Wilma... wonderful, just wonderful

[Walter]

The kerosine smell?

 

[baitedstorm]

we survived too, no power or water here, but the house stands with only one blown out window in the house and busted windshield in my truck. Darrel's working twelve hour shifts on the road until power is restored here. I'm thinking that it could be awhile for us to have ours back on seeing how our side of the street (6 houses) are the only ones without power right now, something else must be wrong.

Oh well, anyone heard from KBeck? I heard Palm Beach took a beating pretty bad, we only got the back end of the eye, her area got the front side kicking their butts and the another KO with the backside. I can't seem to contact anyone (via phone) south of me. Hoping all is well.

 

[Fresh_Aire_Up_There]

Well, spent most of my time running a shelter. Actually had a grand time with a "storm" there:05: Came home and found most all was well at the house. Boy, I'm glad we got that generator!!:14: We had this window film installed that kept us from having to "board up." It was a time saver, for sure, but the wife said the windows were "breathing" during the height of the storm. The water wasn't too bad after the storm, but then later, after the ag-lands began run-off, the water rose another couple of feet.:11: I had to park my car down the street and get a ride by the neighboor's ATV. I had to commute in my truck to the end of the road for a couple of days. I was able to float it in tonight. Glad to hear most did well. For those who didn't, our thoughts and prayers to you.

 

[baitedstorm]

sure must be nice to have a cotten-picking stinkin' generator right about now. As the temp starts to rise, I'm hopeful (more like prayful) that FPL will rush to my aid. Until then, I will just have to tough it out here at my sisters place (hot water and power...woohoo)

 

[DandyDon]

I just heard from a friend in the Lake Worth and Boynton Beach area. We talked about preparations last week, and I encouraged her to do a lot more. Today, I'm the hero and all I did was type. She has no electricity or home phone, very little water pressure, and she's running low on gas for her generator.

I reminded her that I suggested that Colorado would be a good place to visit. Her remark was "But you didnt invite me to Texas?" Mine was "Not with all those kids, no."

 

[CBulla]

sure must be nice to have a cotten-picking stinkin' generator right about now. As the temp starts to rise, I'm hopeful (more like prayful) that FPL will rush to my aid. Until then, I will just have to tough it out here at my sisters place (hot water and power...woohoo)

Hot water and power.. what luxery!

and we're really in a weird position here thanks to FPL's exquisite management... see, we're not expected to have any sort of normalcy in power or even possible restoration for a few weeks.
:..venting..:
Now, this is weird to think of... camping at home... using a Generator to power your fridge and/or freezer so you can store perishables. Generators aren't exactly fuel efficient either. I was doing the math today. Its costing me about as much to run a generator a few hours a day to keep my fridge cool (we've got basic stuff for 2 kids that will spoil if it gets to warm) as it does to run the air conditioner in the summer.

Then there are the jobs that are non-existant without the power such as resturants, etc.., who rely upon a wait and cook staff to operate. This is fine during the day IF they have a generator, but only good till 9pm as there is a curfew. There are a bunch of small businesses that I see closed every day when I'm out driving to client sites to do clean up... I wonder how they are going to make it.

Yesterday, to help the generator out, I went over to the local Community College (a few blocks away) because I had overheard that the National Guard troops were passing out ice and water there. GREAT!! The ice helped keep the fridge cooler so it wouldn't have to draw so hard from the generator to keep cool. The water was an added bonus and some how or another a box of the new MRE's ended up in my Jeep to!

Personally, I'm not complaining as the storm has generated work for me that is not normally around (lets hear it for being one with the chainsaw!) and its generating extra income that I wouldn't normally have... and let me tell you its a great work out to boot. The water bottles and MRE's were more or less a bonus as I'm outside doing the work others don't even care to try and do anymore and its provided me with both hydration and nourishment I'd otherwise have to purchase after fighting the enormous amounts of unnecessary traffic to drive to one of the open Publix supermarkets or a WAY over crowded Wal-Mart, well.. you get the idea.
:..end of vent..:

Tomorrow.. more of the same... chainsaw Colin, doing some mowing and such to maintain client properties...

A HUGE thank you to Reefguy for hooking my family up with his moms generator, its much bigger than the one we had and made a BIG difference in running the fridge~!~!

Maxine, Darrel - Thank you for the wonderful text messages today, it gave me a little smile this afternoon!!

 

[baitedstorm]

I'm so glad to hear all is well with you guys Colin... Phones are up and down here still so it makes it almost impossible to communicate with the outside world. It's a\\funny how the people across the street have power, yet we have none. A good friend of mine just offered us his spare generator but seeing how I have a place to stay with the kiddies, I wouldn't feel right about taking it (Darrel is staying with his mom). I know what you mean about over crowed stores. We have those lines everywhere. I've been really careful about what we spend seeing how we just lost everything in our deep freezer and refridgerator. I heard that emergency food stamps will be avialible starting Nov 7th and you can apply to FEMA for help now. I certainly don't have a problem excepting some help if the state wants to give it to me. No telling when I'll work again (I still can't get in touch with any of the charter boats I work with).

I heard Palm Beach got it much worse then us, but I have yet to drive down and have a look.

Hang in there my friend, if I can help out with the kiddies are something, let me know.. love ya! give kisses to everyone for me! (look out for that 9inch tongue of BD's though)

 

[rab]

It's a\\funny how the people across the street have power, yet we have none.

My in-laws' building was still without power on Wednesday, but the buildings to the north got power back on Tuesday evening. Very frustrating! But I'm glad to hear you have a better place to stay while thing approach normal.

-Rob

 

[CBulla]

I can explain the power stuff, its a matter of infrastructure vs. that which feeds from the infrastructure and grids. It's easier to draw it out and give a visual I suppose.

We just got power this afternoon.. the power guys from TECO were in our area today and the dude in the bucket truck hollered at Kris and I this morning as we were packing up the boys to go do a clean up job on a yard, "Hopefully today.. I'm working hard for ya!!" and sure as sugar, when we came home the power had just been turned on for our area! We were so happy!! We've celebrated by taking hot showers!!

It's going to be interesting the next few weeks though... we've got a lot of folks out of service jobs when they need them most.

You can bet your sweet butt that Kris and I are applying for the FEMA aid for the food stuff to!!! FPL hadn't kept up with trimming the tree's around here and we've spent a LOT of $ on gas that would have bought baby food and formula for Ian. All of our trouble was due to a line of about 30 tree's up the road a 1/3 of a mile, 6 or so of those trees had fallen (Australlian pine, non-natives, invasive species) on the lines and literally had them all thrown around like 6 peices of loose rope tangled and woven haphazardly into the trees.

Of course, FPL sending almost all of our local trucks to Miami instead of keeping them here to deal with the local outages first really has folks in an uproar!!!

Hey, we're here if you need help to, Vickie!!!

note: The FEMA assistance page: http://www.fema.gov/about/process/

I'm actually calling Monday to see if how I can gain some contract work for clean-up as well.

 

[DandyDon]

I just heard from a friend in the Lake Worth and Boynton Beach area. We talked about preparations last week, and I encouraged her to do a lot more. Today, I'm the hero and all I did was type. She has no electricity or home phone, very little water pressure, and she's running low on gas for her generator.

Well, she got phone back yesterday, electricity today. Lost a few roof tiles, but manages a roofing company, so she's in good shape with job security. I mentioned that one of the computer models suggests that Beta could come in on the same path as Wilma. She didn't laugh.

Good luck all...