Panama City and Ivan

[CourtasanSatine]

Any news on Panama City about the storm? My mom's best friend lives there and just helping mom out

 

[Pugdog007]

2 fatalities already in P.C.B due to tornado that touched down around 5:00. It's looking pretty rough there.

 

[Meriweather]

Getting periodic updates from a friend as long as she is able.
Sounds like it is getting nasty.
She posts here on the DIS....so I hope she doesn't mind if I repost her e-mails. They are very interesting and informative.

8:00pm......

Winds are really picking up. It's been a very active afternoon/evening. It looks like the tornado went through Shell Island and then in the lagoon by the state park (St. Andrews). Destroyed Hamiltons resturant and a path of houses and business. A sheriff deputy was in Hamiltons resturant when the tornado hit....it sucked him up in the air and he grabbed onto a beam. Thank goodness he didn't get severely hurt. Capt. Anderson's resturant lost there roof.
We have now had since around 3:45 this afternoon - around 26 tornadoes. And more to come. It's just unreal.
In eastern Panama City, another tornado went through and destroyed around 70 homes. They are doing a search and rescue for those homes and also the ones on the beach for people trapped inside as I type.
They won't tell us on the news all the business that have damage because they don't want people coming into the area (looting, etc).
As I listen to the local news, our weather guy (who is just fantastic and ALWAYS right on the money with the forecasts) said that it looked like Ivan may be taking a more easterly jog, which would make landfall closer to Pensacola. (I hope not)...then I'm really in trouble.
There are already severe flooding from the storm surges on the beach right now. Coming up under the houses on the beach.

 

[cati]

FOX news is doing a live 2 hour special from there right now.