Storms a' brewin'!

[Master Sully]

Hey Silver Steele,

You wouldn't be stuck in the NC Capes ( hurricane magnet of the world )

Would ya'?

[Silver Steele]

No, although I'd rather be up off the Cape. I'm stuck at the second hurricane magnet of the world. Beginning of the Cape Fear River.

[Merrydeath]

I heard from Paisley tonight, she is fine but lonely. She has plenty of water and food and TP for the storm. She is in part E of her section, and so she will get wet and windy, but hopefully won't be evacuated. They are planning on 75 MPH winds, so i hope her pirate flag is inside.

anyway, Her party is tomorrow at noon, if you can make it.

[Silver Steele]

Here on the NC coast, we just went under a tropical storm watch. Last night we had really, really bad thunderstorms, and a tornado hit nearby at 4am in the morning. Three people were killed, including an 18-month old child. And more were injured. Several more are missing. Twenty homes were destroyed. The Governor is coming down today. I'm guessing those storms were from the reminants of Bonnie. Were also under a flood watch.

And now for more good news for those of us on the East Coast. In addition to Bonnie coming thru, and now Charlie, there's tropical depression #4 in the Atlantic now. It's way out, just off the coast of Africa. That gives it plenty of time to do something. Yippie skippie. Hurricane season is here, and it seems to be here with a vengeance.

[Christine]

So much for the freakin' hot weather here in California. Was waken at 5:30 this morning to loud booming noises. The room then was lit up by bright light off and on. I looked out the window and saw dark clouds, rain, and lightning. Thunder crashing as well. Yup, the flash floods in the mountains finally caught up to the rest of us. Ah, well, it fits me mood today.

[Rumba Rue]

Hey Christine, you should have seen the forks of lightning! Really cool!

We don't get thunder and lightning storms here very often, so I think it's really nifty when we do.

I just happen to be up at the time to witness most of it.

Rumba Rue

** **

[Christine]

Oh, yeah, I did see some of that, it was indeed pretty cool! :)

[Lady Sakura]

Yea, I was looking at the news and there are two hurricanes around Florida. I was like, "I hope that clears up soon. I'm gonna be going there soon!"

The second one is huge, too!

Right now in Washington, there is nothing my really hot dry heat! It sucks!

[Silver Steele]

Looks like were gonna get a hit of Charlie. NC coast is now under a hurricane warning. Projections show the eye is gonna pass about 10 miles from here. Time to REALLY batten down the hatches!

[Scupper]

To all our mates in the path of the storm. batten down and hold fast! We be wishing ye the best and safe journey as the storm makes it's way by you.

Scupper

[Merrydeath]

I am gettng reports of the storm from PAisley, almost everyday. She is fine for now, but the storm did get close as of last night.

I'lll post more when I have time..and info.

[Silver Steele]

Charlie may only be a taste of what is in store. Take a look at this. Three in a row off of Africa. One of which is already a tropical storm, and one other is a tropical depression.

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/EA...EATL/IR4/20.jpg

(Not sure how long that image will be available)

[Master Sully]

Silver Steele,

Keep your head down, it's headed your way!

Here on Hilton Head we only got a little wet, and it's been strangely quite. No birds or animals out and zero winds.

[piratelassie]

Tropical storm warnin' in effect fer Rhode Island now.

[queenrogue]

Sadly i had had plans to go to myrtle beach today to start my long awaited vacation and of course they are having a manditory evacuation because of Big Bad Charlie. hopefully tomorrow will look better, or maybe no vacation this year.

[Captain Tito]

Sadly i had had plans to go to myrtle beach today to start my long awaited vacation and of course they are having a manditory evacuation because of Big Bad Charlie.

Aye me lovely lass tis your pain I be feelin. Having lived an hour from Myrtle fer 6 hot years I remember the dispair when we had to put aside our plans and batten down for an oncoming hurricane, or tropical storm.

Here's hoping ye are able to have your vacation. Me favorite there was The Captain's Quarters.

[queenrogue]

Aye me lovely lass tis your pain I be feelin. 

Here's hoping ye are able to have your vacation. 

HUZZAH! the evacuation has been lifted and the hotel is up and running, i leave in the morning, hopefully no storms will hit while i'm there. back on the 22.

[KW Pirate]

Thought i would right a quick update. The Florida Keys were spared quite a lot of the storm. There was a bit of damage, but the majority of that is already cleaned up and everything is pretty much open for business. I did see a some shops still boarded up on Duval St. but we're getting back to normal until Earl gets closer. Silver Steele, you have my sympathies mate. I lived in the washington/bath/greenville NC area for about 10 years. we had 6 in 5 years there and the last one I went through was Floyd. I figured if I was gonna get hit by hurricanes every year anyway, I might as well be in Key West! Plus, never live anywhere near someplace called the "great dismal swamp" (check the map, it's there) Good luck during Hurricane season. At some point, someone painted a great big bullseye over eastern NC and that where everything aims at.

Deadly Aim

Key West Pirate

[Silver Steele]

Silver Steele,

Keep your head down, it's headed your way!

Here on Hilton Head we only got a little wet, and it's been strangely quite. No birds or animals out and zero winds.

It was REALLY wierd here too. All Friday night it was calm. No sound. No wind. Nothing. It was literally a dead calm all night long. I kept the kids up most of the night, so we all basically slept thru the storm. At one point I know at least 41,000 people were without power on Saturday night. And today, there are still ALOT of people without power. Mine came back on Saturday evening. Cable's been out since then and just came back on today. About 1/3 of all Time Warners customers in this area were without cable until today. Seems they had to replace a 3 mile stretch of main line that went down, along with the main amps for the city. We had ALOT of trees that went down, were uprooted. Minor flooding. Minor structure damages like siding, shingles, a few lost windows. There didn't seem to be much rain with this one, but when it came off shore here (the eye passed right over us), the wind was directly out of the south. Figures that once it passed over us, it started to fall apart about 40 miles north of here...

One thing I noticed after the storm went thru was how the air smelled. It was so clean. Smelled like sea water and pine.

[Silver Steele]

Thought i would right a quick update. The Florida Keys were spared quite a lot of the storm. There was a bit of damage, but the majority of that is already cleaned up and everything is pretty much open for business. I did see a some shops still boarded up on Duval St. but we're getting back to normal until Earl gets closer. Silver Steele, you have my sympathies mate. I lived in the washington/bath/greenville NC area for about 10 years. we had 6 in 5 years there and the last one I went through was Floyd. I figured if I was gonna get hit by hurricanes every year anyway, I might as well be in Key West! Plus, never live anywhere near someplace called the "great dismal swamp" (check the map, it's there) Good luck during Hurricane season. At some point, someone painted a great big bullseye over eastern NC and that where everything aims at.

Deadly Aim

Key West Pirate

I was told last year when Isabel came thru that there's an old saying around here. All the hurricanes come straight up the Cape Fear river. Three storms this year and we've had to deal with them all.

Ocean paradise does have it's downfalls!

I'm starting to think like you KW. If I'm gonna have to deal with hurricanes, it might as well be in the caribbean!

[Master Sully]

Glad to hear all you ol' Salts are OK!

[Red Bess]

I am gettng reports of the storm from PAisley, almost everyday. She is fine for now, but the storm did get close as of last night.

I'lll post more when I have time..and info.

Anything new from Paisley?

The Florida Keys were spared quite a lot of the storm. There was a bit of damage, but the majority of that is already cleaned up and everything is pretty much open for business.

Glad to hear you're OK, KW. Been thinkin' about all of you on the southern east coast.

I was at our lake place in central Minnesota this weekend. Last week, straight-line winds took out trees, docks and turned over some trailers up there. We lost 3 trees, the pontoon canopy, some lawn chairs and the kid's wooden swing set. It's a bit of a mess, but really pretty minor stuff compared to hurricanes -- I guess I'll stay in the Midwest after all.

[Silver Steele]

I *finally* got to get a up-to-date on when the storm went thru, only three days later. Highest winds recorded here were 92mph at the Port Authority, with a 98 mph reading on the Cape Fear River, with average winds in the 80 mph range. We got over 8 inches of rain. Several awnings at gas stations were torn down. Couple of boats fell off their slips, and on to one another. Several business were also destroyed. A few houses had large trees fall on them. So far Wilmington alone, the damage value is about $8mill so far. That doesn't include the beaches. There's still over 30 thousand people without power around here.

Here's some pictures of the damage, if anyone's interested.

http://www.wwaytv3.com/Global/link.asp?L=1...60&nav=0zHRPs2s

[Master Sully]

Sorry Steele, but here comes another one. T.S. Gaston will be in your backyard this afternoon. We got lot's of rain and it is still pretty windy here. Surf was pounding Charleston last night, but unfortunately I was working and my board was two hours away. Keep an eye on Frances, we are!

[Silver Steele]

Things to do during a hurricane:

1. Reading all your old magazines by oil lamp.

2. Use moderate amounts of alcohol to make your own hurricanes.

3. Listen to music (as long as the batteries last and not listening to sounds of rain or ocean).

4. Sleep (until awakened by something hitting the house).

5. Sing a longs (when the batteries die).

6. Throwing sharp objects at people calmly singing Michael Row Your Boat Ashore.

7. Stealing batteries out of your kids toys for the radio to hear real music again.

8. Playing "Guess that Damage" as you hear things hit the house.

9. Thinking of your ex standing on the beach with a surfboard as the Hurricane crosses the coast.

10. Playing "Watch the ceiling" for leaks.

11. Playing "Guess the Date" for when you get the electricity, phone, and/or cable back.

12. Eating all the frozen food before it goes bad.

13. Going out during the eye to see where your forgotten outdoor items went.

14. Going out during the eye to see what new items you have earned laying in your yard from the storm

15. Playing "camp out" when you eat cold food. (Got sterno so I wouldn't have to do that one again.)

16. Playing "Whats that sound" when the batteries just died in your radio while the announcer was saying "Tornado Warning. Tornado sighted........(dead radio)."

17. Thinking "Maybe the storm surge dredged up some of that buried treasure out in the Atlantic from the wrecks off the coast and it's laying on the beach".

18. Spray paint the hurricane/tropical storm's name on the boards afterwards, realizing you've added 4 names in one year.

19. Thinking "Why did I EVER move to the hurricane magnet/captial of the world." (Actually Florida with 57 hurricanes in the past 100 years. NC with 26 and SC with 14.)

We were under a hurricane warning this morning, but now it's been downgraded to a tropical storm. Just getting occassional downpours from the outer bands coming on shore. SC looks like its getting a lot of wind and rain! Wierd thing is, if you look at a satellite, it looks like another one is trying to form about 350 miles due east off the coast.

(These links are active, meaing the image will change with time)

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/USNationa...v=none&pid=none

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/USNationa...v=none&pid=none

We, on the east coast, may get lucky with Frances, as they are forecasting it to not head this way. Thats the good news. The bad news, it's expected to slow down, strengthen to a cat 5 hurricane, and forcasted to head towards Florida in the same area as Charley hit. But I'm still keepin' a weather eye out. Me don't like hurricane surprises!