SW Florida HIT HARD

[CryingForTheHorses]

I was listening to the news and watching tv,THEM poor people in PUNTO GORDA are almost wiped off the map, SEEMs they didnt think it was going to hit them and LOTS of people didnt heed the warning, They have lost 3 hospitals, NUMEROUS trailer parks with cops gaurding "The stacks of bodies".I feel for these people.Flooding everywhere and many people missin, Please say a prayer for them

[sq764]

It's sad that so many people do not take 140 mph winds and the power of the ocean/water seriously..

Just continues to amaze me how many people don't appreciate the power of nature and they suffer with their lives...

And the sad part is the next one that comes along, you will still have people 'braving it out'.. Unreal..

[sq764]

They said at it's strongest point in Punta Gorda, the winds were over 180 moh.. That is just crazy..

Punta Gorda - retirement town of 14,000... sad.

[Tom]

They said on the news this morning that the could see bodies laying on the ground and order 60 body bags - but that might be enough. Very sad day for Florida....they could use some prayers today. God forbid Miami ever takes a direct hit. That many people in one area........

[Dave Schwartz]

I grew up in south Florida and I can tell you we never took hurricanes very seriously. We did put up the shutters and all, but when you live in a CBS home (concrete block structure) as most Floridians did back then, you just stayed inside and listened to the wind blow then afterward went out to see all the havoc.

Back then ('50s-'70s) the only people that were not safe were those living in mobile homes and wood structures. There were lots of the first but very few of the latter and almost no multi-story homes. Even the biggest buildings were not very tall in comparison to other major cities.

I don't live in Florida anymore, but am under the impression that there are many more wood homes. Someone told me that now they build more two story homes, with the second story being made of wood.

I'd be interested in what the Floridians on this board would say about hurricane fear.


Regards to all,
Dave Schwartz

[CryingForTheHorses]

Im glad I live in a low block home.The homes on our street are mostly block and we do have a few wood home.LOTS of palm trees ready to be missles if it were to ever hit here in Miami/Ft Lauderdale.When George when thu here, It was scary and it wasnt even as bad as Charlie.The noise is incredible!. I myself have never saw a hurricane like CHARLIE and I dont want to.I guess its very important to LISTEN to the weatherman.

If you are in the projected path (Thats the funnel they show).Please take the warning seriously. A hurricane can change paths very quickly.

[BillW]

Another thing to note is how quickly it progressed from a cat. I to a cat. IV. This highlights the reason for early evacuation planning. Waiting till you see whether it is going to be big enough to get out of the way of is not a good plan.

Bill

[sq764]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/08/12/china.typhoon.reut/index.html

[Tom]

I flew into and out of Melborne a few years ago...when you look at the vast ocean on one side and that lone row of high rise hotels sitting out on the edge of the shore all alone, you get the feeling they are bowling pins just waiting to be knocked over. Fro the air, they look so vunerable.....nature is nothing to mess with.

[kenwoodallpromos]

When I went to bed last night it sounded like it was being downgraded and avoiding major populations. You really have to be in a strong shelter to ride it out.

[hurrikane]

I work for the guys that handle this stuff.

You really couldn't tell what was going to happen. traveling up the coast you would have had to evacuate the entire west coast of florida. There was no way to tell it was going to take a hard right hand turn and go from an cat 3 to cat4.

A lot of people don't realize what an evacuation means. It's not just the people in the homes that have to leave. They are many times ok. It is the hospitals, nursing homes, elderly at home with no transportation...and the list goes on.

It really is a dauting task. And it is amazing to me how quickly the emergency teams can get in there and start putting together help for everyone. We live in a great country.

[Buckeye]

Right. It's amazing how good a job they did saving lives. To only lose a handfull of unfortunates is perhaps all that can be done.