Our state is a mess! Everyone seems stunned and in shock!
My area made it through Charley - not a bit of bad weather. This was a surprise since we were originally targeted for a direct hit.
I've been going back and forth from Ft Ogden using my rover in disaster recovery and relief. You can't imagine how bad it is down there. Total infrastructure went down.
Everyone helping down south got pulled out of the area 2 days before Francis was expected. Although I understand the need to pull all teams out to a safe area so that everyone could go back out in the field to assist after hurricane #2 - it was heartbreaking. I cried about this because those down south are dependent on relief agencies for food, water, and shelter. So many homes totally blown apart. Still so many without electricity and water.
Francis got the entire state and did a thorough job of destruction everywhere. I was home for the duration of Francis and thankfully had no major damage. Power was restored late last night. Clean up from trees and yard debris here (Tampa Bay area) will take a few days.
I will be heading out to help in another area of the state as soon as I know where I am needed most and a plan is in place to make sure that our relief vehicles can get fuel while we're assisting.
I've lived here forever and have gone through a few hurricanes. I never feared them until I saw the devastation up close after Charley. High tides and flooding rivers are continuing to force many people out of their homes. This is a direct result of Francis and is expected to get worse before it gets better (has something to do with rivers cresting I think).
To top everything else off, there was also a major environmental spill at a phosphate fertilizer plant.
The most positive thing I can say is that I'm thankful to be driving my rover and have been able to access areas to provide assistance when other vehicles couldn't get through.
I have decided that the most beautiful sight in the world is a long line of power trucks staging to help. They're traveling in heards of 10-20 trucks. Those guys are awesome, they've been coming in from all over the country, working long hours, and sleeping in their trucks.
I hope some more people from Florida will post here so we know they are ok. There are still statewide power outages and cable is out in many areas which is restricting internet access for many people. All services are being restored on a priority basis.
If any of you out there need help, please email me at
bluevelt@aol.com. We'll do our very best to get help out to you. I'll continue trying to check my email at least once per day. Communication has been tricky - cellular service has been a nightmare in the areas hardest hit.
Thanks, Jamie
