Hurricane Charley not Charlie

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-27-2004
Hurricane Charley not Charlie
11
Sat, 09-04-2004 - 9:35pm
*astrofortifried*




Edited 9/7/2004 5:03 pm ET ET by astrofortified

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2003
Sun, 09-05-2004 - 12:59pm
bump

Shawn and Heather Thornton 7/16/04


Heather and Shawn 7/16/04

 

Avatar for brens2boys
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2003
Tue, 09-07-2004 - 12:00pm
Bumping this since none of my family members homes got off damage free,and to think...they weren't near the hardest hit area.Oh,and because they all KNOW how to spell Charley...since they lived through it!
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-08-2003
Tue, 09-07-2004 - 12:05pm
Hi Bren! My folks are in quite a bit of trouble. They have no power for the next week, at best....they just threw out the last of the food in the fridge (been w/o pwer since Sunday). The stores are wiped out, but they have enough pb and bread and stuff to last...

Quite a bit of damage in their area (near Tampa).....roofs blown off, trees down, debris everywhere and flooding...their friends home is under about 2 feet of water :(

They got off light w/Charley, but Frances kicked their butt!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2004
Tue, 09-07-2004 - 12:14pm
As you know if you "lived through it," not everyone had property damage. Charlie/Charley (spelling corrections are stupid childish behavior online and I don't pay much attention to this op).

But my daughter lost her new house in Puenta Gorda during Charlie, we got just a few limbs in the yard in Tampa during Charlie, no damage at that house during Frances, and absolutely no damage (a couple raindrops and only slight wind) to our house in Seaside. Not so much as a tiny branch down in Seaside. As I said in another thread, a rainy night in Georgia is great news for Florida.

My heart goes out to any Floridians who had property damage, but we lucked out. We had none at all. Zip, nada, zilch. So we're going to get busy, roll up our sleeves, and help out Floridians who did have some. How about you!

Forte

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2004
Tue, 09-07-2004 - 12:20pm
Two kids,

About the food in the fridge, if they keep the door shut as much as possible, food should be okay for 3 days at least. And rather than throw it out, how about they cook it? Most Floridians have grills, or can get their hands on public area ones. Some things may have to be tossed, but not everything in the fridge.

As I said, we have a house in Tampa and while certainly there is widespread damage there, not everything is whiped out. Our house is fine (I understand, I'm not there as it was still boarded from the last storm) and there should be some Publix which fared well there also. Probably other stores too. They should probably check. And hopefully it won't take a week to get lights on, but they may want to consider a generator because there always will be a next time.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-08-2003
Tue, 09-07-2004 - 12:23pm
Never said I lived through it. My folks did. Read my post and you will see that.

I am on the line w/the power company (corporate office) trying to find out the time frame for power to be turned back on. THEY are w/o power. Not me. I'm in another state. I am also FedEx-ing them food.....what are YOU doing? Walking on the beach? Some help.

Don't know where you live in Tampa, but you must be the one place w/o much damage. As for their friends, their house is 2 feet under water and its a mess. their entire development is a mess, and no, its not a mmobile home park, its a residential development.

I don't wish the weather on GA, SC, or any other state.



iVillage Member
Registered: 05-08-2003
Tue, 09-07-2004 - 12:30pm
My parents DO have a grill....but you can't grill milk, butter, yogurt.....

they haven't had power since SUNDAY, and Publix is on generator power. Won't sell perishables. I think you know, also,k that generators are as hard to come by as plywood. The advice is to throw food out that has been at 50 degrees after 4 hours. Well, guess what? Time to throw out stuff.

The power company said power would be restored by next Tuesday, maybe. They know what to do and where to check, they are native Floridians. They are just elderly, and these things are difficult for them.

As for you house in Seaside, you are far enough west on the panhandle to have missed the worst of it. St. Marks got the brunt of it. Did n't hear that it went as far west as Seaside.

Edited 9/7/2004 12:34 pm ET ET by two_kids


Edited 9/7/2004 12:44 pm ET ET by two_kids

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2004
Tue, 09-07-2004 - 12:40pm
Take it with a grain of salt Erin. Just do what you can do for your folks and ignore the unwanted advice (As Amy puts it "bossing"). Im just glad that your parents are ok :) Hopefully there will be some good samaritians around who will help them get set back up.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-08-2004
Tue, 09-07-2004 - 12:55pm
Pickle,

She was trying to help, but if it's so "unwanted" then perhaps people who have suggestions about ways to help should just "not" offer them.

I live along the Gulf Coast,not in Florida, and we get our share of hurricanes. And every word Forte said was good advice. Forte's home in Tampa isn't damaged, this person's parents home was. It happens. But everyone who lives in storm areas knows that, first of all, leave the fridge door closed when the power goes out, second food will keep that way at least 3 days when the fridge door is opened only when absolutely necessary, and third there is no need to throw out food when it can be cooked. Also major stores will likely have some capable of opening (as Forte said, Publix is one), but just in case anyone who lives in Florida or any of the Gulf States knows, certainly, to stock the house with non-parishable food to last for three days. There's no excuse for tossing food unnecessarily, or not making provisions. But even then, chances are much of the power will be on much sooner than the poster said, and the trick is to hang in there. The trucks to restore power had staging areas (they always do) as near as possible to the areas, and other States were sending trucks to those staging areas in advance of the storm. The trucks with supplies, food and clothing, and power trucks hit the roads for Tampa before the storm had even left the state. So power will be being restored even as we post. It will take time, yes. But most folks have adequately prepared and can hold out while help is working at it, and most folks can lite the BBQ when/if food starts to thaw.

>>Hopefully there will be some good samaritians around who will help them get set back up. << There are lots of good samaritans. And Forte here is one of them. So I for one would appreciate it if you would stop this. But you know, God helps those of us who help ourselves too. And preparation is a good thing. For the next storm, put extra bags of ice in the freezer and fridge and the food will stay cold longer if the power goes out!

Hippolytes

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-08-2003
Tue, 09-07-2004 - 1:06pm
Hippolytes,

As you replied to Shawna about MY parents, I felt I would respond.

My parents DID stock up. They're not bumpkins. They've lived through MANY storms, hurricanes, tropical storms, and the like. Things run out. Duh.

Second, they did not needlessly throw out food that could be cooked. Thjey cooked it. All of the meat they could. As they are elderly, they don't buy alot of meat and things like that seeing as they don't eat that much. Small amounts for small households. Things go bad if not used and frozen meat doesn't last forever.

they know about keeping the fridge closed, for pity's sake. Give me a break. And they DO have enough non-perishables for 3 days.......its the perishables that went bad. NO POWER SINCE SUNDAY A.M., that makes today 3 days. My parents KNOW how to prepare, so your comments about them being not so are insulting at best.

The main office of the power company gave the time frame, not me or my parents. So as for God helping people who help themselves, He'll be helping my folks, and all their neighbors. I don't think anyone can make a fridge stay cold for over a week, no matter how much ice you put in it.

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