You are a sweetheart!
Here's Georgio on his favorite perch! He sends his love & appreciation too!
You might be interested in a personal family happening I'll relate after posting about THIS hurricane in Florida:
1928 Okeechobee Hurricane
The Okeechobee Hurricane (or San Felipe Hurricane) was a deadly hurricane that struck Puerto Rico and southern Florida, United States, in September 1928. The hurricane killed 3,411 people and caused around 100 million dollars (1928 dollars) in damages in the United States and the Caribbean.
Impact on Southern Florida
After leaving the Caribbean, the hurricane gained strength again as it moved toward Florida.
In the evening of 16 September the storm made landfall in southern Florida as a Category 4 hurricane. The eye passed ashore in Palm Beach County. Damage along the coastline from the heavy winds and 10-foot storm surge was catastrophic; however the area was only sparsely inhabited at the time.
Inland, the hurricane wreaked much more widespread destruction along the more heavily populated coast of Lake Okeechobee. Residents had been warned to evacuate the low ground earlier in the day, but after the hurricane did not arrive on schedule many thought it had missed and returned to their homes. When the worst of the storm crossed the lake – with winds measured on the ground at around 140 mph and a pressure of 929 mb (but note all such measurements are suspect) – the low pressure and south-blowing wind caused a lake surge to overflow the small dike that had been built at the south end of the lake. The resulting flood covered an area of hundreds of square miles with water that in some places was over 20 feet deep. Houses were floated off of their foundations and dashed to pieces against any obstacle they encountered. Most survivors and bodies were washed out into the Everglades where many were never found. As the rear eyewall passed over the area the flood reversed itself, breaking the dikes along the northern coast of the lake and causing a similar but smaller flood.
Floodwaters persisted for several weeks, greatly impeding attempts to clean up the devestation. Burial services were quickly overwhelmed and many of the bodies were placed into mass graves. Around 75% of the fatalities were migrant farm workers, making identification of both dead and missing bodies very difficult. As a result of this the count of the dead is not very accurate. The Red Cross estimated the number of fatalities as 1,836, which was taken as the official count by the National Weather Service for many years. However in 2003 this was revised as "at least" 2500, making the Okeechobee hurricane the second-deadliest natural disaster in United States history.
Thousands of people were left homeless in Florida; property damage was estimated at $25 million (1928 dollars). Adjusted for wealth, inflation, and population (in other words, taking into account the vast growth of southern Florida) to the year 2003 this would be $18.7 billion. However a disaster of this kind is unlikely (but perhaps not impossible) to occur again because of the much larger dike that now contains the waters of Lake Okeechobee.
Now - in the 20's my father was a Manager for Florida Power & Light; first at Punta Gorda (where Charley 'visited' last year) and then Lake Okeechobee.
When he learned of the approaching hurricane, he sent my mother and older sister (then 3) by train to South Carolina to her parents - to be 'safe.'
As an engineer and take-charge-guy, with foresight he anticipated the biggest need for the area would be potable (drinkable) water.
He thus ordered train boxcars full of ice blocks to be shipped in as soon as it passed for that purpose!
That no doubt prevented many persons from becoming ill or dying from the contaminated waters; and no city drinking water able to be pumped.
NOW FOT THE REST OF THE STORY!!
Mom and Anne came here to where I currently live in SC, where my grandfather was the minister of the Methodist church. The parsonage provided was a lovely 2-story one typical of that day - wide porches around 3 sides.
Anne relates she was standing at the top of the stairs when the remnants of the Florida Hurricane came HERE on its way North....
A huge tree crashed through the roof and across the foot of the stairs as she watched!!
Close call after all, eluding it in Okeechobee, but right there for her in SC.
By the way, my son Kevin is in Lake Worth, and Steve now is out of Davie as of 3 weeks ago, up in Port St. Lucie, neither sustaining damage, north of the impact.
Steve's son, Ryan (21), who remained in Coconut Creek, is safe.
Mom's prayers were heard....and now have become fervent for persons in the areas in the path of Katrina today...
It's amazing how destructive the weather can be, and that it can do so much damage after it's no longer a hurricane.
You are a sweetheart!
Here's Georgio on his favorite perch! He sends his love & appreciation too!
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You are such an extraordinary woman! You ARE a FReeper I do want to meet ASAP! Thank you for the fun posts, informative posts, inspirational posts & the just plain great LadyX posts!!!!!
