been the subject of memes and fan art. The Vatican is officially embracing anime, and honestly? I’m here for it. 💖

Peanut the Squirrel Is Gone: Have We Entered the Worst Timeline? 🐿️💔 Peanut the Squirrel (P’Nut) is gone. Along with Fred the Raccoon, they were euthanized after a rabies investigation, sparking outrage across the internet. Both animals had a huge Instagram following, and now they’re at the center of memes and tributes. Feels a lot like Harambe all over again. Seriously, are we in the worst timeline now? Because this is just too much. 😔

[whispersofthesoulblog]

We Are Florida

In 2020, I packed up my life and moved to Florida. The first couple of years, I found myself in Orlando—bright lights, theme parks, and more traffic than I ever imagined. It was more than a small-town guy from Michigan could take at times. Growing up in a little town, I was used to neighbors knowing each other's names, not being stuck on I-4 for hours with people who seemed like they were competing in a demolition derby.

Then came a rent hike, and with it, a job transfer offer to Largo. I jumped at the chance. I'd been to the area before—a good friend of mine had moved from Buffalo to Dunedin years earlier, and I’ll never forget that first visit. There was something different in the air, something I hadn't felt in years. Maybe ever.

The first thing that struck me was the vibe. People here were laid-back, easy-going—friendly even. You know how rare that can feel sometimes, right? It wasn’t just Disney or franchise chains everywhere. No, in Dunedin, it was local shops, family-run restaurants, and that authentic small-town charm I hadn’t realized I’d been missing.

And the water. Oh man, growing up in Michigan, being near the water was everything. I was out on the lakes as much as possible, but seeing the Gulf of Mexico for the first time? Looking out over the Gulf put me at peace in a way nothing in Orlando ever could. After two years of battling traffic, frustration, and the never-ending grind, I found myself watching the sunset over the Gulf—and I knew. I knew I was where I was meant to be. Honeymoon Island was like finding a hidden gem, a treasure just waiting for me to discover.

But you know, Florida’s got a way of reminding you who's in charge. Back in Michigan, I’ve seen my fair share of snowstorms, ice storms, even blizzards. But hurricanes? I had never experienced one until I moved to the coast. My initiation? Hurricane Ian. Let me tell you, I thought I was ready. Stocked up on supplies, braced myself for the worst, even expected to come back to nothing but rubble. At the last minute, Ian shifted south and devastated Fort Myers Beach instead, but it was only a matter of time before I met my first real test.

That test came when Hurricane Helene screamed past us, and I stayed put. I thought, “I’ve got this. I’m ready.” Halfway through, when the carport roof started lifting up and the wind howled so fiercely it took out the outdoor ceiling fan, I thought, “Maybe I didn’t make the right move after all.”

Next one I got to meet was Little Milton. Yes, for this one I decided to move inland. The only problem was we moved inland but closer to the eye. Damn, I had never felt wind like that in my life. The pressure outside was like something out of a nightmare, and for the first time, I questioned if the roof would stay on after the pressure blew off the attic door. In that moment, I gained a deep respect for Mother Nature and her power. It’s one thing to read about hurricanes or watch them on the news. It's a whole different story when you're in the middle of it. It was a long, dark, scary night wondering which closet was the safest.

But there’s something I also learned that day: Floridians are tough. Tough as steel. We’ve got all kinds of people down here—interesting ones, for sure—but we’re resilient. We take the hits, we get knocked down, but guess what? We get back up. Every. Single. Time.

Milton, oh Milton, you might’ve knocked us down for a minute or maybe two, but you better believe we’re getting back up. We’re dusting ourselves off and getting back to work. Building a better, stronger, brighter Florida than you’ve ever seen before. Because that’s what we do.

We are Floridians. And we are Florida.