Randerolf

Last night the shaves were completely barren – no water.

Down a few hundred feet, the battery section of the local Walmart look like it was ravaged by rioting electronic devices. There’s talk that there’s no more D batteries in Jacksonville, Florida.

And we’re only on the back end of the hurricane’s trajectory.

I’d like to hear accounts from member in the path of the hurricane, telling what their area is like before, during, and after the storm.

I wait tables at a high end steakhouse (Morton’s Steakhouse) and worked last night. It was very slow. I had 3 tables all night; we had probably had around 20 guests all night.

I ventured to the store latter that night and it was busier than usual. The cashier remarked “Just last night, I wished that it was busy like it was when back-to-school was going on. I was bored. I guess be careful what you wish for.”

There is talk among people saying that authorities will shut down the bridges that connect the city over the St. Johns River because of high winds possibly hurling cars over the sides. The local transportation authority has denied this, but has announced having troopers on hand to have such a lock down if needed.

If you are in Florida, let us know what’s going on in your neck of the woods.

It was a gorgeous day yesterday BTW. 

Glava

I'm in the Miami area. Last night, we had a big thunderstorm, but right now, it's dry, though a bit cloudy. The only thing we should get out of Charley is some rain.

Carno

Melbourne here.. Right now the skies are completely grey, a little rain, but not muh wind. The new track has the eye going over Cocoa Beach, which is 20 miles north of me. I plan on going to a cane party tonight.

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anon85pd

im over in st lucie county, and its 4:32, still not a drop of rain, just a light breeze, still sunny and everything, the company i worked for shut down two of their buildings, so night shift gets a paid day off, w00t! but i keep telling everyone jack shit is gonna happen over here. ah well. i figure we'll get some rain and wind late this night.

sailor

Charlotte, NC. Raining a bit, but some of this is leftover from the tropical storm that went through a day ago.

Its not supposed to be too bad here, but I was going up to Raleigh to help move my brother into college, and we just cancelled that.

Hurricanes have never bothered me too much. Ive grown up with them and remember Hugo quite well. There isnt much I can do about them so I dont really sweat it.

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bodypainter

Sarasota here. We're still waiting to see how bad it'll get. Rain and gusty winds so far.

68galaxy

South of Orlando, right in the path. It's calm at the moment, after a couple of large bands swept through! I'm just getting ready to ride 'it' out. Stay safe, y'all!!!

moonstrucksoul

you have no water and yet you still shave. you are my hero.

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Redjake

here in NC, the forecasters like to make a big deal out of all the hurricanes that come through if you are in the triad area. I've come to the realization that a hurricane for the traid area in North Carolina means "rain."

They say it's "coming" and that we should be "prepared" but I know it's just gonna rain and that's it


Now if I lived on the coast I would have flak armor on

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Carno

9:14 pm, a little wind, a little rain...

Nothing that a regular storm couldn't produce.

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viejo gringo

You guys keep your heads down and your butts dry---

don't take any chances---these things can be violent real quick...

We are still waiting for ours over here on the tip of Texas...

People do strange things around here when there is a hurricane coming...
1. they go out and buy all of the batteys and gas lanterns that
are available.
2. They clean the store shelves of all food stuff.
3. They buy all of the generators and gas cans..

4. The day after the all clear, they try to return everything--
including the food stuff....

The stores finally stopped taking back food and started charging a
50% restocking fee...that has really slowed it down...

be careful..VG

Scorps

Hell my computer has back up power os if this Hurricane makes it to Canada I will just post my way threw it

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sailor

Haha, yeah, thats what tends to happen. Of course, then theres Hugo

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"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."
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optik_nerve

I'm in Englewood, Charles was coming right for us but it made a mad dash into Charlotte Harbor. All of the towns to the east of me got destroyed. Port Charlotte, North Port. A friend of my girlfriend lives in Port Charlotte. Their lenai got ripped off and a tree landed in their pool. There were reports in PC and Punta Gorda that people were found dead in their trailors because they didn't evacuate.

I, myself and my family got very lucky. If the storm wouldv'e went to the north another 10 miles that would've been us. We didn't lose power any either, just some flickers. It was a devastating day all around my little town.

whocarz

This is to help you drown faster when you're flung into the ocean, right?

Or does the hurricane call a mortar strike on your house?

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Redjake

the flak armor is for debri and hail if the hail is anywhere near as bad as the shit we had last summer here in the northwest of NC, I'd have a damn hazmat suit with flak over top of it on

<img src="http://www.appstate.edu/~jt52439/hail1.jpg">

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Carno

Not much damage in Melbourne, but Orlando got thrashed pretty good. Punta Gorda and surrounding areas got it really bad..

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TheBrit

Here's hoping you have teeny hands.

Redjake

nope, size 13 1/2 shoe also

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Scorps

Big doesn't mean anything....well not with them pills they got out now...LOL

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Redjake

haha that reminds me of that reporter guy on our local news that took the "penis pills" that you see in your email all the time. he said it did nothing but give you an erection for extended periods of time. well, I guess it did make it bigger.....


sorry for the threadjackage

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Scorps

LOL


lets get back on topic now!

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Munku

Came right through us, north east of Orlando about 15 miles. Trees uprooted and all over the place, some really big oak's and queen palms got trashed, neighbors lost shingles, pool enclosures etc.. Town just a few miles away are out of power for several days it's looking like. I work at a drug store and everything was gobbled up..

68galaxy

We were spanked pretty hard south of Orlando, all of my big trees came down around us, all of the street lights are out, or just missing, I doubt I'll have power or phone service at my house for at least another week, as I'm typing this from work. Most of the residential areas are blocked by trees, and power poles and lines, and some roofs, too. The looters are out in force casing the neighborhoods, so I've got the German Shepard tied up in the front yard.

silenced

oh man, i have a friend in orlando, and haven't heard from him in awhile. How much damage has been done in orlando? maybe if anyone is near the fullsail facility, let me know if the buildings are still there please.

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68galaxy

Parts of Orlando are down. Most of the streetlights are out on South Orange Blossom Trail. I'm in downtown, and it looks like minor damage around here. I heard that Belle Isle (on the S.E. outskirts) got nailed hard, but I can't get down there to check it out. I came to work on the turnpike & Interstate 4, so I missed the mess. Fullsail should be o.k. The theme parks are up and running (damn) Most large facilities in the Orlando area stayed up.

DDDDave

A lot of the phones are out in the Orlando area.

My good friend in Sanford suffered minimal damage. Shingles, some trees, etc. But his power was out for 20 hours and he still does not have phone service.

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68galaxy

How did Sarasota do? Did you get much of the storm?

Averett

How did Sanibel Island do? I've been down there a few times and it was really beautiful. I hope it didn't get too much damage

I've heard reports of another island, I forget the name, being split apart by water and they don't think the water will receed. Crazy.

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silenced

yea I got word from him today, he was in VA/DC for the weekend to come home to find out his place is inhabitable. what luck!

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ShaniFaye

My heart goes out to anybody that has been affected by this...Glad to know your friend is ok Silenced.

We were coming home from chattanooga Saturday nite and I-75 south was almost a constant stream of out of state (some as far away as Nebraska) emergancy equipment...tree cutters, power companies etc.

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68galaxy

I heard that Sanibel Island was cut off from the mainland while they restored power.

Bill O'Rights

Hmmmmm....come to think about it...analog is in/near the Orlando area. His last activity was on 8/13. Hope he's alright.

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DDDDave

Here is a post that I found on another forum:

I'm just back on line and new to the forum but can give a fairly complete Lee County report. I went with a friend Saturday morning to look at his business on Captiva and did a tour of all the island before the National Guard and FWC shut boat access down. I also got to fly it all on Sunday for a double perspective. Much worse from the water view.

Starting at the south end of Sanibel, the damage is minor. Mostly roofs and down trees. By mid island the mangroves are bad, at least the first 100' ft from the open water is shredded. From there in they were more protected. Blind Pass is open, but barely. Clam Bayuo is open. The homes on Roosevelt Channel are torn up, but not destroyed. Tween took a hit, but will require only some re-roof. Jensen's Marina is gone, gas pumps and all, and the whole bay has lots of destroyed docks and sunken boats. However, the cottages at Jensens are amazingly healthy, thank god. I love that place. Most of Andy Rosse Lane's buildings are okay, but lots of roof parts are a few lots over from their former buildings. South Seas took a huge hit. Trusses are showing everywhere. Roofs are demolished and glass is out of lots of windows. The main thing on Captiva though, is the trees. The old growth canopy is gone. Most coconut palms survived, but the exotics and native large trees are crushed. You can see houses I never even knew existed. You can even see the Gulf front homes from the Sound in most spots. It sucks.

Most of the wind that did the damage came from the sound out of the SE, the Gulf side is better off. Friends who stayed on Andy Rossee Lane reported that the gulf never even came over the island, but the bay side was insane. They were surprisingly chipper Saturday morning. And still drinking beer.

The houses on the end of North Captiva are damaged, some very badly. Again, major tree damage. The docks behind are damaged or gone. The new pass where Smith Bank used to be is wide and shallow. It won't stay open too long. Safety Harbor's docks are torn up, and Barnacle Phil's lost its upstairs gift shop, the tiki hut, and its docks. The downstairs is very repairable. I will be expecting some rice and beans soon. The point house is blown through but kept most of its roof, also repairable. It is now on an island. The shack at the entrance to Safety Harbor lost 20% of it's roof, but is okay. It is one of very few left. The houses on Captiva pass are all damaged and some destroyed. Many inland housed are destroyed as well and almost all are damaged. Again, the trees will break your heart.

Cayo Costa is not too bad, but there isn't that much to damage on that island. In this whole report keep in mind that your favorite snook fishing dock is more likely gone than in tact. Cabbage Key is good. The Inn is okay as are most of the cottages and homes. The rental house to the west of the marina has no second story and the Phyllis (Well's transfer boat) is on its side on one of the remaining docks. The marina took major damage, if Terry hadn't retired he would probably cry. But, like I wrote, the bar is okay so we will live to have Creepers another day.

On north to Boca Grande, Miller's lost 1/3 of its roof. Boca Grande is much better than areas south. My local knowledge ends at Cayo Costa, so my place names will be wrong if I write much more north.

Across the sound, Pineland Marina is decimated. Tarpon Lodge lost its dock and the weigh in houses on the end, royal bummer. The Lodge lost some roof and has some pretty bad damage, but I'm sure the Wells will repair all. Useppa has lots of roof damage and the marina is missing most of its docks. The fish shacks are toast, save for the Goodyear shack (the red one). The gray shack has walls but no roof, may be salvaged. The rest are just floor or just piling. I'm certain the enviro-nazis will not allow rebuilds of those. Further south, the fisherman's coop is damaged. The Keisel's shack is destroyed. Just piles. Sorry Conrad, that totally sucks.

The mangroves everywhere look like the mangroves in the Shark River, Andrew's carnage. St. James is okay, just roofs and docks. The Waterfront is about to do some dock replacement, their scope of work just increased.

I'd say the eye crossed at Redfish Pass, if damage is any indication.

Hope that helped out.

There are some awesome videos here:

http://www.nbc-2.com/news/yahoosum.shtml



I was just to 'ground zero' this afternoon to drop off a generator. It is not as bad as Andrew but that was Cat 5. Every tree in downtown Punta Gorda is either uprooted or bare. There are ten thousand damaged homes. Not destroyed, not uninhabitable but virtually every property sustained some kind of damage.

There will be no elecrticity for weeks. I don't think I saw a single telephone pole upright in a 1/2 mile radius. It will be months in the outlying places like Sanibel. Phone system is completely out. You have not been able to contact anyone and you won't for quite a while. There are no working traffic lights. Most, but not all, the roads have been cleared of debris. There was just a story on the news imploring snowbirds not to come down to check on their properties until at least the cleanup is complete. All possible rooms are rented to displaced residents.

A lot of people are coming up to Venice and Sarasota to do business, eat and recharge. A large part of Ft.Myers is without power also. Most people don't want to leave their houses since they are not secure. The National Guard just showed up yesterday so people feel a little safer.

Sarasota did not get anything at all. Even Englewood, just 10 miles away got very little damage.

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68galaxy

Damn... Sounds like Captiva & Sanibel were shredded. I love that area, and I had been planning on taking a week to relax at Sanibel. That's out now! My prayers go out to the residents there.

phredgreen

so i was in orlando on the night of the hurricane, on a gig at the disney world hilton. that morning, they started fussing about tornadoes and by noon, they were closing down the pool. downtown disney was completely shut down and the rest of the disney facilities were to be vacant by 2 in the afternoon. letters and phone calls to every hotel room asking people to close the heavy drapes in their rooms and stay away from windows, and be prepared to take refuge in the hallways if it comes to it.

as the afternoon rolled on, hotel personnel started clearing anything and everything that might blow away from outside areas. pool chairs, tables, fancy netting and draping, everything. the convention that i was working was evacuated from the outbuilding they were in to the main facility, the outbuilding was new and they weren't sure how it'd hold up under severe weather.

by 3-4, heavy rain started. it poured. massive water all over everything, and it just kept up. by the time we had cleared all the equipment from the outbuilding, it was going pretty good, so we all continued what we were doing within the main hotel building. rumors of power outages were abound, and there were "guards" posted strategically around the windows reminding (loudly demanding) people to stay away from windows as we watched heavy winds start sweeping over the area.

the hotel lobby and resturaunt started filling up, refugees from outlying areas who were lucky enough to get overchared for a room away from the tampa area, where the hurricane was estimated to landfall. the bigscreen tv's were switched from the olympics and sportscenter to the weather channel and local coverage, and word filtered down that the hurricane had changed directions and was headed straight for us.

as the storm intensified, i retired to our equipment storage room, which had wall-to-wall/ceiling-to-floor windows. being the bright individual i am, i opened the drapes and watched the show, as trees, limbs, livestock, and some old lady on a bike all flew by in a torrent of horizontal rain and wind. it finally started slowing down as i came to the end of my shift, and with only a flicker in the lights, i was happy to have weathered the storm safely.

the next morning, i walked around the hotel property to see lots of trees on the ground, along with many many limbs and other foliage. i came to the realization at that moment that i should open a landscaping business, but alas, the money wasn't there, so i let the opputunity pass me by. in any case, the immediate area i was in was safe, but watching the tv, not everyone was as lucky. the area got pretty trashed, lots of roofs, buildings, billboards, greenery, and other property fell victim to massive winds. the fact that the hurricane hit land much earlier than expected really caught the peopl in the hardest hit areas unawares, while i'm sure the people in tampa were all slapping their foreheads after panicking.

as i drove north out of florida sunday afternoon and monday, i watched a non-stop convoy of utility trucks headed south, big utility companies eager to capitolize on the damage. apparently, there were other, smaller scams going on too, humanity's way of keeping it real, the idea that there were already shysters out there trying to fleece those who had lost alot or everything. isn't humanity grand?

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limited

I'm from upstate NY, but was in Charleston, SC for the weekend. I woke up Saturday morning to a lot of thunder and some rain, but nothing major. Turns out Charley missed up by about 5-10 miles to the North. Guess I'm one of those lucky Yankees. Later that weekend I saw a t-shirt shop selling "I survived Hurricane Charley" shirts and started laughing.