The Official Hurricane Frances thread...

[Tim G]

Hurricane Frances Intermediate Advisory Number 47a


Issued at: 1:40 PM EDT 9/5/04


Frances weakening as it moves across the peninsula, heading for the gulf of mexico,

A hurricane warning is in effect for the gulf coast of Florida from the mouth of the suwannee river to destin.

A hurricane warning remains in effect for the east coast of Florida from north of deerfield beach northward to flagler beach, including lake okeechobee. The hurricane warning for this area will likely be downgraded to a tropical storm warning later this afternoon.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the Florida peninsula, on the west coast, from the suwannee river southward around the peninsula to deerfield beach, and for all of the Florida keys, including Florida bay and the dry tortugas.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect from north of flagler beach to altamaha sound.

At 2 pm edt, 1800z, the center of hurricane frances was located by radar near latitude 27.9 north, longitude 81.7 west, or about 55 miles east of tampa Florida.

The large circulation of frances is moving toward the west-northwest near 9 mph. A continued west to west-northwestward track across the peninsula is expected today and frances should move over the gulf of mexico late tonight or Monday morning.

Radar wind velocity data suggest that maximum sustained winds have decreased to 75 mph, with higher gusts. Some additional weakening is expected this afternoon as the core of frances moves over land.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 200 miles. Stronger winds, especially in gusts, are likely in high rise buildings. A wind gust of 74 mph was recently reported at daytona beach.

Estimated minimum central pressure is 980 mb, 28.94 inches.

Coastal storm surge flooding of 4 to 6 feet above normal tide levels, along with large and dangerous battering waves, is still possible near and to the north of where the center made landfall on the Florida east coast but should gradually subside. Storm surge flooding of 5 feet above normal levels is expected in lake okeechobee. Along the southwest Florida coast, storm surge flooding of 1 to 3 feet above normal tide levels is expected south of the path of frances. Storm surge flooding of up to 4 to 6 feet above normal tide levels is expected along the northeast gulf coast of Florida.

Rainfall amounts of 8 to 12 inches, with locally higher amounts, to near 20 inches, are expected over the Florida peninsula in association with frances.

Isolated tornadoes are possible over portions of central and north florida today.

Repeating the 2 pm edt position, 27.9 n, 81.7 w. Movement toward, west-northwest near 9 mph. Maximum sustained winds, 75 mph. Minimum central pressure, 980 mb.

For storm information specific to your area, please monitor products issued by your local weather office.

The next advisory will be issued by the national hurricane center at 5 pm edt.

 

[MissM]

Check in from Pinellas County....

Well, we've had some brown-outs but no actual outages yet. Power gets dim, but comes right back on. Cable hasn't even flickered off. I've turned off my computer and am using the old (and I do mean old, 266!) laptop since it has a battery. Winds continue to gust quite heavily - upwards of 50mph they're reporting - but still not really much rain here. My friend in Tampa is getting more rain then we are, but our rain has been small bursts still.

Its projected to exit out one county north of me - in Pasco - later on tonight. So we still have hours of storm yet.

Lots of downed small branches and TONS of leaves all over the parking lot but no real damage around here so far.

Anyway, doing ok here for the moment. A little stir crazy and definately wanting this to all be over! Take care everyone!
-m

 

[Tim G]

Photos Before, During And After Hurricane Francis

-:dazzle:-:dazzle:-

 

[Tim G]

Millions Without Power As Frances Crosses Florida


UPDATED: 4:47 pm EDT September 5, 2004


FORT PIERCE, Fla. -- Hurricane Frances' wind and water whacked swaths of Florida with fire-hose force Sunday, submerging roadways and tearing off rooftops even as the storm weakened and crawled inland with heavy rains in its wake. More than 4 million people lost power.

Up to 11 inches of rain fell along Florida's central east coast and caused scattered flooding as a weakened Frances edged across the state toward Tampa. It left behind leveled trees and power lines, tangled traffic lights and beachfront roads littered with coconuts, avocados and tree limbs.

"I was just waiting for the house to blow down," said Diane Wright, who rode out the storm in a mobile home in Fort Pierce.

Hers didn't. But even shelters weren't spared: The roof at a school housing evacuees was partially blown off. The storm was blamed for the death of a Lakeland man whose car hit a tree near Gainesville. Injuries were reported from other car accidents.

Initial reports of destruction didn't rival the estimated $7.4 billion in insured damage caused by Hurricane Charley in southwest Florida three weeks ago. Frances' path overlapped with some areas hit by Charley, which killed 27 people.

Officials warned the aftermath could pose even greater risks.

"There are still dangers on our streets where the hurricane passed," Gov. Jeb Bush said. "Please be patient."

Bush and 20 state and federal emergency officials surveyed damage as they flew from Tallahassee to West Palm Beach. Bush said it was too early to assess the extent of the destruction.

President Bush talked to his brother from the White House on Sunday afternoon to assure Floridians that federal resources are in place to help respond, White House spokesman Trent Duffy said.

At least 100 National Guard troops were deployed. Suspected looters were arrested in Palm Beach, Orange and Indian River counties.

Once a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 145 mph, Frances slowed and weakened to a Category 2 storm as it neared Florida. Winds receded to a peak of 105 mph before it made landfall at Sewall's Point, north of Palm Beach, around 1 a.m. EDT. One gust was clocked at 115 mph.

"We don't know what all of our damage is yet, but we know it could have been a lot worse," Martin County administrator Russ Blackburn said.

The storm weakened further Sunday, with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane. At 2 p.m. EDT the core was about 55 miles east of Tampa. The storm was crawling west-northwest at 9 mph.

Some attributed the storm's weakening to answered prayers -- even though winds sheared off the steeple of the First Baptist Church in Cocoa Beach. Frances forced the cancellation of church services across much of the state, but seven people ventured out to attend a service at Miami Lakes United Methodist Church.

"It's still the Lord's day," the Rev. Mark Caldwell said. "It's our destiny to show the world we can come here and be thankful."

In Port Charlotte, still recovering from Hurricane Charley, authorities urged residents to remain indoors. But about 100 people attended services at the First Christian Church.

"What do you do when life throws you a curve?" the Rev. Dale Roberts asked. "Certainly we've seen that recently."

The storm shut down much of Florida on the traditionally busy Labor Day weekend. The largest evacuation in state history sent 86,000 people to shelters. Airports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale reopened, and officials in the two counties told evacuees they could return home.

Miami's airport was crowded with tourists whose vacations were ruined or interrupted by Frances. "I think it's a big fuss over nothing," said 35-year-old Geraldine Lamb, who was visiting from London.

New evacuations began in four counties in Florida's Panhandle, where Frances is expected to hit Monday after crossing the northeast Gulf of Mexico. The most likely location for landfall was St. George Island, forecasters said.

The scope of the enormous storm became evident when bands of rain and gusty wind extended the length of the state's 430-mile east coast from the Keys to Jacksonville.

"This storm has pretty much engulfed the state," Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings said.

Earlier, at least two deaths were blamed on the storm in the Bahamas, where thousands were forced from their homes.

As the storm passed, Florida Power & Light crews began restoring power. Among the areas without electricity was most of Palm Beach County, population 1.21 million.

Northbound Interstate 95 was closed in Palm Beach County because of a washout. Authorities closed the majestic, 5 1/2-mile Sunshine Skyway Bridge across Tampa Bay. In Martin County, 630 evacuees at a school were forced to another shelter when part of the roof blew off, flooding 16 rooms.

Heavy rain transformed some neighborhoods into waterfront property. Roads in Palm Beach County were covered by up to four feet of water, flooding cars up their headlights. Neighbors waded to each others' homes after being shuttered inside for 24 hours or more.

"All our trees are down and I have a few windows broken, but I don't know what else is flooded because I can't get anywhere," said Carline Cadet, waving at the water covering the streets around her home.

Police blocked access to the county's barrier islands, including Palm Beach and Singer Island, and enforced a 24-hour curfew. Officials said roads were too dangerous for travel. The wind toppled even 70-foot royal palms.

In Fort Pierce, a large steel railroad crossing signal downtown was twisted like a corkscrew. Gas station awnings sat on their sides blocking the pumps. Downtown streets were crisscrossed with toppled palm trees.

Wright stayed because she couldn't bear to leave her cat, dog or 22 birds. The worst damage was to a laundry room in a shed at the end of her carport. "It was terrifying," she said.

Ramiro Venegas, an itinerant worker from Mexico, said the storm forced him to spend two nights sleeping in a men's toilet at a Fort Pierce marina. He said he had been staying in his girlfriend's car until she ditched him two days earlier.

"I'm thirsty, I'm hungry, and I'm soaking wet," Venegas said.

Despite warnings, some evacuees were eager to venture out to inspect their homes.

Gabriela Balderas and her two children left the shelter at West Gate Elementary School in West Palm Beach to see what was left at their mobile home.

"We have been waiting so long to leave. They say we might not be able to get home, but we have to try," she said.

Police in the Orlando area said 10 thieves used a stolen car to smash into a store and steal about $10,000 worth of clothing, and two men were arrested as they tried to steal an ATM machine with a chain saw.

The Insurance Information Institute did not have a damage estimate yet for Frances, chief economist Bob Hartwig said.

While many businesses were hurt by the hurricane, others profited. Souvenir sand and water from Frances -- along with T-shirts and thongs -- went on sale on eBay.

Also Sunday, at the peak of the hurricane season, Ivan became the fifth hurricane of the year in the central Atlantic. It was about 2,400 miles east-southeast of Miami with winds of 115 mph, but officials said it was too soon to say whether it would hit the United States.

 

[Disnut]

sorry it is taking me so long to say this but we are praying for all of you and your safty.

 

[Tim G]

Hurricane Frances Update
(South-East Florida Doppler Radar)

Image = Real Time

 

[figmentmom]

Still hanging here at SSR. Disney gave us new movies to watch at 1pm. We now have Rookie, Atlantis, Peter Pan, Its a Bug Life, Tower of Terror, Lilo and Stitch, Mulan, Lion King 2, Three Musketeers and some other ones. They listed them all on the voice mail and I didn't right them all down.

From our window, (we are on the end of the building facing the main pool area) there are no trees down. Just a lot of blowing wind and rain and some ducks.

We are hoping in dies down enough are dinner that they will open Artist Palette for dinner. We are just getting tired of looking at these walls. Though I shouldn't complain, we decided to upgrade to a 1 bedroom on Friday when we realized that we might be stuck inside all weekend.

Well, if you're going to be stuck somewhere, I guess there are worse places to be stuck...

 

[Tim G]

Hurricane Frances Update
(Orlando Local Doppler Radar Close-Up )

Image = 8 Mins. Delay

 

[Tim G]

BREAKING NEWS

Frances downgraded to tropical storm


September 5, 2004, 5:00 PM EDT


TALLAHASSEE -- Frances lost steam as it tracked across Florida, downgraded to a tropical storm this afternoon.

At 5 p.m. the center of the hurricane was about 20 miles east of Tampa. The storm was moving west-northwest at about 10 mph. A continued west to west-northwestward track across the peninsula is expected today, and Frances should move over the Gulf of Mexico late tonight or Monday morning.

Top sustained winds were about 70 mph, with some higher gusts, down from 105 mph when it made landfall. The hurricane center said one gust was clocked at 124 mph at Port Canaveral. Now, tropical-storm-force winds extend out 230 miles. The storm could gain strength when over open waters.

Gov. Jeb Bush warned Floridians to "sit tight" today, as thousands in Central Florida were battered by the system. Others anxiously waited to go home to check on damage, and still others in the Panhandle prepared for the massive storm to reach them.

"Please be patient," the governor urged those waiting to go home. "Just remember you and your families are more important than your valuables."

State officials said they had received some reports of deaths but would not classify them as storm related until county medical examiners made a formal determination.

"It's still a very powerful storm moving across the state," said State Emergency Management Director Craig Fugate.

The storm could dump from 6 to 18 inches of rain, worsening some Central Florida rivers that already were above flood stage before the storm, State Meteorologist Ben Nelson said.

The eye of the storm blew ashore at Sewall's Point, just east of Stuart, around 1 a.m. with top sustained winds of 105 mph. Frances was expected to remain over the state for most of the day, dumping 8 to 12 inches of rain, with up to 20 inches in some areas.

Frances was so big that virtually the entire state feared damage from wind and heavy rain.

By 5 p.m., the hurricane warning has been extended southward from the mouth of the Suwannee River to Anna Maria Island. A hurricane warning is now in effect for the Gulf Coast of Florida from Anna Maria Island to Destin.

The hurricane warning has been downgraded to a tropical storm warning for the east coast of Florida from north of Jupiter Inlet northward to Flagler Beach, including Lake Okeechobee.

President Bush already has declared the entire state a major disaster area, officials said. An estimated 4 million people were without power. "It's in the millions,'' Bush said. "We'll probably see more power outages in the Panhandle, Tampa Bay and Central Florida -- again."

"We're getting battered but the heart is strong. As the governor says, we're a resilient state," said Fugate.

The Army National Guard today was positioning troops near Lake Wales to assist with search and rescue, evacuations using high-wheel vehicles, and removing debris.

"It's like fighting a battle,"' said Adjutant Gen. Douglas Burnett, Commander of the Florida National Guard. "You put your soldiers out there. And these folks just came back from Iraq."

But officials were waiting until the storm passed to begin evaluating damage. "We're not going to wait for blue skies to start to respond," Fugate said. "We just need to wait until crews can be safe."

Fuel shortages remain a problem. That also heightens concerns about people wanting to return home too soon, officials said. "Our biggest fear is, as in Hurricane Charley, more people died after the storm," Fugate said.

Many of the deaths in Hurricane Charley, as in most hurricanes, came not from the storm itself but from the storm's aftermath. Often, drowning, touching downed power lines or using generators indoors kills people, Fugate said. "These are very preventable deaths. We ask people to stay in your homes."

American Red Cross officials said no injuries were reported when the storm damaged the roof of a shelter housing hundreds of people in Stuart at Pinewood Elementary School. "It was just a leaky roof," said Red Cross spokesman David Rudduck. "They were moved to another shelter."

State officials are studying converting state parks to temporary housing for hurricane victims, Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings said.

"Housing is going to be a huge challenge," she said. "We have been talking about using our state parks."

She said officials began eyeing state campsites with power and water hookups for recreational vehicles after Hurricane Charley as a place to house the homeless. Officials already had identified one park in Charlotte County, she said, adding, "Now we're probably going to be looking at them everywhere." Many campsites also have showers and bathrooms to accommodate a large number, she noted.

"We're even looking at state buildings," Jennings said. State officials also have been talking with the manufactured housing industry and apartment owners about accepting federal housing vouchers, she said.

Jennings said the state could be facing the largest power outages and the largest debris pickup in state history. "This is going to be a much wider relief effort than Charley," she said. "This is enveloping the state."

The first issue is shelter and "mass care," she said. "That's the food, ice, water and comfort stations."

Jennings stressed that the new relief efforts won't hurt assistance for people still recovering from the last hurricane. "For those victims of Charley, we are not taking those resources away," she said. No confirmed deaths have been linked to Frances, Jennings said. However, some unconfirmed reports have been received, including one in Marion County, said State Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Guy Tunnell.

Jennings warned residents against venturing out too soon to begin cleaning up.

Officials on Sunday shut down Interstate 95 temporarily near West Palm Beach after a gaping sinkhole opened in a northbound lane and what an official called "severe water puddles" and disabled vehicles in southbound lane. "The hole is getting larger and larger," said Maj. Leroy Smith of the Florida Highway Patrol.

Smith could not say how long the critical route would stay closed.

 

[Tim G]

As Frances Weakens, Looters Strike

'Jackals Are Out,' Says Sheriff


UPDATED: 3:48 PM EDT September 5, 2004


STUART, Fla. -- Police in several Florida counties are reporting that looters are following in the wake of Hurricane Frances.

Orlando area authorities said 10 thieves used a stolen car to smash open a clothing store. The robbers reportedly made off with about $10,000 worth of clothes.

In another case, two men were arrested as they tried to use a chain saw to steal an ATM.

In Palm Beach County, about a half-dozen sheriff's vehicles chased a car full of suspected looters down Interstate 95. Three suspects were quickly arrested, though a fourth escaped on foot. A spokesman said the final suspect was tracked down through the cell phone he left behind.

Several other people have been arrested for looting elsewhere. As one sheriff put it, the "jackals" are out there -- just waiting to pounce."

 

[Tim G]

Photos Before, During And After Hurricane Francis

---

 

[speck76]

As Frances Weakens, Looters Strike

'Jackals Are Out,' Says Sheriff

UPDATED: 3:48 PM EDT September 5, 2004


STUART, Fla. -- Police in several Florida counties are reporting that looters are following in the wake of Hurricane Frances.

Orlando area authorities said 10 thieves used a stolen car to smash open a clothing store. The robbers reportedly made off with about $10,000 worth of clothes.

In another case, two men were arrested as they tried to use a chain saw to steal an ATM.

In Palm Beach County, about a half-dozen sheriff's vehicles chased a car full of suspected looters down Interstate 95. Three suspects were quickly arrested, though a fourth escaped on foot. A spokesman said the final suspect was tracked down through the cell phone he left behind.

Several other people have been arrested for looting elsewhere. As one sheriff put it, the "jackals" are out there -- just waiting to pounce."

Oh.....people are so stupid.

I really wish looters would be shot on site! (you loot, we shoot) :wave:

 

[Disnut]

Has anyone heard from PhotoDave or Mkt Rob?

 

[disnyfan89]

Im Ok and have power (knocks on wood) :sohappy: It sounds like we still have some ruff weather to go through though!!!! I see clear skys ahead!!!!


*tree falls over on to Disnyfan89*

 

[Atta83]

Has anyone heard from PhotoDave or Mkt Rob?

Just got off the phone with Dave and he is all OK over there.... :wave:

 

[Kadee]

I'm glad it is finally moving out of Florida. Good to know everyone is OK. Now, lets just see what it does when it gets into the gulf. Who knows where it is going to go from there?!

 

[Mary Poppins]

Has anyone heard from PhotoDave or Mkt Rob?

Rob has his aim forwarded to his phone. I sent him an im but he has not responded as he probably doesn't have his phone on him. I'm sure he's fine.

 

[barnum42]

Oh.....people are so stupid.

I really wish looters would be shot on site! (you loot, we shoot) :wave:

I am not a violent person by nature, but you will hear no argument from me on that account.

 

[barnum42]

Frances has made a lot more news on the TV here in the UK than Charley did. Lots of footage of reporters standing by the beach trying to stay in place whilst commenting on how stupid the people that they can see on the beach must be - questioning their wisdom being out in such conditions.....

Is it me?..........But I think the saying that involves black pots and kettles comes to mind :lol:

 

[Tim G]

Has anyone heard from PhotoDave or Mkt Rob?

PhotoDave is still in Wilderness Lodge...

MKT is IMO still sheltering at work (non Disney Hotel)... He had to work this weekend...