Florida hurricane victims..

[OhMari]

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Had those people left the area as they were told they might still be here today

I know the hurrican was unpredictable, but they made Tampa Maditory evacuation. That would be like telling Northern Milwaukee to evacuate, but then it turned and hit Chicago. If you lived in Chicago would you have evacuated if they told Northern Milwaukee to evacuate.

I'm sorry I don't mean to be debateable at all on this. I shouldn't even have posted this.

 

[legs22]

Originally posted by OhMari
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I know the hurrican was unpredictable, but they made Tampa Maditory evacuation. That would be like telling Northern Milwaukee to evacuate, but then it turned and hit Chicago. If you lived in Chicago would you have evacuated if they told Northern Milwaukee to evacuate.

I'm sorry I don't mean to be debateable at all on this. I shouldn't even have posted this.

I was wondering the same thing. They thought the hurricane would turn at Tampa and it ened up turning earlier and went from a Cat 2 to a Cat 4 in a very, very short period of time. How much advanced warning did these people in Punta Gorda have that a Cat 4 was coming straight for them instead brushing by them as a Cat 2 headed for Tampa?

 

[jwfla422]

Hurricanes are very unpredictable. We're lucky they have the instruments they have today to give us the information they do.
But, it still isn't exact. Most of the west coast was under a warning. I remember on Wednesday they said there was an uncertainty as to whether it could hit Tampa or further south. It even had a track as far west as the panhandle.

Yes it is crazy as far as evacuations go but this is the way it is. As soon as our area is placed under a hurricane warning the mobile homes are the first to be evacuated.

We had an experience a few years ago with a cat 1 storm that was supposed to stay in the gulf and the eye ended up passing 45 miles west of us (we weren't even under watches or warnings!) We were lucky it wasn't a major hurricane.

I think more than it not being expected to hit the area it did was the intensity, that's where there was a problem. They expected it to be a Cat. 2 or 3 when it ended up being a 4!

The technology is still not exact and it may never be. But, we learned from Andrew when there is a warning to be prepared for the worst. If that means evacuating millions then that's what has to be done.

Unfortunately if you don't live through this experience you never really know how bad it is until it hits too close to home.

 

[legs22]

There wasn't much warning with Andrew either. It suddenly turned to the coast of FL. I was totally unprepared for that. I can't remember if we were under any kind of watch or warning BEFORE it turned. Lucky for me it hit further south.

 

[CourtasanSatine]

snuggles and Talking Hands: thanks for the Panama City info

 

[currycook]

I live in SW Florida and just got our power back. Out about 30 hours or so. We made it fine with just some palm trees down. We were on the left side which is the good side. The town 30 miles the east of us was devestated. Hurricanes are funny, we are looking so good and so many people just a little bit away were so hurt. Thanks to all for their prayers.

 

[denisenh]

DH has 3 sisters and his dad living in Punta Gorda. We received a phone call today. DH's dad is very shook up and lost the roof to his house (not a mobile home) where he and his wife waited out the storm. It must have been terrifying. I am not clear on why they didn't evacuate. DH's sisters also had damage to their homes but we aren't exactly sure what extent and 2 lost their sheds.
One of DH's sisters is visiting here from Punta Gorda (good timing) but her DD was left behind. She tried to go to work afterward but her place of employment is just wiped out from what DH says. So sad, but thank God they are alive and uninjured.

 

[currycook]

Was really I mean really bad in Punta Gorda. Glad they are all safe. Some lost their lives there. It really scared all of us down here.

 

[DukeStreetKing]

Originally posted by jwfla422

This is going to top Andrew as the worst storm in FL history. The scariest part is that we still have several months left of hurricane season and this isn't even "peak" season yet.

Sorry, but this storm was nowhere near as strong or devastating as Andrew. The hurricane classification scale stops at 5, but Andrew was easily pushing a 6 or 7. While Charley caused much terrible destruction and death, Andrew was far, far worse and more deadly.