Posted on 08/14/2004 9:26:55 AM PDT by Former Military Chick
PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — Hurricane Charley (search) killed at least 15 people in Florida and flattened oceanfront homes, making thousands homeless before it roared north and struck the coast of South Carolina on Saturday.
Wayne Sallade, Charlotte County's director of emergency management, said there were 10 confirmed deaths in the county, but an exact total was not available.
"Not hundreds. I would hope that it would be limited to dozens, if that," Sallade said. Five people were killed elsewhere in the state.
Charlotte County (search) deputies were standing guard over bodies because the area was inaccessible to ambulances.
The strongest storm to strike Florida in a dozen years knocked out electrical service to an estimated 1.3 million homes and businesses as it crossed Florida from the southwest coast to the Atlantic at Daytona Beach, causing widespread damage to coastal areas and mobile home parks.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I see you've found your theme for the weekend. The echo is getting anoying.
He needs to take charge.
Bush has already taken charge, Jeb, that is. George has already done his part. Between the two of them, help was on the way before the storm hit. If you'd pay attention to the news, you'd know that.
Jimmy Buffett
Trying To Reason With Hurricane Season
Written by - Jimmy Buffett
From - A-1-A
Squalls out on the gulf stream
Big storm's comin' soon
I passed out in my hammock
And God I slept 'til way past noon
Stood up and tried to focus
I hoped I wouldn't have to look far
I knew I could use a Bloody Mary
So I stumbled next door to the bar
And now I must confess, I could use some rest
I can't run at this pace very long
Yes it's quite insane, I think it hurts my brain
But it cleans me out and then I can go on
There's somethin' about this Sunday
It's a most peculiar gray
Strollin' down the avenue that's known as A1A
Feelin' tired, then I got inspired
I knew that it wouldn't last long
So all alone I walked back home
Sat on my beach and then I made up this song
And now I must confess, I could use some rest
I can't run at this pace very long
Yes it's quite insane, I think it hurts my brain
But then it cleans me out and then I can go on
Well the wind is blowin' harder now
Fifty knots or thereabouts
There's white caps on the ocean
And I'm watchin' for water spouts
It's time to close the shutters
It's time to go inside
In a week I'll be in gay Paris
That's a mighty long airplane ride
And now I must confess, I could use some rest
I can't run at this pace very long
Yes it's quite insane, I think it hurts my brain
But it cleans me out and then I can go on
Yes it cleans me out and then I can go on
Well, I am sure we all appreciate your attempt!
It sure is. And George Bush is going to send it.
Well..., thanks (I think) but it doesn't bother me now. I've more than paid it back in taxes. If I had known how much my taxes were going to go up after I got out of school and went to work, I would have asked for 2 grants :')
Don't worry about it, tscis; if it wasn't trailers, it would be something else. Some people find something to gripe about in every situation, even ones where people's hearts are hurting.
Glad you're safe.
Why don't you tell us where you live so we can all decide just what federal money we should stop giving your state.
I'll bet it's California.
LOL........I'm glad you said it before I did!
That's it - time to evacuate America. With all our natural disasters hitting every single state at one time or another, it's the only way to protect the tax payers money.
(wonder if that will finally please some people)
That doesn't seem to be the thing to do today; we're covered up with Know It Alls today.
I agree with you mostly, but it's somewhat different when people build up along a coast line because as a general rule, the closer to the water the pricier is the real estate. When you start talking about giving federal disaster relief for vacation homes in exclusive areas, I start to have a problem.
How many vacation (or any )homes don't carry insurance? Unless you are super-rich most don't pay cash for these "vaction " homes. If you finance them out the lender requires insurance don't they?
Prayers for everyone. I lived just a hop and skip from PUnta Gorda, in the small town of Wauchula for a brief time. Hope everyone there is doing ok
Even if that's true,what about all of the infrastructure that gets built to support such areas?
I'm in South Texas and I see that the Red Cross is already running tv ads for donations.
First of all, for many, it's not a matter of choice. We lived in one from '92-'99, and since no sooner than we'd bought it, Andrew happened, no company would even insure a mobile home in FL after that. Those who are fortunate enough have insurance were probably grandfathered in before then. Also, if a manufactured home has axles underneath, even if it is 28 feet wide, it is not even considered in the same category as a house, but is registered and licensed with the Department of Motor Vehicles; so that may or may not affect the type of coverage one has access to. All I know for sure is that even though we were well inland, we couldn't even get insurance, and it's by the grace of God that our mobile home was spared any damage while we lived there and that we now have a solid building to call home.
I have been in a horrible mood all day long because of these creeps on these threads.
People are in distress; people have died; people are scared.
And still they carp.
Disasters bring out the best and the worst in people. Even on here.
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