September 6, 2004
WE have power!
Robyn finally has power back. It came on about 15 minutes ago. They were without for about 24 hours but did ok. They ate at Subway and just did the best they could.
Robyn said she talked to Seki and they don't have any cable so they may not be online for awhile.
Something huge is happening north of me but I don't know exactly what though. I took a nap and when I woke up I saw on the news fire trucks and some military vehicles driving through some mobile home park and the news was saying something like something had been breached and that these people in this mobile home park absolutely had to get out like as in NOW.
I'm still trying to figure this out.
I'll let you know what if I figure it out.
September 6, 2004
It stopped blowing stuff around here.
Woodbridge in Town 'N Country is flooded. This car was totally submerged near Webb Road and Pat Boulevard. ALEX VILA/TBO.com
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The wind and rain stopped so we ventured to the great outdoors.
The movies had to go back so it was an excuse to look around.
There was nothing. Anywhere.
A few small branches but no trees, no power lines, nada.
I hate my local news people.
Stay indoors! It's dangerous out there! We're all going to die!!!
Shud up.
We had a nice walk, lots of people on the roads, went shopping for more cupboard crap cuz you know, Ivan wants to visit this weekend.
These uninvited guests are beginning to be a pain in the ass.
They come to visit, trash the place and leave.
Much like relatives who would rather 'visit with kin' during February.
Sure, you're just to cheap to pay for a hotel.
So anyway, we bought crap food and more crap food and came back home.
If it doesn't rain for about an hour or so more, we might be able to flush.
That would be a good thing.
It's still looking pretty bad north of me and I'm hoping that Robyn and Jen and Seki and Sol are hanging in there and they get their power back soon.
September 6, 2004
A call for help.
Clear Channel Radio has decided not to simulcast hurricane information on the radio.
There are thousands of people without electricity and they have radios but can't get any hurricane or shelter or help information because Clear Channel has decided to be dicks today.
Have free long distance?
Wanna make a call to help people out so they can get that information?
Call Clear Channel Radio at 941-552-4800 and complain.
Can't get through by phone like me?
Contact them by other means!
September 6, 2004
Morning after updates.
Click for larger current doppler radar.
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We here in Sarasota came out with only the septic tank having some issues. Held power all night and this morning, the wind is actually the heaviest I have seen it since this whole thing started.
I think a frog may have made it in the house. I keep hearing a deep croaking from the boys room and it isn't them.
Some Florida bloggers are without power and some left their homes from what I have gathered.
Debwire has a lot of information on the storm so if you are looking for loved ones or the latest updates, check with her.
Seki and family ended up losing power and leaving to her families home I hear.
Robyn and family lost power last night sometime around 6-7 pm but are fine.
Solonor lost his power pretty early in the day but Ric has been calling him and checking in and they are fine.
The storm is just sort of sitting there on the west coast near the gulf taking it's sweet ass time moving out to the gulf or north or where ever the hell it wants to go so this isn't over yet.
Stay safe.
September 5, 2004
Status a-ok.
The situation here is still the same. Tons of rain and a little wind.
The closer you get to the beach, the windier it is.
I'm going to go ahead and say that other parts of the county are doing worse than my wonderful hood cuz they just showed an SUV tipped over on I-75 but you have to take that for what it's worth too.
People get stupid, drive like idiots, cut each other off on wet roads and oops! you've rolled your SUV.
That picture up there looks like SRQ is getting it's shit ripped up but my hood as I said, is way good.
I went out and shot some more regular video (can't figure out what I need to upload it from sis' cam) and we did get some wind gusts but nothing has come down, no trees, no branches, no nothing up in my street in both directions.
Anything changes, I'll let ya know.
September 5, 2004
Checking in.
Alive and kicking and no power losses here right now. There are some traffic lights in town out but haven't heard about too much else.
It has only been slightly windy but rainy.
It's like Charley was for us. Rain, wind, that's it.
There has been a lot of people driving up and down the street and I even saw some people on bikes.
This morning, I saw a guy go by on his motorcycle.
We have been taking turns with the puter cuz the kids are bored so I have been letting them play Runescape and stuff.
I may just go take a nap.
There just isn't much going on at all but the time is passing so slowly, it makes you tired.
September 5, 2004
Frances updates.
Pic taken from my driveway this morning at 7:40 am. Rain was light and blowing from north to south.
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Good morning. I have been up since about 6 am after going to bed sometime around midnight.
I'm trying to figure out what's going on for real because as we have come to learn with our media, they will hype you up and scare you to death over a twig coming down.
The storm is moving west by north west so it will pass directly to the north of SRQ which once again, makes Sarasota the safest place in the whole damn state to live if you're ever going to move to Florida.
We may or may not get tropical storm force winds. We will get a shit-load of rain just like the rest of the state. There will be flooding no doubt about it.
Just to the north of me in the Tampa area where Robyn and family live, and Jen and her hubby live, they will more than likely see much worse weather than us.
When you move here, you kind of have to learn how to be your own meteorologist.
They really do hype this up so bad you're quaking in your flip flops for a full week before it comes.
Even this morning as the local ABC7 guy is telling us we will only see winds up to 50 mph tops, the news reporters themselves are telling us how unsafe and scary it's going to be all day and that we should consider going to a shelter.
Hello? He just said we are not going to get it bad here and you are still telling people to flee their homes.
Get on the same damn page people.
Figure out your little thing between everyone on your news team before you open your damn mouths.
As for power, we may lose it simply because of how many weak ass little trees may get knocked down under the 50mph winds and they may take a few power lines down with them.
And I am not making light of the situation. I know that the people on the east coast were and still are getting pummeled by this and my heart goes out to them when they do return from the shelters to find their homes in whatever shape they may be in. The loss will be great I am sure and once again, I will be asking people to send help down that way. I won't be able to go over there and help out this time, it's a very long ride to the east coast and with a few kids in tow, it's just not feasible for us to go over that way and physically offer help.
Ivan is up next and this hurricane season will be over soon.
People often say to those of us who live here why we live here if there is a whole season of these storms. It's our winter.
You have snow and sleet and freezing rain for a few months, we get big ugly storms.
It's a season and we deal with it.
September 4, 2004
So far, so good.
We saw some heavy weather a few hours ago and now those feeder bands have moved off and we probably won't see anymore until late late tonight or morning.
I'd prefer it in the morning cuz getting bad weather over night makes for a rough nights sleep and an uneasy feeling.
You just can't sleep if you think the shits about to hit the fan in other words.
Spoke to Jenni and all is well and ready for the emergency blogging system should we need it and we even have a back up for the backup in Sporty.
Thinking about all the Fla bloggers tonight and hoping it's going well for everyone especially Sphinxy who's right in it's path but is getting tired of the waiting and the freakout tactics of the news channels.
I hear ya girl. They suck here.
If they had their way, we'd all be laying in our bathrooms with mattresses for wallpaper and a massive stockpile of food and water and gas and handguns to shoot looters with from June 1st until the end of hurricane season.
Take it easy and try to get some rest before it hits.
Later days.
September 4, 2004
It's pretty windy here.
We are getting some heavy feeder bands here and have been all afternoon.
I'm not so worried about that as I am about having to tell a friend some very bad news in a little while.
I may or may not be back depending on circumstances this evening.
You all take care.
September 4, 2004
Morning Frances, you sissy.
I know it's still a big one for the east coast, I was being sarcastic.
All the fear and terror and all the warnings they throw at us and the panic, good gawd the panic over gas and food, and it's moving at a crawl and gone from a big bad cat 4 to a slow moving cat 2.
The east coast is getting a big bad storm and I feel very bad that they are gonna get hit.
But I hate the media.
There was such panic here yesterday that every single gas station was out of gas and tons of car accidents of people looking for gas and stores being emptied.
It was nuts.
I'm gonna get rain.
September 2, 2004
Hurricane Frances updates already.
DeSoto, Hardee, Manatee and Sarasota County schools will be closed on Friday.
Sarasota County Public Schools is canceling all extra-curricular activities for Friday evening and Saturday (includes practices). Today's away games are also canceled. Other local school events will be held, including open houses and home athletic games (if the opposing county's team wishes to attend.)
The Attorney General's Price Gouging Hotline remains active to serve victims of Hurricane Charley as well as those making preparations for the approach of Hurricane Frances. The Hotline will remain active for as long as the current statewide state of emergency is in effect. The Hotline number is 1-800-646-0444.
Charlotte County Sheriff's jail commander, Captain Tony Penland, advises that visitation to the county jail is suspended Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Cap't Penland said, "Due to the unpredictability of Hurricane Frances, all visitations are canceled and are tentatively set to resume again on Monday, Sep. 6." There are currently 427 inmates in the county jail. The top floor of the county jail is the backup area for the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office Communications/911, and Charlotte County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), should both operations have to be evacuated from the already damaged sheriff's office building, 7474 Utilities Road, Punta Gorda. During Hurricane Charley, both operations evacuated to the county jail, which is the backup site.
In Charlotte County, emergency managers are issuing orders with outsiders on their minds. They're telling residents to find a stable place to weather out the storm. Planners aren't encouraging residents to leave, because major roads will be jammed will east coast residents headed this way for safety.
September 1, 2004
Shopping was fun.
Sis picked us up and we went in search of survival foods.
Got about 8 more cans of spaghettio crap, crackers, chips, peanuts, soda, pudding that doesn't have to be refrigerated, chocolate.
What? The chocolate?
Yes it is too a survival food.
It keeps you from killing your housemates after you've been without power for 3 days.
We got more water and all the usual stuff.
The store was insane.
They had so much water for sale this time.
Crates and crates of it. The managers running around stocking stuff and trying to get weather updates at the same time.
Most of the schools on the east coast have already canceled school for tomorrow and friday.
Monday and tuesday are a holiday and a professional day so that won't be an issue.
All you east coast bloggers, get somewhere safe. Just evacuate. This thing looks like a monster and it's headed straight at us.
September 1, 2004
AHHHHH!!!
Holy schmolies is that fucker big.
So far, it's not headed at me but the east coast is pretty much screwed.
They keep telling us to wait for more info meaning that they don't have the foggiest clue where it's going and they don't want to be wrong again.
They are now using words like watch the cone, probable landfall areas but watch the cone, unlike when Charley was coming, they pinpointed and were wrong.
This should be interesting either way.
They actually think we will get more wind from Frances than Charley.
Will keep you posted.
August 29, 2004
Just what we need.
This is hurricane Frances which is right now a category 4 and heading toward the US.
We so don't need another major storm but as our weather people keep telling us, we aren't even at the peak of hurricane season.
I'm going to head to the store tomorrow and grab more canned crap and more bread etc etc and just be ready should this thing get closer to us.
This is just the projected path right now. Who knows where it could go.