Carolinas watch for Hurricane Frances

Bakersfield Californian ^ | 8/30/04 | Bruce Smith - AP

[Salo]

I live in Goose Creek - went through Hugo. My parents have a one-story brick house on a slab, and the winds were so high here that the walls of the house - brick walls, mind you - were waving back and forth like they were made of cloth.

We live close to the airport. Local legend has it that they had a wind-gauge built to sustain 185 mph winds. This wind gauge has not been seen since Hugo.

Luckily, Gov. Hodges taught us to reverse I-26, so if your daughter has to go, she won't get stuck in traffic.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Heard one minor thing pointed out after Hurricane Hugo and it still effects us to this day. The local radio had some time to fill and a highway department official said that due to the severe damage, many road signs in all areas will never be replaced, especially in remote areas. They replaced all of the major ones, but if you're driving around out in the "middle of nowhere", you will notice some intersections and roads with no direction, speed limit, and route marker signs. Even around town we often find ourselves asking "what's the speed limit on this road?" as there are now less speed limit signs then before Hugo. The only well marked roads now are new, or ones that have been widened or resurfaced after Hugo.

[JohnnyZ]

An evacuation would be tremendously difficult, warned Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr.

"The whole state would be naked," he said.

Yes, evacuation would be easier if people put on their clothes first :)

[Hatteras]

"Current forecast track (96 and 120 hours) is for Florida, but the error in these long range forecasts is several hundred miles. Two causes for concern are the stubborn high pressure ridge that keeps Frances well south of where is should be and the TROF on the 500 mb constant pressure chart that is stationary off of Florida's west coast."

...not to mention the fact that the weather forecasters haven't got a damn thing right all year...

As long as they keep "predicting" landfall along the FLA coast, I'll keep preparing for the worst up here in NC.

[Salo]

Speaking of driving in rural areas....(nothing whatsoever to do with hurricanes).

Have you had the chance to take a ride down Cooper Store Road in rural Berkeley county? It's the Foriegn Trade Zone 21 exit heading toward Columbia.

Every house down the whole thing is flying an American flag - it's a nice pick-me-up when I'm not in a good mood. I hope they have them out since Gaston. It's a really nice ride. I keep meaning to write a letter to the editor about it.