**OFFICIAL** Hurricane Dennis Thread

[jonnyGURU]

Well... Although the eye just went over Cuba, we're getting the first of the bands now. It's been raining non-stop for the last three hours. I had planned on grilling. Rain didn't stop me. Sure, the grill didn't get hotter than 325F, but it got done!!!

 

[Cheesemoo]

Well It is starting to rain here on the east coast of Florida...

 

[ssvegeta1010]

Thundering in Sarasota now.

 

[Ryan]

I sign off tonight - maybe a few posts in the morning before the computer gets packed up Hope the rest of you guys in the potential strike area make it through OK, I'll be here riding it out

You guys are in my thoughts

 

[BillyBobJoel71]

it shoudln't be that bad.

 

[jonnyGURU]

http://www.wtvt.com/radaranim/animated.html

Hehe.. 2AM was WICKED! My daugheter QUICKLY learned to operate a doorknob and came running into the master bedroom.

And I'm just getting bands. I feel so bad for the folks up in the panhandle that are going to get this thing. They get so many hurricanes it's not even funny.

 

[teknoid]

I don't even want to THINK about another focking hurricane coming through here.

Find yourselves a Central Florida map that shows the paths of Charlie, Frances and Jean. Look at the name of the town where all 3 crossed. It's Lake Wales. That's where I live. A little south of Lake Wales actually. Either way we got our collective asses handed to us 3 times.

Charlie did the most damage to my house but I still got off really really easy. Frances was not much more than a LOT of rain. Jean did additional damage to my house. Basically Jean finished what Charlie started. 9 months later and I'm still in the "blue tarp" club here. Getting a roofing contractor who won't totally "bend you over" is just about impossible.

I got up early the morning after Charlie (I don't think I ever did go to sleep) and drove the 20 miles to my office. It was really strange. No lights anywhere. Telephone poles down, buildings simply gone and debris in the road everywhere. My normal 28 - 30 minute trip took almost an hour. What I found when I got there was unbelievable. Our shop area was wrecked, most of the roof gone. The tire shop was in a heap about 100 yards from where it once stood. The office building received very little damage though. Our Lake Wales office was nothing but 4 walls. The roof had collapsed into the building wrecking everything. We had a dispatcher working the overnight shift that night. He was under his desk when the roof came down. Nice guy but he hasn't been "quite right" since then.

I was called in to work DURING Jean. I'm driving on completely deserted roads with the wind pusing my Pathfinder all over the place. The whole time I'm thinking " are you a fing moron or what?". I had to go in because the rocket scientist who works the overnight shift couldn't figure out how to get the generators started. No power = no AS/400 = nobody at our other offices could dispatch loads = no $$$ for the owner to piss away = I get to risk my butt. Makes a whole lot of sense doesn't it?

I could go on for pages and pages about what it's like to ride out a hurricane. It's something I don't want to experience again. I know that as long as I live in Florida the chances are good that I'll get to play this silly game again in the future.

Like I said... I don't even want to THINK about another hurricane.

P.S. johnnyguru... I knew the guy who died at the washout on highwy 60. In my last job I drove that stretch of road every day. Had I not changed jobs that could well have been me that drove off into that hole.

 

[eyecandy86]

I'm in St. Petersburg and we lost power for 4 hours this morning.

We are actually getting the top right corner of Dennis which is supposedly the worst part of the hurricane. It's back down to a cat 2 right now, so it's really not too bad.

We're not leaving - i was actually out driving around all morning. But, we have another feeder band heading towards us. Hope we keep our power this time.

-edit-
Just an FYI - my boyfriend lives in Pinellas Park and lost his power for 12 hours (went out at 11pm last night).

People that live in Florida: Trim your damn trees. It's mostly trees snapping power lines that is creating power outages.

 

[KGB]

Feeder band #3 just went through and power is still ON!
I've got the generator on standby JIC.

tek... we wish you better luck this time.

 

[RichPLS]

It is 95-degrees and overcast on the MS gulf coast today . . .
Methinks optimum hurricane building weather!

 

[RichPLS]

Waxing surfboard today, hot as heck!

 

[eyecandy86]

Just went through the worst part of another feeder band (a really dangerous one). Power flashed, but that was all. Didn't get any tornados around me, but a there were a few that had touchdown in surrounding areas. Got another band coming through in a few hours.

tek... we wish you better luck this time.

:beer:

 

[jonnyGURU]

Originally posted by: eyecandy86


People that live in Florida: Trim your damn trees. It's mostly trees snapping power lines that is creating power outages.

I called Pete and Ron's TWO MONTHS AGO! They STILL haven't trimmed them. They keep telling me that they're getting delayed due to weather! CUT MY DAMN TREES!!!!

 

[Ryan]

just had our first feeder band - not too bad yet

 

[Avalon]

Good luck to those in the Panhandle, and even those on the west coast...you never know. I live on the eastern coast over in Titusville. Charlie didn't affect us very much, but Frances and Jeanne did. At one point we lost power for 2.5 weeks, which was fun, and driving through towns that had no lights or power was an interesting endeavor. The thing that I still find the most incredible was Jeanne, when it was heading northeast away from us, and then just did this LOOP right back at us! That was unpredictable and scary.

Anyway, we're already up to 4 storms in the beginning of July...good luck to us this season.

 

[vash85]

I'm all prepared over in Pensacola. Hasn't started raining yet, but it's going to be soon. The heat is a real killer right now.

 

[eyecandy86]

Originally posted by: vash85
I'm all prepared over in Pensacola. Hasn't started raining yet, but it's going to be soon. The heat is a real killer right now.

Wish you the best.

 

[Ryan]

Originally posted by: vash85
I'm all prepared over in Pensacola. Hasn't started raining yet, but it's going to be soon. The heat is a real killer right now.

Take care dude! My company, R & L enterprises which owns all the Papa John's in your area, decided to close the stores yesterday in your market so that people could get the fvck outta there

Compared to Ivan, where I worked until 5 hours before landfall, they're doing much better

 

[vash85]

Thanks. I live near Sam's Club and I have been getting gas there for the pass few days. When they run out, another supply comes often. Hope Dennis is not any worse than Ivan.

 

[Ryan]

Approaching storm

 

[Pepsi90919]

Originally posted by: rbloedow
Approaching storm

you suck at teh panoramas

 

[Ryan]

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919

Originally posted by: rbloedow
Approaching storm

you suck at teh panoramas

sorry - don't have a tripod, just took 4 pictures

 

[Xenon]

Dennis is bombing and could reach Cat 4 soon. The storm actually looks better than it did before it hit Cuba. It's deepened so rapidly that the winds have to catch up to the pressure drop.

Look at it now. ---->Mean Hurricane

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: Xenon
Dennis is bombing and could reach Cat 4 soon. The storm actually looks better than it did before it hit Cuba. It's deepened so rapidly that the winds have to catch up to the pressure drop.

Look at it now. ---->Mean Hurricane

It's a beautiful hurricane. The latest NHC report has it back up to 115mph winds for Cat 3 status, and it's now forcasted to land with at least Cat 4 status.

 

[SVT Cobra]

Originally posted by: ViRGE

Originally posted by: Xenon
Dennis is bombing and could reach Cat 4 soon. The storm actually looks better than it did before it hit Cuba. It's deepened so rapidly that the winds have to catch up to the pressure drop.

Look at it now. ---->Mean Hurricane

It's a beautiful hurricane. The latest NHC report has it back up to 115mph winds for Cat 3 status, and it's now forcasted to land with at least Cat 4 status.

pretty huricane?? i guess you have never had your property damaged by one??