We're okay

[Mark Miller]

Thanks for all the thought and good wishes, got back to the house late Sun nite. and fortunately for us it was as if nothing happened.
No damage and the complex never lost electricity.
The way they build these new windows is unbelievable, no water inside at all.
In hindsight we might have been better off here as hotel we went to lost it's electricity and had 7 major trees go down which destroyed 6 cars.
The whole state is a mess and now Ivan is coming.
We were very lucky this time and I must say that the our local gov has been excellent in getting out the word and protecting everyone to the best of their ability.
Again guys thanks for the thoughts.
Mark

[jabarnutcase]

Glad to hear you're ok Mark...a lot of us were thinking of you.
I feel so bad for the many people that didn't fare as well as you though. What a mess! :(
And like you said, with Ivan off in the Atlantic, we'll have to keep our fingers crossed. Really makes you wonder how much more some of those people can take.

Anyway, again, glad you and yours are fine.

Oh, and while I'm at it. if you haven't seen the two threads below check them out. (You probably have, but thought I would post them here anyway). ;)

http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31846

http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31895 :D (Try it, you'll like it).

[Mark Miller]

Thanks Jab,
Thanks for the other links also
Probably a few days till wmp 10
Not sure if I am coming or going yet.
Mark

[Flick]

Well, I actually got an upgrade on my computer before Mark and all it took was a hurricane! Glad to hear that you and yours are safe! Just looked at the National Weather Service site and Ivan looks like it's going to bisect the state from the bottom to the top.:eek: So, stay safe Mark!

[Steve]

Glad to see you're OK, Mark. Looks like a rough month for Florida.

But ya know...hurricanes ain't nothin' new down there. The folks in Florida know how to cope with these things. From the news reports, it seems the precautions really paid off.

Being a fan of extreme weather, I kind of envy your situation. But with Ivan coming, the folks have to be getting some weary. I wish you the best. Stay safe.

[Mark Miller]

Hey Steve,
Nothing to envy.
Try being without electricity or gas for the car for a few days. Or as in a lot of places safe water to drink.
Just about the whole state is affected.
It is very hot here and thank god our air is working but for about 3 million others, nada.
And now Ivan....

[PrntRhd]

Glad you are OK.

The company I work for has a diagnostics/technical center north of you in Melborne and I wonder how bad it got hit and when power will be back on.
It was really close to where Frances' eye came on shore.

[Mark Miller]

Hey PrntRhd,
Some parts of Melbourne are okay some parts were flattened.
If they are near the coast they had a bad time.
The biggest problem was that the storm took so long and they had the wind and rains for at least 2 days.
Usually a storm like this blows right through and a narrow portion of were it hits is hurt. This one at some point covered the whole state and it's still going on up in the panhandle.
They are now saying 6 million people have no electricity and it's just starting to go inland.
Even though we came through okay, we here in S. fla are mentally fatigued from dealing with this for just about a week.

[PrntRhd]

Hey Mark,
The Melbourne center is OK but will be a couple of days getting back up to speed due to the problems getting all the employees back into town and the problems they are having at home when they do get back.

[Mark Miller]

Glad to hear it.
I am so tired that I can't even think
Probably will be okay by weekend if Ivan goes away
Mark

[pentachris]

Ivan looks like it may skirt the western Florida coast and make its way up to us in Alabama. My wife and I were talking about that last night. We both work for electric utilities, so we really don't want that to happen. But we agreed that we'd rather take the brunt of it than for Florida to get slammed again - you guys have had your fair share for a while.

[Mark Miller]

Thanks Pent,
They don't know for sure where it's going, but from the way things have been going....
My Mother in law had to go to the emergency room yesterday because she was just so over whelmed by the last 3 weeks. There are hundreds of elderly going thru the same thing
Sighhh....

[PrntRhd]

Unfortunately that does happen. Natural disasters do that to you, the feelings of helplessness vs the power of nature.

[jabarnutcase]

Ivan looks like it may skirt the western Florida coast and make its way up to us in Alabama. My wife and I were talking about that last night. We both work for electric utilities, so we really don't want that to happen. But we agreed that we'd rather take the brunt of it than for Florida to get slammed again - you guys have had your fair share for a while. Yikes pentachris !!! Looks like you may get your "wish". :eek: :eek:

Batten down the hatches and stay safe!

[Mark Miller]

Meanwhile there is a new one in the Atlantic coming towards S. Fla. Jeanne.
They say this one will be small and may miss us altogether.
I am slowly losing my mind :(

[pentachris]

My wife just got her marching orders - 10 hour shifts (she was expecting 12) starting on Thursday. She was lucky enough to get a day shift.

My bosses are in an emergency staff meeting right now, so I should find out where I stand soon...

[Mark Miller]

Just remember to stay safe.
I am truly hoping that you area does not get hit very hard.
Mark

[pentachris]

Mind if I vent for just a moment? Thanks.

Here are a few of my favorite phone calls today:

The utilities in my neighborhood are underground, so you don't think my power will go out, do you?

How long does it take to restore power when it goes out?

How much does it cost to rent a generator from your company? [again, we are an electric utility, not a hardware store]

My son has asthma, so I need to get on the medical priority list so that my power won't go out.

I've got two large dead pine trees right next to my house and I need someone out here to cut them down. [This is one day before the storm. But I went ahead and asked the lady whether it was primary or secondary lines that were threatened by the trees, and I'd go ahead and issue an order anyway. Turns out it was neither; just her house was threatened, and she expected us to come out and remove the trees.]

It's going to be a long week / weekend (next week also?!?).

[Mark Miller]

Well we only got brushed by Frances and power in the area [Dade- Broward] took almost a week to be restored everywhere.
Ivan is much more powerful and almost as big, I do not envy the kind of days your going to have.
Try and keep in touch with us as I found this helped me when I was really losing my mind
Mark

[Steve]

Heh heh... that's good stuff Chris. ;) Folks are so used to the modern conveniences that they get pretty shakey at the idea of having to do without for a while. The thing is, old mother nature just don't care.

Extreme weather fascinates me. I've experienced my share but I haven't seen a real good hurricane yet. I'd love to jump in the Jeep and head south and see what it's like. Obligations aren't going to allow that this time, though. But one day I'll do it.

Be careful. Stay safe. :)

[Flick]

Well folks, guess what I've been doing all day? I live in a suburb of Pensacola, FL and I am close to the water (Escambia Bay). Rather than using plywood to shutter my home, I instead decided to use a new technique, ballistic cloth! I bought several rolls of the stuff (it's 44" wide) and cut it into 8' lengths. Then using masonry nails (my house is brick) and fender washers, I nailed it over the most vulnerable windows in my home.

One of my neighbors is a pro wrestler and he came by while I was nailing the cloth up. He asked me if he could help me. He's a BIG guy. I went into my house and got a baseball bat and asked him to "whack that cloth with this bat"! Well, the first time he was trying to be nice and he barely made a dent. So I said, "No, really whack it hard. I want to see if this stuff will work". On his second swing, he broke the bat but the cloth wasn't harmed! So, we'll see.

My family and I are planning on riding this one out. I expect to be without power for awhile once the hurricane approaches. Gulf Power has advised us to expect a three week outage! I also have several gallons of roofing tar, two 16' x 30' tarps (for repairs) and plenty of food, water, batteries, flashlights and beer. I'll try to stay in touch, if I can. :D

[Mark Miller]

Flick,
Please be careful.
Your on the right side of the storm which usually has the highest winds and tornados.
I have been through a few of these but nothing like what Ivan can be.
Andrew was less than half it's size.
Mark

[Flick]

Yes Mark, I am fully aware that the northeast quadrant is the most powerful part of the hurricane. Given my instinct, I would have hit the road yesterday for safety. However, various factors (family and medical) preclude evacuation. Tornados are my concern at this point.

I thank you for your concern in this matter and I'll report back.

[PrntRhd]

Flick,
Just be safe, this one is really wound tight.

[Paleo Pete]

Well, I'm glad you folks from Florida are OK so far, that kind of weather can be really dangerous. Having been through about a half dozen hurricanes and 6 or 8 tornadoes, I can't say I envy anyone caught in these latest ones that are hammering Florida. Watching 100+ mph winds scream through your back yard is an eye opener to say the least...Oh, and yes, a tornado does sound like a train...coming through the room...

Last tornado I was around was about 50 yards out into the woods, I was driving home (10mph at best, 3-5 foot visibility due to rain) and could hear it but could not see it. Next day I went back and found its path right beside the road...At about the area I could hear it best, it ripped trees over a foot in diameter up by the roots about 100 feet from the road...The worst part was hearing the thing and not being able to see...it's in the truck with you and...

WHERE IS IT????? :eek:

The one before that broke or pulled up 23 trees in the yard next door, dropped one on their house, moved a parked car 10 feet in our yard, dropped 4 trees on our place (yard not house) - smallest one I could barely get my arms around - over 150 trees within 1/4 mile, and knocked out power for 3 days. It took them all night and half the next day just to cut all the trees out of our road, 1 1/2 miles long or so. I have some pictures of the damage from that one.

Be careful around those storms, they can be deadly. After hurricane Camille in 1963 there was a picture in the local paper of a telephone pole split in half by a piece of broom straw...I think the wind was about 115 mph during that one. Tornado winds can get up to 300 mph. (that's F5 strength)

Steve That kind of weather has always interested me too, but after seeing several such storms up close I also have a healthy respect for it. Something about seeing big trees bent to 90 degrees 30 feet up while an unseen train goes thundering through the room kind of makes an impression...especially when the top 20 feet of one snaps off...So if you ever do get a chance to get close to a hurricane or tornado, BE CAREFUL.

[PrntRhd]

Flick,
I would evacuate if possible.

[PrntRhd]

Looks like Mississippi and Alabama are getting the worst of it now, still worried about Flick and the tornados.

[Mark Miller]

Flick"s area took a MAJOR hit
I hope he and his family are okay

[pentachris]

We're still here. Thankfully, no reported fatalites in Alabama yet. Not so fortunate in Florida. The electrical grid for my little cooperative sustained a fair amount of damage, but I think it could have been a lot worse. Alabama Power now has more customers out of power than they've ever had at one time before, though. Lots of cleaning up to do.

Looking forward to hearing from Flick...

[jabarnutcase]

Been thinking about you guys....glad you're ok. The pics I've seen from some areas look really bad. Bet you've got your work cut out for you!

I'm looking forward to hearing from Flick too. As we know (and Mark mentioned), his area really got hammered including Tornadoes and, unfortunately, fatalities. Sure hope he's ok.

I was very concerned as were others when he said he was going to "ride it out".
Depending on how close to the water he was, most people that "ride out" a storm like that don't try it again if another comes along.

[Mark Miller]

Glad your okay, even though I know your work is just starting. :)
Now if we would just hear from Flick :(

[Steve]

Hey Chris, glad to see you made it through in one piece. Did you get any pictures?

It might be a while before we see Flick. With no electric or telephone connection, he might have a case of internet withdrawal going on... :)

[Fruss Tray Ted]

My jaw is agape in awe as I watch National News tonite on a local station. All I can say is Wow! :eek: I couldn't imagine the 'stunning effect' the stress of putting it all back together again would be!

Wishing you all the best!

Not exactly a good time to suggest putting some Average White Band on the turntable is it? You know the album with 'Pick up the Pieces' ??? Didn't think so :o

[Mark Miller]

One more to go, at least here in S. Fla
Jeanne
This is a "little" guy and hopefully it will miss but boy am I getting tired of this
Mark :eek:

[Fruss Tray Ted]

What do you mean 'one' more to go? The season isn't officially closed!

Hopefully I'm not a harbinger of the future but it seems this year is rather fertile for tropical storms. Wishfully hoping it will wane soon on yerall's behalf.

[Flick]

Thank you for all your concern. We made it! No personal injuries but lots of property damage. The roof on my home is gone, except for the computer room! Fence destroyed, carpet destroyed from wind driven rain that came under the front door (140 MPH, I think), garage door destroyed, lots of trees snapped in two or pulled up by the roots. Lots more damage too numerous to mention right now. Our local Emergency Management Center was destroyed in the storm so the police, fire and emergency folks have been unable to help us. National Guard came to our rescue with ice, water and Meals Ready To Eat (MRE's).

Stayed up for 48 hours during and after the storm to survive. The ballistic cloth worked great! It saved our lives. Some of my friends were not as lucky. Just wanted to let you know we're OK! It will take us many years to recover. I only was able to get this message out because a neighbor found a generator and let me hook up an extension cord. I was also able to find a telephone wire pair that works out in the main feed box and I had 300 feet of telephone wire. I have a line of people waiting to use the phone (it's the ONLY phone that works out here (land line or cell).

Will update you when I can but it could be a long time. All of the neighbors are helping each other. We know if we don't, we may not survive because our community is isolated (road and bridge damage). We can't get out and only the National Guard has been able to get in. We have the basics for survival. :D Baby wipe "showers" all we've had for days now. :p

[PrntRhd]

Flick,
Wow am I glad to hear from you!!!!
We were worried whether you had survived. Please evacuate next time, OK?
What is the name of your community? Maybe we can donate to the American Red Cross in your community name to remind them where you are?

[Mark Miller]

Flick,
I'm glad to here you made it, if you need any help let us know.
I'm very sorry to hear of damage but after seeing pictures I knew it was not going to be great.
Good Luck and try and keep in touch
Mark