Florida roll calls - Page 3

Cynthia Daniel · 09-09-2004, 03:14 PM

Holly,

Thank you for the offer.

I'm in a condo and am not even sure what we are allowed to do to protect the windows. I've called the condo president and he's yet to return my call. But, even if we are allowed to put up plywood, I have no one to do it and finding someone at this time is probably next to impossible. After that, I have nowhere to store the plywood until I get my garage cleaned out. I've thought a lot about it and there doesn't seem to be any immediate solution. The thing that worries me the most (next to losing my whole roof or my life) is losing the skylights over my office. Some things I'll clear out and take downstairs in plastic, other things I plan to wrap in plastic tarps with bungee cords. Oh what fun! I'd rather design websites.

I am buying an external hard drive tonight to backup everything and am getting a battery-operated tv. During Frances, I was here alone. All I could think was if my electric goes out for an extended time, what would I do. No tv, no radio, no internet and no one here to even have a conversation - all I had was a NOAA weather radio and was that got pretty boring during the 2 1/2 hours of electrical outage.

During Charley, my girlfriend came up and we prepared together as best we could, but she decided Frances wouldn't hit here and stayed home. We were both sorry afterwards. We're cleaning out my garage on Saturday to try and make room for my car. If I lose my home, maybe I'll at least have a chance to save my car.

Another girlfriend's mom lives in St. Croix and has been through 3 major hurricanes. The 1st one, she lost her roof completely and was left clinging to the bathtub to not be blown away.

I wouldn't mind having your phone number just in case and I can give you mine - thru email, of course.

I've been keeping up with trajectory maps on several sites and they all show Tampa as a possibility.

Linda Nelson · 09-09-2004, 05:07 PM

HI Cynthia
I wish there was something I could say to make the situation better. Please consider leaving, and worry about all the stuff later. Stuff is just stuff.
We all care for your safety.
Good Luck

Jean Kelly · 09-09-2004, 05:19 PM

I echo Linda and Wisconsin is about as far away as you can get, so come on up. Stuff is just stuff, a back up hard drive is essential but you may even consider sending it out of state for safekeeping. I have an ex mother-in-law in Pinellas that I'm concerned about. I hope she is handcuffed and physically removed from her property cause she refuses to leave for any reason (Brooklyn transplant and stubborn).

Anyway , stay safe.

Jean

ReNae Stueve · 09-09-2004, 07:25 PM

Cynthia,

I know how you feel, as a single woman, many of the things we could do to better prepare are a bit out of our own reach. The thing that has me worried about anyone in the path of this new storm, is the shortage of supplies now. Generators, plywood, tarps, things like that.

Do the best you can, and when the time comes to leave,... leave.. I didn't last time, and I won't make that mistake again. The lingering stress over waiting and riding it out is tough. I spent 3 days in the house imagining the worst, then the best, round and round. It didn't change the outcome.

It's funny, the things you decide to pack and the things you find you don't really care about. I put away all my art supplies and works, old books and photos I love, enough cloths for a week and that was it. I forgot my insurance policy the first time during Charlie. The only change during Frances... I remembered the insurance papers.

PS.

I have a small Sony battery op LCD TV and it really saved the day, both times. It's no bigger than the old transistor radios back n the 60's. Get one if you can.

Cynthia Daniel · 09-10-2004, 10:54 AM

Thanks, Linda and Jean! But, I'm staying. Evacuating is basically sitting in a parking lot for hours on end. And, Gordon Wetmore told me that during Frances, motels were booked up all the way to Chattanooga.

ReNae, I got the TV, which I'd already planned to do. I really lucked out. One of the Radio Shack's was taking names to call when they came in and they really did call. I could have sold it many times - not a chance.

After talking to the condo president, I am feeling better. Our roofs are good up to 180 mph, skylights to 140, skylight attachments to 180. And, I'm not right on the water, have windows on only one side and it's a fairly protected area.

Am working on backing up my entire hard drive on the new external drive I bought last night. Will take photos over the weekend and Saturday, two friends are having a garage cleanout party so I can get my car in.

Cynthia Daniel · 09-10-2004, 11:14 AM

By the way, I've made a pretty complete list of emergency numbers if any Floridians would like my list. Good to have with you.

Things I didn't think to take in my "safe room" during Charley:

-essential phone numbers (this time I typed everything on a single sheet)
-purse (duhhh)
-glasses
-yellow pages (in case I needed to call contractors in the aftermath)
-pad & pans (again, if I need to call contractors, I'll need to take notes and what if all my paper is wet?)

And, if you have a safe desposit box, the key to that.

Not sure why they always say to take insurance policies with you. I called State Farm and asked if I have my policy number and the phone number to call them, do I need the actual policy and they said no.

I also looked up on the internet the AM radio station for my county's emergency broadcasts.

Magdalena Castaneda · 09-10-2004, 10:31 PM

Hi Cynthia, and all of you in Florida,

It's times like this that I know the importance of community. I wanted to touch base with you all and tell you that I'm sending you thoughts for a positive outcome with this weather situation.

Though I haven't posted one of my paintings in a while, I feel a part of our community on this forum, and have been thinking of you all this week. I have a cousin on the west coast of Florida as well. Cynthia, you sound very prepared.

Stay safe everyone, Magdalena

Cynthia Daniel · 09-10-2004, 10:57 PM

Thank you Magdelana. I've been cleaning out the garage tonight trying to make room for my car. What an ordeal. The good news is that the troops are coming in tomorrow - 2 friends. I've just been doing some of the prep work for the morning, but that alone was tiring.

Julie Deane · 09-10-2004, 11:12 PM

Hi -

My prayers are for all of you in Florida. I have relatives and friends there as well as the people whose names and faces I have come to know on this site.

Will you on the Forum join me in praying for safety for everyone involved, and a lessening to the storm's effects?

Holly Snyder · 09-27-2004, 03:25 PM

How did everyone fare this time around? I know there are a couple new Floridian members, hopefully all is well. We had winds 70 mph +, a lot of fallen trees in the area, but no house damage as far as I've seen. We lost our second wax myrtle this time, which happened to be right in front of the window of my studio. There's so much more light now! The first photo is of our house last year, the second is of the fallen tree, the third is our new tree sculpture

Holly