Reply: [ihc] Charley's turn to the right

[Ted Borck <tborck@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 16 Aug 2004, John Hofstetter wrote:

<snip>

> Missed you by 30 miles? Wow, that would tighten a sphincter or two. Glad it 
> did miss you. I have two sets of friends in Fort Myers that I need to get in 
> touch with. Except that they don't respond to their e-mail. Do you suppose 
> they may be busy?
John:

Charley was chugging towards, then up the west coast of Florida like 
"Proud Mary."

"Big wheel keep on turning,
Proud Charley keep on churning.
Rolling, rolling up the Gulf Stream."

Another hour of Charley coming up the coast (at 18 mph forward motion), 
and there'd a been a 10 ft wall of water (during high tide) heading 
towards my place.

Didn't ride out the storm, as I am a native of Florida.

Tis far better to leave and wish you'd stayed,
than to stay and wish you'd left.

During the return trip north, Sat a.m., I drove through the Ft Meyers - 
I-75 corridor.

Although I don't know your friends' situation, the majority of the damage 
(along the I-75 corridor) appeared to have occured approx 20 - 30 miles 
further north in the Punta Gorda, Peace River (flows into Charlotte 
Harbor) area.

But even in Ft. Meyers, I expect your friends are busy, fixing their 
condition - or assisting someone else.

For the most part, from about 15 miles south of the Peace River north 
along the I-75 corridor; everything which was turned over (freight 
containers, semi-trailers, box trucks), bent over (100' highway lights, 
interstate highway signs), broken off (pine and oak trees, interstate 
highway signs), or ripped out and scattered (highway signs, roofs and 
buildings, pointed towards the east.

Continuing north across the Peace River, for the most part, everything 
which was broken, bent, ripped out, or trashed, was moved to the west.

But there was also a lot of evidence of tornado activity here and there, 
in a much wider area.

FWIW, Sunday night, during the return trip south, there were no 
residential or business lights to be seen in the Punta Gorda-Peace River 
I-75 corridor.

Whereas in the Ft Meyers I-75 corridor, there appeared to be a lot of 
residential and busines lights.

Anything I can do to help your friends?

--
Ted Borck	tborck@domain.elided