Hurricane Wilma and our FLA posters

[Geowhizzer]

We were extremely blessed. ...Like I said, we were blessed.

I call it lucky, and I'm glad you were that. 

Blessed, lucky, fortunate, we were all of that, and then some.

Dio: Wilma may be paying a visit to you next. Farg Brooklyn.

I live in the Bronx, dude.  It's even in my profile.  What is it with you Southerners?  Do all we Northerners look alike to you fools?

Sorry about that.  Long week.  Of course, you'd probably agree with me on the "Farg Brooklyn" then, wouldn't you?

[Rome]

38 MPH??

Jesus!

Also - check out the wind speed.  It's actually up from 105 to 125 right now.  Good riddance, you ornery bitch!

[rjs246]

I don't know what you're talking about, Geo. Something eveil got into my hand and went bad. So I lopped it off at the write. Now I've got a chainsaw attached to my left arm. I'm money with that puppy.

[Geowhizzer]

Hi again:  Quick update

We stayed at our house last night.  We still have nothing (no power, no water, no telephone).  We could have power (and therefore water since we're on a well) anytime between now and mid-November (but hopefully soon, as there were crews working out by us this morning).  We're at my parents now, cleaning up, and I figured to send this quick update (with this freaking slow connection, I can't do much else  ).

From what I've seen, the area around where I live made it pretty well.  Some homes have roof damage, but mostly just shingles ripped off.  No one was missing an entire roof.  Lots of trees broken or down altogether.  I cannot get into the areas that were probably most affected by the storm:  Naples (city proper- I live way out in the sticks- is right by the Gulf and got the highest measurable wind speeds), Marco Island (south and right by the Gulf), Everglades City (very small town near Marco)- The hurricane made landfall halfway between Marco and Everglades City, and those areas got the highest storm surge.  Immokalee (city near where I live) is inland but poor, as it is a farming community with a large number of migrant farm workers- I am afraid there was probably a lot of structural damage there just because of the numbers of mobile homes and slap-shack buildings that are there.

Reports actually say that the east coast (Ft. Lauderdale and Miami) may have actually had more damage structurally than the west coast.  That is probably because many of the buildings on the east coast are older (1950s, 1960s and 1970s), before hurricane codes, than in Naples (many of the structures are less than 10 years old, and most are less than 20) or Marco.

One inland city, Clewiston on Lake Okeechobee (the big lake in the middle of the southern peninsula of Florida), has had a strict curfew enforced because of massive looting.  There was a report of looting in Ft. Myers just BEFORE the hurricane hit (that guy must have been a real idiot- was caught and arrested), but I've heard nothing about that since in Naples, Ft. Myers or the rest of the west coast.

Collier county schools (Naples) are closed for the week, while my school district (Lee County- Ft. Myers) is day-to-day because of the blackouts.  My principal said that we'll be back when 90% of the schools have power.  Hopefully on that day, we're part of the majority and not the 10% without power.  Businesses are opening as they are able.  Many have generators.  My family went to one of the few restaurants that were open last night, and it took us an hour and a half to get food because they were short staffed.

I watched the World Series last night on a 5-inch battery-powered television.  I felt like I was in the 1950s. 

Honestly, what I have seen looks nothing like what happened in New Orleans, probably for a few reasons.  Our buildings are newer, we didn't have the flodding problem (we at or just slightly above, but not below sea level like NO), Wilma wasn't quite as strong.  It will take a few months, but I anticipate that Naples will be close to "back to normal" by the time tourist season starts after Christmas.  A lot of the work is just clean-up on the West coast.  Marco, Everglades City and Immokalee may take longer.

I hope that this sees everyone doing well.  I can't really read posts because of the lack of time and a slow connection.  As soon as I can, I'll check in again.

I really can't wait to see more complaining about TO. Then I'll know I'm close to back to normal. 

[Rome]

I talked to a guy who was working for FEMA down in Ft. Lauderdale/Boca area.

He said the damage is way, way worse than anyone ever expected.  Just total devastation in some areas.

[Fan_Since_64]

I really can't wait to see more complaining about TO. Then I'll know I'm close to back to normal. 

Nah, the complaining is all about Jose Cortez. 

Thanks for reporting in!

[Geowhizzer]

I'm back- Lights came on around dinner time.  I have everything now- even my cable, which was a pleasant surprise (supposedly out for much of the area).

I spent much of today raking and dragging in my yard, cleaning up much of the debris from Wilma.  I'll have to hire someone to come in and finish off the 10-15 trees that were toppled from the hurricane in the woods surrounding my yard.  All told, I'm much better off than so many that have faced hurricanes this summer.  I really can't complain.

Funny thing I noticed today:  I didn't lose a single shingle off of my roof, but my next-door neighbor lost about 10-20% of his.  The only visible difference is that my roof slants east-west, and his north-south.  Mine is a few years newer than his as well, which could be the main difference.

[Sgt PSN]