Posted on 08/14/2004 1:42:49 AM PDT by kattracks
I was on Captiva just a few weeks ago on vacation, and marveled at the fact that, on either side of the road one saw nothing but multi-million dollar estates.
These "160 homes" we keep hearing about were not your typical cinderblock homes!
Oh you know the lawyers are already falling over themselves to find people to sue for this.
I tied it up real good and put out some fenders but I was just kidding myself about it being safe if we had a direct hit.
Well, theres always next week.
My father was an Insurance adjuster specializing Maritime insurance. He was usually the first called by his company to these sites.
I almost left Thursday morning to go to Palm Coast (just north of Daytona). When I saw that the 18 mile stretch was closed for a wreck, plus looked at the updated forecast, I decided it was more dangerous to try to leave than to stay. We had a good illustration of what can go wrong with the stretch being closed and if the storm coming across the Atlantic looks ugly later in the week, the baby and I are definitely going to see Grandma!
Here's a report that's over an hour old. ...looking for anything newer.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT3+shtml/141203.shtml?
000
WTNT33 KNHC 141203
TCPAT3
BULLETIN
HURRICANE CHARLEY INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 21A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
8 AM EDT SAT AUG 14 2004
...CHARLEY NEARS SOUTH CAROLINA COAST...
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF ALTAMAHA SOUND
GEORGIA TO THE NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA STATE LINE INCLUDING THE
PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM THE NORTH
CAROLINA/VIRGINIA STATE LINE TO SANDY HOOK NEW JERSEY INCLUDING ALL
OF THE TIDAL POTOMAC...CHESAPEAKE AND DELAWARE BAYS.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF SANDY HOOK TO THE
MERRIMACK RIVER INCLUDING NEW YORK HARBOR AND LONG ISLAND SOUND.
AT 8 AM EDT...1200Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE CHARLEY WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 32.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.7 WEST OR ABOUT 35 MILES
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA.
CHARLEY IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 28 MPH. THIS
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED
DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...CHARLEY WILL MOVE ACROSS
THE MID-ATLANTIC COASTAL STATES TODAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 85 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS MAINLY TO
THE EAST OF THE CENTER.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115
MILES MAINLY TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY AN RECONNAISSANCE PLANE WAS
993 MB...29.32 INCHES.
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 6 TO 8 FT IS EXPECTED ALONG PORTIONS OF THE
SOUTH AND NORTH CAROLINA COASTS NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE
CENTER OF CHARLEY CROSSES THE COAST. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO
5 FEET IS EXPECTED IN THE REMAINDER OF THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA.
RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES ARE LIKELY ALONG THE PATH OF
CHARLEY ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. THESE RAINS
COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS.
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF COASTAL SOUTH AND
NORTH CAROLINA.
REPEATING THE 8 AM EDT POSITION...32.3 N... 79.7 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 28 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS... 85 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 993 MB.
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT
11 AM EDT.
FORECASTER AVILA/LAWRENCE
I heard there were gusts to 173 haven't been up long, just trying to catch up now. I agree when the storm hits land how in the world could you tell the difference.
Airport: Lots of planes flipped over, landing gears damaged.
Some collapsed buildings in downtown Punta Gorda. Debris all over the streets.
Sanibel Island on curfew between 7:00pm-7:00am.
I was surprised at how far behind NHC was yesterday.
How Stupid is this. Going outside to have a SMOKE in a hurricane. I feel sorry for this guys loved ones, but I can't feel any pity for someone this idiotic.
THat said, I do hope everyone who has friends and family they are waiting to hear from gets good news back. MY best friends Parents live between Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte right on the harbor. They livedin a mobile Home Park there and evacuated Friday Morning inland to a friends house. They have checked in this morning and are fine, but have no doubts thier Home is gone as it was within a couple miles of the Mobile Home park that the news is talking about.
MY parents live in a Motor Home in Okeechobee. They are currently with my Cousin in Stuart and are fine, but they have no idea yet what they will find when they return home. While thier home was about 70-80 miles inland from Fort Myers, they do know the power is out and that there are reports of wind and tornado damage in the neighborhood they live in.
Finally, My aunt & Uncle live in Daytona right on 95, about 2 miles from the speedway. They are without power and we have not been able to reach them on thier cell. We are hoping thier home did not take any or much damage as the storm passed through there.
I'm reserving my pity for myself and my cat - I'm going to be getting new houseguests (sis and her traveling menagerie) for a month or two until her place is back up to snuff :)
Mark for later reading.
Again, thanks for making this a positive thread.
any other friend or relatives in Florida? I want to stay away from them, since you seem to been a weather jinx! :-)
Seriously, I am glad that your loved ones are ok. The family in Daytona will be fine. There isn't much structural damage that way, but few people have power.
Great news!
It's incredibly cold hearted that anyone would imply they 'got what they deserved' I hope that noone does that here. You rely on what the weather experts tell you and decisions made by those in authority in the state. Our forecasters have become very accurate but they still can't know 100% if a storm will turn or how it will act.
President Bush had better move fast to declare a disaster area and get federal assistance in place. His father was slow to move on after Andrew and it hurt his reelection.
You called it. People need to take responsibility for their own lives. This will sound cold but there's no way I would've allowed my elderly granny to spend sit in her trailer during a hurricaine. I would've forcibly carried her out, put her in a car and gotten out. The sad thing is that some fool will try to blame Jeb Bush for this.
Yes, it is. She is much tougher than I am and she'll do OK. She's worried about her vintage Bentley (it was in the garage), but that's a thing and not a life and it can be repaired. (I know - I helped with the restoration work on it when she bought it in 1990).
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