I live in Miami-Dade County in South Florida. Although we will not feel the full effects of Frances, conditions are beginning to deteriorate here. I have an avocado tree in my back yard and my FRONT yard is littered with leaves from the tree. Avocados, scotch bonnet peppers and key limes litter my back yard. The wind is rattling the plywood that covers my back windows and twice I've lost power briefly. 25,900 Miami-Dade county customers and 68,000 Broward County customers are without power but Florida Power & Light is no longer restoring power due to dangerous conditions. Firefighters in Miami Gardens are fighting a fire caused by the rupture of an underground gas main.
I watched in awe as my avocado tree bowed to the power of the wind but did not break. After I was hit in the forehead by flying debris from the avocado tree I abandoned my attempts to take photographs and made a hasty retreat into my home.
For all of those in the direct path of Frances may almighty God be with you and your families. May he grant you protection and peace.
Hurricane FrancesThe Wind is Picking Up
Delecie, pictures are of no importance now, your safety and all those in the path are. Take cover, and be as safe as you can be.
Linda in Victoria BC
Hi Delecie!
Glad that you are spared the full force of the eye of ol' Frances, but she is so big that it seems as if all of Florida is going to be affected. I'm sure that gale-force winds extend out from the center for quite a ways -- definitely a danger, as you have experienced.
MG99 is right....awesome to see pictures, but not at the expense of your safety. (But if you can take a snapshot from inside, throught a window..... LOL.)
Keep safe!
Jean
You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Judy & Bob
Jean, I don't know if you've noticed, but the break out spot on the gulf coast of Florida keeps dropping farther south all the time. It's still possible it'll head here after getting into the gulf. I've got my camper ready for possible flight to Memphis.
This message was edited Sep 4, 2004 4:30 PM
Thank-you all for your well wishes and prayers.
Jean:
As always, you are a riot! Although my head aches, I laughed at your idea of taking a snapshot from inside. If I do that, the only thing I'd take a photograph of would be the plywood that covers every window. LOL At any rate, I've learned my lesson and I won't go outside again today.
This message was edited Sep 4, 2004 5:26 PM
John..... I noticed.
The NHC keeps shifting the "cone" westward. Local meteorologists are saying that a new front will carry Frances in a more northerly direction after she crosses Florida, but I'm battening down the hatches here anyway. One never knows with these storms.
After having evacuated for Georges, I wouldn't even attempt to get on the road if there is a sudden turn toward us, as there is too little time and the roads would most likely be gridlocked. And 'on the road' is NO place to be in a storm. If you do leave, please be careful!
Delecie, I can just picture what the inside of your house is like right now. Isn't it creepy when all the windows are boarded-up?
The day AFTER Andrew passed, the winds were still fierce and all sorts of things kept banging against the plywood covering the windows, which frightened me more than if I could actually see what was out there (but then if I could see around the plywood, my windows would have been smashed to smithereens).
At least you still have electricity! Now do you have the IMPORTANT stuff, like Little Debbie cakes or other major snacks, on hand? LOL. Take care sweetie.
Jean
Delecie
keep yourself safe,,, I hope you are going to be ok !! prayers are with you all down there,,,
cheryle
Thanks for the update, delecie. Not hearing much from the others further north.
its going to be a rough night !!! keep safe all in FL !!!
Jean:
I'm laughing out loud again, one of those good belly laughs! While I don't have Little Debbie cakes, I do have a dwindling supply of yogurt, pistachios, and peanuts. I finished off the pita chips a few hours ago :-) I am blessed to have electricity and if I still have it tomorrow, I'll cook a meal.
You're right about the house being creepy when it's all boarded up. It's dark and cave like and it looks like perpetual night inside. I love sunlight and fresh air and I'll be glad when the storm passes so that I can safely go outside again.
My head still aches a bit so I'm planning to get some sleep now. I pray that the storm will not pass your way. Take care Jean.
Jean, you stay safe !!! thoughts are with you all,,
I have not had to deal with those kinds of storms here, but I bet with no outside light it does gett creepy,,,,
take care
cheryle
Delicie,
If I had a headache and was out of SNACKS, I'd go to bed too! LOL.
Hope you feel better in the morning. Please let us know you are still safe in your location.
And next time, stock up on more snacks! Whenever a hurricane threatens this area, I have a standard shopping list:
Bottled water
Canned goods
Batteries
Little Debbie Cakes (can't do a hurricane without 'em)
Holy Cow, I really havent been paying much attention to the weather much and just noticed that were in the path of it "on the other side"...
Guess tomorrow i should start picking stuff up?
You all are in my prayers.
Jen! Where have you BEEN? LOL.
Yes, it would be a good idea to start getting things in order.... just in case. The meteorologists have been all over the place with the predicted path.
I'm going to start moving plants into the shed and picking up the yard so that I don't have 'missiles' to deal with, should the storm veer farther west than anticipated.
Whew, now it looks like it may track further east.....
LSP, burying my head like an ostrich, lol
here is the path they say on the weather channel
http://www.weather.com/newscenter/tropical/
Frances just blew through here...the main brunt of the storm was 30 miles North, but the feeder bands are producing 50-72 MPH winds and this is after it came all the way across the state! I live on a barrier island and had to evacuate 3 weeks ago for Charley and for Fances it was a voluntary evacuation ONLY because the hotels, motels, shelters were still full with the homeless from Charley, the rescue/Red Cross/FEMA etc.workers not to mention the east coast people fleeing Frances too! Florida is one big gridlock! The poor folks inland are really getting the worst of it all. No roof from Charley and here comes Frances. Just got power back on from Charley and here comes Frances....poor, poor folks!
dalep6 glad to hear your ok,,
I feel so bad for all those down there,, must be a scary thing to go through
take care
cheryle
Good morning and so glad you are ok dale....do you still have power today?
It sure is nice to see some Floridians posting :D
It's been gusty here since around 3:30 this morning. At 8:30 it started to rain...not bad or very long. Still waiting to see what happens in the next couple of hours.
Power is back on after a long and windy night. Several large branches down...they make a BIG noise falling on a metal roof! But all is OK. It is hard to believe how many leaves can pile up...it looks like Fall up north, but all the leaves are green. A large branch fell right on top of my Tigrina that I have babied and was so proud of...too much TLC...it had gotten too big to drag in! But if that's all that's wrong, I am blessed! My dad was right in the middle of it in Jupiter and I knew he was OK in my mind, but my heart was very worried. Got to talk to him this morning and was so glad to hear his voice! He's 83 but so hale and hearty. He has no landscaping left, no power, no phone, but the water came back on. He also put in a generator two years ago because my mom who died six months ago was ill, so at least his kitchen things are working...lucky, we are lucky. Say a prayer for the people inland who were least able to absorb this kind of loss and have been slammed twice. Some of them had just moved into FEMA provided trailers a week ago and had to leave again! Isn't it nice to be able to ask fro prayers without being censored?
Wheww...glad you made it through okay, Dale.
My brother lives in Sarasota, near the airport I think. Can't get thru (telephone) for some reason. Were parts of Sarasota hit harder than other areas?
I'm happy to read that some of my fellow Floridian DGers made it safely through Frances' fury. I was extremely blessed here. I spent today clearing away fallen branches, leaves and fruit, mowing the lawn, removing some of the plywood covering my windows and returning most of the potted plants to the yard. Now, all eyes are on Ivan.
Not sure where Homestead is... is anyone near Panama City? I have twin nephews (25) who live there and haven't heard lately how they're weathering the storm. If someone could check in and let us know how they're fairing in the panhandle, it would be a relief for me and others, I'm sure.
Our thoughts and prayers have been with you through these tropical storms and hurricanes. God Bless!
Weeds lives there and is doing fine.....she says they are on the better side of Frances.
Oh good. Thank you hon!
fla friends, glad to hear from yall. My heart goes out to so many who are misplaced.
Panama City is in the panhandle and Frances passed to the east of it...through Tallahassee...so Panama City was on the good side...NE of the hurricanes are the worst. Horseshoe...all these storms are spotty...some houses have power and right down the street do not. The airport is open so that is good news. I live on a barrier island and we thought it was over for all intents and purposes, but during the night, the feeder bands moved out into the Gulf before making landfall and got stronger from the warm water. He should be fine, but without power and if he forgot to have a phone...an old fashioned one that does not need power...you wouldn't be able to contact him. Plus Sprint cellulars are all down, or were today....Monday 10PM now
Thanks Dale. Appreciate the update!
I'll try calling him again tomorrow. Much obliged.