Deverill Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 Rita is anything but lovely. She's a big bag of wind! The storm soon to be known as Hurricane Rita (should we change the name to a symbol? ) is on her way. The winds here in Key West area are gusting from 25 to 35 mph so it's not bad yet. The flooding is not happening either so that's great news. They are on the radio saying they have downgraded their estimates from 90MPH to 80MPH when it gets here and the path is veering ever so slightly away from what it was before. Of course, no one knows... But anyway, my neighbor took down his maibox so it doesn't get destroyed but this morning I look out and he has 2 plastic trash cans sitting out there... go figure! Anyway, we seem to have paid attention as a community and almost everyone is boarded up so damage should be minimal. Yesterday they were panicing and saying Category 3 and Georges-type damage... fitting the movie Cry Wolf is out soon. People will stop listening if they keep doing that. 2 out of 3 of the fire pager towers are "malfunctioning" so I hope we don't have any fires soon after the storm. We got about 12 more hours of storm/flood potential. I'll post as I can for updates. Pray for the folks in TX / LA where this thing will probably go after here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head Guru Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 God Speed Jimbo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samrc Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 Thoughts and prayers go with you as you batten the hatches yet one more time this season! - Samantha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxturt Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 Best of luck to you and yours Jim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deverill Posted September 20, 2005 Author Share Posted September 20, 2005 Still looking good here. The winds picked up a bit but nothing terrible. I'm not seeing any flooding where I am but I live 17 miles up the road from Key West proper... they have more problems there because of the layout of the land. The path is looking better and the strength is not as much as they first feared so it's promising to be a minor event for the most part. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers - they seem to be working! Just wanted to check in and let you know we're ok so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCH-Don Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 All my prayers go out to you and all in the path of Rita. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisety Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 Jim, So glad it is looking like a minor storm. Those can get you out of your rut without causing much harm. Stay safe, Lise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCH-Bruce Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 Best of luck with the storm Jim. And everyone else in it's path. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtis Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 My thoughts and prayers are with you Jim. Good luck and stay safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCH-Rob Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 Jimbo, Stay safe there. I was thinking of you last night watching the news about the path of that storm. Keep the updates coming when you can so we know all is well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmanmcp Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 Hang onto your hat Jim, CNN just upgraded Rita to a Catagory 2. Stay safe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deverill Posted September 20, 2005 Author Share Posted September 20, 2005 Well, we're still here! My neighbor lost a few shingles from his roof and everything around here blows... but we are all safe and dry... except me who went out in the middle of it to see what was going on with the house. Good thing too, I was about to lose a big strip of my vinyl siding and caught it in time to keep it from peeling off. Water's rising but no flood problem at my home - Key West is probably up to car doors by now by just guessing. The power just went off so we'll see what happens with that - that's the problem of 150 miles of wire supplying the power - any place that breaks plunges the whole place into darkness. Again, all is well as of 3:33 pm - I don't expect anything else to happen cuz we should be passing the worst of it now. Thanks for the thoughts and prayers - they are appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deverill Posted September 21, 2005 Author Share Posted September 21, 2005 Probably the final update as far as the Florida Keys are concerned... The hurricane, which became a Category 2 as it was in the area, is now about 65 miles away and the winds and rain are quieting down. Still gusty around strong Tropical Storm or barely-Cat-1 but not the constant barrage it has been since about 11AM. It seems everything is pretty good here - not much flooding and few downed trees from what I'm hearing from others I know here. Please, everyone on the "opposite cost" of the gulf watch out - this got relatively big fast - it was a tropical storm at 11-ish and a Cat 2 by 3-ish. I did buy a generator after Dennis and hadn't used it yet so when the power went out I was happy I had it and ready to use it. I went out and filled the oil and poured the gas and found the switch and got ready to pull the cord and the power came on. I started it anyway The power went back off in a minute or two so I cranked it back and got a fan and light going and was trying to figure how to get online. I had the extension cords but they were 2 prongers and I had 3 prong power strips that I needed to use. Well, about the time I got everything figured out the power came back on for good. I'm glad I have it and don't need it rather than the opposite. So... who in our family is in the path now? Please be careful and let us know how you are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevevan Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 Heard on the Weather Channel (I think) about a tornado hitting up in Marathon causing significant damage. Stay hunkered down Jim until tomorrow morning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borfast Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 Glad to know everything is OK with you, Jim! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deverill Posted September 21, 2005 Author Share Posted September 21, 2005 Although Marathon is 33 miles away I stayed buttoned down yesterday. Came to work today to get everything back in order though. Here's a lesson for anyone in the path... Rita went from a "Oh, it's nothing, it's just a tropical storm" to a "Destructive Category 2 Hurricane" in 4 hours! Much too close to decide to leave when it happened... even if I wanted to. It jogged south so we were spared the worst of it but it could have been very ugly very fast so if you are in an area prone to them, don't take them lightly... Mother Nature is a nasty lady at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCH-Bruce Posted September 22, 2005 Share Posted September 22, 2005 And now it's a category 5 hurricane and bearing down on the Texas coast. People heed the warnings and evacuate if you are asked. Good luck, best wishes and prayers to all in the path of this storm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCH-Rick Posted September 22, 2005 Share Posted September 22, 2005 Just spoke to my brother and they are leaving in a bit from Houston. My sister moved in with him when she evacuated from St. Bernard Parish so it is pretty freaky to be leaving again so soon. I'm glad we live in the mountains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisety Posted September 22, 2005 Share Posted September 22, 2005 I live in the Austin area and they're predicting that we'll get Hurricane Rita at a category 1! Hard to believe she's so powerful that she'll keep her strength this far inland. Let's all stay safe. Lise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted September 22, 2005 Share Posted September 22, 2005 I live in the Austin area and they're predicting that we'll get Hurricane Rita at a category 1! Hard to believe she's so powerful that she'll keep her strength this far inland. Let's all stay safe.Lise maybe it will level crawford, tx on it's path. who knows? anyway that guy in baton rouge for katrina should experience an even stronger storm with rita if it hits at Galveston as they say. the right side of this counter-clockwise storms are stronger than the left and BR will be at about the same distance, just on the wrong side this time. this one looks about 25% larger on the radar than katrina. good luck to everybody in the wrong place, so to speak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtis Posted September 22, 2005 Share Posted September 22, 2005 maybe it will level crawford, tx on it's path. who knows? anyway that guy in baton rouge for katrina should experience an even stronger storm with rita if it hits at Galveston as they say. the right side of this counter-clockwise storms are stronger than the left and BR will be at about the same distance, just on the wrong side this time. this one looks about 25% larger on the radar than katrina. good luck to everybody in the wrong place, so to speak. I don't know if I will be in Baton Rouge for Rita. I'm trying to decide if I want to leave and right now YES is a little higher up the list than NO. If Rita hits Galveston thats about 240 miles and Kitrina hit near Biloxi which is about 125 miles. But as you said Rita will hit to the east. I'm a little more nervous this time. If Rita turns just a little more north than predicted it will be time to Put MY Head Between MY Knees and Kiss My something Goodbye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vengavenga Posted September 22, 2005 Share Posted September 22, 2005 Sky News in the UK have just reported that Rita has been downgraded to cat 4 ... Ali. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisety Posted September 22, 2005 Share Posted September 22, 2005 Rita goes up, Rita goes down, Rita goes up, etc. Lise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deverill Posted September 23, 2005 Author Share Posted September 23, 2005 maybe it will level crawford, tx on it's path. who knows? Why anyone would wish that on any community, I'll never understand. Remember, politically heated comments are against the board policy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevevan Posted September 23, 2005 Share Posted September 23, 2005 From the FWIW Department...Pensacola had sustained winds in the 60-70 mph range during Katrina's march. And we were even farther away than Biloxi! I feel for those people in New Orleans and who evacuated to Houston. The good part is that the intesity is now a Cat 3. The bad part is that a Cat 3 can still do some significant damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 Why anyone would wish that on any community, I'll never understand. Remember, politically heated comments are against the board policy. I never understood hurricanes until 2 Cat2's passed close by my hometown about a year ago. Roughly 3 weeks apart. I would not wish that on anyone. But these storms do have paths and I was musing on the path of Rita. People say they understand the plight of hurricane victims, but the best teacher is experience. There was not anything political in my comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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