Hurricane Report from Punta Gorda

[cdiver2]

My daughter lives in Punta Gorda so this morning we packed up food, water, tools and cleaning materials and drove down.
As we exited I 75 at exit 179 we started to see trees uprooted snapped in half and the nearer we got the worse the carnage got. As we drove down US41 a high shopping area I don't think there was one parking lot without a roof air conditioner in it. Roofs torn of every where utility poles leaning over into the roads or snapped like matchsticks one had snapped in two places and still had a 5 foot stub sticking out of the ground.
We got to our daughters house and found everyone ok and cleaning up. They had very little damage compared to some that I had seen, So we all sat down for a warm meal we had brought with us., then there was a knock on the door. The disaster service people just now getting into that area and checking to see if everyone was ok. After a few hours work with my trusty sawzall it was time to head back home and some sanity. It will be a long time before things are back to normal in that area. At the time of writing still no electricity.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Thanks for the update. Please keep us posted.

 

[wstein]

Cdiver, I am glad to hear your family is doing ok and not impacted as hard as others there in the Punta Gorda area.

My ex-gf's parents live in Ft Myers/Cape Coral area. I know that they got their power back yesterday afternoon. I can't imagine what it would have been like if Charley had hit Tampa Bay like it was forecasted to.

Paul

 

[flounderboy]

this may sound odd
But as soon as I saw the line path go right over my house on the news
I somehow knew it would never hit Brandon

Funny they still cant teach those cane's to follow a line

My best wishes for the folks it did hit

I was in New orleans for Camille. I was to young to know what was going on that night
but the next morning was a sight
cars only sticking out of the water 6 inches in the street

Dive safe

mark s

 

[Jersey]

cdiver2 - gld to hear your family made it through w/ minimal damage. My thoughts & prayers to everyone effected. My boss is currently on his way down to check on his house in Sanibel. Does anyone know if the Sanibel causeway is open? And is Captiva cut off? I would imagine the little bridge between the 2 was under water....

 

[cdiver2]

cdiver2 - gld to hear your family made it through w/ minimal damage. My thoughts & prayers to everyone effected. My boss is currently on his way down to check on his house in Sanibel. Does anyone know if the Sanibel causeway is open? And is Captiva cut off? I would imagine the little bridge between the 2 was under water....

As far as I know sea water was not a problem at all as it hit at low tide. However getting in to a area may be a problem. I 75 was backed up for a few miles before the exit for Punta Gorda lots of FEMA and army trucks no traffic lights at all in the town. Major intersections had police directing traffic.Smaller intersections people were treating like a stop sign intersection, but be careful with the lights out its easy to go through without realizing it is a intersection.

 

[easyrider]

Just talked to my inlaws they have a place in Bokeelia and they said everything around there is a mess all there out buildings were gone there house had some damage but was still together they count them selves very fortunate.
They were saying Captiva and Sanibel were pretty bad.

 

[JustJoe]

cdiver2 - gld to hear your family made it through w/ minimal damage. My thoughts & prayers to everyone effected. My boss is currently on his way down to check on his house in Sanibel. Does anyone know if the Sanibel causeway is open? And is Captiva cut off? I would imagine the little bridge between the 2 was under water....

The last I heard, Sanibel was still off limits to everyone, even property owners. Captiva is still reachable. Upper Captiva was split in two.

Here is a website for you. http://www.nbc-2.com/#SAN

http://www.nbc-2.com

 

[Jersey]

Thanks Joe & others. Yes - the causeway is not slated to open until Weds, I hear they have divers in the water checking the pilings & piers for erosion. Bosses house survived just fine, thankfully, my thoughts & prayers to those who did not fare as well. We have been having annual client conferences at South Seas Resort for many years & I really enjoy the islands. I've seen pictures of South Seas & think we may be moving our October seminar somewhere else.... I'll miss the Bubble Room & Mucky Duck...

Good luck to you all in your clean up.

 

[cdiver2]

I don't know how true this is but I have just been told. A fire house in Punta Gorda had to be evacuated and whilst it was empty someone broke in and stole the computers, they also broke into the firemens lockers and stole there possessions. If they find who did it they should be taken out and shot....after a flogging