Hurricane Frances : 2004-09-01 (New Thread)

Various | 2004-09-01 | Patton@Bastogne

[Patton@Bastogne]

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Free Republic Community:



Welcome to Wednesday's Hurricane Frances news-twist !

It looks like a Melbourne Landfall after all, once again (to Section9's worst fears) churning it's way North along the Coast Highway ...



Excellent Hurricane Frances Websites:

HURRICANE ALLEY

U.S. Weather Observers






Patton@Bastogne
Free Republic Member since 1998.



General George S. Patton Jr. Website

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[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Visible Sat Loop Image link

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Excellent outflow = TORRENTIAL RAINS!!!!!!!

(Fruity aftertaste indeed! ;-)

[groanup]

ANY AND ALL FLORIDIANS!

My daughter is due to fly into Tampa Thurs. night and spend the weekend in Wauchula (central Florida). This seems to be right in the path of Francis. What do you think we should do? Any chance of the Tampa/St.Peter airport being closed?

Thanks in advance.

[freeeee]

What do you think we should do?

Postpone the trip.

[alancarp]

Likely not closed (espec. Thurs. night), but there's no way I'd like to be going TO Central Florida for the weekend!

[DocRock]

"My daughter is due to fly into Tampa Thurs. night and spend the weekend in Wauchula (central Florida). This seems to be right in the path of Francis. What do you think we should do? Any chance of the Tampa/St.Peter airport being closed?"

I don't think the Tampa airport will be closed on Thursday, however, it depends on the track if her return flight will be delayed. I'm in Winter Haven.

[Law is not justice but process]

Many in Charleston learned their lesson in Hugo. Even then, the worst part of the storm went over the least populated part of the coast. In 1989 there were very few living between Whitehall Terrace and the Santee River: over that area the storm surge was as much as 24 feet. If a 24 foot storm surge came over Myrtle Beach, there would be many a dead hardhead who never got the chance to regret their decision not to evacuate. That is just natural selection.

I dare say that many have moved to the coast between Pawleys Island and Edisto Beach since 1989. Those newcomers have no idea how bad Hugo was. Further, many on the fringes of Hugo, both in Myrtle Beach and south on Kiawah, Seabrook, Edisto, and the Sea Islands think they have seen the worst a hurricane has to offer. They haven't. Ask those people who rode out Hugo in Lincoln High in McCllelanville and who had to climb into the rafters of the gym to keep from drowning in that 24 foot surge.

By definition, only a small part of the area affected by a hurricane gets the heft of the storm (almost always those about 15 to 40 miles north of the point of the eye's landfall). It happened to Galveston Island in 1900 and wiped out the city (and 8,000 lives). We got lucky in Hugo and the heft went over the Francis Marion Forest. If Hugo went ashore 30 miles to the south that 24 foot surge would have come right over the battery into downtown Charleston.

I hate to sound preachy, but having seen what a category 4 storm can do, I would advise you make your evacuation plan as if the heft of the storm were coming over your house. The National Hurricane Center does a good job of predicting where a storm will go within 50 to 100 miles. They cannot predict exactly how bad it will get at a specific point. Again, ignore the thin line.

[Rebelbase]

11:00 am 5-Day projection. Its going to take nearly two days for this storm to clear out of florida.

[weatherFrEaK]

Here's another...

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/float-vis-loop.html

Storm-centered visible satellite image loop.

[Mr. Jeeves]

..how is it that these people move South and proceed to tell us native southerners that we don't know what we are talking about?

Because Hollywood has taught them that if you have a southern accent, you are an ignorant redneck (and probably a racist warmonger, too). ;)

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Our grandfather knew Dick Pope of Cypress Gardens fame. (FReeper Lady Composer is my sister.) We've been to Winter Haven many a time. Our grandparents attended the dedication of the Bok Singing Tower as well back in 1930, I believe. Our mother was born in Lake Wales Hospital in Nov. of 1929, after our grandparents moved down there due to our grandfather losing his shirt in the commoditys market crash in 1929. At least he had an accounting degree from U of Ill and secured the Lake Wales City Clerk job ;-) within a short time thereafter. Hence that's why our mother is one of the few people I know who was actually born down there during that time (grin).

[jpsb]

Are you into wind surfing?

[alancarp]

Windsurfing... On Lake Butler?

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

HISTORIC BELL TOWER STILL STANDING AS BEACON OF HOPE - Olmsted Jr.’s Historic Landscape Gardens Devastated

		[Enter Site] HISTORIC BELL TOWER STILL STANDING AS BEACON OF HOPE Olmsted Jr.’s Historic Landscape Gardens Devastated LAKE WALES, FL – Three days after Hurricane Charley ripped through Polk County, staff at Historic Bok Sanctuary have been able to enter the property and start assessing the damage. For only the second time in its 75-year history, the Sanctuary will be closed to visitors for an extended length of time (after Hurricane Donna was the only other time). One of Florida's original tourism venues, Historic Bok Sanctuary is located on peninsular Florida's highest point, which generated has significant concern over the fate of the 205-ft carillon tower and 245-acre historic landscape gardens. While the assessment continues and clean up has started, the staff has determined the following: The 205-foot tall Tower is still standing! The Tower itself sustained little structural damage The Tower and Gardens will be closed until further notice. The interior of the Tower sustained moderate damage as a result of three windows blowing out, letting rain and wind ravage the some of archival materials housed in the Anton Brees Carillon Library The historic landscape gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. have been devastated, a full 100 percent of the gardens have been affected. The most stunning damage is a 100+-year-old oak tree, the largest in the Gardens, that was ripped up by its roots and is lying across the reflection pool leaving a cavernous, seven-foot hole. There is an average of 4 feet of organic debris strewn throughout the gardens. Staff expects the clean up to take at least 2-4 weeks depending on the availability of equipment and manpower. The horticulture team is currently operating in a triage mode to assess every single tree and plant in the Sanctuary and to try to save as many as possible. The tree that President Calvin Coolidge and Edward Bok planted at the 1929 dedication ceremony is still standing. The Horticulture Nursery and Potting Shed have been destroyed. Prior to the storm, staff placed the two resident swans in a secure interior location for their protection. Both swans survived the storm and did not apparently suffer any injuries. The historic mansion called Pinewood Estate received minor structural damage. The other newer structures on the property including the Visitor and Education Center, the Café and Gift Shop sustained minor roof and tile damage. The parking lot is overcome with debris and remains impassable. Several of the staff members’ homes were damaged and some are uninhabitable, but no one was injured. "Hurricane Charley reminded us of the sheer force Mother Nature, and it has devastated our historic landscape gardens that were created more than 75 years ago. However, the fact that the Tower is still standing, as is the tree President Coolidge planted in 1929, gives us hope and reminds us of the resiliency of the human spirit," said Bob Sullivan, President of Historic Bok Sanctuary. "We are a non-profit and will be seeking financial support from individuals as well as government sources to help us restore the Gardens. Those individuals who want to help us repair this Florida icon, can send checks made payable to Historic Bok Sanctuary Restoration, to the Florida Attractions Association at 1114 North Gadsden Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32303." This page will be updated often as new information and photos come in. Please check back soon for the lastest updates. [View Photo Updates] Last Updated August 17, 2004. [Enter Site] © 2004 Historic Bok Sanctuary

[groanup]

"Are you into wind surfing?"

Ha, ha. No I'm into keeping my daughter from being up to her ass in windblown alligators and orange trees.

[cymeckajax3]

My Daughter-In Law is in the Mayport area. Her husband ,my son is in the Persian Gulf. We are worried for her, and all you guys. Stay safe and good Luck God Bless!

[malakhi]

I'm in Palm Bay.......so.....where do you want to meet to clean up on Sunday?

Are you planning on getting out of dodge ahead of the storm?

[ksen]

I'm getting my family out, but my f-i-l is staying so I'm staying to keep an eye on him.

[FreedomPoster]

Great advice. I'll repeat that over the next few days, as this event is discussed on some other forums I'm on.

[Hoodlum91]

Good thing to keep in mind is the SIZE of this storm. This sucker is larger in area than Andrew and Hugo. Latest reports have hurricane strength winds extending 80 miles from the center. That's a 160 mile radius of hurricane strength winds. Tropical storm strength winds (sustained over 40 mph) extend over 150 miles from center. That's over 300 miles diameter of TS strength.

The forecaster up here (VA) said that Frances is 5 times as big as Charley was when it hit. And Frances still has a day or more over very warm water.