Despite storm's fury, Punta Gorda ready to vote - ARE YOU?

Floridians hoping for no repeat of 2000's wrangling
Punta Gorda, Fla. -- With talk of lawsuits filling the air, the race for Florida's 27 electoral votes is already being compared to the rancorous recount of 2000. In Punta Gorda, they are comparing it to Hurricane Charley...

Read the story and then GO VOTE!!!

On our fifth weekend without a hurricane...

I went fishing yesterday. Caught a buzz, but that's about it. The water was green and glassy and surprisingly free of traffic considering the snow birds are beginning to arrive. It was sheer bliss.

Today, the boys took down the wall they framed in behind the garage door when Ivan was threatening. The shutters are stored. My car is in its home.

A nod to the hurricane gods: we know we still have one month to go.

A Poem: Twas the night before Frances

I received this via email. I have no idea who to credit for it...

Twas the night before Frances
When all through the state
Not a gas pump was pumping
Not a store open late

All the plywood was hung
On the windows with care
Knowing that a hurricane
Soon would be there

The children were ready
With flashlights in hand
While bands from the hurricane
Covered over the land

And mamma with her Mag-Lite
And I in my cap
Had just filled the bath tub
For flushing our crap

When out on the lawn
There arose such a clatter
I sprang from the closet
To see what was the matter

The trees on the fence
And the neighbor's roof torn
Gave the fear of us dying
In this terrible storm

With a little wind gust
So lively and quick
I remembered quite clearly
Our walls weren't brick

More rapid than eagles
Her courses they came
And she whistled, and wafted
And surged all the same
Off shingles! Off sidings!
Off rooftops! Off power!
Down trees! Down fences!
Down trailers! Down towers!

In the center of Florida
She continued to maul
Screaming Blow Away!
Blow Away! Blow Away All!

As wind ripped and tossed
The debris through the sky
I peeked out the shutters
At cars floating by

So go to the safe-room
My family did do
With a portable radio
And batteries too

And then, in a twinkling
I heard on the set
The end was not coming
For a few hours yet!

As I calmed down the kids
And was turning around
Through the window it came
With a huge crashing sound

A tree branch it was
All covered in soot
The wind blew it smack-dab
On top of my foot

A bundle of twigs
Now lay in a stack
And my living room looks
Like it was under attack

The wind - how it howled!
The storm - very scary!
Myself and the family
Were all too unwary
The dangers of hurricanes
Are serious, you know
They are taken for granted
As Frances did show

With the winds dying down
And the danger beneath
I noticed my tool shed
Was missing its sheath

So I grabbed my last tarp
And nailed it on down
Then I got in my car
And I headed to town

The traffic was awful
And stores had no ice
My five gallon cooler
Would have to suffice

Generators were scarce
Not one left in town
There were trees on the roads
And power lines down

FEMA was ready
With people to work
Electrical companies
Came in from New York

And in the midst of
This peculiar routine
Another storm emerged
Named Hurricane Jeanne

I sprang to the car
And gave my family a whistle
Then away we all went
Like a Tomahawk missile

You could hear us exclaim
As we drove out of sight
"The hell with this place,
Vermont seems just right!"

Queen of England Donates $5 to Hurricane Relief in Former British Territories

Undisclosed sum must be monarch-speak for paltry amount

The Queen lent her support today to the people of the Caribbean whose lives have been devastated by hurricanes in recent months.

She has donated an undisclosed sum of money to a British Red Cross Caribbean Hurricane Appeal which will go towards helping them rebuild their communities.

Maybe she thinks her generosity will bring them back to throne?

Read the story

Hurricane Relief Funds On The Way - Hope You Don't Need That Air Conditioning Any Time Soon

If you can prove that you need assistance and have exhausted all other avenues, such as FEMA assistance, you might be eligible from some of the money generous Americans from all over the country donated to hurricane-embattled Florida during August and September. But don't spend that check just yet, it's up to the Salvation Army and the United Way to decide the criteria for victim assistance, which they plan to do - next month(!!)

Read the story...

2004 Hurricane Onslaught

Florida makes the news, dubiously, as usual.

ATLANTA, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne created chaos in Florida and impacted much of the United States over the past few months. On October 31, at 8:30 p.m. ET, meteorologist and The Weather Channel stormtracker Jim Cantore will present a special half-hour primetime program titled "2004 Hurricane Onslaught," which documents this year's incredible -- and memorable -- hurricane season. The important program will take a close look at this historic and unrelenting hurricane season, while answering a number of viewers' questions, i.e. "why do hurricanes spawn tornadoes and generate extensive flooding" and "did global warming cause this active hurricane season?"

Read the press release...

Hurricane Unearths Pieces o' Eight - Yarrrgh! Avast Ye Mateys!

Holy cow! And all we did was try to protect our home! I feel like a slacker now.

(KRT) INDIALANTIC, Fla. — It is the stuff of pirate legends, but do not waste your breath asking Joel Ruth on what stretch of Florida's Treasure Coast he found his hoard of Spanish pieces of eight - waiting to be scratched out of the sand with bare fingers and toes.

Treasure hunters guard their secrets.

Especially, if like Ruth, they have just found about 180 near-mint silver coins worth more than $40,000.

To most Floridians, hurricane season is the time to board up windows and dread the worst. But to professional and amateur treasure seekers, it is the time to hit the beaches and hunt lost riches.

Read the story...

This Just In: A Stunning Underreaction From Starbucks

So maybe I shouldn't be surprised that a company whose frontline employees barely make enough to live indoors in the state of Florida (owing, in part, to our meager minimum wage) would make such a weak gesture to its employees. But I'm always surprised at idiocy and shameful behavior. Perhaps $25k will be enough, since most of their employees probably live in their cars anyway.

Starbucks Coffee Co. announced today it is contributing $25,000 to the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund on behalf of its Florida employees.

Swallow a Tums and then...Read the story...

My advice to Starbucks? Dig a little deeper. And then use that pocket change to pay your people a living wage instead of staging this pathetic attempt to get a little publicity and maybe hear your rich friends say, "Awww...aren't you generous!" Better yet, pay your employees' insurance deductibles. Or help them find a new place to live if their homes were destroyed. Do something - anything - meaningful to help your own.

Just What Floridians Don't Want to Hear

Okay, not what we need or want to hear. But we're not the only ones. Ask Haiti. Ask North Carolina.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- With four hurricanes and tropical storms hitting the United States in a recent five-week period, 2004 already is being called "The Year of the Hurricane." But this year's unusually intense period of destructive weather activity could be a harbinger of what is to come as the effects of global warming become even more pronounced in future years, according to leading experts who participated today in a Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School briefing.

The recent onslaught of four major tropical weather disturbances -- Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne -- that did so much damage in the United States and nearby Haiti have spurred new questions about the relationship between hurricanes and global warming. While experts can't say that climate change will result in more hurricanes in the future, there is growing evidence and concern that the tropical storms that do happen will be more intense than in the past. Fueling concerns about the link between global warming and hurricanes is a new study on hurricane intensity published on September 28, 2004 in "The Journal of Climate." The study used extensive computer modeling to analyze 1,300 future hurricanes and projected a major increase in the intensity and rainfall of hurricanes in coming decades.

Read the story...

[Duh] Center Line of Hurricane Forecast Track Not Always Accurate

Officials are considering removing the center line imposed on the hurricane forecast tracks we see on television and in newspapers.

Emergency planners think it's a good idea because people tend to focus on the line instead of the wider cone of probability and, if they don't live near the center line, they might fail to make preparations. (Duh. Paint a bullseye on a map and where do you think the human eye will be drawn?)
Read the full story from the Tampa Trib...

Tourism officials don't like the idea so much. "Without the line, it will look like the whole state of Florida is going to be hit," they whined. Hmmm...if we have a hurricane coming, isn't it a pretty good idea to tell tourists to STAY the HELL away? I mean, forget Floridians' angst over Ontario drivers and even forget the tourists' health and safety (provided Florida has already had one or two swipes at their Visa cards, of course) and remember this: We need every hotel room in the state because the shelters keep collapsing on people.
Read their idiot remarks...

And Watch Your Rates RISE!

Allstate, who already refuses to write flood insurance in the state of Florida, might also pull out of hazard insurance, it seems. Since they're our carrier, we're anticipating sharp rate increases and possibly loss of coverage. I hope we can afford to stay in our home when it's all said and done. The sad thing? We didn't even sustain any damage yet we might be forced to sell because insurers don't plan well.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Allstate Corp. (ALL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the No. 2 U.S. home and auto insurer, warned on Wednesday its third-quarter profits would fall well short of expectations due to more than $1 billion in hurricane-related payouts.

The Northbrook, Illinois-based insurer said it now expects to earn net income of 9 cents in the third quarter and operating income of 8 cents per diluted share. Analysts anticipated the company would earn 24 cents per share, according to Reuters Estimates.

The news came just hours after Allstate said it would make Florida homeowner insurance policies harder to obtain after four of the 10 most costly hurricanes in U.S. history slammed into the state within a span of just six weeks.

Read the Story...while you can still afford internet access.

This Just In: Sharks Don't Like Hurricanes Either!

Sharks are smarter than the average bear...

SARASOTA, Fla. -- While Floridians were heading away from areas threatened by hurricanes, biologists say sharks in the area were acting the same way.

At a two-day conference at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, biologists presented reports on the behavior of tagged sharks that they tracked as Hurricane Charley came ashore. They compared the results of the study to similar findings about the behavior of sharks during Tropical Storm Gabrielle in September 2001.

Read the full story...

Here's a Shocker: Insurance Companies Don't Want to Pay After Collecting Premiums

I know, you could've knocked me over with a feather, but it seems that insurance companies are more than happy to collect premiums, but aren't quite as excited about paying claims.

Who'd have thunk it, huh?

Read the story...

Experts Can't Fully Explain Shifts In Hurricane Activity

TAMPA - A decade ago something happened in the complex
relationship of Atlantic Ocean currents, air pressure,
salinity, temperature and other conditions not
completely understood that ushered a new era of
hurricanes.

Full Story

Florida Tries To Stop Hurricane-Forced Canker Spread

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- State officials have decided
to make a stand against citrus canker in Palm Beach
County.

Experts are worried the hurricane winds could have
spread citrus canker northward into the state's citrus
belt, which has already been raked by the storms
themselves.

Full
Story...

Hurricane puts projects on hold

In news from Charlotte County, civil projects will
have to wait for hurricane recovery...


Full Story...

Sub-Tropical Storm Nichole

Not a threat to Florida, but could bring a lot of rain to the Northeast. Since they've been getting the tail end of the Florida hurricanes all season, they don't need more rain, either.

Read more...

Matthew No Threat

Tropical Storm Matthew is no threat to Florida. We'll get some rain, which we don't need, but we won't be boarding and hoarding this weekend.

Yesterday was a beautiful day - hot and breezy. We worked on some projects so didn't get out in it much. The hurricane season has devoured our desire to do summer things. This is the first time in my life I've been ready for summer to be over. I want to take down the plywood, open my garage door (it's walled in right now) and not hear the words "Tropical Update" on the news.

Tropical Update: More On The Way?

530 AM EDT FRI OCT 8 2004 FOR THE NORTH
ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO... THE
BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IN THE WESTERN GULF OF
MEXICO LOOKS A LITTLE BETTER ORGANIZED THIS MORNING
AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION MAY BE FORMING. A
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WILL INVESTIGATE THIS
AFTERNOON. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SLOWLY
NORTH TO NORTHEASTWARD AND PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS
AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS OVER PORTIONS OF THE
NORTHWESTERN AND NORTHERN GULF COAST. AN AREA OF LOW
PRESSURE OVER THE LESSER ANTILLES IS PRODUCING
CLOUDINESS AND SHOWERS THAT EXTEND NORTHWARD OVER THE
CENTRAL ATLANTIC FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES. ALTHOUGH
UPPER-LEVEL WINDS ARE NOT FAVORABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT AT
THIS TIME...GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT THERE COULD BE SOME
DEVELOPMENT TO THE NORTH OF THE LESSER ANTILLES DURING
THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ELSEWHERE...TROPICAL STORM
FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH SATURDAY. FORECASTER
LAWRENCE $$



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FEMA Neglects to Pay Hurricane Victims' Rent. Polk County Victims Served With Eviction Notices

Okay, so they're living in travel trailers. They've lost most of their belongings. They have no one to turn to except FEMA. And, true to form, FEMA flips them the bird. Hey, at least they're consistently incompetent.

Story...

Bill aimed at reducing hurricane damage passes Florida Senate

More changes to Florida's building codes on the way.

This means, if we do lose our homes in a hurricane, it will be four times as expensive to rebuild and our insurance coverage won't be enough to cover the new codes - that is, if the insurance company actually honors the contract and pays.

Story...

Ivan Causes Oil Pipeline Leaks in Gulf

By CAIN BURDEAU
Associated Press Writer

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Hurricane Ivan punched holes in the network of oil and natural gas pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico, causing oil and gas to leak out at numerous points along the thousands of miles of pipelines.

By Wednesday, nearly two weeks after Ivan hit the Gulf Coast, the Minerals Management Service and the U.S. Coast Guard were unsure how many oil spills were caused by cracked pipelines. Most of the pipelines in the hurricane path were shut in and being inspected.

In one spill at a Shell Oil Co. pipeline about 30 miles east of Venice, near the mouth of the Mississippi River, crews had gathered about 101,000 gallons of water polluted with oil.

Read the story...

Frogs, Frogs Everywhere

Florida overrun by tree frogs and bufo toads.

Senior citizens complain about the noise, try to pass ordinance against frog songs after 10 PM.

Story...

A Sight For More Than Sore Eyes

Quoted from NOAA's Web site:

Active Tropical Cyclones
Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the Eastern Pacific out to 140°W

Page last modified Tuesday, 5 Oct 2004 08:28:03 GMT
Atlantic & Caribbean
There are no tropical cyclones at this time.

Perhaps two weekends in a row without a storm? Dare we dream?

A Weekend Without A Hurricane

It's been a calm weekend - the first of many during which we did not have to prepare for an impending storm.

But there's the cleanup. Jeanne tore the west side off of a huge tree in our backyard and the debris is, well, a mess. We started working on it yesterday, but I couldn't continue. I stayed in the sun too long and ended up with heat exhaustion. I think I scared Jim; my face was as red as a tomato I was dizzy, seeing tracers around my head. I quit working and went inside, but I just couldn't cool off. Finally, I put my head and neck under cold water and kept it there until I felt my body temperature returning to normal.

A friend stopped by with a smoked mullet (from Cortez - best mullet in Florida) just in time to keep me from passing out. We devoured the mullet with cheese, grapes and crackers, washed down with Gatorade and water. I swear I've never had a better meal.

We had to remind ourselves that many hurricane casualties are a result of the clean-up work that has to be done in the ruthless Florida heat. If you think Florida isn't a harsh climate, you're wrong. It's just harsh in a different way than the northern states. Winters are reasonably mild, but the summers are brutal.

Still, I love Florida summers. I love the blinding heat, the warm water, the sticky evenings, the violent afternoon thunderstorms and the humidity laying thick over the state like a wet blanket.

Not crazy about the hurricanes, though.

Can You Say "Duh?"

Candidates Worry That Floridians Are Not Paying Attention To Them
In a stunningly obvious piece, the Houston Chronicle reports that presidential candidates are having a tough time capturing the attention of Floridians.

"Without homes or electricity in some parts of the states, affected voters cannot be contacted by pollsters or precinct captains. Media advertising goes wasted in some markets." Story...

Gee, I wonder if Floridians really care about answering polls or listening to the candidates sling crap at each other. I think not. Sure this is an important election, but jeez, give us a break.

Marketing 101: Let Florida recover before spending your time, effort and ad dollars here. Duh.

Lisa becomes a hurricane again in northern Atlantic

Finally, a storm that didn't pound Florida. Lisa is stronger, but will soon hit cold water and die.

Tropical Storm Lisa became a hurricane again Saturday in the northern Atlantic, but forecasters said it didn't threaten land and expected it to weaken over the day.

Hurricane Lisa had top sustained winds of 75 mph, just above the 74 mph threshold to become a hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

At 5 a.m. EST, Lisa was located 745 miles west-northwest of the Azores and moving northeast at 24 miles an hour.
Story...

Hurricane Jeanne Unearths WWII Bomb!

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY · Hurricane Jeanne's vicious winds and water did more than destroy a few homes in the Ocean Ridge subdivision. They also unveiled a 10-foot-long World War II bomb buried underneath a beachfront driveway...

Read the Story

Received in the Same RSS News Feed

I received both of these stories in a refresh of my RSS news feed today.

New hurricane prediction: Relatively quiet October
By MARTIN MERZER
Hurricane expert William Gray offered a ray of hope today to hurricane-weary Floridians: A relatively quiet finish to the hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30.

Gray and his team at Colorado State University predicted three named storms during October, two of which become hurricanes. Twelve named storms were born between July 31 and Sept. 30. Seven of them grew into hurricanes, six of them intense. The team predicted ''little activity'' in November.

Gray attributed the four hurricanes that struck Florida since August 13 to a tragic coincidence of atmospheric conditions and bad luck that produced ``a once-in-a-lifetime kind of year.''

''Although Floridians should always be prepared for landfalling hurricanes, they should not expect what we have experienced this year to become the norm for future years,'' he said, even though activity throughout the entire hurricane basin is expected to remain strong for many years to come.

And...right below it in the same feed, no less:

Hurricane guru predicts busy October
By John Kelly
FLORIDA TODAY

An active October could be ahead of hurricane-wrecked Florida.

Given what's happened in August and September, a leading forecaster today increased the predicted number of tropical storms and hurricanes that might form in the Atlantic this month.

The hurricane experts at Colorado State University predict October will bring three named tropical storms that would be named Matthew, Nicole and Otto.

The Colorado State team, led by nationally-known forecaster William Gray, says two of the storms could become hurricanes. The team foresees no Category 3 or stronger hurricanes.

The forecast approximately doubles what Gray's team had forecast earlier this year for October, an upward change attributed to the unprecedented amount of activity this season.

Four hurricanes have made landfall in August and September. All of them hit Florida. Three passed through Brevard County.

Landfall probability for the remainder of the 2004 season is now estimated to be slightly above the October-November average, the forecasters said in a report released today.

The forecasters see a 17 percent chance a hurricane will form and hit the United States in October.

The good news? The chance of a November storm is fairly minimal in almost any year. The season ends Nov. 30.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, also issues hurricane forecasters at the beginning of the season. But it does not issue monthly updates.

This season has been about twice as active as forecasters expected.

To date, 2004 included 12 named storms. That included three major storms named Charley, Ivan and Jeanne and a Category 2 hurricane called Frances. That does not include Tropical Storm Bonnie, which hit the Florida Panhandle or three major hurricanes that did not make landfall.

This season has been distinguished by persistent tropical cyclone activity with at least one in existence on every day since Aug. 25, the report said.

Ivan's 10 days as an intense hurricane were the most of any storm since 1900.

The new report says the storms did an estimated $45 billion in damage combined - $5 billion more than Hurricane Andrew alone did in 1992.

Anyone got the feeling that these jokers don't know diddly? And I ain't talkin' Bo, either!

Tropical Update

FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO... THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IS ISSUING ADVISORIES ON TROPICAL STORM LISA...LOCATED ABOUT 1215 MILES WEST OF THE AZORES.

CLOUDINESS AND SHOWERS HAVE INCREASED IN THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA SINCE YESTERDAY. THIS ACTIVITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH A TROPICAL WAVE INTERACTING WITH AN UPPER-LEVEL LOW. SLOW DEVELOPMENT IS POSSIBLE ONCE THE SYSTEM REACHES THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.

CLOUDINESS AND SHOWERS ASSOCIATED WITH A WESTWARD MOVING TROPICAL WAVE ARE CENTERED ABOUT 525 MILES EAST OF THE WINDWARD ISLANDS. ALTHOUGH THE ACTIVITY HAS INCREASED SINCE YESTERDAY...UPPER LEVEL WINDS ARE NOT FAVORABLE FOR SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT. ELSEWHERE...TROPICAL STORM FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY. FORECASTER AVILA/AGUIRRE $$

FEMA Stats - Hurricane Season From Hell!

A rundown of FEMA's aid activities this season. (For the storm season at-a-glance go to: 2004 Storm Season.)

Note that FEMA lists the number of applications submitted, but not the number processed or approved. Instead, the agency discloses the dollar amounts approved, which, by all accounts (from Florida), is much more impressive than the number of processed applications.

Many hurricane victims report that FEMA employees will not even talk to them until precisely 9:00 AM and when they are forced to talk to victims, they avert their eyes, quote policy and disengage as quickly as possible.

I understand that - sort of. Florida is a difficult state to look at right now. There is misery, suffering, emotional and physical collapse; it's hard to watch...I get it.

But emergencies are like that. Is it unreasonable to expect the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be equipped to manage...errr...emergencies? And the very human outflow from those emergencies? Apparently, it's beyond the scope of FEMA's ability to show a little human decency and compassion. Or perhaps utter disregard for human suffering is part of the "policy" they all seem to know by rote. Leave it to the Feds to pour water on a drowning state.

Okay, < end rant >. And for what it's worth, here it is:

Alabama: Ivan, 64,995 applications for aid, $38,898,706 approved.

Florida: Bonnie/Charley, 220,458 applications, $138,233,233 approved; Frances, 300,671 applications, $184,697,275 approved; Ivan, 69,756 applications, $25,589,664 approved; Jeanne, 20,364 applications, no funding approved yet.

Georgia: Ivan, 1,541 applications, $1,068,881 approved.

Louisiana: Ivan, 3,665 applications, $1,672,444 approved.

Mississippi: Ivan, 5,975 applications, $2,414,114 approved.

North Carolina: Frances, 5,254 applications, $4,556,527 approved; Ivan, 3,346 applications, $1,651,399 approved.

Ohio: Ivan, 4,225 applications, $4,998,189 approved.

Pennsylvania: Frances, 742 applications, $297,080 approved; Ivan, 12,970 applications, $6,805,261 approved.

Puerto Rico: Jeanne, 32,444 applications, $5,546,998 approved.

Virginia: Gaston, 3,968 applications, $5,804,758 approved.

West Virginia: Ivan, 3,651 applications, $1,880,762 approved.

Welcome to Florida, The Hurricane State

From the BBC:

"The world is getting this awful picture of us", said Nicki Grossman of the Broward County tourism bureau.

"We are now known as the Hurricane State."

Read more: 'Hurricane state' fears more storms

Domestic Violence Soars in the Wake of Four Hurricanes

From the St. Petersburg Times:

Domestic Violence Soars in the Wake of Four Hurricanes

Doing our Best

We're doing our best to help people in need, but Floridians are stretched thin. After Charley, a lot of Floridians opened their hearts and their pockets and donated clothing, food, water and cash. In our case, the entire contents of our hurricane kit went to migrant workers in Duette. The contents, acquired over time, had to be quickly replaced when Frances came calling.

After four hurricanes, the season has become costly for everyone who lives in Florida. Even if you haven't been hit hard chances are you are feeling the economic effects. There are the evacuations, the spoiled food due to power outages, the plywood and tools, the lost work, and the supplies laid in each time you have to "hunker down." (I've learned to despise that term.) That's only the short list. For us, add the water heater and Jim's injury during Frances. But we're very fortunate; we have the resources to get back normal. (Though I don't think most people in Florida will get back to a true sense of normality for a long time.)

With residents stretched so thin, Florida needs help:
Florida Hurricane Relief Fund
Florida Red Cross Chapters

Floridians will appreciate anything you can contribute.

Hot Water: A Beautiful Thing

We got our hot water back last night. We would have had it Monday night, but the water heater was wired wrong and the plumber didn't want a thing to do with that. Can't say I blame him.

Lucky for us, one of our friends is an electrician. Though he couldn't make it Monday night because of car problems, he said he'd be here on Tuesday. As promised, he left work and came straight to our place last night. In less than 30 minutes, we had hot water again! Not to mention a properly wired hot water heater. And this is just the thing about our little community: he wouldn't let us pay him for his work. The water heater and install were a bit spendy, but the wiring cost us a beer.

Believe it or not, we were both too wiped out to take a hot shower last night. This morning I'm looking forward to my first hot shower since Saturday and to not washing dishes by hand in boiled water tonight. It seems like a small thing and it is, but we're reminded that many people are without shelter, power, water and food and many lack the resources to obtain any of those things. We are grateful for the tiniest comforts these days.

We Can't Let Our Guard Down Yet

This piece of sunshine from the Miami Herald:

Forecasters: Hurricane season is "not over until it's over"

Another from the "You're Not Safe Anywhere" Files

PARKFIELD, Calif. - A moderate earthquake struck Central California on Tuesday that was felt from San Francisco to the Los Angeles area.
Moderate Quake Strikes Central California

Florida's Costly Season - Will It Ever End?

There's been a lot of speculation statewide about the costof this season and the projections from NOAA that we're headed into a few decades of "active" (understatement!) hurricane seasons. Below is a good discussion of both topics from National Geographic: Dumb Luck

Damage Update

We lost our hot water heater, not due to the storm, at least not as far as we can tell. Looks like the thing just decided that a hurricane was a perfect time to flood the garage...with all that water coming at us anyway, maybe it thought we wouldn't notice. The cold shower this morning was a bit of a bummer, but since I've had the same experience without lights and in 20 degree temperatures, I feel like I got off pretty easy this time.

We also lost nearly half of a huge tree in our backyard and a few shingles. Our roof appears to be holding water in a "flat spot," though whether that was due to a hit from the storm or shoddy construction remains to be determined. Knowing Florida construction procedures (build any damned thing any damned where and get a corrupt building inspector to sign off on it), we're thinking it's probably the latter.

A friend around the corner lost her pool cage. It collapsed completely and is currently lying in and around her pool. For those of you in northern latitudes who might not have need for or knowledge of such a structure, here is a picture of a standard pool cage.

From the "You're Not Safe Anywhere" Files

Mount St. Helens, which is east of our former home, the one we left Florida for, is acting up again: See Story

Damage at a Nearby Apartment Complex

This is right up the road from us (East). It's the apartment building of the company's web designer:

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No one was hurt, but there's a lot of work to do...

Jeanne's Aftermath

[East Coast - Orange County]  Jeanne Winds Blow Man Through Plate-Glass Window

[Inland - Polk County]   Jeanne Delivers Strike 3 for Polk

[West Coast - Manatee County]  No loss of life or extensive devastation

[Statewide]   At least six Florida deaths blamed on Jeanne

[Statewide]  
Florida's losses due to four hurricanes could reach US$25 billion

Our Brilliant Governor's Take On the Hurricane Season

Gov. Bush Says He Feels Like Bill Murray In 'Groundhog Day'

Worst Is Over

The wind is still blowing in off the beach and some of the gusts are strong, but Jeanne has weakened to a tropical storm. The worst of it is over. The boys are in there watching football and drinking beer, which feels like a regular Sunday from where I sit. We went outside for a look and the neighborhood looks like it weathered the storm pretty well. Tree limbs down, some lost facia across the street and a bunch of leafy debris still blowing around pretty much describes the effect of the storm thus far. "Grateful" is the only word you need to describe us.

And we still have power.

Sideways Rain

The rain is coming in sideways. A big tree in our backyard is deteriorating rapidly, but the house is in good shape and so are we. We've talked to a lot of our friends and everyone seems okay where they are. We're hoping for Jeanne's quick passage.

Words We've Learned To Hate

Hurricane, depression, storm, warning, watch, advisory, mandatory, evacuation, waves, surge, low-lying, debris, outage, hunker, eyewall, landfall, plywood, drill, shelter, category, the numbers 1-5, NOAA, NHC, forecast, path, track, verifies, emergency, FEMA, disaster, radar, vipir, wind, rain, tornado, gusts, visible, satellite, shutters, closet, flashlight, generator, candles, radio, power, outage, flood, damage, loss, losses...

Storm Season Recap Updated

I updated the Season Recap and Florida Scorecard. Nothing else to do but sit here and watch the trees blow.
View 2004 Storm Season Recap.

Man, it's windy!

The wind is roaring now and the rain is starting to move in. We packed our suitcase just in case the back side of the storm pushes water up the canals. Waiting. Watching. The power has been blinking on and off for the last half hour. This might be my last post for a while.

They're still saying the storm could move over us as a category one, but the inland windspeeds don't seem to support that forecast, which makes us feel better. We're sincerely tired of hurricanes; we just keep reminding each other that the rewards of living in Florida are great.

One More Video

One more video. I'm not going outside again after this: Video

It looks bad, but we'll be okay. Hang in there, everyone.

Video from Our Front Yard

Palm trees are the best illustrators of the wind.

Watch the Video.

Jeanne Defies Predicted Path

When we went to bed last night, Jeanne's track had her coming through Polk County again (Polk was hit by both Charley and Frances) and then exiting north of us in the Citrus County area. When we got up, they were saying we're going to take a pretty direct hit. But Jeanne should be a strong tropical storm or a weak category one hurricane by the time she gets here - they're saying about 2pm. The wind outside is considerable - far worse than it was in Frances and Jeanne is still miles away. I'm going to try to get some pictures (from inside the house) once it gets lighter outside.

We're already living without hot water, though our power is still on. Our hot water heater decided that a hurricane was a fine time to disgorge its contents onto the garage floor and it did just that late last night. Since we're probably going to lose power within the next four hours, I suppose it doesn't really matter. But these fixtures seem to have a penchant for breaking just when hurricanes are arriving.

The Hunker Bunker is Open

The house is once again open to friends and neighbors. (If you are one of those - you know who you are - and we haven't yet spoken today, just come by when and if you want to. We'll be here until the water threatens.) Friends are on their way to help us reshutter the windows. We already spent nearly three hours foraging for supplies and renting movies. A runner has been designated for liquor and frozen lasagne. This is actually the best part of the hurricane threat process: you see everyone you love, eat, drink and count your blessings - together.

Islanders will be forced to evacuate, no doubt, their power and water cut by the county. Cortez could be in trouble, too, depending on the actual path of the storm. We think we'll be okay unless we get higher storm surge than predicted, which could happen if Jeanne takes a more southerly track than anticipated. If that looks like the case, we'll run like hell and be in touch as much as we can.

For our friends and family in distant latitudes:
As my mom pointed out, all of us - including all of you - know the drill by heart. I know I've said it before, but I'm saying it again: we're smart, strong and well-prepared. We love you. Try not to worry.

Unbelievable

It's hard to believe, but we're bracing for our fourth hit of the season as Hurricane Jeanne (pronounced Jean) approaches the east coast of Florida. Time to take in the patio furniture and grill again, fight the crowds for water and food again, put up our storm shutters again. My mother (in California) told me yesterday that our weather is getting on her very last nerve. I told her I doubted Floridians had a "last nerve" remaining. We're just wearily picking ourselves up and preparing once again to be slammed by a hurricane.

Unbelievable.

If phone service becomes spotty, as it usually does, check this site for updates. I'll keep it going as long as we have power.

Hurricane Jeanne - From Inside the Eyewall

These incredible and beautiful photos from NOAA show Hurricane Jeanne's eyewall from the inside. Remarkable.

Click any of the pictures to go to a page of large high resolution images. Or go to NOAA for the full story.

Ivan's Truly Twisted Path

Image from Weather Underground

If I hadn't witnessed it, I wouldn't have believed it possible.

New Florida License Plates - A Little Humor

Not sure where this comes from. I received it via email.




If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane. -Jimmy Buffet

Floridians Move To "State of Disbelief"

Quoted from the Miami Herald: (Requires registration)

"Forecasters prepared to upgrade the hurricane watch to a hurricane warning, which likely will be posted in South Florida later today. Emergency managers discussed evacuations, which could begin later today.

"Many Floridians moved into a state of disbelief, which could deepen.

"According to the latest prediction, Jeanne's core will come close to South Florida -- almost right to the coast of Palm Beach County -- before it veers northward and makes landfall on Cape Canvaeral.

"'It's coming our way,' said Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center in West Miami-Dade. 'It's going to have an impact on Florida. I don't see any way around it.' If so, Jeanne would become the fourth hurricane to hit the state within six weeks during this terribly painful, costly season. Never before, since record-keeping began in 1851, have four hurricanes pounded Florida in a single year, Mayfield said. 'It's unbelievable,' he said. 'This year is going to be one to tell your grandchildren about.'"

Full Story...
Requires registration

Here We Go - Again

Photo from NOAA GOES Storm Floater.

It appears that Jeanne will be our next windy vistor. She's forecast to make landfall on the east coast, but the computer models show that anything could happen between now and Sunday. Saturday is now reserved for putting up our storm shutters - again.

I'm grateful that we had one good weekend before Jeanne. (See my "Banner Weekend" post.) It's irritating that these damned things keep making landfall on the weekends. Do you know how long it's been since I've gone fishing?

Maybe I should have taken up surfing instead of fishing.

Image from The Anna Maria Islander

When Ivan came calling, the Gulf looked more like Hawaii than the tranquil little pond we're accustomed to and the surfers flocked here from the east coast and other states.

Ivan Approaches Northern Gulf Coast

Image from NOAA.

How can a hurricane take such a twisted path, striking land twice from within the same body of water? It just doesn't seem...possible. But here comes Ivan to terrorize the Gulf coast again, this time as a tropical storm. It's been a long, strange season.

Storm Season Recap & Florida Scorecard Updated

I'm still hosting the scorecard and season recap on my fledgling web site. I updated it to show new storms. Reiterating: I'm not a designer, I'm a writer, so please excuse the somewhat rudimentary presentation.

Meandering Jeanne Now Set to Hit Florida

This morning, Floridians were advised to prepare for our fourth hurricane of the season.

After dancing little circles in the Atlantic while Haiti tries to recover from her visit, Jeanne is a hurricane again. At last count, over a thousand people are dead in Haiti, but that number could double. The Haitian government says the country will bury its dead in mass graves. Our hearts and minds go out to the Haitian people as I write this. See Jeanne's Effect on Haiti.

Jeanne did a U-turn after spinning seemingly aimlessly out in the Atlantic for a few days. The National Hurricane Center is now predicting a Florida landfall as early as this weekend. Though she's poised to hit the east coast, our storm shutters will be back on the windows come Saturday and we're preparing to again take in houseguests (refugees) from low-lying Cortez and Anna Maria Island. Unless Jeanne decides to meander due west and then turns north and wanders into the Gulf (after what we've seen this season, we don't rule out any possibility) , we will not be ordered to evacuate, though I'm sure the county will order voluntary evacuations for our area even if the storm makes landfall on the other coast.

Ivan Not Finished Yet

Looks like the hurricane that was Ivan is not finished with his reign of terror yet. After pummelling Grenada, Cuba, Jamaica, the Caymans, Alabama and the Florida panhandle, the storm made its way up the eastern seaboard, leaving more death and destruction in its wake. Ivan the Terrible then turned suddenly and headed south. He brushed across the Florida peninsula giving us a couple of days of cooler temperatures, gray skies and pissy little rain showers before exiting into the Gulf of Mexico. Over the warm Gulf waters, Ivan restrengthened into a tropical storm. It now appears that he will make landfall again along the Gulf coast, possibly hitting Louisiana or Texas.

It's maddening, to say the least. Check out the twisted path here: NOAA Graphics Archive

Lisa Forms off The Cape

Lisa is the newest named storm. It's too early to tell what she has planned. Jeanne is looking good - just kind of wandering around and losing strength. The bizarre projected path was a circle yesterday...strange animals, these storms. It still looks like Karl will be a fish storm. He's a strong hurricane, but all forecasts look good for Florida...and other land masses, for that matter. So, all eyes on Lisa for the next few days. We took most of our hurricane shutters down yesterday, but they'll go back up quickly if there's a threat.

A Banner Weekend in Hurricane Land

I walked three miles on the beach this morning, feeling fortunate, grateful.

The surf is still pretty rough, though nothing like a few days ago. I spotted many dangerous rip currents and opted not to swim since I was alone and the beach was nearly deserted. I waded up to my chest and let the waves crash over me, to cool off from my walk, but I didn't feel comfortable enough to try a swim.

At Holmes Beach, most of the soft, white sand has washed away leaving only hardpack and shells. The renourishment is barely visible anymore, but the beach itself is still there, so I suppose the project served its purpose. Both residences and rentals are still shuttered, though some only partially so as the community becomes more confident that the hurricanes will give us a reprieve for a week or two.

Tropical Storm Jeanne is difficult to forecast, according to the NHC. Ivan is influencing her somewhat and the trip over rocky Hispaniola ripped her up. She is still forecast to restrenghten, but it's impossible to tell how strong she will become or where she will go. Some of the locals believe she'll go up the eastern seaboard, missing Florida. Others believe that every hurricane is destined for Florida this year. I'm somewhere in between. Cautiously optimistic.

Hurricane Karl continues to look like a "fish storm," another blessing. You can almost feel and hear a general exhalation as people try to return to normal. We don't know what gave us this literal break in the weather, but we're grateful for it.

Storm Season Recap

A rundown of the 2004 storm season. Published on my fledgling web site.

I'm a writer, not a designer, so please forgive the somewhat rudimentary presentation.

Update From Hurricane Land

Thank you to all who have expressed concern for the safety and welfare of our families and community. Thus far, our little corner of paradise has been spared direct hits by Bonnie, Charley, Frances and Ivan. With Jeanne warming up on the Atlantic side of Florida and another tropical depression forming off of Cape Verde, the active season is not over yet. I will use this space to post photos and updates about our families and communities as time allows. Though the entire state has been declared a disaster area, we still go to work each day (those of us who are fortunate enough to find our workplaces still intact), shop for food, clean our homes (wouldn't want a hurricane to drop in on a dirty house) and try to make time for the recreational activities that lured us to the Gulf Coast. Though this is a trying time, my husband and I are committed to Florida, committed to our community and determined to stay here rather than move back to the Northwest or choose another location. This is our home.