If we took a direct hit from a strom like Charlie (120+) the damnage would be emense. Most of galveston country would be under water. I understand Fla west coast is similar. Hope not, cause if it is, this could be a big killer storm.
Posted on 08/13/2004 7:24:06 AM PDT by STARWISE
ALL FLORIDIANS, PLEASE COMMENT ON CONDITIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE ON SOUTHERN WEST COAST
I'm inland from Tampa Bay about 25 miles. Dear God, I'm scared. I lost it all in Andrew in '92 and left South Florida after a year and a half to come to this area.
Please keep me and all those going through this storm in your prayers. I'm alone here, and this storm's probably going to be very damaging and destructive. I'm picking up branches, objects lying about. I've filled the tub with water, I'll bringing in my dog and my birds, I haven't taped the windows as I've heard that can cause worse problems when the windows are broken. I pulled the car right up close to the house on the south side. I've draped the windows with fabric to stop debris or glass .. but in high winds, it probably won't be much help.
I've got old, tall oak trees overhead .. and I don't know how the roof or house or I will fare. There is no inner room without a window, so my location will probably be my shower stall on the south side of the house. It has one typical bathroom window. There is no other place where my dog and I could at least be surrounded with some strengthened walls.
I'm not in an evacuation area, and I wouldn't be able to take my pets in anyway.
Even if I have to get offline because I need to move the computer, there may be some insight and help offered until then and many thousands of us in this area may be helped by some tip.
PLEASE pray Charley away from here .. please pray for my and our safety on the West Central Florida coast. God Bless Us All.
On a lighter note, I leave in about two hours to spend the next week visiting what's left of Walt Disney World.
I have no personal fears, we are overnighting in Atlanta, so all we'll see of Charlie is in South GA on Sat afternoon.
In true FR tradition, I'm now going to take a shower.
Really...
25 miles from salt water is good, very good.
If you live on the Gulf Coast it is not a question of if but of when the next hurricane will stirke. So you build accordingly. The building codes are mre stringent along the coast. But you are right they are goint to take a big hit off this one.
This is starting to look very bad to tampa(sp) area, worst case for them. Strom is going to puch a lot of water ahead of it, filling up the bays before it even gets there, then comes a big storm surge. I don;t think the west coast of Fla has had a big hurincane in many many years. Who knows how well the new towns a villages have been built? How well the drains and creeks will handle the huge flood waters.
Hmmmm, hopely this huricane is not as strong as claimed, but if it goes ashore at 120+ near tampa, it will not be pretty.
Stong side of storm pushing water all along the coast will make it bad for what even part of the coast the huricane decides to make land fall at.
Very bad news for fla.
Good news, 4AM as the eye hits, is low tide.
Well .. time to sign off and move the computer. THANK YOUall for prayers .. please continue them in earnest. The sun was out .. and now it's still .. gray .. there are tornado alerts just to my east. Please God, let this pass safely ... I expect to be without power for awhile .. TECO - Tampa Electric -- goes out in a lightning storm. If and when I get through OK . and get back online .. I'll find this thread and report in ... KEEP SAFE, ALL FL COASTIES ..PRAY PRAY PRAY
If we took a direct hit from a strom like Charlie (120+) the damnage would be emense. Most of galveston country would be under water. I understand Fla west coast is similar. Hope not, cause if it is, this could be a big killer storm.
They haven't taken any precautions, no boarding of windows, nothing. Are they in trouble from what you can gather about the storm?
cat 3 now, 125MPH, hooking east, coming in south of tampa bay, more towards ft myers area.
Good luck, hope you don't take a direct hit, but like I said 25 miles from salt water will keep you safer then those directly on the coast. They are totally screwed.
what? tell them to turn the weather channel on. its hooking east, coming in further south, the charlotte harbor area is the bullseye right now.
I am over in Pasadena, so I know what you are talking about. All we can do is be prepared.
And if it keeps on a slightly eastward tack, the Carolinas might get hit at some point after it crosses Florida.
Next time you see your "source" pin him/her down and shave off their eyebrows.
};)
They're in big trouble. Call them immediately and tell them to grab their papers and head to a shelter. NOW! That sucker will be on them in a few hours, and it's now a solid CAT 3 - stronger than Fran was.
if it hops across florida and gets out of the ocean again, it could ride up the east coast.
One reporter got Payton on the "stay home and watch movies" line.
"Excuse me Mr. Mayor, but don't we need power for that?"
We told them that when we had them on the phone. They won't listen. They never budge for any of the storms. They are 80 and 83 years old. They just have a small single story house.
I would not want to be in Clearwate-Bradon area right about now.
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