[ihc] Reply: Teds flashlight, hurricane Frances

[Ted Borck <tborck@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 6 Sep 2004 DeepSouthScouts@domain.elided wrote:

> From: Ted Borck <tborck@domain.elided>
> =snipi=
> Here in the semi-tropical paradise of Miami, FL, we get a lot of power
> outages; due to the numerous 40 ft palm trees dropping fronds on power
> lines. Why do people plant them that close to power lines? - Cause they
> look good - especially when there is no electricity.
>
> IAE, we keep a flashlight in a certain place on a bookcase in the center
> of the house. When the lights go out - it's handy to know *exactly* where
> to go to and reach an emergency source of light.
>
> House guests are advised of the reason and location of the flashlight.
>
> =snipqe=
>
> Ted,
> I hope you didnt/dont need that flashlight. Sending all kinds of good
> thoughts your way from here in south Alabama where it now seems that we dodged the
> bullet, for the time being anyway. Ivan may bear watching.
Thurs, Sept 2nd, approx 4:00 a.m., I suddenly woke up sensing something 
had changed.

No electicity!

Hurricane Frances hadn't even arrived, and the power is out.  Is Miami a 
great city or what?  Yes I had to use the flashlight.

Thurs, being the day we planned to take off work, shutter the house in 
Miami, and go to Englewood (west coast of FL).  The idea being to place 
the state of Florida between us and Frances.

The place in Englwood was also the designated place of refuge for family 
and friends who live in Palm Beach county.

So the 3 hour lack of power threw us off schedule by 3 - 4 hours.

Everything was fine in Englewood.

Listened to the wind blow 20 - 40, 40 - 60, 40 - 20 mph from Sunday 
morning to Monday morning.

It was a huge hurricane.  Hurricane Charley would have fit inside the eye 
wall of Francis.

Watched the wind on the waves on the bay; start from the NE and shift to 
the SW, as the eye passed approx 120 miles north of us.

7 adults, 4 children below the age of 4, 6 dogs and 4 cats.

Today, everything is OK in Miami, but not in Palm Beach County.

--
Ted Borck	tborck@domain.elided