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Metropolis Reality Forums Ť Florida Calls for Evacuation, AGAIN! ť

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   Florida Calls for Evacuation, AGAIN!

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Topic: Florida Calls for Evacuation, AGAIN! (Read 182 times)

luci
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Florida Calls for Evacuation, AGAIN!
« on: Sep 1^st, 2004, 5:39pm »

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A half-million people were ordered to evacuate as Hurricane Frances swirled toward Florida on Wednesday just weeks after Charley's devastating visit, threatening to deliver the most powerful one-two punch to hit a state in at least a century.

Those planning to ride out the storm snapped up canned food, water and generators, while military helicopters and planes were flown out of the area and Cape Canaveral's Kennedy Space Center said it would close on Thursday.

Forecasters said the still-strengthening Category 4 storm could hit on Labor Day weekend as early as Friday night, less than three weeks after Charley raked Florida's western coast with 145 mph wind, causing billions of dollars in damage and killing 27 people.

"I can't emphasize enough how powerful this is. If there's something out there that's going to weaken it, we haven't seen it," National Hurricane Center director Max Mayfield said.

Gov. Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency, activating the National Guard.

Many homes in southwest Florida still have blue tarps patching holes in their roofs after Charley, and some streets remain full of storm debris that could become wind-blown projectiles.

"We've just gone through 2 1/2 weeks of torture trying to get our lives back to some sense of order," said Punta Gorda retiree Tom Hamilton.

Evacuation orders were posted for 300,000 residents in coastal areas of Palm Beach County, and 192,500 were told to leave mobile homes and low-lying areas of Brevard and Martin counties. The evacuation orders were set to take effect Thursday afternoon.

Frances was about 700 miles southeast of Florida on Wednesday afternoon, heading northwest on a course that would take it to the central portion of Florida's eastern coast. Residents of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina watched the forecast closely in case Frances took a sharper turn to the north.

Bush cautioned that "all the science in the world and all the technology in the world isn't going to be able to pinpoint exactly where the storm goes."

Frances would be the fourth storm to affect Charleston, S.C., this summer. Bonnie and Charley arrived within days of each other in August, and Gaston dumped more than 13 inches of rain in some areas when it came ashore Sunday.

With the ground saturated from previous storms, more rain and the slightest wind could cut utility service for thousands, even if they don't take a direct hit from the storm.

"With the ground this wet, trees could easily topple," said Tom Williams, a spokesman for Duke Power in Charlotte, N.C.

The storm and the mass evacuations are sure to spoil Labor Day outings and make a mess of holiday travel across the Southeast. Florida may reverse lanes on some highways to handle the evacuation traffic, state Emergency Management Director Craig Fugate said.

If Frances hits, it could be the most potent two-hurricane combination to hit a single state in at least a century of record-keeping. Frances is as strong as Charley, but forecasters said it could become a Category 5 with winds of 156 mph or higher.

Hurricane-force winds extended about 80 miles from Frances' center, making it about twice the width of Charley and increasing the possibility for damage.

The last time two major hurricanes hit Florida in rapid succession was 1950. Hurricane Easy struck Tampa around Sept. 4 of that year and Hurricane King hit Miami six weeks later on Oct. 17. They were Category 3 storms.

Nancy Cuffaro of Port Charlotte, whose home and pizza restaurant were damaged by Charley, said she is hoping Frances spares an area that is still suffering.

"I know we can't withstand too much. I really don't know what to think here. I'm lost. It's starting to get to me," she said.

A Home Depot to the south in Florida City, hit hard by Hurricane Andrew 12 years ago, more than doubled its daily sales and ran out of generators and plywood. It sold $50,000 worth of lumber Tuesday, said assistant manager Lisa Ftiffler.

North Miami Beach resident Lorraine Lewis bought a small cooking stove in case of emergency but wasn't planning to stick around long enough to use it.

"I have water and plastic and a plane ticket," she said.

State officials worried about finding enough room in shelters. Many hotel rooms in southern Florida are occupied by emergency workers and people left homeless by Charley. Some schools and community centers are still being used as shelters.

Deanna Creamer, who rode out Charley in her house in Punta Gorda, was still repairing roof and water damage. "I heard a little bit on the radio this morning, and I shut it off," said Creamer, 40. "I just can't imagine having to go through this again."

National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

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AoM
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Re: Florida Calls for Evacuation, AGAIN!
« Reply #1 on: Sep 1^st, 2004, 6:28pm »

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how awful, those poor people,

so far this season, out of 7 hurricanes, only TWO have been a nothing, and that was D, don't even remember it's nameand E, never heard that one either

But Alex, Bonnie, Charley, Frances, Gaston, Geez, this is insane!!! And there is still plenty of time left in hurrican season!! I pray for no more...what's up with the weather this year? Is the apocalypse coming?

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Rupey
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Re: Florida Calls for Evacuation, AGAIN!
« Reply #2 on: Sep 1^st, 2004, 7:32pm »

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Let's hope this takes an unexpected sharp turn to the east and dies off in the Atlantic Ocean before any harm is done to our friends in Florida.

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lakelady
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Re: Florida Calls for Evacuation, AGAIN!
« Reply #3 on: Sep 2^nd, 2004, 9:53am »

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Ya'll think about me this weekend. I am driving to Savannah tomorrow at 2:00 and returning on Monday leaving there at noon. And yes, I admit to being crazy.

Florida told to expect storm worse than Andrew
Authorities order 750,000 Floridians to evacuate

NBC News and news services

Updated: 9:30 a.m. ET Sept. 2, 2004MIAMI -

As Hurricane Frances began pounding southeastern Bahamas on Thursday, 750,000 Floridians prepared to evacuate their homes by the afternoon and forecasters warned the Category 4 storm could be worse than Hurricane Charley last month and even worse than Hurricane Andrew of 1992, the most expensive storm to ever hit the United States.

While Charley was as a Category 4 storm as well, Frances is twice as wide, Ed Rappaport of the National Hurricane Center told NBC's "Today" show Thursday. As a result, he said, expect "the same kind of devastation but perhaps over a larger area near landfall."

Andrew, for its part, was more intense at its core but also "a smaller storm ... so we expect a wider area of damage than we saw with Andrew," Rappaport said.

Sept. 2: Ed Rappaport, the deputy director of the National Hurricane Center, says Frances could be much worse than Charley or Andrew.
Today show

Packing 145 mph winds that extend out 80 miles and on a course that has emergency officials in several southeastern states jittery, Frances was expected to strengthen as it headed for a Labor Day weekend rendezvous.

States of emergency were declared in both Georgia and Florida, which has never before seen two Category 4 storms make landfall within a span of just three weeks. Thursday morning, Florida's Broward County issued evacuation orders for 250,000 residents, adding to the 500,000 alerted in nearby areas Wednesday.

Florida could feel winds soon
Early Thursday, Frances center was 470 miles east-southeast of West Palm Beach. It was moving west-northwest near 13 mph, and was expected to continue that course for the next 24 hours.

Forecasters said Frances could begin affecting Florida late Thursday, less than three weeks after Charley raked the states west coast with 145 mph wind, causing billions of dollars in damage and killing 27 people.

Forecasters said Frances could become a Category 5 storm with winds of 156 mph or higher by the time it makes landfall. The difference wasnt something residents spent time discussing.

Category 4, Category 5, whats the difference? Im still out of here, said Michele Byrd, 38, a food service executive from Vero Beach. This one will probably be bigger than Charley. I dont see any way were not getting hit.

Late Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for 310 miles of Florida coast from from Craig Key to Flagler Beach. A hurricane watch means that those areas could start feeling hurricane conditions within 36 hours.

People should not concentrate on the forecast track, forecaster Jack Beven said Thursday morning, urging residents of the entire watch region to immediately begin preparing. A slight dip in the track could result in big changes in landfall.

Signs of preparation
Supermarkets along the states Atlantic coast were stripped of bottled water and canned goods. In the pre-dawn hours Thursday, long lines were forming outside home supply stores in Palm Beach County, with dozens of people hoping for a chance to buy plywood or generators. A delivery trucks arrival was met with raucous applause.

Reservation clerks of sold-out hotels groaned with each telephone ring, knowing someone seeking a room was on the other end. And demand for gas was so great some stations were pumped dry.

Court trials were canceled in 10 Florida counties, cruise lines kept their ships away and schools in nine counties were shuttered for Thursday; another three planned to do the same Friday. In St. Lucie County, a curfew was to go in effect Friday night.

The menacing strength of Frances coupled with the damage wrought by Hurricane Charley in Florida had even normally stoic coastal Georgians spooked.

The people here are paying this one a little more attention than they normally would, said Tybee Island Mayor Walter Parker. When I went to the Post Office today, some people said theyre a little more concerned. They saw what Charley did to Florida.

Reports from Caribbean
In the Caribbean, the storms lashing winds tore tin roofs off houses and plucked trees from the ground as it plowed through the Turks and Caicos.

No injuries were reported but hundreds fled their homes and many telephone lines were still down. More than a dozen houses were damaged.

Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie urged Bahamians to remain calm, but cautioned islanders they could see the most intense hurricane in recorded history.

The U.S. Embassy in Nassau evacuated about 200 non-emergency personnel and their family members, said Stacie Zerdecki, an embassy spokeswoman. Hundreds of others also fled.

Club Med evacuated its Columbus Isle resort on San Salvador Island in the Bahamas because it was in the direct path of the storm, said Nadeige Martelly, a Club Med spokeswoman.

About 375 guests and 110 employees left on charter planes Wednesday and were taken to Club Med resorts in the Dominican Republic, Miami and Montreal, she said.

Traffic headaches
Back in Florida, the storm and evacuations it forces are certain to spoil Labor Day outings and make a mess of holiday travel across the Southeast. Florida may reverse lanes on some highways to handle the evacuation traffic, state Emergency Management Director Craig Fugate said.
Many businesses along the Atlantic coast began closing Wednesday, some not planning to reopen until Sunday at the earliest. Even Cape Canaverals Kennedy Space Center said it planned to shut down, leery of the havoc Frances could bring.

Its going to hit somewhere, said Stephanie Graniero, who was having hurricane shutters attached to her store along a deserted commercial strip of Delray Beach. You have to try to stay calm and not panic. If its going to hit, you have to be prepared.

An evacuation order was issued for 300,000 Palm Beach County residents, and 200,000 who live in mobile homes and flood-prone areas of Volusia, Brevard, Martin and Indian River counties also were ordered to find safer locations. Forecasters said storm surges of 15 feet or more could affect those areas if Frances takes dead aim.

State officials worried about finding enough room in shelters. Many hotel rooms in southern Florida are occupied by emergency workers and people left homeless by Charley. Some schools and community centers are still being used as shelters.

To make matters worse, many rivers and lakes in the Carolinas and Virginia are already swollen with rains from a series of August storms. The most recent of those came Monday, when the remnants of Tropical Storm Gaston brought heavy rain and knocked down trees and power lines.

Joe Farmer, of South Carolinas Emergency Management Division, said the state would likely have to deal with Frances even if it makes landfall in Florida since evacuees would head north on Interstate 95.

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david
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Re: Florida Calls for Evacuation, AGAIN!
« Reply #4 on: Sep 2^nd, 2004, 9:54am »

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You becareful!

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lakelady
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Re: Florida Calls for Evacuation, AGAIN!
« Reply #5 on: Sep 2^nd, 2004, 9:58am »

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I'm staying tuned to the weather channel. This is the projected path now.

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luci
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Re: Florida Calls for Evacuation, AGAIN!
« Reply #6 on: Sep 2^nd, 2004, 10:15am »

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And our Daughter-in-Law;sa family live on the Eastern Coast of Florida
where it is to hit on Sunday, and you are driving right into it.
LL, you do need a good head exam! Roll Eyes

Girl, I can honestly say I hope her flight is cancelled. This is suicide!
We got the tail of a tornado coming back from Missouri last year and it was horribly scary, for I thought the wind was going to pick up the car! We saw a bridge and parked under it. Even this is dangerous for we couldn't see and other cars might hit you!

Since I know you're going anyway, GOOD LUCK!

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"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and
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lakelady
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Re: Florida Calls for Evacuation, AGAIN!
« Reply #7 on: Sep 2^nd, 2004, 11:32am »

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luci, the next 24 hours are critical. I can always bail out at the last minute. She and I will talk tonight.

Florida declares state of emergency
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency in advance of the storm, and across the state preparations were under way, including the evacuations of nearly half a million people.

The Kennedy Space Center closed at 3 p.m. Wednesday and took precautions to protect its shuttles and sensitive equipment. Employees were sent home.

The U.S. Navy and Air Force prepared to move ships and planes out of the storm's path, Pentagon officials said. They said it can take up to 72 hours to get a ship under way.

Palm Beach County ordered 300,000 residents to evacuate, Brevard County ordered 185,000 residents to leave, and shelters were set up in Indian River County.

Forecasters are looking at two possibilities for Frances' track after leaving the Bahamas, Mayfield said. It could turn north to go up Florida's eastern coast, then into Georgia and South Carolina. Or it could travel across South Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico before turning north.

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luci
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Re: Florida Calls for Evacuation, AGAIN!
« Reply #8 on: Sep 2^nd, 2004, 11:39am »

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I know all of this, just talked with daughter-in-law again. This one is supposed to be worse than Charly, for it's path is all acrosos the state and up to the states north.

I'm thinking both of your common senses will take over and plan for a weekend later. I know how disappointing it is to have to cancel a fun time.

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luci
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Re: Florida Calls for Evacuation, AGAIN!
« Reply #9 on: Sep 5^th, 2004, 12:04am »

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Has anyone heard from LL? Wow, when she starts driving home, she'll drive right into this terrible storm. Maybe she will stay posted on this weather and stay an extra day if necessary.

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