Hurricane Irma - #3

Tabirey said:

So glad everyone is ok!
Thank you so much Spellbound for being so caring and taking the time to make sure all of us made through Irma! This is why I love Websleuths, all of the wonderful people on here who genuinely care!

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Was all I could do.... had to make sure we all made it through!
:loveyou:

Spellbound said:

Was all I could do.... had to make sure we all made it through!
:loveyou:

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Well, my vote is that you did an excellent job!

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/09/05/us/hurricane-irma-map.html?mcubz=3
Maps: Tracking Hurricane Irma’s Path Over Florida
UPDATED 5:00 PM ET, SEPT. 11, 2017

Final Hurricane IRMA update – West Central FL, Tampa Bay, Pinellas County:

It seems Hurricane MARIA will steer clear of our FL West Coast, so we finished yard cleanup and put everything back into the yard like potted plants, patio furniture, solar lights, yard art, etc.

IRMA was a CAT 1 when she passed to the east of our Tampa Bay area, and thus wasn’t a significant test for our CrimSafe sliding-glass door screen and our aluminum roof, but both held up with no damage.

During the worst of the howling winds Monday morning, we heard a lot of Clunk-Roll-Thud noises which sounded like bricks (!), but were just small tree limbs.

We don’t have shutters and did not board up our 35 year-old windows. A few neighbors boarded their windows and put sandbags at their front door.

All of my wood fencing stayed strong, but most neighbors still have some wood fence panels to repair/replace as well as removing some downed trees. No house structural damage in our neighborhood.

We did not evacuate our Zone D. Our street did not completely flood and we could still see the middle crest of the road.

We were without power for FOUR days. Mon & Tues were mild and comfortable. Wed & Thu were hot. We kept cool with wearing wet sweatbands and wet hats; and had small table-top battery operated fans blowing directly toward our heads. We had hot water because we have a gas water heater, so were able to wash up comfortably.

I pre-loaded our bathtub with about 20 gallons of bottled tap water just in case we lost the municipal water supply, which didn’t happen.

Refrigerator stayed cool and freezer stayed cold. I pre-froze six ¾ filled plastic gallon containers, so we had six good chunks of block ice. By day four, the freezer was in essence acting as the refrigerator as I had transferred all of the valuable cold food to the freezer section. When power was restored, a small portion of each block ice container was still frozen in the freezer section.

OK I washed the fridge in white vinegar for the fourth time - seemed to help eliminate any leftover odors. Better to do it before stocking it up with food again.

The sky is yellow, it is pouring outside. thunder and lightning, sirens screeching up the road 5 minutes ago (probably a vehicle accident), lights flickered but did not go off. And DH and I are watching "Kiss of the Vampire" - seems suitable for a night like this.

I need some hot orange tea.

Greta Van Susteren flew over the Keys today and took pictures from a helicopter: https://www.facebook.com/greta/posts/1860704187277766








More at link.... Absolutely devastating destruction.

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/pittman-why-irma-drained-the-water-from-tampa-bay/2338244

Why Irma drained the water from Tampa Bay
Thursday, September 21, 2017 10:00am

Nobody could believe it. As Hurricane Irma approached Florida, Tampa Bay suddenly went dry. People hopped down onto the bay bottom, now a vast sandy expanse, and walked around, stunned. […]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/weathe...e-hillsborough-county-and-tampa-still/2338479
Who is in charge during a hurricane? Hillsborough County and Tampa still can't agree
Sunday, September 24, 2017 6:00am
TAMPA — Who has the authority to order an evacuation during a hurricane?
In Hillsborough County, that depends on whom you ask.
County Administrator Mike Merrill says he alone can call for an evacuation, and that Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn was out of line when he announced that some city residents needed to leave their homes two days before Hurricane Irma's approach. Buckhorn disagrees.
The rift emerged at perhaps the worst possible moment: during the critical final days before Irma's date with Tampa Bay.
[…]

Some sad news...

[h=1]Worker killed after touching live powerline on Siesta Key[/h]
[FONT=&quot]SARASOTA, FL (WWSB) – A tree worker was killed Sunday afternoon after touching a live powerline on Siesta Key.


Prayers for his family.[/FONT]

So glad that Spell kept track of everyone here for Irma, and ALL are accounted for. :grouphug:

We have one of our members in Puerto Rico we are still :waiting: to hear from on the hurricane Maria thread who lives in Puerto Rico.

:grouphug:

raying: for Archangel85 and her family

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?349624-Hurricane-Maria-September-2017/page3

This is good. It’s been 3 weeks since Hurricane Irma blew through.
In the Tampa Bay area, we still have huge piles of debris in all neighborhoods I drive by.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-pres...d-j-trump-amends-florida-disaster-declaration
The White House
[FONT=&amp]Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

October 02, 2017​

[/FONT]President Donald J. Trump Amends Florida Disaster Declaration

[FONT=&amp]Today, President Donald J. Trump made additional disaster assistance available to the State of by authorizing an increase in the level of Federal funding for debris removal undertaken in the State of Florida as a result of Hurricane Irma.
Under the President’s major disaster declaration issued for the State of Florida on September 10, 2017, Federal funding was made available for debris removal at 75 percent of the total eligible costs.
Under the President’s order today, the Federal share for debris removal, including direct Federal assistance, has been increased to 90 percent of the total eligible costs for a period of 30 days from the date of the declaration.



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Bently said:

So glad that Spell kept track of everyone here for Irma, and ALL are accounted for. :grouphug:

We have one of our members in Puerto Rico we are still :waiting: to hear from on the hurricane Maria thread who lives in Puerto Rico.

:grouphug:

raying: for Archangel85 and her family

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?349624-Hurricane-Maria-September-2017/page3

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archangel posted on the “Maria” thread.... and says he’s a HE! :giggle: His family is OK, but no power or phone service. Much devastation all around, ai believe. He was able to get to town to post. much relieved to hear from him, but they are far from being done.

Family finds answers 59 years after Canadian naval pilot crashes off coast of Florida

When Lt. Barry Troy's jet vanished off the coast of Florida just minutes after taking off from the HMCS Bonaventure on February 25th 1958 his family thought there was still hope.

After two weeks of searching, the only evidence the U.S. Navy could find of a crash was a helmet, log book and a few small piece of metal. Since that crash, Lt. Troy's family has experienced grief, heartbreak and a quest for answers about that final flight.

Nearly sixty years later the family received a call from a reporter in Florida telling them rangers at Hanna Park had made a historic discovery.

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http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/family-fin...-pilot-crashes-off-coast-of-florida-1.3614567

More on this story:

[h=3]His family spent 59 years ‘in the dark.’ Then Irma washed his tangled Navy gear ashore[/h]
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article176884046.html

MelmothTheLost said:

More on this story:

His family spent 59 years ‘in the dark.’ Then Irma washed his tangled Navy gear ashore


http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article176884046.html

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Thank you so much for the link. What an amazing story! What were the chances of something like this happening that way? So very poignant.

Thank you again...

http://www.wtsp.com/weather/irma/key-west-marker-restored-after-hurricane-irma_/485533995
Key West marker restored after Hurricane Irma
5:21 AM. EDT October 24, 2017
KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) — Artists have restored one of the most photographed tourism icons in the Florida Keys after it was damaged by Hurricane Irma. [...]

http://www.fox13news.com/news/local-news/pinellas-debris-pickup-october
Pinellas County nears completion of Irma debris cleanup
UPDATED: OCT 27 2017 05:41PM EDT

[FONT=&amp]ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) - Calls for cleanup are still happening in portions of the Bay Area, with piles of debris lingering in the front yards of some following Hurricane Irma.
But officials in Pinellas County say they are inching closer to clearing the streets completely.
[...]
Since Irma, he says crews have already picked up nearly double the amount of waste they typically gather in an entire year.

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