I'm pretty sure we have some Floridians and North Carolin(g?)ians here, and perhaps others in the path of Helene. Please let us know how you're faring when you have bandwidth and energy (literal and/or metaphorical) to do so.
And let's keep in mind that Project 2025 will privatize the National Weather Service. Wonder if Elon wouuld be the highest bidder?
Thank Cthulhu, we are all ok over here AND we have electricity! Lots of rain, branches on the ground, etc. I hope everyone else is ok.
Thank you for asking.
In our state, we are in the same situation as evil_physics_witchcraft: rain, branches, a littie local flooding but nothing severe. Some people here lost power, but got it back after not too long.
Hope others are OK especially those in FL and GA.
We're getting a lot of rain here in the metro Baltimore/DC area from Tropical Depression Helene. Southern VA was hard hit:
https://wtop.com/weather-news/2024/09/tropical-storm-helene-brings-more-wet-weather-to-dc-area-as-it-moves-north/ (https://wtop.com/weather-news/2024/09/tropical-storm-helene-brings-more-wet-weather-to-dc-area-as-it-moves-north/)
Friends north of Tampa got power back about an hour ago.
Others didnt lose power and enjoyed a good nap
My brother and sister in law had planned to go to the East Coast to visit my parents, but their employers closed for Friday so they left a day early. I dont think that they regret it!
Lots of flooding on the Tennessee/North Carolina border area. Two interstates (40 and 26) were washed out, and the Nolichucky River set a record for flood levels--almost wiping out one of its dams. Pretty ugly up there
My friend left town earlier this week for family and wedding stuff in Ashelville, NC. No one's heard from her. I'm hoping that's bc there's no cell service.
Quote from: RatGuy on September 28, 2024, 09:42:36 AMMy friend left town earlier this week for family and wedding stuff in Ashelville, NC. No one's heard from her. I'm hoping that's bc there's no cell service.
From what I've heard, there hasn't been electricity for quite a few days, so there just may be no way to charge her phone or access wifi. Hoping for the best.
Quote from: fishbrains on September 29, 2024, 08:52:47 AMQuote from: RatGuy on September 28, 2024, 09:42:36 AMMy friend left town earlier this week for family and wedding stuff in Ashelville, NC. No one's heard from her. I'm hoping that's bc there's no cell service.
From what I've heard, there hasn't been electricity for quite a few days, so there just may be no way to charge her phone or access wifi. Hoping for the best.
I've had sporadic contact with someone in upstate SC. She says that even areas with power don't have cell service, and that NC towns to the north -- e.g., Asheville, Lenoir, Boone -- have suffered far more damage. Those communities are effectively incommunicado.
Quote from: spork on September 29, 2024, 09:41:06 AMQuote from: fishbrains on September 29, 2024, 08:52:47 AMQuote from: RatGuy on September 28, 2024, 09:42:36 AMMy friend left town earlier this week for family and wedding stuff in Ashelville, NC. No one's heard from her. I'm hoping that's bc there's no cell service.
From what I've heard, there hasn't been electricity for quite a few days, so there just may be no way to charge her phone or access wifi. Hoping for the best.
I've had sporadic contact with someone in upstate SC. She says that even areas with power don't have cell service, and that NC towns to the north -- e.g., Asheville, Lenoir, Boone -- have suffered far more damage. Those communities are effectively incommunicado.
Thanks y'all. Her family is in Cullowhee too and I think lots of places are inaccessible. She texted me this morning to say she was driving home but worried that some routes might be impassible
My family in upstate South Carolina has no electricity and no estimate for restoration. They have only limited texting ability, and found one grocery store about 45 minutes away that reopened today to sell non-perishable items.
I'm not pointing fingers or blaming the victim, but from the media stories I get the sense that few people in and near the western Carolinas prepared for Helene by, for example, getting three days' worth of food and water and a full tank of gas. Were local news stations not reporting the storm track?
Quote from: sinenomine on September 29, 2024, 11:52:52 AMMy family in upstate South Carolina has no electricity and no estimate for restoration. They have only limited texting ability, and found one grocery store about 45 minutes away that reopened today to sell non-perishable items.
My brother there was in a hard-hit area as well. The family and house came through all right, but they had trees down and fences damaged on their property, and at least some livestock loss. They have their generator running. Among other things, that enables them to pump well water for neighbors who are without water.
It's extraordinary how much destruction this storm has wrought so far inland. There are reports of mules being used to pack relief supplies in to mountain communities that have been cut off. People who had the recommended three days' emergency provisions have often gone without relief for longer.
WTOP Radio has a feature article about Maryland rescue teams who've deployed to affected areas:
https://wtop.com/local/2024/10/rescue-teams-from-maryland-search-through-devastation-in-north-carolina/ (https://wtop.com/local/2024/10/rescue-teams-from-maryland-search-through-devastation-in-north-carolina/)
Rescue teams from VA and DC have gone too.
Here's the view of the Shenandoah River in Harpers Ferry, WV:
https://wtop.com/local/2024/10/shenandoah-river-swells-over-banks-at-harpers-ferry-no-damage-expected/ (https://wtop.com/local/2024/10/shenandoah-river-swells-over-banks-at-harpers-ferry-no-damage-expected/)
Includes short video
I am in St Petersburg supposedly on vacation Rough. Renting a condo mile from the Gulf and beach
Flooded with 5 inches of water. Rental car soaked and dead for a week before
I was able to get a new one. Fridge out of order power gone8 then internet and most places are closed.But now life is normalizing and people are back to usual
except for widespread devastation along the west gulf towns total property trashed.
not much to read and sadly in no mood to write much. Vacation of hell. TB people are brave and take it in stride. I want to go home
With the new storm in the gulf with the current Cone of Death plotting the Tampa/St Pete area in the center, I hope that you can get out tomorrow. After that, it will be harder to leave.
Did you have the rental car insurance? What are they saying about the flooding damage?
Here's what WTOP Radio is reporting about Hurricane Milton:
https://wtop.com/national/2024/10/florida-prepares-for-massive-evacuations-as-hurricane-milton-takes-aim-at-major-metro-areas/
Scroll past ad breaks to read full article.
I wonder where the evacuees are going, by and large? Where can one evacuate to, when the storm is basically forecast to rake most of the peninsula?
My friends from Tampa area are headed either to Savannah or Miami. One has arranged an AirBnB for at least a month. Milton may be "the one" that Tampa Bay folks have dreaded for years. Current models I have seen are sending the eye directly up the bay. Shudder. Hope all Central and Gulf Florida forumites have found a safe harbor for this week.
I'm right now teaching a live virtual lecture class (students are writing independently in Canvas for part of today's class). One of the students is in Sarasota, taking all her classes online here in StL this fall. She's been in touch for a couple of days, apologizing for maybe missing some class sessions--yet here she is, logged in today. Her family is going to try to ride it out on the second floor of her dad's house, a bit back from the shore; she and her mom have left her mom's house closer to the beach.
I'm worried sick about her, as I've gotten to know her over the past couple of months and really like her. She's only 17 or 18, so it's not like she can or would just pick up and get out if her folks are staying, even though they've had a mandatory evacuation order since Monday. Any spare good thoughts or prayers on their behalf would be welcome, I'm sure.
AmListHist,
I hope your student and her family come through the storm safely.
Mods: should this thread be converted to a general hurricane thread?
Quote from: spork on October 09, 2024, 09:56:41 AMMods: should this thread be converted to a general hurricane thread?
Seconded! (Or maybe severe weather/natural disasters in general?)
AmLitHist, I hope your student and family are OK.
MyWord, did you manage to get out?
Best wishes to all affected.
Sinenomine, apl68, RatGuy, et al., how are your family members and contacts in the path of Helene holding up?
Haven't yet heard from a cousin who lives in the Tampa area. Looks like Tampa Bay has once again dodged the worst.
WTOP Radio reports that volunteers from the Red Cross National Capital and Greater Chesapeake Region chapter here in the DC area are heading to FL:
https://wtop.com/local/2024/10/as-milton-leaves-damage-in-its-wake-dc-area-volunteers-lend-a-hand/ (https://wtop.com/local/2024/10/as-milton-leaves-damage-in-its-wake-dc-area-volunteers-lend-a-hand/)
My student in Sarasota was back in class this morning. She and her family are safe; they have electricity, but the internet was down so she used her hotspot to log in. She said they rode it out in her dad's condo, on the second floor of a high rise with two units on each side, and they still felt the building shaking at the height of the storm when the sustained winds were 120 mph!
Quote from: AmLitHist on October 11, 2024, 09:45:42 AMMy student in Sarasota was back in class this morning. She and her family are safe; they have electricity, but the internet was down so she used her hotspot to log in. She said they rode it out in her dad's condo, on the second floor of a high rise with two units on each side, and they still felt the building shaking at the height of the storm when the sustained winds were 120 mph!
Thanks for the update, AmLitHist! We have been concerned and praying for her safety.
If I ever get killed in a hurricane, I hope it's named Butch or Zeke. Getting creamed by a storm named Milton is just vaguely kinda embarrassing.
Quote from: secundem_artem on October 11, 2024, 01:03:21 PMIf I ever get killed in a hurricane, I hope it's named Butch or Zeke. Getting creamed by a storm named Milton is just vaguely kinda embarrassing.
No, it's pro-choice! Hurricane Milton could be associated with Milton Friedman, who anyone may or may not like, or with Milton Keynes, a planned town in England, whose name others may or may not like. Me, I like both! I hope neither kills me as well, though.
Quote from: secundem_artem on October 11, 2024, 01:03:21 PMIf I ever get killed in a hurricane, I hope it's named Butch or Zeke. Getting creamed by a storm named Milton is just vaguely kinda embarrassing.
Maybe if storms had scarier names, more people would take them seriously. Although at this point it seems like people generally do.
Quote from: dismalist on October 11, 2024, 02:16:17 PMQuote from: secundem_artem on October 11, 2024, 01:03:21 PMIf I ever get killed in a hurricane, I hope it's named Butch or Zeke. Getting creamed by a storm named Milton is just vaguely kinda embarrassing.
No, it's pro-choice! Hurricane Milton could be associated with Milton Friedman, who anyone may or may not like, or with Milton Keynes, a planned town in England, whose name others may or may not like. Me, I like both! I hope neither kills me as well, though.
Perhaps move this to the asides thread--I wouldn't be quite so flippant about the death and destruction resulting from both storms, especially seeing people swept off rooftops and cars to their death during Helene.
QuoteLive Updates: Power Outages and Long Gas Lines Add to Misery After Milton (https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/10/11/weather/hurricane-milton-florida-news)
Millions across Florida were still without power, including many gas stations, sending residents scrambling for fuel. At least 14 people were killed, though none by storm surge, indicating that evacuations had saved lives.
QuoteStill Searching for Their Loved Ones, a Week After Hurricane Helene (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/04/us/hurricane-helene-missing-people.html?searchResultPosition=11)
The storm's death toll has climbed past 225, but many people remain unaccounted for and searching for them is complicated. Their families are desperate for answers.
Ever heard of gallows humor?
Quote from: dismalist on October 11, 2024, 04:39:19 PMEver heard of gallows humor?
Humor at the expense of other people's misery and grief is never considered funny.
This is the check-in thread for those affected by the hurricanes. The aside thread might be the appropriate place for "gallows humor".
Quote from: Langue_doc on October 11, 2024, 05:07:54 PMQuote from: dismalist on October 11, 2024, 04:39:19 PMEver heard of gallows humor?
Humor at the expense of other people's misery and grief is never considered funny.
This is the check-in thread for those affected by the hurricanes. The aside thread might be the appropriate place for "gallows humor".
It's not at the expense of other people's misery and grief. It's at the expense of one's own.
From Wikipedia:
Black comedy is common in professions and environments where workers routinely have to deal with dark subject matter. This includes police officers, firefighters, ambulance crews, military personnel, journalists, lawyers, and funeral directors, where it is an acknowledged coping mechanism.
DUDE!
REad the Room and Move On!!!
STORM WARNING: HURRICANE BEELZEBUB IS BEARING DOWN ON FLORIDA. GO AWAY.
Quote from: dismalist on October 11, 2024, 05:28:58 PMQuote from: Langue_doc on October 11, 2024, 05:07:54 PMQuote from: dismalist on October 11, 2024, 04:39:19 PMEver heard of gallows humor?
Humor at the expense of other people's misery and grief is never considered funny.
This is the check-in thread for those affected by the hurricanes. The aside thread might be the appropriate place for "gallows humor".
It's not at the expense of other people's misery and grief. It's at the expense of one's own.
From Wikipedia:
Black comedy is common in professions and environments where workers routinely have to deal with dark subject matter. This includes police officers, firefighters, ambulance crews, military personnel, journalists, lawyers, and funeral directors, where it is an acknowledged coping mechanism.
So what is your misery and grief in this situation?
Quote from: ciao_yall on October 11, 2024, 09:12:21 PMQuote from: dismalist on October 11, 2024, 05:28:58 PMQuote from: Langue_doc on October 11, 2024, 05:07:54 PMQuote from: dismalist on October 11, 2024, 04:39:19 PMEver heard of gallows humor?
Humor at the expense of other people's misery and grief is never considered funny.
This is the check-in thread for those affected by the hurricanes. The aside thread might be the appropriate place for "gallows humor".
It's not at the expense of other people's misery and grief. It's at the expense of one's own.
From Wikipedia:
Black comedy is common in professions and environments where workers routinely have to deal with dark subject matter. This includes police officers, firefighters, ambulance crews, military personnel, journalists, lawyers, and funeral directors, where it is an acknowledged coping mechanism.
So what is your misery and grief in this situation?
One sister in each hurricane's path. Any further questions?
QuoteScenes From Florida in Hurricane Milton's Wake (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/09/us/hurricane-milton-photos-videos.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Rk4.YS7I.N5NZx_hwtCML&smid=url-share)
The storm made landfall Wednesday evening, devastating an area still recovering from Hurricane Helene, which tore through Florida's western coast two weeks ago.
In Photos and Video
See above for link to the shared/free article.
My cousin in the Tampa area is well. He had evacuated to Orlando, and returned to find his home intact.
My Brother's family lives in Tampa
My nephew and his family evacuated to the Swan and Dolphin resort in Disney.
My brother and sister in law stayed and endured the storm, but lost power. They still didnt have power on Friday so they too suffered the hardship of evacuating to the Swan and Dolphin
It must be rough!
On one hand, gallows humor is helping me get through this mess.
On the other, I still have a damaged house, and massive clean-up, and navigation of the insurance & FEMA mess to get through.
Enjoy your fight, but please pardon me when I don't participate...
I'm so sorry to hear that, Sea Ice. It sounds as if you have a frustrating, exhausting, and expensive road ahead. I wish you the best with the cleanup and repairs.
Quote from: fleabite on October 12, 2024, 08:12:35 PMI'm so sorry to hear that, Sea Ice. It sounds as if you have a frustrating, exhausting, and expensive road ahead. I wish you the best with the cleanup and repairs.
Seconded. Have you yet been able to get much idea of the extent of the damage?
Quote from: apl68 on October 14, 2024, 07:27:51 AMQuote from: fleabite on October 12, 2024, 08:12:35 PMI'm so sorry to hear that, Sea Ice. It sounds as if you have a frustrating, exhausting, and expensive road ahead. I wish you the best with the cleanup and repairs.
Seconded. Have you yet been able to get much idea of the extent of the damage?
TY for the good wishes! I've got the basics assessed and documented - the major issues stem from having to wait until next week for an adjustor, while still getting necessary actions (such as tree and large branches off roof & the holes temporarily patched) completed without any real input about allowable/acceptable cost from my ins. co.
The lack of real information about acceptable $$$ to get repairs made, downed trees out of the yard, etc. really exacerbates things. Especially when there's a constant parade of offers to do the work, with the most common approach being some variation on "we'll deal directly with your insurance company, so don't bother your pretty little graying head about a thing". I can spot some of the obvious scammers, and some of the highly inflated prices, but it's a stressor I really don't need.
I understand that insurance is swamped, but the lack of concrete information is incredibly frustrating. Add to this the facts that fixing the house will require vacating parts of it, that my landscape will never be the same, that cleanup will do vast amounts of additional damage, and it often becomes overwhelming. Trying to locate and move some of my more treasured plants does help, but so many have gotten too big to ever move - or are permanently down.
Helene is still claiming casualties. Our state church association has disaster teams in the region doing cleanup. A few days ago, a member of the team was injured in a chainsaw accident. Emergency surgery saved his injured leg. But he is now unable to work for a living, and faces an insurance denial of the physical therapy that he needs to (literally) get back on his feet. Churches in the state are now taking up a special offering to help him and his family. And still trying to help with the hurricane cleanup. It's going to be a long haul.