[JesseHousman]

As residents of SW Florida, we've decided to ride it out and not join the highways clogged with evacuees.

[TruthWillWin]

Hurricane Charlie should have been called "Clyde".

[small_l_libertarian]

I'm in Tampa, about 2 miles north of downtown and 1 block from the river. I'm staying put. Wish me luck!

[Corin Stormhands]

Stay safe. We'll be praying for all of you down there.

Isabel came thru my back yard last year.

[Izzy Dunne]

Here it is from Key West:

[fatima]

I will be praying all day for everyone,stay safe,fatima

[southernnorthcarolina]

As of the 8 AM advisory, the direction was NNW; but latest radar appears to indicate that it's moving a touch east of due north. Could be just a wobble, of course, but it looks to me as if the eye is likely to go inland south of Tampa, maybe between Sanibel and Sarasota.

[traumer]

Cuban President Fidel Castro listens to Jose Rubiera (L), Cuba's chief weather forecaster, as he explains how Hurricane Charley is heading toward the Havana area, as television journalist Maribel Puerto looks on in Havana, August 13, 2004. Authorities evacuated 149,000 people from flood-prone areas of western Cuba and precarious colonial-era buildings in danger of collapse in downtown Havana

[mhking]

If you have access to ABC News Now via digital television, digital cable, on online (pay service via RealPlayer Gold Pass, or free if you have broadband service from AOL, SBC/Yahoo, Comcast, or BellSouth), they are streaming live video coverage from ABC's Tampa affiliate, WFTS-TV.

[Snake65]

My brother and his wife were evacuated from St. Pete. 8 foot surge expected to hit his house (he spent close to 24 hours sandbagging and putting up plywood). They're sheltering with my parents in Sarasota (8 miles inland and about thirty feet up).

I'm sure everyone will be fine but I'm guled to the weather channel.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

Bush's fault.

[Truth666]

Der Spiegel (the "serious" and "respected" German magazine) pretends that this tornado is Charlie ...

[LincolnLover]

I have a serious question for those in SW Florida:

Is your part of the Gulf Coast *really* that incapable of absorbing the impact of a Category 2/3 hurricane, and one that has a pretty fast forward speed (up to 20 mph at landfall) at that.

Two million called to evacuate? Flooding in downtown Tampa?

The only thing I can think of that can pose a serious problem is the storm surge, since the landfall point will likely be on the eastern side of the storm and the high forward speed adds a bit, too, but a 110-plus MPH storm that is racing through the landfall area (and will clear out just as quickly) isn't exactly extreme, wind-wise or rain-wise.

A Cat 2/3 (out of 5) storm should cause panic, say, in Maine (where hurricane preparedness is not even an issue) not along the Gulf coast (where it should be a way of life).

I daresay those in SE Louisiana, where I'm originally from, or Houston, where I now live, would be concerned but not "panicked" by this "scary, scary" storm.

What would they do if something like Camille plowed into SW Florida? There would be nothing left of the place!

[MizSterious]

Prayers for all you Florida Freepers! Be safe!

(But I kind of worry about Floridians from the 2000 election--are those people who couldn't operate a voting machine able to comprehend the safety guidelines for storms like these?)

[mhking]

ABC7 & NBC2 in Ft. Myers live video stream: http://waterbc.wm.llnwd.net/waterbc_netvideo

[MinuteGal]

QUICK END TO A PERFECT VACATION

Here I am in Illinois
My house is down in Floridah
All I can do is mutter "oy"
It's in the storm's main corridah

In hours I'll be in my car
Tootlin' south on 75
Hope my house is standing thar
When I at last arrive

Just biting all my nails right now
And thinking of the worse
Sippin' on a cold Black Cow
And writing silly verse.

Leni

[CobaltBlue]

JMHO - you do whatever you want if it's only you that's in danger, but anybody with kids, pets, or old people, you're morally wrong to risk their lives. If things go bad, you can't dial 911 because nobody will come, it's just you versus something big, bad, and dangerous.

Most deaths, accidents and injuries caused by hurricanes were 100% preventable.

[summer]

FYI - How you can help Floridians suffering from Hurricane Charley [instructions from FL Gov Jeb Bush]