Deadheader at 1:20 Pm Sat.

[DanG]

Just got a pm from EightWgt in Jacksonville. Things must not be too bad there. He just wanted to chat about deer hunting. :D

[DanG]

 8)
Just got a message that my Son & DIL made it through the storm ok. There is a large tree down near one of their cars but they can't get to it to see if it is damaged. Otherwise, it was a long scary night with no major damage.

I feel better now.

[Frank_Pender]

That is marvelous, DanG.  It is beginning to sound as though that there is better hope than what was thought to occure a few days ago.   8) 8)

[DanG]

It hasn't been as bad as it could have been, but it ain't over yet.  First feeder band just came through here, sooner than I expected. We've already had gusts that looked to be in the 40mph range and have branches down  in the yard. Spoke to my Son a few minutes ago and could hear the wind roaring around his cellphone and he is 500 miles away. With both of us getting it at the same time, this is a massive storm!
It has settled down here for now, and I can even see a little blue sky to the east, but that won't last long. I expect the next blast within the hour, and maybe a couple more after that, before the main event. We may get more from this than I have been anticipating, but nothing like the lower east coast got.  We haven't lost power or phones yet, but my ISP apparently had problems a while ago and I couldn't get on for an hour or so. I'll do as the others have and hang here as long as I can. If lightning gets real bad, I'll shut down till it passes.

Frances has barely lost hurricane strength crossing Fla and is now going into the Gulf of Mexico and will probably be a cat 1 again by the time it gets here.

[DanG]

Well, we had a relatively quiet night, with a steady light rain and blustery winds. So far, yesterday's initial blast has been the worst of it, but that record won't hold up. Weather service recorded 50mph gusts in that one. Tom and the other Jville folks are still getting it worse than me, according to the radar, even though the center is much closer to me. ???

There is a small cherry tree resting on my power drop, but the wire is holding it up ok for now. Also, a branch struck the power drop to my well and shop, pulling it loose from the pole. It is being supported by the cluster of small pine trees behind my mill. If it goes, we will be without running water till after the storm.  That won't be a major problem as we have a supply of drinking water, and non-potable water is pretty easy to come by, right now. ;D :D :D

[Bigdogpc]

Thought I'd check in since I've got power again.  Hope all the FF Florida folks did/do OK with this durned hurricane.  Lost some trees here, have lakefront property but family and I are fine.  Ya'll need to be aware that the storms drive the critters to high ground...moccasin killed in a carport by one of my neighbors.  Ya'll be safe!

[DanG]

Good to hear from you Bigdog. I've been concerned about you. Don't take the plywood down yet, there's another one coming!  Ivan should be in the area by the weekend. This is getting old, fast!  Ivan will be the fourth one we have to at least prepare for, within a month. H. Bonnie came right up to us before turning east and fizzling. Charlie was headed right for us 2 days later before being turned eastward by the same cold front that fended Bonnie off. Now, Frances is here, and Ivan is following the same track. It is bigger and badder than any of them, so far.  This is the worst season since '94 when 5 named storms came our way.

[DanG]

Latest news on the storm comes from my brother, via my Mom. Bro had a large hickory fall in his yard, which totally crunched his shed. He's an avid fisherman, and says every rod he owned is broken. :'(  Says the tree is 4' dbh and is hollow. I'll go over and help him out with it, soon as this stuff blows by.

Center is still headed right at me, but the west side of it is relatively dry. East of us, the rain is heavy, and Tom is still getting lots of water even though he is 200 miles east.

Sure is quiet on here with Tom & FDH off the air.

[VA-Sawyer]

To all the FF members in Florida, hope you didn't get hurt too bad by Francis. Don't get tto far from your hidey-hole there is another one on its way.Let's just hope that in the future we don't refer to this new storm as "Ivan the Terrible".  I'm a little torn about Ivan. Right now they have it tracking straight into Florida. I would hate to see that happen. On the other hand, if it follows the easterly limit of the forcast it will be headed straight at us. It would be best if it missed the US altogether but I'm thinking that may be asking too much.
It has been almost a year since Isable and we haven't got all the mess cleaned up around here.  Gaston caused major havoc in our area when it went through last week. Charlie hosed us down the week before that. Alex soaked us pretty good before it turned east into the Atlantic.We could do without another major storm here, but then the same can be said for Florida.
It has been a long time since I wanted to rush the coming of winter, but this year it can't come too soon, as that will be the end of the Hurricane season.  One more thing.... my name is Rick, Shirley's son is named Matthew, and her dad who lives less than 1/2 a mile away is named Otto. Those are three names on this years list of storm names. Virginie is also on the list for this year.
I'm starting to feel like there is a big red bull's-eye painted on Florida and another one here in east Virginia.
Gotta go work on Otto's generator, we may need it pretty soon.
VA-Sawyer

[Gordon]

Sure is quiet on here with Tom & FDH off the air.

All is well with them I hope.

Gordon

[Jeff]

Toms phone line must be out. I have been trying to call and all it does is ring. Tom has a machine if it was he just aint home.

[Tom]

I'm ba-a-a-ack

It's not been as bad as some but we were under 70mph winds through last night.  Nothing one would want to get out in.  

We lost power and communications at 2pm yesterday and watched as the tops of trees from the swamp sailed past the window.  There's lots of branches, some trees and a couple of inches of green leaves all over the yard. I don't know if I want to mess with it now, or wait til Ivan shows his stuff. :D

I lost some of my pine crop but not enought to worry about.  Most of the damage on my place was hardwoods. Oaks, sweetgums and sweetbay.

A fellow can make it pretty good until the power goes out and you lose phones.  Instant cabin fever. :D :D

We are all OK here.  When the water subsides,  I will be able to get out and really see what the damage is.  I haven't been to the swamp out back and hate to think of the trees that may be down back there.  I can saw some of it myself, but, there is no market.

One of my "old-timers" down the road lost his barn to a big pine.  It layed right across the back half.  I gave him that wood to build it and I can almost sense him knocking on my door again in a day or two. :D    He'll probably want that attacking tree sawed for repair work just to get even with it.

It could have been a lot worse.  The rain hasn't stopped and that will be our next hurdle.

Haven't heard from Harold since we lost our phones yesterday.  Glad to see a post or two from DanG.  Hope everyone else is OK.

Thanks for all of y'all worryin' so hard.

[DanG]

The center of the storm is passing about 20 miles east of me right now, and it is pretty calm outside. We had a 35-40mph gust a few minutes ago and that was the worst since this time yesterday. Rain has been constant for 24 hrs, but mostly very light. If this was the worst of it, they'd be calling it "The Fizzle With a Drizzle."  But I know everything east of here is getting inundated with heavy rains. I feel extremely lucky to be treated so gently.

[Tom]

'bout quarter til seven, Deadheader called.  He and his family are OK.  He lost phones as well as his power and hasn't been able to make contact.  The next Hurricane, he figures, will find him up North somewhere.  If Ivan gets too close and you hear a knock on your door, it might be Deadheader. :D

He says he has pictures of 120mph trashcans and mailboxes passing his house when he gets back on the forum. :D :D

[DouginUtah]

I have a (dumb) question.  ;D

Not ever having been close to a hurricane I have been wondering if the rain you guys are getting is salt water, i.e., water sucked up into the clouds rather than evaporated. If so, is it really hard on the vegetation to be getting all that salt water dumped on it?


Now for the 'making lemonade when handed Florida lemons" link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1467&item=5518583135&rd=1

-Doug

[Tom]

If that tree selling stunt works there will be a lot of rich folks down here shortly. :D

The rain isn't salt water.  Unlike a tornado,which vacuums stuff from the surface of the earth with the funnel, Hurricanes just blow it around.  A hurricane and a Hog have a lot in common.  It's their one and only God-given job, to tear up anything they can reach.

Water, limbs, tin, lumber hubcaps or anything not tied down can be blown for miles.  Harold lives several miles from the Indian River and the Ocean and found that his car and house were covered with beach sand today.  The wind whipped that stuff up and sandblasted the neighborhood with it last night.

When you are rained upon by salt water, it usually  means that a "Water Spout" (amphibious tornado) is or was present over the ocean.

Most of our flora is salt tolerant.  Salt is definitely not good for inland plants but there is so little in a hurricane, or even a tornado, that plants don't suffer.   If you are close to the ocean, you will see plants with the ocean side damaged.  But, that happens even in day to day weather.

You will see plants with wind-burn though.  Kinda like carrying a valuable plant around in the back of your open Pick-up. :D

[DanG]

Well, I got an interesting project for tomorrow.  I'll be showing up, bright and early, at my brother's house to deal with that big Hickory tree that is on his shed. I just talked with him, and he filled me in on the situation.  The tree took down his power drop and dead-centered the pole where his meter and main distribution box were. All of this plunder is reduced to a pile that rests on top of his propane tank!  He has informed the power co. and the gas co. of the situation, but couldn't get a commitment from them. We will first try to find a power crew in the area so we can ensure that the line won't go hot on us. If that doesn't happen, you can be sure that nothing else will.  Once the power line is pulled out, it will be just a "simple" disassembly job with several cords of hickory firewood for payment. He also has a White Oak down that will make the day worthwhile for me. ;D  We'll try to get our Dad out there to photograph the whole affair, so there will be pics if they ain't too embarrassing. ;D

[CHARLIE]

DougInUtah, I now live up north but I'm a Floridian and can answer that question.  The rain is fresh water.  But....if you live next to the coast you can get surges of the ocean come flooding in and that is salt water.  Also, the water spouts (tornados in the ocean) are also salt water but I don't think they carry much water with them if they hit shore.  The salt water isn't there long enough to really hurt the vegetation. It's the wind that really hurts the vegetation.

[Tom]

mumble mumble argh whistle,little, mrfghiasi, whipper mumble snapper..... :-/ :



........ :D

[OneWithWood]

What's that you say, Tom?  Something about how kind your younger brother Charlie is to answer Doug's question in such a concise manner?  :D :D :D


For all you Floridians, I am very glad that this monstrous storm has not done more damage than it has.  No one appears to have suffered bodily injury and that is a good thing.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Bet Y'all thought you was finally gonna get rid of me, EH???  Power just came on, at 11:45 today.

  What a grand ride we had. That storm stalled right SE of us, and we had wind and rain, up to 126 MPH, for over 72 hours. Worst thing was no power. We had filled extra water jugs and the tub before the storm. The generator is a welder-generator, 120V, modified square wave. That means the tv picture and the computer monitor has a fuzzt-jittery image. It takes filters of some sort to smooth out the sine waves.

  I was afraid to smoke the puter, so, decided to give Y'all a break for a few days.  ;D ;D ;D  During the rain, the house was boarded up and there was NO air moving inside. Bet Y'all can't imagine what we smell like about now.  : :

  Tom did good reporting on our conditions. Thanks, Tom.

  Got a few pics to show. They are nothing like other areas around us. There was some major damage in Mobile home parks and over on the river.  In there pics, the trees are mostly SYP. There are also Brazilian Pepper trees. They are the scourge of Florida, A weed that will not die, just spread.The fuzzy-hazy pics are rain that is blowing parallel with the land. The house with the shingles missing is directly across the road from us. The wind kept blowing a Brazilizn Pepper, on the lot next to us, and it proceeded to beat down our little mower shed. Other than that, we got by pretty well. Luckily, no known reports of Tornados spinning off. That is the reason most damage is incurred in Hurricanes.  Glad everyone else is OK, so far. Y'all keep yer heads down.

  Really appreciate all the concern from you great folks.

  DANG, another thunderstorm moving in. BYE  

[sprucebunny]

Glad you're safe, Fla Deadheader. You've been missed.

[Woodcarver]

Glad you came through this ok, FTH.  Good to have you back.

[iain]

is it worth gettig the place tidy?
you seem to be hogging all the storms
glad your all ok
 iain

[DanG]

Welcome back, Harold! 8)  It has been too quiet on here without you.

Went to Bro's house to tackle that big Hickory. All I can say is, "WOW"!  That thing is humongous!  There is a hollow under the stump that you could live in.  His "shed" is toast. It was actually a 12x16 storage building that he built several years ago. The crotch of the tree landed right on top of it. It missed his boat shed by less than 6 inches. There are numerous problems with handling this one, but we managed to get a lot of the dangerous stuff out of the way today, and have most of it down where we can reach it from the ground. It fell into a wooded area and took several other large trees with it, each of which presents another problem. One of the big problems is the propane tank, which is supporting part of the big tree, with the power line pinched between tree and tank.  Fortunately, the power was already off when it happened, and has not been restored. He has been unable to get any positive response from the power co. so, after checking for voltage, we cut the power line with bolt cutters.  We got all the stuff that was sticking up on the ground, and the next step is to cut the branches that are supporting the bole. That's gonna be tricky, but we are being extremely cautious with every cut. First move tomorrow will be to tear of the front of the building, so we can try to roll the tree over with the winch. There are pics, but I still don't have the pic programs on the new puter. Y'all will just have to wait. ;D