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The Official Hurricane Frances thread...
- Thread starter GoCamels
- Start date
Woody13
New Member
Atta83 said:
Hi Atta! When you mentioned "clips for the plywood" were you referring to PLYLOX™ Hurricane Window Clips? If so, it's a very small world!
http://www.plylox.com/
Atta83
Well-Known Member
Woody13 said:
Yep I sure am..and we tried them out so in case we had anything comming all my dad had to do was cut the plywood then me , my mom, or my brother all we have to do is clip them to the windows.....so much easier than screwing them in and almost risking ruining your drill, the drill bit, or the screw LOL...
Gotta love PLYLOX... your my new best freind...
NemoRocks78
Seized
Advisory #37 is now available....
000
WTNT31 KNHC 030245
TCPAT1
BULLETIN
HURRICANE FRANCES ADVISORY NUMBER 37...CORRECTED
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
11 PM EDT THU SEP 02 2004
CORRECTED INITIAL INTENSITY TO 125 MPH
...FRANCES WEAKENS SLIGHTLY...STILL A DANGEROUS CATEGORY THREE
HURRICANE MOVING THROUGH THE BAHAMAS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA
FROM FLORIDA CITY NORTHWARD TO FLAGLER BEACH...INCLUDING LAKE
OKEECHOBEE.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE
MIDDLE AND UPPER FLORIDA KEYS FROM SOUTH OF FLORIDA CITY SOUTHWARD
TO THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE...INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY.
AT 11 PM EDT...0300Z...THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS HAS
DISCONTINUED THE HURRICANE WARNING FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS.
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL AND
NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS.
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO
PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.
AT 11 PM EDT...0300Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED BY
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT...SATELLITE IMAGES AND RADAR...NEAR LATITUDE
24.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 75.4 WEST OR ABOUT 25 MILES...40 KM...
EAST-SOUTHEAST OF NORTHERN CAT ISLAND. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 330
MILES...530 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE FLORIDA LOWER EAST COAST.
FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH...17 KM/HR
...AND A WEST-NORTHWEST TO NORTHWESTWARD MOTION WITH SOME DECREASE
IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS
TRACK...THE CORE OF HURRICANE FRANCES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NEAR OR
OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS TONIGHT...AND OVER THE NORTHWESTERN
BAHAMAS ON FRIDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...205 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. FRANCES IS STILL A STRONG CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE
POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 80 MILES...130 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 185 MILES...295 KM.
THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 948 MB...27.99 INCHES.
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 6 TO 14 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...
ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED
NEAR THE EYE OF FRANCES ON THE WEST SIDE OF ELEUTHERA ISLAND...AND
ON THE NORTH SIDE OF GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF
4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED ON THE WEST
SIDE OF THE OTHER ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS. COASTAL STORM SURGE
FLOODING OF 6 TO 11 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH
LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO
THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL IN FLORIDA.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 7 TO 12 INCHES...LOCALLY AS HIGH AS 20 INCHES...
ARE POSSIBLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH FRANCES.
SWELLS GENERATED BY FRANCES WILL BE AFFECTING PORTIONS OF THE
SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF THE UNITED STATES. THESE SWELLS COULD CAUSE
DANGEROUS SURF AND RIP CURRENTS.
REPEATING THE 11 PM EDT POSITION...24.5 N... 75.4 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...125 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 948 MB.
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 2 AM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT
COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 5 AM EDT.
FORECASTER STEWART
000
WTNT31 KNHC 030245
TCPAT1
BULLETIN
HURRICANE FRANCES ADVISORY NUMBER 37...CORRECTED
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
11 PM EDT THU SEP 02 2004
CORRECTED INITIAL INTENSITY TO 125 MPH
...FRANCES WEAKENS SLIGHTLY...STILL A DANGEROUS CATEGORY THREE
HURRICANE MOVING THROUGH THE BAHAMAS...
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA
FROM FLORIDA CITY NORTHWARD TO FLAGLER BEACH...INCLUDING LAKE
OKEECHOBEE.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE
MIDDLE AND UPPER FLORIDA KEYS FROM SOUTH OF FLORIDA CITY SOUTHWARD
TO THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE...INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY.
AT 11 PM EDT...0300Z...THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS HAS
DISCONTINUED THE HURRICANE WARNING FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS.
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL AND
NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS.
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO
PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.
AT 11 PM EDT...0300Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED BY
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT...SATELLITE IMAGES AND RADAR...NEAR LATITUDE
24.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 75.4 WEST OR ABOUT 25 MILES...40 KM...
EAST-SOUTHEAST OF NORTHERN CAT ISLAND. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT 330
MILES...530 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE FLORIDA LOWER EAST COAST.
FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH...17 KM/HR
...AND A WEST-NORTHWEST TO NORTHWESTWARD MOTION WITH SOME DECREASE
IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS
TRACK...THE CORE OF HURRICANE FRANCES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NEAR OR
OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS TONIGHT...AND OVER THE NORTHWESTERN
BAHAMAS ON FRIDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...205 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. FRANCES IS STILL A STRONG CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE
POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 80 MILES...130 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 185 MILES...295 KM.
THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 948 MB...27.99 INCHES.
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 6 TO 14 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...
ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED
NEAR THE EYE OF FRANCES ON THE WEST SIDE OF ELEUTHERA ISLAND...AND
ON THE NORTH SIDE OF GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF
4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED ON THE WEST
SIDE OF THE OTHER ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS. COASTAL STORM SURGE
FLOODING OF 6 TO 11 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH
LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO
THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL IN FLORIDA.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 7 TO 12 INCHES...LOCALLY AS HIGH AS 20 INCHES...
ARE POSSIBLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH FRANCES.
SWELLS GENERATED BY FRANCES WILL BE AFFECTING PORTIONS OF THE
SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF THE UNITED STATES. THESE SWELLS COULD CAUSE
DANGEROUS SURF AND RIP CURRENTS.
REPEATING THE 11 PM EDT POSITION...24.5 N... 75.4 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...125 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 948 MB.
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 2 AM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT
COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 5 AM EDT.
FORECASTER STEWART
Nicole
Well-Known Member
Well we are still at WDW. I'm hearing that the roads are packed and so we still aren't sure what to do. My husband is at Publix right now buying food either for us to have in the car or else here in the hotel if we get stuck. The timeshare people said we can stay till Monday if we need to, but I think we are going to try to leave tomorrow. This is really scary, I have a whole new empathy for what you guys went through during Charley.
Corrus (and others) thanks so much for the updates. We're on a dial-up connection and after three years of being spoiled by my cable modem at home I get frustrated trying to do anything remotely resembling internet surfing. It's good to know it's all here in one spot.
Corrus (and others) thanks so much for the updates. We're on a dial-up connection and after three years of being spoiled by my cable modem at home I get frustrated trying to do anything remotely resembling internet surfing. It's good to know it's all here in one spot.
NemoRocks78
Seized
At least it is a Category 3 storm now....that is good news.
NemoRocks78
Seized
State officials warn residents to get ready for Frances
By Gwyneth Shaw and Jason Garcia | Sentinel Staff Writers
Posted September 2, 2004, 11:00 PM EDT
TALLAHASSEE -- With a northern turn for Hurricane Frances looking much less likely, state officials today warned residents that the time to get ready for the enormous storm is now.
"You cannot put this off; you cannot delay," said Craig Fugate, the coordinating officer for the State Emergency Response Team.
"It is not time to hope; it is time to act."
A hurricane warning remains in effect for the East Coast of Florida from Florida City northward to Flagler Beach, including Lake Okeechobee.
At 11 p.m. Hurricane Frances was centered near latitude 24.5 north, longitude 75.4 west or 350 miles east-southeast of the lower Florida East Coast. Frances is moving toward the west-northwest near 10 mph with some decrease in forward speed expected during the next 24 hours. It's current track has it making landfall near Vero Beach on Saturday afternoon and traversing the state, possibly exiting north of Tampa near 24 hours later.
Frances' top sustained wind had fallen to 125 mph, still a strong category 3 hurricane.
Earlier today, state meteorologist Ben Nelson said that Frances packed top winds of 150 mph, extending 80 miles from the eye of the storm. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 185 miles. The hurricane is much larger than Hurricane Charley, he said, exponentially increasing the potential for major damage over a wide area of the state.
"This is not going to be a large tornado, like Charley was," Nelson said. "This is going to be a full-fledged hurricane."
Nelson said that forecasting models now agree that the Bermuda high ridge, which is a factor in steering the storm, will probably not weaken enough to allow Frances to turn north and skirt the coast of Florida.
Frances could bring 10 to 15 inches are rain to areas along its path, he said.
While the storm is not expected to hit until Friday afternoon at the earliest, state officials were getting ready and urged residents to do the same.
A few hospitals -- including Cape Canveral Hospital -- were closing and transferring patients inland.
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush drew on his own experience with Hurricane Andrew to warn Floridians living in evacuation zones for Hurricane Frances to get out.
"When you feel the force of the winds that possibly could hit our state, and you feel as though the house that you're in is about ready to implode - literally just explode outward because of the pressure of the wind -- and you see the projectiles of the stuff that used to be attached to gas station roofs or other things like that 50 feet or 100 feet up in the air, and you know that there are tornadoes in these storms - we need to take this seriously," Bush said this morning, during a tour of the Brevard County Emergency Operations Center.
"This is a deadly storm," he said. For people living in evacuation zones, "It'd be foolish to stay.
"It creates some logistical challenges when a hurricane watch is from Dade County up to Nassau County," Bush said, though he pointed that evacuee need only go as far as the nearest shelter. "You don't have to leave your community….There are ways to get to a place of safety without having to get on I-95.
Bush said state emergency workers have learned lessons from Charley, such as ensuring more gasoline is available in hard hit areas and advising smaller power companies to work more closely with the state's two major utilities, Progress Energy and Florida Power & Light.
He also said inland areas of the state should be more prepared after they were ravaged by Charley.
"One of the things I think is really important for people to understand - and I think people in Orlando understand it now - is that hurricanes don't stop at the coastline," Bush said.
"This is gonna hit us," Bush added. "And it's gonna hit us hard."
Gov. Bush asked his brother President Bush to declare Florida a federal disaster area and make storm victims eligible for recovery aid.
Federal officials promised they had enough people and supplies in the state to handle two disaster-relief operations at once.
"We were successful with Charley because we were massive, overwhelming and fast. For this event I want us to be massive, overwhelming and fast squared," said Michael Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Col. Chris Knight of the Florida Highway Patrol said the agency is watching traffic on Interstate 95 and the Bee Line Expressway, and is prepared to make the latter road one-way westbound if necessary.
Some schools were closed today, and others across the state were preparing to close and be converted into emergency shelters.
Tolls have been lifted on Florida's Turnpike and the Bee Line, as well as on the Sawgrass Expressway in Broward County and Interstate 75 westbound between Naples and Fort Lauderdale.
Officials told residents they should fill prescriptions, stockpile enough food and water for at least 72 hours and prepare their homes. They said people should not delay once an evacuation order comes down -- but cautioned that they should move tens, not hundreds, of miles, since escaping the storm entirely will be difficult.
"There are going to be very few places in Florida that won't be impacted," Fugate said. "If you're trying to evacuate away from the impact of the storm, that won't be possible."
By Gwyneth Shaw and Jason Garcia | Sentinel Staff Writers
Posted September 2, 2004, 11:00 PM EDT
TALLAHASSEE -- With a northern turn for Hurricane Frances looking much less likely, state officials today warned residents that the time to get ready for the enormous storm is now.
"You cannot put this off; you cannot delay," said Craig Fugate, the coordinating officer for the State Emergency Response Team.
"It is not time to hope; it is time to act."
A hurricane warning remains in effect for the East Coast of Florida from Florida City northward to Flagler Beach, including Lake Okeechobee.
At 11 p.m. Hurricane Frances was centered near latitude 24.5 north, longitude 75.4 west or 350 miles east-southeast of the lower Florida East Coast. Frances is moving toward the west-northwest near 10 mph with some decrease in forward speed expected during the next 24 hours. It's current track has it making landfall near Vero Beach on Saturday afternoon and traversing the state, possibly exiting north of Tampa near 24 hours later.
Frances' top sustained wind had fallen to 125 mph, still a strong category 3 hurricane.
Earlier today, state meteorologist Ben Nelson said that Frances packed top winds of 150 mph, extending 80 miles from the eye of the storm. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 185 miles. The hurricane is much larger than Hurricane Charley, he said, exponentially increasing the potential for major damage over a wide area of the state.
"This is not going to be a large tornado, like Charley was," Nelson said. "This is going to be a full-fledged hurricane."
Nelson said that forecasting models now agree that the Bermuda high ridge, which is a factor in steering the storm, will probably not weaken enough to allow Frances to turn north and skirt the coast of Florida.
Frances could bring 10 to 15 inches are rain to areas along its path, he said.
While the storm is not expected to hit until Friday afternoon at the earliest, state officials were getting ready and urged residents to do the same.
A few hospitals -- including Cape Canveral Hospital -- were closing and transferring patients inland.
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush drew on his own experience with Hurricane Andrew to warn Floridians living in evacuation zones for Hurricane Frances to get out.
"When you feel the force of the winds that possibly could hit our state, and you feel as though the house that you're in is about ready to implode - literally just explode outward because of the pressure of the wind -- and you see the projectiles of the stuff that used to be attached to gas station roofs or other things like that 50 feet or 100 feet up in the air, and you know that there are tornadoes in these storms - we need to take this seriously," Bush said this morning, during a tour of the Brevard County Emergency Operations Center.
"This is a deadly storm," he said. For people living in evacuation zones, "It'd be foolish to stay.
"It creates some logistical challenges when a hurricane watch is from Dade County up to Nassau County," Bush said, though he pointed that evacuee need only go as far as the nearest shelter. "You don't have to leave your community….There are ways to get to a place of safety without having to get on I-95.
Bush said state emergency workers have learned lessons from Charley, such as ensuring more gasoline is available in hard hit areas and advising smaller power companies to work more closely with the state's two major utilities, Progress Energy and Florida Power & Light.
He also said inland areas of the state should be more prepared after they were ravaged by Charley.
"One of the things I think is really important for people to understand - and I think people in Orlando understand it now - is that hurricanes don't stop at the coastline," Bush said.
"This is gonna hit us," Bush added. "And it's gonna hit us hard."
Gov. Bush asked his brother President Bush to declare Florida a federal disaster area and make storm victims eligible for recovery aid.
Federal officials promised they had enough people and supplies in the state to handle two disaster-relief operations at once.
"We were successful with Charley because we were massive, overwhelming and fast. For this event I want us to be massive, overwhelming and fast squared," said Michael Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Col. Chris Knight of the Florida Highway Patrol said the agency is watching traffic on Interstate 95 and the Bee Line Expressway, and is prepared to make the latter road one-way westbound if necessary.
Some schools were closed today, and others across the state were preparing to close and be converted into emergency shelters.
Tolls have been lifted on Florida's Turnpike and the Bee Line, as well as on the Sawgrass Expressway in Broward County and Interstate 75 westbound between Naples and Fort Lauderdale.
Officials told residents they should fill prescriptions, stockpile enough food and water for at least 72 hours and prepare their homes. They said people should not delay once an evacuation order comes down -- but cautioned that they should move tens, not hundreds, of miles, since escaping the storm entirely will be difficult.
"There are going to be very few places in Florida that won't be impacted," Fugate said. "If you're trying to evacuate away from the impact of the storm, that won't be possible."
NemoRocks78
Seized
And one more post....this is the projected path. Thankfully it should be out of the Orlando area by mid-late Sunday.
Woody13
New Member
WOW! Your Dad, Mom, brother and YOU are very smart! I am glad to hear that you are prepared, just in case!:wave: I hope Dave and Rob are well prepared too!Atta83 said:Yep I sure am..and we tried them out so in case we had anything comming all my dad had to do was cut the plywood then me , my mom, or my brother all we have to do is clip them to the windows.....so much easier than screwing them in and almost risking ruining your drill, the drill bit, or the screw LOL...
Gotta love PLYLOX... your my new best freind...
Gail Hayden
New Member
Yep, have been doing that also, nada as of yet.Atta83 said:
NemoRocks78
Seized
South Florida rushes to be ready for Frances
By Eliot Kleinberg, Andrew Marra, Dara Kam and Tim O'Meilia
Palm Beach Post Staff Writers
Thursday, September 02, 2004
Waiting for Frances.
Most of Florida's east coast nailed plywood over windows, idled in line for hours for gas and fled coastal areas by the hundreds of thousands as Category 3 Hurricane Frances, twice as big as brother Charley of three weeks ago, slowed every so slightly.
Across the state, 2.5 million Floridians are under evacuation orders, the largest number in state history.
At 11 p.m., the storm was 330 miles from Palm Beach County, moving west-northwest at 10 mph with sustained winds near the eye of 125 mph. That drop from 140 mph winds makes it a Category 3 storm, though it was likely to regain strength before landfall.
No matter where the eye strikes, all of Palm Beach County can expect hours of unrelenting hurricane-force winds (74 mph and higher) beginning late tonight and lasting much of the day Saturday.
Plodding but powerful, the storm could drop 8 to 12 inches of rain across the region, and up to 20 inches in spots, as it sits over the peninsula and pounds it for most of Saturday, said National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield.
Tropical-storm-force winds will begin by late afternoon today. The storm surge is expected to be greatest in the Jupiter Inlet and the lower part of the Loxahatchee River.
Mayfield offered little hope that Frances would turn north. While storms sometimes tend to change direction when they slow, the high-pressure ridge north of Frances is not going anywhere, so Frances will stay on its general path, Mayfield said.
"No one in this county has experienced a hurricane of this magnitude," said Vince Bonvento, assistant county administrator.
A mandatory evacuation of the 300,000 people who live on barrier islands, in mobile home parks and in low-lying areas began at 2 p.m. Thursday. Shelters opened at 2 p.m. and a few hours later, about 2,000 people had moved in. The county has room for about 46,000.
"It's just a fact of life in Florida," said Harvey Siegel, 56, who was staying at the American Red Cross shelter at North Grade Elementary in Lake Worth.
"It's something that you have to live with. Some days are good. Some days are bad," he said.
The special care unit at the South Florida Fairgrounds was filled with 500 people and not accepting any more.
"We're comfortable that we are prepared and we're comfortable that you are prepared," County Commission Chairwoman Karen Marcus said. "I think everything's going smoothly."
Panic set in in St. Lucie County, closer to the predicted track of the storm, where hurricane-force winds will last up to 15 hours. Thousands hit the highway to escape. The county's shelters were rated for only 110 mph storms.
"We expect devastating damage," St. Lucie County Administrator Doug Anderson said. "Downtown Fort Pierce will be flooded. We're facing a very serious situation."
The county's barrier islands face certain devastation from a 13-foot storm surge that could put them under water from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Anderson said.
"I have Gov. (Jeb) Bush's cellphone number and he told me to call if there's anything we need," Anderson said.
Officials in St. Lucie and Martin counties imposed nighttime curfews and banned alcohol sales after 8 p.m. Palm Beach County did not enact a curfew.
Many fled the Treasure Coast. By late afternoon, motorists heading north on Interstate 95 were locked into a queue that took three hours to reach Vero Beach from Fort Pierce. Farther south, in Palm Beach County, traffic ran smoothly.
"This is going to be a surge event, a wind event, an inland flooding event, and a likely tornado event," state meteorologist Ben Nelson.
He expects a storm surge of up to 25 feet on the south side of Lake Okeechobee, only 5 feet less than the surge the Herbert Hoover was built to withstand.
Airlines canceled dozens of flights out of Palm Beach International Airport today as they braced for the storm. The last scheduled to leave are Delta flights at 11:30 a.m. bound for Boston and Atlanta, PBIA spokeswoman Lisa De La Rionda said.
Good Samaritan Hospital in West Palm Beach discharged or transferred all of its patients to St. Mary's Hospital and other facilities. Martin Memorial Hospital in Stuart, which sent some of its patients by helicopter to the Tampa Bay area, discharged or transferred about 160 patients.
Both hospitals plan to reopen after the storm, said Alan Levine, director of the Agency for Health Care Administration.
About 150 residents of the Atria Meridian retirement and assisted living center in Lantana boarded chartered buses Thursday to two Tampa-area communities owned by Atria.
With the threat of looters looming as the storm approaches, sales were brisk at the Delray Shooting Center.
"We sold a bunch of shotguns today," center president Mike Caruso said. Typically, he sells three or four a week.
Three thousand National Guard troops have been activated and another 2,000 are awaiting orders to assist law enforcement officials after the storm, said Adjutant General Major Douglas Burnett. The Guard is sending resources from Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina and Georgia, including Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters.
Federal officials have sent 200 truckloads of water and 230 truckloads of ice to the state. They plan to establish a federal staging site at a naval air station in Jacksonville, said William Carwile, FEMA federal coordinating officer for Hurricane Charley.
FEMA was criticized after Charley, Carwile said, "because we had too much stuff."
"In a disaster like this," he told emergency officials, "there's no such thing as too much stuff."
Five FEMA urban search-and-rescue teams are stationed in Jacksonville and another three are in Homestead in preparation for what officials characterized as the mother of all storms.
Staff writers Pat Beall, Tony Doris, Bill Douthat, Chuck McGinness, Nirvi Shah and Tanya Wragg contributed to this story.
By Eliot Kleinberg, Andrew Marra, Dara Kam and Tim O'Meilia
Palm Beach Post Staff Writers
Thursday, September 02, 2004
Waiting for Frances.
Most of Florida's east coast nailed plywood over windows, idled in line for hours for gas and fled coastal areas by the hundreds of thousands as Category 3 Hurricane Frances, twice as big as brother Charley of three weeks ago, slowed every so slightly.
Across the state, 2.5 million Floridians are under evacuation orders, the largest number in state history.
At 11 p.m., the storm was 330 miles from Palm Beach County, moving west-northwest at 10 mph with sustained winds near the eye of 125 mph. That drop from 140 mph winds makes it a Category 3 storm, though it was likely to regain strength before landfall.
No matter where the eye strikes, all of Palm Beach County can expect hours of unrelenting hurricane-force winds (74 mph and higher) beginning late tonight and lasting much of the day Saturday.
Plodding but powerful, the storm could drop 8 to 12 inches of rain across the region, and up to 20 inches in spots, as it sits over the peninsula and pounds it for most of Saturday, said National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield.
Tropical-storm-force winds will begin by late afternoon today. The storm surge is expected to be greatest in the Jupiter Inlet and the lower part of the Loxahatchee River.
Mayfield offered little hope that Frances would turn north. While storms sometimes tend to change direction when they slow, the high-pressure ridge north of Frances is not going anywhere, so Frances will stay on its general path, Mayfield said.
"No one in this county has experienced a hurricane of this magnitude," said Vince Bonvento, assistant county administrator.
A mandatory evacuation of the 300,000 people who live on barrier islands, in mobile home parks and in low-lying areas began at 2 p.m. Thursday. Shelters opened at 2 p.m. and a few hours later, about 2,000 people had moved in. The county has room for about 46,000.
"It's just a fact of life in Florida," said Harvey Siegel, 56, who was staying at the American Red Cross shelter at North Grade Elementary in Lake Worth.
"It's something that you have to live with. Some days are good. Some days are bad," he said.
The special care unit at the South Florida Fairgrounds was filled with 500 people and not accepting any more.
"We're comfortable that we are prepared and we're comfortable that you are prepared," County Commission Chairwoman Karen Marcus said. "I think everything's going smoothly."
Panic set in in St. Lucie County, closer to the predicted track of the storm, where hurricane-force winds will last up to 15 hours. Thousands hit the highway to escape. The county's shelters were rated for only 110 mph storms.
"We expect devastating damage," St. Lucie County Administrator Doug Anderson said. "Downtown Fort Pierce will be flooded. We're facing a very serious situation."
The county's barrier islands face certain devastation from a 13-foot storm surge that could put them under water from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Anderson said.
"I have Gov. (Jeb) Bush's cellphone number and he told me to call if there's anything we need," Anderson said.
Officials in St. Lucie and Martin counties imposed nighttime curfews and banned alcohol sales after 8 p.m. Palm Beach County did not enact a curfew.
Many fled the Treasure Coast. By late afternoon, motorists heading north on Interstate 95 were locked into a queue that took three hours to reach Vero Beach from Fort Pierce. Farther south, in Palm Beach County, traffic ran smoothly.
"This is going to be a surge event, a wind event, an inland flooding event, and a likely tornado event," state meteorologist Ben Nelson.
He expects a storm surge of up to 25 feet on the south side of Lake Okeechobee, only 5 feet less than the surge the Herbert Hoover was built to withstand.
Airlines canceled dozens of flights out of Palm Beach International Airport today as they braced for the storm. The last scheduled to leave are Delta flights at 11:30 a.m. bound for Boston and Atlanta, PBIA spokeswoman Lisa De La Rionda said.
Good Samaritan Hospital in West Palm Beach discharged or transferred all of its patients to St. Mary's Hospital and other facilities. Martin Memorial Hospital in Stuart, which sent some of its patients by helicopter to the Tampa Bay area, discharged or transferred about 160 patients.
Both hospitals plan to reopen after the storm, said Alan Levine, director of the Agency for Health Care Administration.
About 150 residents of the Atria Meridian retirement and assisted living center in Lantana boarded chartered buses Thursday to two Tampa-area communities owned by Atria.
With the threat of looters looming as the storm approaches, sales were brisk at the Delray Shooting Center.
"We sold a bunch of shotguns today," center president Mike Caruso said. Typically, he sells three or four a week.
Three thousand National Guard troops have been activated and another 2,000 are awaiting orders to assist law enforcement officials after the storm, said Adjutant General Major Douglas Burnett. The Guard is sending resources from Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina and Georgia, including Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters.
Federal officials have sent 200 truckloads of water and 230 truckloads of ice to the state. They plan to establish a federal staging site at a naval air station in Jacksonville, said William Carwile, FEMA federal coordinating officer for Hurricane Charley.
FEMA was criticized after Charley, Carwile said, "because we had too much stuff."
"In a disaster like this," he told emergency officials, "there's no such thing as too much stuff."
Five FEMA urban search-and-rescue teams are stationed in Jacksonville and another three are in Homestead in preparation for what officials characterized as the mother of all storms.
Staff writers Pat Beall, Tony Doris, Bill Douthat, Chuck McGinness, Nirvi Shah and Tanya Wragg contributed to this story.
Tramp
New Member
NemoRocks78 said:And one more post....this is the projected path. Thankfully it should be out of the Orlando area by mid-late Sunday.
From the looks of your map, Frances appears to pass over or very near Orlando...very scary...and then it might reconstitute itself over the Gulf and make landfall again in the panhandle area on Monday. This is not good. I am really worried about all you guys and gals down there.
speck76
Well-Known Member
Although the storm has become weaker, strengthening is expected again tomorrow, as it moves out of the current area (where it is being troubled by wind shear) and as it approaches the very warm water that exists between the Bahamas and Florida.
There are still 3 models of future path.
1 (listed in a post above)
2 coming ashore near melborne, and going straight through Orlando
3 going straight up the coast of florida, hitting georgia.
There are still 3 models of future path.
1 (listed in a post above)
2 coming ashore near melborne, and going straight through Orlando
3 going straight up the coast of florida, hitting georgia.
diddy_mouse
Well-Known Member
hurricanes are scary things...i truly hope every one in FL will be alright. it was strange to see the mass exodus of cars on the highways tonight. being in Northern Virginia, i have my fingers crossed for my aunt and uncle in central Orlando...also for the safety of the board members who are in the thick of it.
Woody13
New Member
Tocpe said:
[size=+2]'Epcot building code'
Jones said the structures at Disney, Epcot, MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom are "built so well. They are built to 'the Epcot building code,' which, in a nutshell, is better than or equal to any other building code out there."
That is saying a lot, considering that after 1992's Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 storm with sustained winds up to 165 mph and gusts to 200 mph, Florida adopted strict new building codes.
The new codes required roofs in South Florida to be able to withstand winds of more than 140 mph; windows needed to be protected by storm shutters; and more inspections needed to take place to ensure a house would be as strong as it should be when finished.
David Smith, president of Orlando-based R.C. Stevens Construction, a 78-year-old construction and design firm, knows all about how Disney goes out of its way to make sure nothing is shoddily done.
"Disney has their own building code, and, in many respects, it's more stringent than the Florida code," he said. "That is especially true when it comes to wind loads. They also employ specialty consultants to inspect construction and roofs to ensure projects are made in accordance to the plans and codes."
Smith found that out firsthand when he recently built a 10,000-square-foot backup power facility that had a generator, chilled water supply and energy plant for Disney's information-service network.
Disney spent $6 million on the reinforced structure and said the building had to be able to stand up against 190-mph winds, Smith said.
The company is "going that 5 percent to 10 percent extra in looking at the type of infrastructure they build, relying on past experience," Smith said. "Disney is a very cautious organization, and they take their construction very seriously."
How seriously?
"They have their own environmental department that monitors every aspect of any kind of hazard that could happen on Disney property," he said. "They closely monitor themselves to assure catastrophic problems -- like a fuel spill -- would have no environmental impacts."
Disney putting its utility networks in underground tunnels would "make it impossible to knock out electrical power," Smith said. "The neighborhood I live in has its power fed underground. We got our power back" the next day, whereas power was out much longer in surrounding neighborhoods.
http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/moneystoryN0822PARK.htm
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Hank Scorpio
New Member
Well Virgin Atlantic have now cancelled all flights too. A friend of mine was due to fly in Sunday, but that doesn't look likely now. I think their whole trip will be cancelled.
And this has its after effects too. This time last year myself and my fiance where at the world. And we were planning on going on our honeymoon next year to wdw, on 1st August. But now she is getting jittery due to all the hurricanes... hopefully I can talk her round.
And this has its after effects too. This time last year myself and my fiance where at the world. And we were planning on going on our honeymoon next year to wdw, on 1st August. But now she is getting jittery due to all the hurricanes... hopefully I can talk her round.
Tim G
Well-Known Member
Hurricane Frances Advisory Number 38
Issued at: 4:37 AM EDT 9/3/04
Center of dangerous frances approaching eleuthera island in the northwestern bahamas,
A hurricane warning is in effect for the east coast of Florida from Florida city northward to flagler beach, including lake okeechobee. A hurricane warning also remains in effect for the central and northwestern bahamas.
A tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch are in effect for the middle and upper Florida keys from south of Florida city southward to the seven mile bridge, including Florida bay.
A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.
At 5 am edt, 0900z, the center of hurricane frances was located near latitude 24.9 north, longitude 76.0 west or just east of eleuthera island. This position is also about 285 miles, 460 km, east-southeast of the Florida lower east coast.
Frances is moving toward the west-northwest near 9 mph 15 km/hr, and a west-northwest to northwestward motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected during the next 24 hours. On this track, the core of hurricane frances will continue to move near or over the northwestern bahamas today.
Maximum sustained winds are near 120 mph, 195 km/hr, with higher gusts. While aircraft and radar data indicates that frances has become somewhat disorganized, it is still a strong category three hurricane on the saffir-simpson hurricane scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are possible during the next 24 hours.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 85 miles, 140 km, from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 185 miles, 295 km. Eleuthera has just reported sustained winds of 81 mph.
Estimated minimum central pressure is 954 mb, 28.17 inches.
Storm surge flooding of 6 to 14 feet above normal tide levels, along with large and dangerous battering waves, can be expected near the eye of frances on the west side of eleuthera island, and on the north side of grand bahama island. Storm surge flooding of 4 to 6 feet above normal tide levels can be expected on the west side of the other islands of the bahamas. Coastal storm surge flooding of 6 to 11 feet above normal tide levels, along with large and dangerous battering waves, can be expected near and to the north of where the center makes landfall in Florida.
Rainfall amounts of 7 to 12 inches, locally as high as 20 inches, are possible in association with frances.
Swells generated by frances will be affecting portions of the southeastern coast of the united states. These swells could cause dangerous surf and rip currents.
Repeating the 5 am edt position, 24.9 n, 76.0 w. Movement toward, west-northwest near 9 mph. Maximum sustained winds, 120 mph. Minimum central pressure, 954 mb.
For storm information specific to your area, please monitor products issued by your local weather office.
An intermediate advisory will be issued by the national hurricane center at 8 am edt followed by the next complete advisory at 11 am edt.
National Weather Service
Issued at: 4:37 AM EDT 9/3/04
Center of dangerous frances approaching eleuthera island in the northwestern bahamas,
A hurricane warning is in effect for the east coast of Florida from Florida city northward to flagler beach, including lake okeechobee. A hurricane warning also remains in effect for the central and northwestern bahamas.
A tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch are in effect for the middle and upper Florida keys from south of Florida city southward to the seven mile bridge, including Florida bay.
A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.
At 5 am edt, 0900z, the center of hurricane frances was located near latitude 24.9 north, longitude 76.0 west or just east of eleuthera island. This position is also about 285 miles, 460 km, east-southeast of the Florida lower east coast.
Frances is moving toward the west-northwest near 9 mph 15 km/hr, and a west-northwest to northwestward motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected during the next 24 hours. On this track, the core of hurricane frances will continue to move near or over the northwestern bahamas today.
Maximum sustained winds are near 120 mph, 195 km/hr, with higher gusts. While aircraft and radar data indicates that frances has become somewhat disorganized, it is still a strong category three hurricane on the saffir-simpson hurricane scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are possible during the next 24 hours.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 85 miles, 140 km, from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 185 miles, 295 km. Eleuthera has just reported sustained winds of 81 mph.
Estimated minimum central pressure is 954 mb, 28.17 inches.
Storm surge flooding of 6 to 14 feet above normal tide levels, along with large and dangerous battering waves, can be expected near the eye of frances on the west side of eleuthera island, and on the north side of grand bahama island. Storm surge flooding of 4 to 6 feet above normal tide levels can be expected on the west side of the other islands of the bahamas. Coastal storm surge flooding of 6 to 11 feet above normal tide levels, along with large and dangerous battering waves, can be expected near and to the north of where the center makes landfall in Florida.
Rainfall amounts of 7 to 12 inches, locally as high as 20 inches, are possible in association with frances.
Swells generated by frances will be affecting portions of the southeastern coast of the united states. These swells could cause dangerous surf and rip currents.
Repeating the 5 am edt position, 24.9 n, 76.0 w. Movement toward, west-northwest near 9 mph. Maximum sustained winds, 120 mph. Minimum central pressure, 954 mb.
For storm information specific to your area, please monitor products issued by your local weather office.
An intermediate advisory will be issued by the national hurricane center at 8 am edt followed by the next complete advisory at 11 am edt.
National Weather Service