Posted on 10/24/2005 2:18:01 AM PDT by NautiNurse
In snowstorms your refrigerator becomes the closest snow mound to the kitchen, during a hurricane your food spoils and you are left with zip. No water. No sewer. Nothing but 90+ degree temps. (Wilma gave us a big break and sucked all the heat out of the air dropping 20 degrees off the normal temps).
But a snowstorm doesn't rip your roof off and leave you wide open to an ongoing storm. Snow may crush your roof after the storm has run it's course, but USUALLY not during. Also your windows don't get blown out, your trees aren't uprooted and tossed into the neighbors car or living room, your screened patio doesn't get destroyed because you probably don't have one and the 110 mph winds don't turn the thick wall of rain 90degrees and shoot right through roof and attic vents, door moldings, weak shutters or concrete block seepage!
So what do I base my expectations on? IF I live through it, it's cool. If I have to fight it while it's passing it's not cool. Wilma forced me to physically fight it while it pounded and pounded and tried its best to destroy everything in it's path.
My windows and doors and roof are rated 200mph+. My house walls are rated a bit lower but meet all hurricane code as of 2000. I had this house built with storms like Wilma in mind. But I didn't care to test it. It's now tested safe for a Cat 3 hurricane.
So if you want to compare snowstorms to hurricanes, think of a matchbook compared to a pot of molten steel.
I know there is some power in Boca, just because one of our friends there got it today. She lives on Powerline Road, north of Glades. The others live very close, but don't have it yet. I'd bet that your friend is still waiting for both elec and phone. We didn't have either for a day also, but have both now. Cells are also working pretty good at this point too.
We know some people here in south Dade who got powered up for a while, only to have it go out again, and stay out, so I'm keeping my generator handy.
Thanks for the info ! I really appreciate it .
John
Thanks.
You are most welcome, don't know if I really helped.
Prayers for their safety...
laz
Caipirabob
paradox
FLJoePA
brytlea
pickyourpoison
I'm here and all my family and pets are safe. We got lots of wind and rain but we still have water and electricity, thank you Lord.
"Everyone has pulled together, we've had huge cookouts in the street every night, no lights for miles and so many stars in the sky that all the kids from the block have been sitting in the grass and looking up at the skies while we all cook, eat, and just hang out."
The kids will have this wonderful memory forever.
At least something good came out of your Wilma experience.
I am so glad to hear y'all had a "plan." I am even more glad to hear you and your family made it through the storm and are doing so well!!! Thanks for the report, was so good to read it!!
The power came on tonight on my side of the street, and I was almost sorry that it did.
As a culture, we have really lost something. Funny thing is, we gave up a lot of "things" to move to the country. Odd that living in a large town, with wall to wall neighbors, was less "neighborly" than living in the country. Lots of space between neighbors, but we know who and where people are. We "know" when somebody isn't suppose to be someplace. In town, we knew neighbors, but not like we wanted. When I was a kid, we knew people for blocks and blocks. Folks sat outside until way into dark. We ran around playing together while the grown ups chatted. People got together to play cards and stuff. I am glad your neighborhood got to know each other. I hope y'all can keep the connection now that you've made it!!
I just have to say it again, I am so glad your family is okay!!
Glad to hear y'all made it through safely! That water and electricity sure are nice. Really remember how nice when something like this goes on... right??!!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1511755/posts
Boy, do I have a lot of catching up to do. I even missed Beta.
I can personally attest to the fact that Wilma's back side was much stronger.
OK here NN....just got power back. Got my cable back a few hours earlier.
It got a little hairy with sustained 100+ for an hour or two, but we (me and the cats) managed just fine. If not for my year old Siamese (named Canoe) pooping in his safe room, then shoving it under the dryer with his paw in a lame effort to hide it from me, it would have been just another hurricane.
My heart goes out to those south and west of us. My friend in Lauderedale got hammered, and those poor folks out on the lake seemed to get it bad as well.
Oh well, we're all stronger now. We can handle this and we have a responsible Governor who knows how to react to these things. We are lucky!
Welcome back! We missed you.
p.s. Remind me sometime to share my cat-poops-in-a-'cane story...
That's exactly what I had anticipated, Cat 4 conditions in my area. But now University of Miami is claiming it was a Cat 1! LOL
NautiNurse, thanks for your concern. I have finally been able to get myself someplace where there is power and a computer. The house I am staying in sustained some roof damage and it will have to be repaired. Ceilings may have to be replaced. I have no power, no phone, no internet. Oh well. BTW, most of those people who waited in long lines for things like ICE are wusses, just MHO. The large majority of us were self sufficient, even past the 3 days they say to do so.
Oh my - thank you for checking in. Glad to know you are safe. Please let me know what we can do to assist.
Well we lived through a series of major miracles. Without power for less time than Jeanne or Frances - 60 hours. And this time we had a generator to run our regrigerator and the neighbor's - while being able to watch endless hours of hurricane recovery coverage on tv. Minimal roof tile damage, all cosmetic. Phones, DSL, cable, two cars with full tanks, and 20 gallons of gas on the patio. Life is coming back slowly around us. Many of our neighbors are less fortunate and there is plenty of misery in Broward County, although people's spirits are good and everyone seems to be focused on getting back to normal. That could take a few weeks - with a much barer skyline. Have been too tired out to post anything until now. Happy Halloweeen.
Saw a sappy article today in the Stuart news where folks without generators were complaining about the noise from them...said people with generators were inconsiderate by running them while others were trying to sleep. I suppose the have-nots feel everyone should be as miserable as them. Go figure...
Welcome back laz!
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