LIVE THREAD-WAITING FOR CHARLEY

8-13-04 | vanity

[NYer]

I've got old, tall oak trees overhead .. and I don't know how the roof or house or I will fare.

Have been through some fairly strong hurricanes over the years. Consider yourself fortunate to have oak trees, rather than wheeping willows. During Hurricane Gloria (Cat 2), some limbs came down but the root structure is deep so the trees remained standing.

As the storm intensifies, you should crack the upper portion of the windows in your house. This will prevent implosion from the buildup of pressure.

Prayers are with you; hang tight.

[mewzilla]

We just got one of Grundig crank shortwave radio dealies. Handy little thing. I heartily recommend it. Even has a little flashlight.

[TheCPA]

I am here in Brandon (just east of I-75 and south of i-4 for those of you not from here). It is cloudy and calm now. Charley may be making a slight turn to the northeast. I am in a relatively new house that was designed to withstand a hurricane. I did not get my windows boarded. Most of my neighbors did not board their windows either. It is a little scary. I have moved my grill etc out of the lanai and into the garage. I have plenty of food and water. Prayers for all of us in Tampa Bay are appreciated.

[blam]

If you have gas plumbed to your house you may consider turning it off outside...and maybe the electricity just before the hurricane hits. Prayers.

[eyespysomething]

Prayers for all in Charley's path.

[bitty]

I went through HUGO my prayers are with you.

[eyespysomething]

Consider yourself fortunate to have oak trees, rather than wheeping willows.

Pine trees. Watch out for the pine trees.

[STARWISE]

Thanks SO MUCH to all for the prayers. I beseech you .. please keep praying Charley away. Ny, I was specifically told NOT to crack a window .. to not let there be any way that wind could get into the house. I get so nervous from the opposing suggestions. My windows are closed shut, and that's how I had planned to keep them. I have my trusty crank radio standing by .. it's the greatest. Pray pray pray.

[jayef]

This is unwise. Yes, this storm does not have the strenghth of Andrew, but storm surges are unpredictable and can be worse with less powerful storms depending on where and when they strike.

[mhking]

FYI: There is a NEW tropical depression in the eastern Atlantic near the Cape Verde Islands. TD 4-E is moving to the west at 24 MPH, it is anticipated to become TS Danielle later today or tonight. If it holds together, it would not enter the Caribbean for at least five days.

I'm listening to live streaming from HurricaneCity.com -- Jim Williams is streaming live audio from NewsRadio 970 WFLA in Tampa, and will have other information on later today.

WFLA radio has a live stream itself at http://970wfla.com/, NBC affiliate WFLA-TV has audio streaming on a number of radio stations (and associated websites), including WVRM-FM Tampa (http://949online.com/).

Cable news channel Bay News 9 streams it's audio at http://baynews9.com/

And ABC's digital/broadband service ABC News Now is streaming live video of Tampa ABC affiliate WFTS as well. ABC News Now is available on digital television, on a number of digital cable systems, on the RealOne Gold Pass service, and on your system portal page if you have broadband service from Comcast, AOL, BellSouth, or SBC/Yahoo.

[mewzilla]

Not sure how much help this mioght be at the moment, but you might want to check it out to see if there's anything else you might have a chance to do.

Click here for some hurricanse safety info from folks who should know, NOAA :) The awareness and prep guides are down around the middle of the page.

[grellis]

Prayers to all Floridians, especially my FReeping friends. Keep us posted whenever possible.

[WVNan]

Star, we turn your safety over to the Lord who commands the winds. He will see you through. Try to remain calm and know that you will be just fine. I rode out many a hurricane of CAT 3 during my 10 years in Miami. No severe damage until they get over CAT 3. You are 25 miles inland, so the winds will die down some by the time it reaches you. The biggest danger will be the storm surge and you are beyond that. Rest easy.

[clintonh8r]

You definitely don't want to be in a basement (not that we have them here) during a big storm surge. The storm surge, not the wind, seems to be Charley's biggest danger right now.

[Camachee]

Cheer up, SW. I'm here in Orlando bringing in the patio furniture and making bags of ice in case of loss of power, which is almost a given. I've been surviving hurricanes since '62 in Miami and I expect I'll survive this one, as well. So will you.

As for the weather, it's been gray, but calm here all morning. But looking out the window now, I can see the oaks and palms starting to move a bit, so I suspect the curtain is rising on this event.

Stay calm and safe, SW. Try to relax and enjoy the awsome majesty and might of what's about to happen. Not everyone gets to experience a big storm like this and I, for one, intend to be out in it, camera in hand, enjoying the moment. Take care.

[mhking]

Per WFLA NewsRadio in Tampa, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have announced that Saturday's pre-season game with the Cincinnati Bengals will still be played, provided there is not major damage to Raymond James Stadium.

[Paradox]

I lost it all in Andrew in '92 and left South Florida after a year and a half to come to this area.

Good luck to you! I survived Andrew in my house, which went through the northern eye wall (the worst part of the storm). Miraculously, no one was hurt, although the house was a total loss.

If I were you, I would consider evacuating. I would never want to go through anything like that again.. Stay safe friend!

[Siouxz]

Prayers for you and your dear pets. My sister and her family are in New Port Ritchey and are battening down the hatches. My mom is supposed to be moving from Ohio down to Venice next week. Now we wonder if she'll even have an apartment to move into. Also, all her furniture is in storage down there. I have an elderly aunt and uncle in North Port who have left their *YIKES* mobile home to go to the east coast.

Lord, we pray for all the people in Charley's path. Keep them safe from harm and protect their homes. There are many elderly people on the Gulf Coast, and I'm sure they are very afraid. Please calm their fears and comfort them during this very trying time. In Jesus' name, Amen.

[Right_Handed_Writer]

Been through tornados, never a 'cane. And for every need there is a prayer:

HURRICANE PRAYER: O Heavenly Father, all the elements of nature obey your command. Calm the storms that threaten us and turn our fear into praise of your goodness. Protect us from hurricanes and disasters of nature. We pray through Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen

Stay safe...

[A2J]

As a native of Louisiana and veteran of Camille and Andrew, I can tell you that Charley is NOTHING in comparison.

Hang in there, it'll be over before you know it.