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.
I-95 is a VERY bad idea.
:-)
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ftp/graphics/AT03/refresh/AL0304W+GIF/131633W.gif
Too late, and north point looks to be about to take a hard hit.
I don't suppose I need to say that they are devout dems.
I hope and pray that people have been taking this seriously...
Category Four Hurricane:
Winds 131-155 mph (114-135 kt or 210-249 km/hr). Storm surge generally 13-18 ft above normal. More extensive curtainwall failures with some complete roof structure failures on small residences. Shrubs, trees, and all signs are blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Extensive damage to doors and windows. Low-lying escape routes may be cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Major damage to lower floors of structures near the shore. Terrain lower than 10 ft above sea level may be flooded requiring massive evacuation of residential areas as far inland as 6 miles (10 km). Hurricane Luis of 1995 was a Category Four hurricane while moving over the Leeward Islands. Hurricanes Felix and Opal of 1995 also reached Category Four status at peak intensity.
I the storm goes in south of the bay the strong (water moving) side will be over dry land and your kin will be OK, but if it goes in north of the bay, your kin (and everyone lese in the area) is screwed.
Yikes! What a mess. I hope all the other tourists went home already.
I was born in Jacksonville and spent most of my life here. Rode out Dora, and something else about 1950. I always thought Jacksonville was immune because of its placement on the East Coast. Never thought I'd see hurricane force winds come from the Southwest.
Shopping is a mess. Everyone is buying food and batteries. I managed to get a propane tank exchanged.
I'm kind of worried about the winds. I don't think their home is all that sturdy. I have no idea what their elevation is.
Dawn, can you help here?
I'm praying for you, Starwise, and everyone down there.
My daughter and her family are there, too. She just moved and I don't have the address or phone number. You better believe I'm praying.
I hope they are watching the weather channel and see that we have reason to be concerned about them. She acted like we were bothering them over nothing. :(
Oh geez....look at the surfer dude on MSNBC! They're staying.......hey, they have a cooler and if they can't surf in the ocean, they will just tie a rope the truck and surf through the water.
Say good-bye.
To quote my Great Grandmother who was born in 1898 and died in 1999. She had seen more then a few gulf storms, "It is like being in the anger of the All Nighty."
Tell me. My wife and daughter will be in Savannah tomorrow.
Also it is the eye wall that's got the killer winds that is 20-30 miles wide. Really nasty winds in eye wall. It will be close for north point.
I lived in a rural area during Dora. My family was without power for three weeks, even though the local damage was minor. Of course we had our own electrically pumped well, so no water either. Remarkably, my father had installed a hand pump and shallow well. We have forgotten that technology.
The most remarkable thing about the aftermath was the six inch layer of leaves and Spanish moss that covered the landscape, like six inches of snow. When the oak trees encounter hurricane winds they simply shed all their leaves. Reduces their wind drag and saves the tree.
They have been warned...
Darwin Award.
You have Freepmail.
Fla east coast has not been hit hard in many years, looks like everyone forgot just want a strong huricane can do. Also media hipes lessor storms so after a while a huricane is not big deal. Well strong huricanes are a very big deal.
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