Posted on 08/13/2004 10:08:09 AM PDT by Jeff400000
Bryan Hamrick, Winter Haven
8/14/04 12:50:17 PM
On the north side of Winter Haven we have seen a lot of minor to medium size damage. Roofs blown off of boathouses, a gas station with the canopy blown off the fuel island, ALOT of trees down causing blockage of some of the heavier travelled roads, ems and fire units everwhere(thank god for them)alot of cleanup work to be done over the next several days.
Workers salvage items from a demolished hardware store in Port Charlotte, Fla., Saturday afternoon Aug. 14, 2004. Hurricane Charley ripped through the area on Friday leaving a path of destruction. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
My brother finally called. A tornado *just* missed his house but was eaten up by ants while he cleared trees from his garage.
Mike
Hi All, I last posted Friday night about 910pm as the eye of Charley was approaching Seminole County,FL (just north of Orlando). Power went out as the winds were going about 50.
Some neighborhoods have power (mine does not. I'm mooching off a friend's wireless) but they say around a half million people in the Orlando area are still without power. If the lack of utility trucks in my neighborhood are any indication it could be quite awhile before some of us see electricity.
The winds gusted up to 92 at the local airport (Sanford) that night as the power went out. Currently some stores are open, many are not. Gas shortages and lack of power to stations are resulting in long gas lines (deja vu 1979). I'm lucky as I have natural gas and water, meaning hot showers. Others, such as my dad, have no water, power or electricity. Others, such as my friend, have had power since Sat.
Fortunately, we weren't as hard hit as the poor folks down near Punta Gorda, but it's worse than I thought it would be. Trees still lay over power lines. Many old oaks were uprooted. Yard trash will be picked up for weeks.
Should be an interesting next few weeks!
It is Sunday at 819pm. My cable and Internet just came back on. I lost electic power and the cable (cable modem) about the same time, about 900 pm Friday.
My house did not get structual damage--debris pretty heavy. Neighbor to the left lost a tree that fell down on top her car. She just moved in recently and had a bunch of moving boxes in her two-car garage but unfortunately her car got smashed since she was forced to keep it outside. Trees down all over the place but I don't see houses with missing roof tiles/shingles. The wind was strong enough to take trees down but not strong enough to take the roof or roof shingles off.
My cousin lives 14 miles east of me near Altamonte Mall and is up in Washington DC for the weekend. Went over to look at their place and it is worse over there. They had three trees down on immediate neigbors' property--two trees blocking the road. One tree smashed through the roof structure. They are east of I-4 and I am west of I-4 and just like they said, the damage to the east was heavier.
The damage on Captiva Island is horrible. The island has literally been cut in two as part of it has washed away. The nation has lost a good part of one of its most beautiful and popular destinations.
I saw that on the news...just horrible.
I have been to Sanibel twice.
It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen...if not the most beautiful.
Man I hope the island is at least intact and the beaches are okay (at least on Captiva, they say the beaches are virtually gone in many places due to the storm, so it will take time for them to come back to their former glory).
One thing is for sure, it will take a long time to get all the trees back, fix the buildings, and get the sand off the roads, grass, everything.
They said the last time a hurricane really hit the Sanibel area with almost total devastation (in the 1800's....) they could not grow crops there for a very long time due to the salt (not sure what crops they would grow on that small island, but oh well).
I did not see Captiva when we visited Sanibel....but saw the pictures on the tv. Just awful.
I'm still praying for her and your family. Have you heard anything? I see you haven't posted since Friday, and, well, as fellow freepers, I'm just checkin', you know?
Thanks for your reply. My aunt was on the west coast during the hurricane,although she has a brother and sister who live somewhere in the area. No word yet. My aunt and her late husband were very active in the Lions Club in Punta Gorda. Would anyone on this thread know the status of that building?
http://www.news-press.net/myStory/getcomments.php?sTORY_ID=387
Try this link, people are posting request for info. It will be hard to get as there is no power, phones, puters etc. I have already received one response.
My late Uncle was in the Punta Gorda Lions also. Smal world. My aunt still lives in Punta Gorda. That is who I am concerned for her safety. Good luck.
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