The Florida Solar Eclipse Will Be During Hurricane Season

A solar eclipse is really not a rare occurrence. If you don't mind traveling, the next total eclipse is August 12, 2026 and hits areas like Greenland and Russia. After that, another in Egypt on August 2, 2027. Over the pyramids. For North America, sure, there is one that'll happen in the US in 2044, but the path of totality for that one is only in North Dakota and Montana. No one wants to go there. For a Florida solar eclipse where those of us in the Sunshine State are in the path of totality, well that'll happen on August 12, 2045.

It looks like the path of totality will be just to the north of Southwest Florida. Tampa should get it, Disney World in Orlando would be an ideal location to watch. Judging by that swath through the Bahamas they'll be a lot of 'solar eclipse' cruises booked. Have a look.

As you can see, it's not just Florida where the skies will go dark. According to CNN, "The path of totality will arc over California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida."

Related: What to Do If You Looked at the Sun Without Eclipse Glasses

So save those eclipse glasses! If the world still exists in 2045 (I have my doubts) those of us in Florida will begin to see the eclipse a little after noon. When the sun completely disappears we'll be in the darkness for about 6 minutes. Depending on where you are in Florida it'll either be a total, or very close to a total eclipse right where you live. Except for the Keys. It looks like they'll only get a partial.

On August 12th, 2004, Hurricane Charley became a major hurricane before hitting Southwest Florida on August 13th. So is it possible that we could have a hurricane and solar eclipse at the same time? Absolutely. When you live in Florida, anything can happen. 

It's only a matter of time before something goes wrong and we're all looking for the best place to hide in SWFL to ride out the apocalypse. Getting away from the concentrated areas of Southwest Florida like Fort Myers and Naples would be a start. But first, let's analyze one of the many, many many scenarios where something cataclysmic can happen to us here in Florida. The Zombie apocalypse.

The idea of large swaths of humanity turning into zombies really isn't as far fetched as you might believe. And it's playing out right now. Let's start with the Havana Syndrome. Symptoms  often include nausea, dizziness, migraines, and problems with vision and hearing. Sleep problems and difficulty concentrating has also been reported. It's been speculated that the syndrome may be caused by some form of attack by a foreign government. Is the next step of the Havana Syndrome to turn people into zombies?

Next up, it's COVID-19. Without getting into the initial cause of the pandemic, we know that scientists are experimenting with viruses in foreign countries (and here in Florida, too). Could a virus be unleashed that turns us all into 'zombies'?

So before any of this happens, as residents of Fort Myers, Naples, and all of SWFL - let's prepare.

My first thought would be an island like Keewaydin, but then you'd run out of food and water. So I decided to crowdsource some ideas. Something Reddit is great for. Here's some of the better ideas:

I need to get to know the last poster, they sound like they're already ready. My plan is actually a lot like lafrank59. I know a guy named Mike. If that falls through, my best place to hide in SWFL would be putting up the hurricane shutters and blocking the door.

But what if you had enough time to get out of town? Are there better places outside of our best place to hide in SWFL? Yes there are. Onlyinyourstate analyzed the 9 best places in Florida to hide from the hordes of the undead. I'll focus on the ones not already covered and ones that we can actually get to.

If you can make it to Central Florida, the tower is located in a less populated area and from 226 feet up you can see if there's any incoming threats. The bonus here is there's a pretty amazing coffee shop there. I can live without a lot of things, but not without coffee.

Costco has absolutely everything you need to survive. Secure the loading docks and board up those front doors and you and your friends could survive in 'Costco City' for years. I call 'dibs' on the Gulf Coast Town Center location.

A group of houseboats surviving in the bay is a solution if you're prepared enough. You can fish for food and if you have a water purifier/desalinization set up you can be out there for quite awhile.

If you happen to be at an Orlando theme park when it all goes down, maybe you could retreat to Disney's underground tunnel system. Find a way to barricade yourself in and you'll find plenty of provisions + medical supplies. It's really an underground city down there with everything you need.

If you can get there, what a sweet setup this would be. A fort on an island 70 miles away from Key West. Being prepared for this escape will be the challenge. You'll need a way to catch fish and there's no potable water at the fort. If you're prepping for an emergency situation, these are the water desalinators they use on life rafts.