Good to see most of the regulars checking in. How are the Panhandle Dopers doing? It’s calmed down around here and isn’t even raining right now. The Southern expedition portion of my family is cleared to cross back over the Sunshine Skyway bridge. I’m sure it will still be breezy. Haven’t found out yet if the power is back on at the condo.
Carmelita, I heard a couple of “hunker downs” on the news last night and had warm thoughts for you (but had nothing that I could drink shots of). I think that they both came from Polk County. We Pinellasans don’t so much hunker as we do cower.
Hi, Panhandle Dopers. Hanging in there? Good. At 4:42 it has all but stopped raining for the moment, and is only a bit breezy. I’m checking in from work at 88.9 FM, where we went off the air again, during the storm briefing - same as what happened during the 9 AM one! The engineer has gone back to the transmitter. We’re still on in Panama City on 89.1 and streaming on the web at http://wfsu.org with live news on the hour until at least 6 PM. Decisions will be made at that time on whether to continue into the evening.
Kids have school tomorrow (private school) and my MIL’s Dish satellite has been knocked off kilter. It will be at least a week before she has TV again.
I’m off to work tomorrow (I think).
If Ivan hits I think I’m going to cry. Really, just sit down in the middle of the floor and cry. I have found I’m really addicted to electricity.
It’s been raining for a good 36 hours here, but things haven’t been too bad overall. Glad to hear that you more southwardly dopers are doing all right.
Originally, they were supposed to start driving from Chicago to Tampa on Friday, arriving on Saturday. When it became apparent that wasn’t exactly feasible, they delayed their trip to leave on Sat and arrive on Sun. Or possibly hang out in their hotel in TN and wait another day, which would still put them there sometime today. I called the inn they are supposed to be staying in (they don’t take possesion of their new house until Friday), but there was no answer. Maybe there’s no power, or something, I don’t know. I called my brother, and my aunt, and they haven’t heard anything either.
milroyj, in the last press briefing I heard, the spokesman for the Emergency Services team said that there were six million people without electricity in central and south Florida. I’m betting that your parents are fine, and that they are just in a place where there is no power. My thoughts are with you, but it’s hopefully a situation that you shouldn’t get worked up over. They would call you if they were able, right? Hang on, crews are out and working around the clock to restore services.
Glad to hear everyone made it through without major incident. My brother and his wife came over to Tallahassee from Jacksonville. They went back this evening. When they got there they discovered that the units adjoining their apartment had their roofs caved in. Their unit didn’t sustain any damage, but everyone from their next door neighbor on down is without a roof. There wasn’t anyone at the management office and everyone in their block was gone, so they’ve decided not to stay there and are looking for somewhere to spend the night
Here in Tally the storm wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d thought. We lost power a few times yesterday and today, but it was back on within a few hours. All the local schools and state offices are closed tomorrow, except for necessary personnel, but I have to go into work
I stopped by McD tonight and got a cheeseburger and a coke. Just then they locked the doors. I asked the manager why they were closing, they were obviously very busy. He said they ran out of supplies!!!
Yeah, it’s quiet right now.
Last I saw on the weather channel before the cable went out was that the worst of the tropical storm was headed right for us. According to tdo.com it looks like it’s past us.
Now, before everyone freaks out, this storm is still several days away, and anything could happen. Let’s just keep an eye on it for the time being.
Really, though, I will cry. I will kick my heels and throw a tantrum to shame a three-year-old denied a lollipop. Three hurricanes in a month is four too many.
I just got in touch with my parents. Everyone’s fine. Some minor damage to their house, but easily fixable. Charley had cleared out most of the dead branches on their trees, so they didn’t have that to worry about. My mom did say that all of the leaves have been completely stripped off all their bushes.
I think Ivan’s going to scoot around south of Florida. That’s based on absolutely nothing except wishful thinking.
