been busy getting battened down for our guest Matthew

[frkelly74]

It has been an interesting process getting ready for the storm. I believe that we are all set and I had time to go help the neighbor put up shutters. We have fuel for the generator and the grill. the cars are full. all the glass in the house is impact rated or covered by 5/8" plywood. all my debris is under cover or nailed down. I kind of expect to loose my fence but it is very old and maybe I can get the neighbor to participate in rebuilding it. It mainly keeps his dog at home anyway. We have water and food and each other and we are nestled in the palm of the hand of the Lord.

[MrWolf]

Good luck, you are in our prayers.

[dtknowles]

Hurricanes
I have evacuated 3 times including Katrina, was never looted. Got to stay in air conditioned comfort and watch the storm knowing that my wife and I would be safe. Took the dogs with us. If you try to ride it out, I hope you do not become a problem for the first responders. If we had stayed home during Katrina we would not have been able to stop any of our substantial damage and we would have been miserable. If you can afford it I suggest you evacuate if you are in the storms path. Have ridden storms out too, a few hours without power is no big deal. Be careful with generators, carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the killers in storms.

Tim

[timspawn]

I don't know if you've lived through one before but be ready for a long and bumpy ride. It looks like you will be in it for quite a few hours since it is sliding up the coast.

[Tackleberry41]

My mom bailed out of her mobile home. Went to a hotel further inland. best thing that could happen is if the hurricane tears her place up. Cant sell, the lot rent on her place is more than I pay for a house on 6 acres. But I expect I will be making a trip down in a couple days to help pick up the pieces.

[peachhead]

Good luck. My brother & family are evacuating, other friends in FL are staying put. I don't think I have the guts to stay, I would have to head out for my own sanity.

[dtknowles]

My next door neighbors stayed and road out Katrina. They had a real rough time and were afraid for their lives with trees crashing down all over the neighborhood, including the one that went through the roof of my house into the master bedroom with a big branch right into the mattress. They moved to Oklahoma as soon as they could sell their house.

Tim

[timspawn]

My next door neighbors stayed and road out Katrina. They had a real rough time and were afraid for their lives with trees crashing down all over the neighborhood, including the one that went through the roof of my house into the master bedroom with a big branch right into the mattress. They moved to Oklahoma as soon as they could sell their house.

Tim

They traded hurricanes for tornadoes! At least you have time to prepare for hurricanes. They both suck!

[Ickisrulz]

They traded hurricanes for tornadoes! At least you have time to prepare for hurricanes. They both suck!

If you get hit by a tornado, you can just drive a little ways up the road to find comfort and security while letting the insurance take care of things. Hurricanes take out huge areas that people sometimes cannot leave and are left in misery. A tornado prepardness kit is a cell phone and credit card (unless you die that is).

Additionally, from what I gather, those in hurricane areas had better have flood insurance or they might have some trouble with their claims.

[timspawn]

If you get hit by a tornado, you can just drive a little ways up the road to find comfort and security while letting the insurance take care of things. Hurricanes take out huge areas that people sometimes cannot leave and are left in misery. A tornado prepardness kit is a cell phone and credit card (unless you die that is).

Additionally, from what I gather, those in hurricane areas had better have flood insurance or they might have some trouble with their claims.

Flood insurance does not cover hurricane water damage. It is considered wind driven water not flood water. Sad but true.

[Ickisrulz]

Flood insurance does not cover hurricane water damage. It is considered wind driven water not flood water. Sad but true.

Then I suppose a normal homeowner's policy would cover it.

[timspawn]

Then I suppose a normal homeowner's policy would cover it.

Yes it does but there is often a higher deductible if the damage is caused by a hurricane.

[garym1a2]

I pray for everyone. Where I, my Mom and brothers place are West Of St Augustine near Green cove springs. Forcast to be near 100mph winds and being on the St. Johns River is a concern. We left yesterday and went to Floridas west coast My brother is a Firefighter over their and he will have a rough couple days.

[dtknowles]

Flood insurance does not cover hurricane water damage. It is considered wind driven water not flood water. Sad but true.

You don't have that quite right. You can be flooded as part of a hurricane and your flood insurance will cover it. If the water comes in thru the roof it is covered by homeowners insurance if it is rising water then flood insurance covers it. My homeowners insurance has a high deductible for damage from a named storm.

Tim

[Rich22]

Good luck everyone, In east orlando, rather be here then the coast for sure. Have to see what this does to our gun club.

[Pb Burner]

Good luck and prayers for all that are along the coast affected by Matthew.

[Finster101]

I've been through a couple of hurricanes now. Worst thing is following the track and wondering. Good luck to you guys on the east coast looks like you may be in for quite a ride.

[kingstrider]

I'm praying for you all down there in Florida. I live in the SC low country and the models for my area don't look good either. Our house is 27 feet above sea level and my family evacuated yesterday morning before the big exodus. Worst of all I am in California for a conference and won't get back until the storm is over, not sure what to expect when I get back.

[leeggen]

Just got back from a visit to Ga. this week, on the way home we saw 30 Aspand tree trimming trucks headed south a few had BIG chippers on the hitches. Some had 100 ft bucket booms and others had 75's. Also saw several power comp. trucks headed that way also. As we came north we would stop for gas or whatever and when we got back on the interstate the traffic would be much heavier. Not many Fl. tags but lots of Ga. tags heading inland. Hurricanes stick,large areas of damage and days without electric and sometimes no way to get help in nor get your buns out. Landmarks don't exsist anymore and street signs disappear. Many trees and power poles down so you can't move in any direction. Best bety is to leave before it comes and you can't stop the damage even when you are there so go away from it. God speed to all involved.
CD

[4719dave]

ANIT that the truth ..be safe not much happing in port charlotte for now ...
They traded hurricanes for tornadoes! At least you have time to prepare for hurricanes. They both suck!

[SciFiJim]

My daughter is in a Navy "A" school in Jacksonville. They evacuated the planes to OK on Wednesday, but left the students behind. They are not allowed to evacuate. Fortunately, her room is on the third floor of her barracks. Yesterday, she bought a couple of cases of bottled water and plenty of snacks in case the power goes out. I would expect Jacksonville NAS to have its own generators, but if power goes out the generators would probably only power med facilities and the galley. My only concern for her is that her truck might get flooded. Storm surge at the base is supposed to by 6-9 feet. She is not sure how high above sea level the parking lot is. Hopefully, the height of the truck plus the height of the parking lot will be enough.

[samari46]

Have a navy buddy down florida, sent an e-mail for him to come stay with me in Louisiana. Says the roads are jammed but he has gas for the car and a genny. Still think he's nuts for staying with a hurricane of this magnitude but what can you do?. He's in Celebration Florida. Frank

[iomskp]

In my part of the world we have Cyclones, I forget how many I have been through, the last one was a cat 5 there is no cat 6, the worst thing I found was the silence once all the power goes out, all you can hear is the roar of the wind and things smashing into the house, since I got a 14 KVA gen set all the little luxuries like TV and AC tend to take away that horrible silence and you can wait it out and hope for the best.

[Three44s]

Prayers sent for all you folks affected by this storm!

Three 44s

[Riverpigusmc]

Rain has just arrived here ahead of the storm. Perhaps after it passes it will get the fish to bite in Orange Lake

[blademasterii]

I'm in stuart and suffered no damage at all, direct tv didnt even cut out. Storm stayed farther west than anticipated and that pretty well saved our bacon. Hope those farther north of us come out ok as well. Shutters are staying up for another week or so due to the second hurricane still out there and they are expecting this one to hook a loop to the right and come back accross. If anyone local to me needs some help i'll see what I can do.

[shoot-n-lead]

I believe the weather clowns have done it again.

[Finster101]

I believe the weather clowns have done it again.

Maybe, maybe not. The problem is the storm still has a mind of it's own that all the technology in the world can't predict. When we got hit by Charlie it was supposed to keep going further north but decided to make a sharp easterly movement in just minutes. A couple of local forecasters saw it and warned folks in Punta Gorda and Pt. Charlotte possibly saving lives. You just don't know.

[frkelly74]

Well it weakened and veered out to sea a little and we, being 10 miles inland suffered a lost shingle tab and a blown GFCI breaker. Our neighbor did lose his fence at the back of his property and there are a couple of limbs down that I can see. I am sure that the closer you are to the ocean the worse it is. We have come through well. Praise the Lord!

[Sur-shot]

Do not give up hope just yet...... It may come back to visit. Been through many, many hurricanes over the years, never left yet. If this one loops out and comes back it may make a bee line for the coast and then come straight in off the ocean, this time around, that is what a circular path hurricane normally does so keep an eye out if you live near the coast. Just hope it does not build up speed, and go across FL into the Gulf, the water in the Gulf is at 90 degrees, and this storm could still get real bad, real fast, so keep a watch out......
Ed

[frkelly74]

Oh we plan to leave the boards on the glass areas for a while and keep our supplies up. There is also the next storm out there milling around, as well as the loop trajectory possibility. One of our friends in Melbourn thought they got away pretty well unscathed, except the water wouldn't work, When a tree went over it levered their water line up and broke it. I hear some chain saws working out there now and I did see a fire truck go through the neighborhood.

[Rick N Bama]

Well it weakened and veered out to sea a little and we, being 10 miles inland suffered a lost shingle tab and a blown GFCI breaker. Our neighbor did lose his fence at the back of his property and there are a couple of limbs down that I can see. I am sure that the closer you are to the ocean the worse it is. We have come through well. Praise the Lord!

Do you know how things are over in Cocoa Beach? We lived there for two years during my stint in the USAF and in the years since when something like this comes up Cocoa Beach is on our minds. I have an old classmate in Rockledge that I've heard from and thankfully they came out Ok themselves, but I've not heard from CB.

[frkelly74]

We haven't been east of US 1 yet so I do not have first hand knowledge. I am sure they got hit harder than we did though. There are areas over here that are without power still.

[garym1a2]

We made it back from the west coast of Florida most places did not have gas. Could only find on station in Plalaka with gas and they only had hi-test. Power was out and the lights where flashing yellow. I saw a car pass me in the left lane in a hurry and ran into a car going thru the flashing red. My mothers house had a big tree on the roof over my reloading room. We where blessed that the building had no real damage except for some dented shingles. Its good to have a couple old sthil chains saws and a small tractor with a loader. Still no power, but its due back in a couple days.
My brothers house on the saint johns river had a foot of water in his shop. His chickens survived. If the storm was 100 miles closer both places would be gone.