Hurrance Charley is comming to town

[Gatorboy]

They did not evacuate -- they just battened down the hatches. My dad called about 30 minutes after the eye hit land. Electric was out, but his cellphone still worked. It's amazing the sound of the wind even with him talking from inside the house.

My sister and her family were over at their house, for my sister's home is about 4 miles closer to the gulf.

Palm trees were horizontal, he could see alot of shingles and gutters torn off of homes around him. The guy across his canal had his pool cage destroyed. My parents screen around their pool was sheltered by the house, so theirs was still in tact. There were many of live oak limbs on the ground from the large tree next to the house. They had to put their butcher block table in front of the double front doors to keep them shut. The wind was on the verge of blowing them open.

He said he would call again after the storm passed and he could access the damage -- well, I'm assuming even the cell towers aren't operating now, for he should have called by now. I probably won't hear from them until morning.

He said he would take pictures -- so I may post some when he emails them to me (whenever power is restored down there)

 

[YanmarFever]

Gator we are praying for your parents safety
Tractor Ern.

 

[Molerj]

I have a 93 yr. old great aunt that lives by herself in a trailer park in Punta Gorda. Her son & his wife, live about 10 minutes away in another trailer park. Both are former PA. people that have been living there for about 10 yrs. Haven't heard anything yet, but I sure am worried. I'm sure there places had to get a lot of damage, if they are still even there. Good news for you to hear your family is OK, Gatorboy.

 

[SteveH_CT]

Any news from your family this morning? How are our other friends on here doing after the storm... I hope everyone checks in somewhere on here.

My Brother and his family are fine... lost power and a couple signs off his business, but thats about it.

I hope all went well for everyone.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Molerj . . . NBC has been broadcasting live from Punta Gorda this morning and things look pretty grim. I sent a prayer for your family. But I hope they evacuated. From the looks of the pictures they have broadcast on TV, the town looks to be pretty beaten up.

 

[Gatorboy]

<font color="blue"> Any news from your family this morning? </font>

Not a word -- most likely the electric is still out and the cell towers are down as well.

It's so weird, I have lived or visited that area since 1968, and to see pictures of these places I've been to look the way it does, just seems unreal.

 

[OkeeDon]

Over here on the East coast, about 2 hours South of Daytona and Orlando, it was as I projected late yesterday -- we would not even have known there was a storm, if it were not for the fact that my daughter, my 2 granddaughters and both of their dogs were also here. My son-in-law is a fireman in Okeechobee County, and they received reports that the storm could be close (it actually passed by about 60 miles West of them), so he felt it best they "evacuate" to our house. As it was, I think it blew one of those plastic resin porch chairs off their deck.

So, we escaped everything. I know there had to be damage elsewhere; I sincerely hope all your loved ones are as safe as we are.

 

[Molerj]

I got some info on my relatives. They are all fine. They were all 3 staying in a shelter. My aunt's trailer in Punta Gorda is gone as is her son's in Port Charlotte. Theirs was in a real nice retirement community called Maple Leaf Estates. Real sad, I don't know what they will do now. I attached a picture of both places when we visited in '99.

 

[SteveH_CT]

Don and Gatorboy-

Don, glad it missed you. I also have family around Palm Coast... I haven't heard from them - but I expect they missed the worst of it.

Gatorboy - Power was still out at my Bro's - he was on generator, but the phones were still working. I don't think he got it as bad where he is... very wet there for sure though. I'm heading out. Just finished a test (on PC technology) written by Scott Mueller... it is/was truly mind numbing - oh man he goes into excrutiating detail, ever heard of him?

 

[Gatorboy]

I have heard word from down there. My niece's cellphone is the only phone that can get a signal. The best news is that everyone is safe and unhurt.

My parents house only lost about 3 shingles, but a large palm tree fell and landed on their truck and smashed the cap. The 25 year old live oak next to their home looks like someone randomly cut limbs down with a chainsaw, and a magnolia tree in the front yard uprooted.

My sisters house got worse damage -- the entire pool cage got twisted like a pretzel with part of it on the roof and some in the neighbors yard. The entire roof on the back lost every shingle -- nothing but plywood up their now. One of their trees fell over onto the neighbors house.

When my sister drove from my parents house back to their home, every sign was either bent over or gone. Tree limbs, shingles and screen enclosures litter the yards and streets. They are reporting that they will be out of power for about a week. They both have generators, so are able to keep their refrigerators running.

If electricity is a week away, I guess I won't be getting any digital pictures from them for some time.