Tropical Storm Warning in effect for the theme park areas

Sep 02, 2019 in "Severe Weather impacts to Walt Disney World"

Posted: Monday September 2, 2019 2:09pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

The theme park areas are now under a Tropical Storm Warning - meaning that tropical storm force winds are expected within the next 36 hours.

Although Hurricane Dorian is expected to remain off the east coast, winds of 35 - 45mph are still expected, with gusts to 65mph. Severe weather conditions are expected from Tuesday morning through to Wednesday evening. Some of the outer bands of Dorian are already localized bringing rain to the theme parks.

Currently, all Walt Disney World theme parks, water parks and Disney Springs are operating as normal, but this may change as weather conditions worsen.

Hurricane Dorian 2pm 2 September 2019

...TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS TROPICAL STORM-FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THIS AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 36 HOURS * LOCATIONS AFFECTED - ORLANDO - APOPKA - CHRISTMAS * WIND - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: EQUIVALENT TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND - PEAK WIND FORECAST: 35-45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 65 MPH - WINDOW FOR TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS: TUESDAY MORNING UNTIL WEDNESDAY EVENING - POTENTIAL THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY: POTENTIAL FOR WIND 58 TO 73 MPH - THE WIND THREAT HAS REMAINED NEARLY STEADY FROM THE PREVIOUS ASSESSMENT. - PLAN: PLAN FOR DANGEROUS WIND OF EQUIVALENT STRONG TROPICAL STORM FORCE DUE TO POSSIBLE FORECAST CHANGES IN TRACK, SIZE, OR INTENSITY. - PREPARE: REMAINING EFFORTS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE COMPLETED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. PREPARE FOR SIGNIFICANT WIND DAMAGE. - ACT: MOVE TO SAFE SHELTER BEFORE THE WIND BECOMES HAZARDOUS. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: SIGNIFICANT - SOME DAMAGE TO ROOFING AND SIDING MATERIALS, ALONG WITH DAMAGE TO PORCHES, AWNINGS, CARPORTS, AND SHEDS. A FEW BUILDINGS EXPERIENCING WINDOW, DOOR, AND GARAGE DOOR FAILURES. MOBILE HOMES DAMAGED, ESPECIALLY IF UNANCHORED. UNSECURED LIGHTWEIGHT OBJECTS BECOME DANGEROUS PROJECTILES. - SEVERAL LARGE TREES SNAPPED OR UPROOTED, BUT WITH GREATER NUMBERS IN PLACES WHERE TREES ARE SHALLOW ROOTED. SEVERAL FENCES AND ROADWAY SIGNS BLOWN OVER. - SOME ROADS IMPASSABLE FROM LARGE DEBRIS, AND MORE WITHIN URBAN OR HEAVILY WOODED PLACES. A FEW BRIDGES, CAUSEWAYS, AND ACCESS ROUTES IMPASSABLE. - SCATTERED POWER AND COMMUNICATIONS OUTAGES, BUT MORE PREVALENT IN AREAS WITH ABOVE GROUND LINES. * FLOODING RAIN - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: - PEAK RAINFALL AMOUNTS: ADDITIONAL 3-6 INCHES, WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS - POTENTIAL THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY: POTENTIAL FOR LOCALIZED FLOODING RAIN - THE FLOODING RAIN THREAT HAS REMAINED NEARLY STEADY FROM THE PREVIOUS ASSESSMENT. - PLAN: EMERGENCY PLANS SHOULD INCLUDE THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALIZED FLOODING FROM HEAVY RAIN. - PREPARE: CONSIDER PROTECTIVE ACTIONS IF YOU ARE IN AN AREA VULNERABLE TO FLOODING. - ACT: HEED ANY FLOOD WATCHES AND WARNINGS. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: LIMITED - LOCALIZED RAINFALL FLOODING MAY PROMPT A FEW EVACUATIONS. - RIVERS AND TRIBUTARIES MAY QUICKLY RISE WITH SWIFTER CURRENTS. SMALL STREAMS, CREEKS, CANALS, ARROYOS, AND DITCHES MAY BECOME SWOLLEN AND OVERFLOW IN SPOTS. - FLOOD WATERS CAN ENTER A FEW STRUCTURES, ESPECIALLY IN USUALLY VULNERABLE SPOTS. A FEW PLACES WHERE RAPID PONDING OF WATER OCCURS AT UNDERPASSES, LOW-LYING SPOTS, AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. SEVERAL STORM DRAINS AND RETENTION PONDS BECOME NEAR-FULL AND BEGIN TO OVERFLOW. SOME BRIEF ROAD AND BRIDGE CLOSURES. * TORNADO - LATEST LOCAL FORECAST: - SITUATION IS UNFAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES - POTENTIAL THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY: TORNADOES NOT EXPECTED - THE TORNADO THREAT HAS DECREASED FROM THE PREVIOUS ASSESSMENT. - PLAN: TORNADOES ARE NOT EXPECTED. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS MAY STILL OCCUR. - PREPARE: LITTLE TO NO PREPARATIONS NEEDED TO PROTECT AGAINST TORNADOES AT THIS TIME. KEEP INFORMED OF THE LATEST TORNADO SITUATION. - ACT: LISTEN FOR CHANGES IN THE FORECAST. - POTENTIAL IMPACTS: LITTLE TO NONE - LITTLE TO NO POTENTIAL IMPACTS FROM TORNADOES. * FOR MORE INFORMATION: - FAMILY EMERGENCY PLANS: FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY - HTTPS://WWW.READY.GOV - LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS AND FORECASTS - HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MLB

Discuss on the Forums

Get Walt Disney World News Delivered to Your Inbox

CrazydisneyfanlukeSep 10, 2019

A afternoon thunderstorm floods I-4 and part of the 408 toll road.....

beertikiSep 10, 2019

You don't need a major hurricane to cause major damage in Orlando. All it would take to create major havoc would be a few days of heavy rain followed by a minor hurricane and a few tornados. Soft ground allows lots of trees to fall, and widespread power outages for several days. Fuel shortages, and two days of missed food delivery at a few resorts, and things would go downhill real fast.

Andrew CSep 09, 2019

GringrinngghostSep 09, 2019

When my grandfather passed, it was right before Hurricane Irma. My aunts were worried about myself flying back to Orlando International after the reception because I wanted and needed to be down here. It’s so far has been the only time I’ve justified to purposely fly into a hurricane impact zone where I wasn’t doing scientific research.

larryzSep 09, 2019

ImperfectPixieSep 09, 2019

Yup, it's one thing to go out and watch storms/surf, etc. when you're young and stupid...quite another to do so once you have children.

SugarMagnolia75Sep 09, 2019

Agree. As a parent, I could not justify flying my children towards a major hurricane.

lazyboy97oSep 09, 2019

New construction since 2011 in most of Orange County has to be designed to handle sustained wind speeds up to 108 mph (gusts up to 139 mph), just under the 111 mph threshold of a Category 3 storm. Prior to the 2010 edition of the Florida Building Code, even the gust requirements were just below a Category 3 at 110 mph.

tribbleorlflSep 09, 2019

Charley ripped the roof off several buildings in my apartment complex (the one from the building next to ours missed landing on my car by three spaces), and the stucco off of one building so you could see inside one of the units. My grandparents were stuck in their cul-de-sac for three days due to multiple downed trees blocking their neighborhood and without water and power for almost two weeks. And that was just with Charley being a Cat 1 by the time the eyewall reached Orlando. As late as last Friday (before the storm took its northwestern turn), Dorian was predicted to be at least a 3 when it came through Orlando. While the ensuing damage might not have been the same as the Bahamas', I'm sure it would have been sufficient enough to severely impact this town for quite some time.

cr3346Sep 09, 2019

That's going to change 600 times between now and then. No point even posting it.

Nubs70Sep 09, 2019

Dorian was definitely worthy of the hype. The hype i and referring to are the run of the mill storm systems that are elevated to Dorian levels. For example, the naming of winter storm systems accompanied with the shocking of "15 million at risk in the path of Winter Storm Francis" Yes it is a winter storm, Yes it may drop 10 inches, but it is winter. Snow will happen. The over hype Weather Channel style puts people at risk through over hype which desensitized people to actual danger.

peter11435Sep 08, 2019

Listen, when it comes to nature never say never. Each storm is unique and in many ways unpredictable. Hurricane Wilma made landfall at 120mph and traveled diagonally across the state going back to sea still at 110mph. If a storm like Dorian made landfall at 185 at cape Canaveral traveling quickly west towards Orlando. Orlando absolutely could see category 5 hurricane conditions. Just because we haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it can’t happen

mgfSep 08, 2019

Just as a note, after 120 hours the model runs are significantly less valuable for understanding where the storm is going. NHC generally advises against relying on anything beyond 120 hours for decision making.