Lady with an Attitude - Isabel

riptides · Sep 16, 2003

So for the last few days all I hear is the end of the world coming.

So, where do I park my tractor? I have a nice field with no trees and a hillside. Depending on the hurricane I might get the east or westward winds.
Should I pull it into the garage?
Should I park it in the new pole barn?
Should I park it in the field?

Where should I go? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

-Mike Z.
Oh, the latest maps show us as right in the middle of it Thurday, I am south of Wahington D.C. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Docsknotinn · Sep 16, 2003

Get a PTO driven wind sail and just take a cruise to the capital /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Dave

fivestring · Sep 16, 2003

INLAND, INLAND, INLAND.
Like Kentucky....

When Hugo came through Charlotte in 1989, we had sustained winds of 79 mph (still a Cat. 1 hurricane) and gusts over 90 mph.
Most of the folks from the Charleston area came to Charlotte to get away from Hugo. Imagine their surprise when Hugo followed them here!!!!
I was without power for 11 days. The yellow jackets and hornets were all stirred up because the trees had become defolliated and were being up-rooted.
I had to ride around in a Hummer with National Guard troops for 14 hours a day for 14 straight days from 1900-0900.
Hugo left hot and humid weather with us for those 14 days. Even if I had a tractor back then, I had no time to use it. As soon as I would get home, I'd eat and sleep. Then it was time to start over again.
I had two huge Poplars up-rooted from my yard. All of my pine trees were snapped like twigs.
If she hits a major city (or cities), it's just chaos. No power, no traffic lights, sometimes no water or sewer. No ice...
Generators, batteries, ice, water, chain saws, hammers, duct tape....

dmccarty · Sep 16, 2003

Riptides,

I'm in the target zone as well.

I don't have a barn so I think I'm going to move the tractor
to a clear cut and get it close to some oak tops left over from
the timbering. I think I'll cut down any trees that are near the
tractor.

I think this is what I'll do it depends on the how much wind we
are going to get. Tonight I have to get all of the kids junk out
of the yard. Weds, I'll worry about the tractor..... 8-(

For the last few years its just been one hurricane followed by
snow storms and then ice storms. I'm getting really tired of
all of this! 8-(

The latest track is putting the storm closer to Raleigh. When
Fran came through in the 90s we had MOUNTAINS of wood chips
from all of the trees that had been shreded......

Later,
Dan

Gatorboy · Sep 16, 2003

( So, where do I park my tractor? )

How about where you park it now? It's not going to blow away. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

riptides · Sep 16, 2003

Ahh,

Dave,
( ( So, where do I park my tractor? ) )

The problem with where it is parked now is trees. Really BIG trees. With the amount of rain we have had, I am worried about uprooting them.
With the amount of wind possible, I am worried about projectiles.
We will relocate to the basement area and do an equipment vehicle dispersment. That way if something comes down, it will not take all of my assets.

Gary...
( INLAND, INLAND, INLAND.
Like Kentucky.... ) /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

OkeeDon · Sep 16, 2003

When Hugo came through Charlotte in 1989... 

Short version of my Hugo story (I could write book) -- I live in Florida. In 1989, my kids were in college at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, NC. We own a cabin in Northwestern NC, near West Jefferson, almost at the top of a mountain. The weekend that Hugo was due was also parent's weekend at the college.

That sets the stage. After making sure that Hugo was going to hit North of our central east coast Florida location, we decided to go on to the cabin, and ultimately Hickory for parent's weekend. We took a western route to Columbia, SC to avoid the storm. In the meantime, Hugo hit Charleston and then went to Columbia.

We (the storm and us) arrived in Columbia about the same time (around midnight), and both turned North, with Hugo about 30 miles East of I-77, traveling about 20-25 MPH towards Charlotte. The headwinds prevented me from going more than 25 MPH, so we rode side-by-side for almost 100 miles. We couldn't stop; there was no power and nothing open. It was major pucker time.

At Charlotte, Hugo veered off so we proceeded on up to the cabin in relative peace. The early projections were that it would veer NE through Winston Salem. In fact, it actually veered off NW across Lake Norman, on to Hickory and Lenoir, then on North to Ashe County -- and directly across our cabin. We arrived at the cabin about 7:00 AM and Hugo found us there 3 hours later.

The cabin itself sustained no damage but there are still holes in the woods where mini-tornadoes touched down, one about 200' away. In Hickory, a tree fell into my son's dorm (no one hurt), and there was major damage everywhere.

In over 31 years living in Florida, our area has been touched by one minor storm (David) which was just barely over 75 MPH and caused only minor damage. Our worst hurricane experience was on a mountain in NC only 25 miles from Virginia and Tennessee!

fivestring · Sep 16, 2003

Who would have thunk it. A hurricane 200 miles inland and headed north!!!

I have relatives all over southwest Virginia and in West-By-God-Virginia. It went through Bluefield and to this day, you can see the gaps on the mountainsides (East River Mtn., Big Walker, etc) where the trees were felled by the winds.

Oregon_Rob · Sep 16, 2003

From a purely theoretical standpoint, why not park it next to the house, or the pole barn. The tractor isn’t going to blow away and it could provide break up for the wind that is headed toward one of your building’s, big, wide, wind catching surfaces.
Now it sounds kind of funny, but it could work. J