storms

[hensylee]

Sanibel and Captiva are probably gone. Our own dear John and JoAnn most likely have damage to their winter home - it is just outside of Pt Charlotte. My son and our VR buddy Mark U in Sarasota are ok; it missed them more or less. Arcadia, town 30 mi from Punta Gorda, was in direct path. A bldg used for evacuees collapsed with many inside, but don't know the damage there yet. My ex lives there, so daughter will call him and tell me the damage there, later today. This storm is being equated with Andrew. Awful; with lives lost and injuries. will report later when I hear more - that is, if you want to know.

 

[Nancy]

My daughter (in Tampa) emailed me last night that they only had 3 inches of rain and some wind, but nothing much else. They had done nothing else but listen to storm news for two days trying to decide whether to stay or go. Good thing they stayed, the area they would have evacuated to would have been Orlando.

I'm watching all the destruction on this morning's news, and it's going to continue on as the storm moves up the coast. Just terrible.

 

[Harrybaby666]

Hey Nancy....

Hey Nancy....

Hey Nancy,
By any chance have you heard whether Charley will affect us up here in the Northeast? (I am in Rochester, New Hampshire, near the coast, but not right on it) I noticed that your from New York, and I haven't heard any mention as to whether we will see any of the Hurricane up here? Thanks for the info in advance. Harrybaby

 

[Nancy]

I'm watching the news quite a bit along with the weather channels. We'll probably get some rain and wind from the outer edges, but if you're on the coast or near it, better keep an eye out for the path it takes.

Cape Cod, Mass. got hit more than once really badly.

 

[Harrybaby666]

Hi Hensy...Hope you and yours are all ok

Hi Hensy...Hope you and yours are all ok

Morning Hensy,
Just thought that I would say hello, and see how your holding up with the hurricane and I hope everything is ok with you and yours. I have a friend in Cape Coral, who I haven't heard from in awhile, and I haven't been able to contact her because she changed her phone number to an unlisted number, which she forgot to give me, and I hope she and her brother and her daughter are all ok. I also have friends in Ocala and I hope they are ok also...(If I keep this up, I will have to move to Florida just to make sure everyone is ok...lol lol) Take Care, Harrybaby

 

[Ross]

 

[hensylee]

Hey Harry - your Cape Coral friend is probably ok. Ft Myers is just north of Cape Coral and they are in pretty good shape - they were on the fringes. Ocala is fine, too. My friend in Punta Gorda has a daughter there and she called them to say she is fine - no damage. Whatever I hear from parts south, I will post here just in case someone else has friends/family there. I am in close touch with folks there several times a day.

Hope we hear from John and Joann soon. I am positive they have some damage, but they aren't down there, so they are ok - just wonder about their property.

As for us, our cold front is what sent it in Pt Charlotte/Punta Gorda. It is still pretty cool outside so the front is still with us and maybe it will stick around for the next two that are out there off the coast of Africa. Hope these two developing storms will be sent into the nether world.

 

[EVELYN]

Hi All

Well, we're putting away our outside furniture, hammocks, etc, and then going out to lunch!!!! They're predicting much rain and some wind, but nothing here yet, just clouding over.....better safe than sorry!!! I haven't been able to reach our friends in Sebring as yet.....don't know if they evacuated, although I doubt it because she has a week-old litter of puppies, anyone hear of any damage in the Sebring area. I've called her on the regular phone and her cell----no ans. as yet.

Evelyn

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Just received news from family in Orlando. They where evacuated from their area last night. Still can't get near the home. One of the neighbors 'thinks' a tree may have fallen through the home. This was a brand new place. They just moved in last week Important thing is that they are alive and well. I can't imagine what other parts 'outlining area's look like if Orlando got hit pretty hard. They tell us damage downtown is pretty extensive as well. Gosh, Sanibel and Captiva as gone. My heart is breaking. It was such a beautiful beautiful place. Thanking the good Lord we were not there this week!

 

[Phyllis]

Heard from our cousins on Siesta Key (Sarasota) this morning. They evacuated to a niece in Orlando yesterday - wrong move, Siesta Key although under mandatory evacuation was spared and Orlando got hit hard. They had no electricity, phone, water or sewer and left there at 4AM this morning to return to Siesta Key. The hardest part was that they were treaveling with Dick's 90 year old aunt who has heart failure and is on oxygen and round the clock care. All are safely at home now. We expect rain and 30-40 mile/hours winds here in CT tonight. Keeping our fingers crossed that we escape hurricanes this season as we are right on Long Island sound here. Our hearts go out to all our friends in FL.

 

[Harrybaby666]

Thanks!!!

Thanks!!!

Thanks Hensy, Nancy, Ross and everyone who posted the info. I have watched my local news, and the weather channel and I have looked on the internet, and I have found that in my estimation I get the most reliable information through VR.com. It seems as if everytime I tried to get a weather report on TV, it was either during a commercial, or the Weather Channel was running their show "Storm Stories" (Not EXACTLY THE BEST TIME TO BE SHOWING THIS SHOW, DURING A HURRICANE...lol). Thanks again for the info. Harrybaby

 

[EVELYN]

Hi PG

We're in the same boat as you---about a mile from the sound and about 2 miles from the Peconic Bay. While flooding from the sound or the bay isn't an issue, our road was an old riverbed....needless to say, when it rains very hard the water runs off the farm fields right down into the road.....we actually floated a vw on our street many years ago. Luckily we're high enough that the road flooding doesn't affect us, but it's sure interesting to see people who don't know our street try to come down it when it's running wild!!! We actually had to row out to rescue one lady once.......just hope we don't lose power-----LIPA thinks the east end of Long Island is second string for repairs.

Evelyn

 

[Phyllis]

We're directly on the Thames River at the mouth of Long Island Sound - can see Fisher's Island from our living-room window. We've been here 34 years and have gone through our share of hurricanes, but have never had more than beach erosion. It's always been the preparation and clean-up that has been most stressful. We have a good sea-wall and the tide has never reached more than the bottom of it. When we were younger, Dick was prone to wanting to stay with the house - I think we both are older and wiser now and would leave on the first warning!

 

[Yaps]

Charlie

Charlie

has killed at least 15..in Florida last CNN report,,

 

[hensylee]

Gina 100% of Sanibel buildings have damage. Probably Captiva is much worse because it's so tiny compared to Sanibel. They flew over Sanibel earlier and it just sickens the heart. Hope the big ol banyan tree is still there. Must be hundreds of yrs old.

Town 30 mi no of Punta Gorda was hit very hard, too (Arcadia). I lived there for 20 yrs and would still be there if........don't know how hard our house was hit, but daughter hasn't been able to contact her father yet. Big bad news in Arcadia. Roads closed in Charlotte, DeSoto and Hardee counties. No ins and no outs. Bartow and Lakeland have really taken some damage, too. News from family in Bartow says trees down, roofs missing, siding gone.

I have been in touch with close friend in Punta Gorda - they get no news except from us and battery radios, so if they don't go out, they only know the damage in their immediate neighborhood. Power is out, but their phone still works.

They have no water, electricity in many counties. May not have it for days and days.

 

[Granbonny]

Im hoping that many of those who lived in that trailer park in Punta Gorda were still up North. Most Snowbirds don't come down until Nov....but many will not have a Winter Home to come to.. We love the Red Cocoanut RV campground on Ft. Myers Beach.. Usually go there in Feb..and Sanabel Island for shopping and lunch.....Stayed in Lakeland one winter. Very low campground. Flooded when it rained. ..The last time we went to Ft. Myers Beach..took a car ride over to Naples and Marco Island (Daughter was with)..Not a far milage trip but hours due to heavy constuction. Building hundreds of high rise Concrete Condos on Oceanfront. Hubby made a comment..Someday they are going to sink. Because of the soil... ...Ev..how did you make out. Heard 60 miles crossing Long Island? Bryan, any damage on Emerald Island..........Another one on the way, Earl..for middle of next week. Same direction...Bonnie

 

[Bryan B]

Bonnie,

No news is good news. If we had received damage one of our permanent neighbors would have called by now. I did hear of a 70mph wind gust in Jacksonville, NC, which is about 30mi from Emerald Isle with isolated tornadoes in the area. All we got here in the Raleigh area was a soaking rain for a few hours.

Hopefully Earl will behave better than Charlie, and it looks like Danielle will be a whopper but will stay out to sea. It sounds like Orlando is going through what Raleigh went through when Fran hit us. I was without power for 12 days at my apartment. I was working at the golf course at the time and the course was closed for almost a month due to flooding and tree damage.

I feel for everyone going through this as I have experienced what they are going through, both in Raleigh and Emerald Isle. I have come to accept that living at or near the eastern coast means accepting the chance that a storm may take everything you have from you. Our state is scrambling as we speak to send power crews and other help down to FL as they have done the same for us in times of crisis. I hope everyone in the VR.com family came through the storm without serious injury!

 

[tobagotwo]

I have nothing to say about storms. Last time I was in Florida, Andrew came and smote Miami while I was there.

A couple of years ago, we thought about visiting Florida, but I decided I wanted to stay home instead. Yep - Floyd.

In short, it may be worthwhile to keep a goodly distance from my karma in hurricane season...

Beleaguered,

 

[Karlynn]

I talked to my friend that has the condo in Ft. Myers Beach. Her aunt, who lives there year-round, is fine. And they were searching through photos on the internet and saw their own condo in the background - still standing. They don't know what shape it is in, but they are happy to know that it is still upright.

 

[EVELYN]

Hi Bon et al.

We survived with NO problem. I guess by the time it got to eastern Long Island, Charley was pooped. About 1 1/2 inches of rain and no read wind to speak of. THANK GOODNESS!!! Still haven't been able to get in touch with our friends in Sebring. Phone lines are still down and must be the same with the cell towers. Nervous about that, but I do hope they're fine and we can talk this week. I called this morning, just in case something had changed, but to no avail.

Just watched channel 7 and my cousin and the boat were on with the reporter from nyc.....fun. Makes a potentially bad situation fun.

Evelyn