HURRICANE CHARLEY COVERAGE
We'll it is some 18 hours after Hurricane Charley struck SW Florida. I'll be the first to tell you that no one here expected it to come...how about that National Hurricane Center. When we were recieving the first tropical storm force winds, they were still saying that it would strick the Tampa-St. Pete area.
So...here is the story...it starts at Band Camp rehearsal at Barron Aug. 12...we are told that Barron Collier has become a Special Needs shelter, and that the national guard will be taking over at 3pm. Band Camp Cancells early...
At around 12.15 on the 13th (ironic really Friday the 13th)-we recieved the first word that not only Charley had taken a turn to the east, but also that it had strengthened to Category 4 status. Our house, along with everyone else in my neighborhood, had NOT boarded up. With the garage door barred, the sliding glass door protected by my Caprice, and my corvette hidden under the awning. At around 12.30 we came to the collective conclusion that we were "f*cked". My mom called her friend Mary, she was at lower ground-but also had hurricane shutters sort of. She lost power 2 hrs ago, and did not know of the storms eastern turn, nor that it was beyond even category 2. She along with her son and two of his friends began finishing putting up the lower level shutters.
We prepared to abandon our house, putting matresses up against windows, furniture to block other areas...and grabbed the cat carriers to haul them to saftey as well. We left the house with gale force winds...
Upon arriving at Mary's, my dad and I along with everyone else, finished securing the lower level shutters to her house. Tree debris was everywhere, including pinecones.
With this done, we now faced the problem that the patio roll shutters were still up and without power could not be lowered. Mary's son-Paul and myself set about geting power to the generator. This lead to siphoning gas during minimal hurricane force gusts...we got the gas and when we turned to generator on, the shutters continued to roll down. We rode out the storm until like 5pm, then returned to find no damage to our home, however there was considerable damage along the way...
So here it is...MOOSE SIGHTINGS LJ PICTURE HOUR-HURRICANE CHARLEY!!!
We interrupt BCHS Band Camp for the following-National Guard Troops take over at 3pm...and it becomes one of two special needs shelters...
BCHS becomes-Barron Collier Emergency Shelter...students and staff were told to leave by 3pm...
The calm before the storm-quite a few hours before landfall...
Yeah...even at 11pm they were predicting a Tampa-St Pete landfall...that gave us less than 2 hours warning...
Even with its annoying beep every ten seconds...Weatherbug provided upto the second information...notice the wind gusts at this time only 35 miles per hour...
My rents Corvettes...and the garage door braced...
First high wind gust at the house...
This is at the point where we left our house and went to Mary's...notice the winds now...
How many guys does it take to turn the generator on...4 apparently...with power, we close the last of the shutters that were stuck in the up position...
The storm at its height-winds at least 85-100 for about 30 minutes...I didn't stay outside to long...
With the storm past-we head back to our house...after more than a few obstacles...
Jetskiing again...I think not-driving through flood waters...
See what I mean...
We lost the road for awhile...it was completely flooded over...
Debris...
More debris...
Debris...hidden Mickey...
Alot of trees down, throughout the area...but...
After the storm...looks like its over...
This morning around 6 power came back on...an estimated 680,000 in all of SW Florida are without power at this time.
We learned our lesson...plans are made to buy shutters...generators, and more emergency supplies...
So...here is the story...it starts at Band Camp rehearsal at Barron Aug. 12...we are told that Barron Collier has become a Special Needs shelter, and that the national guard will be taking over at 3pm. Band Camp Cancells early...
At around 12.15 on the 13th (ironic really Friday the 13th)-we recieved the first word that not only Charley had taken a turn to the east, but also that it had strengthened to Category 4 status. Our house, along with everyone else in my neighborhood, had NOT boarded up. With the garage door barred, the sliding glass door protected by my Caprice, and my corvette hidden under the awning. At around 12.30 we came to the collective conclusion that we were "f*cked". My mom called her friend Mary, she was at lower ground-but also had hurricane shutters sort of. She lost power 2 hrs ago, and did not know of the storms eastern turn, nor that it was beyond even category 2. She along with her son and two of his friends began finishing putting up the lower level shutters.
We prepared to abandon our house, putting matresses up against windows, furniture to block other areas...and grabbed the cat carriers to haul them to saftey as well. We left the house with gale force winds...
Upon arriving at Mary's, my dad and I along with everyone else, finished securing the lower level shutters to her house. Tree debris was everywhere, including pinecones.
With this done, we now faced the problem that the patio roll shutters were still up and without power could not be lowered. Mary's son-Paul and myself set about geting power to the generator. This lead to siphoning gas during minimal hurricane force gusts...we got the gas and when we turned to generator on, the shutters continued to roll down. We rode out the storm until like 5pm, then returned to find no damage to our home, however there was considerable damage along the way...
So here it is...MOOSE SIGHTINGS LJ PICTURE HOUR-HURRICANE CHARLEY!!!
We interrupt BCHS Band Camp for the following-National Guard Troops take over at 3pm...and it becomes one of two special needs shelters...
BCHS becomes-Barron Collier Emergency Shelter...students and staff were told to leave by 3pm...
The calm before the storm-quite a few hours before landfall...
Yeah...even at 11pm they were predicting a Tampa-St Pete landfall...that gave us less than 2 hours warning...
Even with its annoying beep every ten seconds...Weatherbug provided upto the second information...notice the wind gusts at this time only 35 miles per hour...
My rents Corvettes...and the garage door braced...
First high wind gust at the house...
This is at the point where we left our house and went to Mary's...notice the winds now...
How many guys does it take to turn the generator on...4 apparently...with power, we close the last of the shutters that were stuck in the up position...
The storm at its height-winds at least 85-100 for about 30 minutes...I didn't stay outside to long...
With the storm past-we head back to our house...after more than a few obstacles...
Jetskiing again...I think not-driving through flood waters...
See what I mean...
We lost the road for awhile...it was completely flooded over...
Debris...
More debris...
Debris...hidden Mickey...
Alot of trees down, throughout the area...but...
After the storm...looks like its over...
This morning around 6 power came back on...an estimated 680,000 in all of SW Florida are without power at this time.
We learned our lesson...plans are made to buy shutters...generators, and more emergency supplies...