Batten down the hatches, Good luck to Floridian 914 friends Options

[URY914]

And people from O are called Qarl.

[tdgray]

You guys are sooo funny (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Please stay safe and let us know how it goes. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool_shades.gif)

My younger sisters live in the FLA - Naples area. I think that area is OK but I will check in with them anyway.

[iamchappy]

My parents have a condo on Treasure Island not far from St.Pete beach. I hope it's still there tomorrow.

Treasure Island that is. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[machina]

We got off easy this time. Good thing because the shutters that we finally ordered won't be here for another 3 weeks.

dr

[jhs914]

I'm 56 years old and lived in Florida for the last 55 of those years. I've been through a few storms.

If you have a sturdy house and can board up the windows, you will be OK from wind damage...but look out for falling trees. Had to help my neighbor cut one off of his roof during the eye of a hurricane once, then rush inside for the backside of the storm. Then had to cut a tree from my driveway to get out and finish helping my neighbor.

I took a week of vacation time to help a friend clean up after Andrew. He house was OK, but we spent the whole week cutting up downed trees and stacking them up.

The thing that will get you is rising water. If you live on or near the beach, GET OUT.

Storms that hit a night are the worst. You can't see a thing because the power lines are down. But you can hear every tree limb and pine cone that hits the house and the howl of the wind can be frightening.

A word of advice on protecting your car. If you cannot park it in an enclosed garage, put it in the middle of the biggest parking lot you can find away from potential blowing or falling debris. I've left vehicles in the driveway and had dents from tree limbs and heavy green pine cones (if you live in the South you know what I'm talking about).

What most first timers don't think about is the aftermath of the storm. No electricity for days or weeks means NO A/C!!! and no lights, no TV, no hot water and if the sewer lift stations don't work, you can't flush the toilet. If water mains are broken, which they frequently around the beach, no water either. The kids aren't able to go to school and you may not be able to go to work.

Any way, best of luck to you guys in S.W. Florida. I have several friends down there I'll be checking up on after Charley.

[beemie96]

Man, I wish I had this BBS when I was still living in Tampa! My teener would be MUCH better off! There are SO many of you guys in Tampa that I didn't even know about! Argh! Not as many in Nash-Vegas.

URY914 is right, though... people think it's called Tampa Bay, FL... it's not!

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays play in St. Pete, the 2004 Stanly Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning used to play in St. Pete... I think they name them 'Tampa Bay' to have a larger audience base to draw from... psychologically.

[watsonrx13]

jhs914, yeah it's going to be 'interesting' experiencing a direct hit from a Cat 3 hurricane. BTW, jhs914, please update your location, it will help when we get a Florida chapter for the 914 club meetings, but not this weekend.

Chappy, Treasure Island is a very scary place to be. They're still predicting 10' - 14' wave surge, which would be over the first floor. Hopefully your parents are long gone by now.

tdgray, Naples will take an indirect hit and will have some kind of wave and/or wind damage.

I've gone out this morning and took a lot of 'before' pics. Since the storm is expected to arrive sometime early evening, I won't be able to take any 'after' pics, but when it's over, I'm certain everyone in the 'Tampa Bay area' will be posting their experiences.

[jhs914]

Rob,

I'm afraid I'm too far away to attend a meeting of teeners in your part of the state.

Even though you are pretty much in the middle of the state, Pensacola is about 470 miles from Plant City! Florida is a big state. It is about the same distance from Pensacola to Key West as it is from Pensacola to Chicago (over 800 miles)!

[URY914]

Its now 1:00 EST and it just started raining.

Bet it rains for 18 hours.

They just said it looks like it is turning a little to the east.

Going right for Plant City!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Run Rob Run!!!

Paul

[watsonrx13]

Yeah, just heard it is expected to hit Sarasota by 5:00 pm and go through PC about 7:00pm. The first rain band is just hitting PC, 1:30 pm.

BTW, the hurricane has just been upgraded to a Cat 4, 145mph.

[smg914]

Just a few hours ago this bastard "Charie" was headed right for the mouth of Tampa Bay. But now it looks like the eye of the storm is going to hit south of the Tampa Bay between Sarasota and Fort Meyers. Currently a category 4.

[tdgray]

Just spoke with my Sisters. They actually live closer to FT. Meyers (nice that I know where my own siblings live huh <_< ).

The storm is Cat 4 and is headed straight toward them. Everybody brace yourselves. Even though we are trying to keep the club religion and polictics free... wouldn't hurt to say a prayer for all of our friends and family in it's path.

[watsonrx13]

Yep, Sarasota/Ft. Meyers is the new target, which is south of the Tampa Bay area.

Hey Qarl, looks like you'll be getting a nice soaking and wind. With the new house, you'll be able to gauge the quality of construction, and within the normal 1-year warranty.

Everyone be safe and we'll keep the posts coming, as long as we have power.

[JohnB]

I was a kid in 1964 when the remnants of Hurricane Dora blew threw Jacksonville, where I lived. Debris is indeed one of the major hazards as is rising water. Mom cleaned out the bathtub and filled it with water, it was what we drank, washed, and cooked from for 3 days. Light came from kerosene lanterns.

And we got off easy!

Earthquakes last seconds and they are mighty dangerous but you haven't experienced anything until you've listened to the howl of a hurricane at night. 40 years later I still remember.

Good luck, Floridians! I spoke with a buddy in Panama City Beach this morning and they got off light this time. Last time this happened, the water was 4' high in their house, and they built their house 4' above their neighbors as a defensive measure.

[Jake Raby]

I have family in FT Myers (where my family originates from) and when I talked to them a few minutes ago, they were having a big party..... No evacuation for them, just waiting it out...

[Howard]

My B in Law is in Ft Meyers (Cape Coral) . Luckily, he's an attorney so if the waters do rise, the professional courtesy he receives from alligators and sharks should hold him in good stead (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Question to Floridians: Lake Okechobe (sp) is 16 feet above sea level, so does a 17 foot wave entering Tampa bay go all the way to Yeehaw Junction?

And yes, I used to live in the sunshine state (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool_shades.gif)

[smg914]

Hurricane Charley hit land at Captiva Island and is currently over Port Charlotte. This area is about 2 hours South of Tampa.

[Joe Ricard]

Got a report of Charley being CAT 5 with gust to 170.

DAMn that ain't no joke now. Plus there is a new Tropical depression #5 real close too.

[rick 918-S]

Qarl thought he was in hell last week! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)

My supervisor just called to tell me we are the third area to draw from in line for assisting with claims down there. We have 150,000 policy holders within 50 miles of Tampa! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

[smg914]

The local stations are saying it's currently a category 4 with winds at about 127. There were surges up to 170 which approach the category 5 but right now they are saying the winds are in the 120's in the Punta Gorda area.