Report of Building Collapse..

[weatherlover427]

The police and fire department's job is to protect and to serve. But in situations like this it is too dangerous for even them to be doing their outdoor jobs. I wouldn't want to see anyone in a mangled car wreck or burning up in a house / building fire. In fact I NEVER want to wish harm upon ANYONE!

[gatorbabe79]

Earlier in the evening they had reported on TV seeing people driving out to the islands as the storm was heading in. After hearing that, I wouldn't discount that car report. What are people thinking? It's unfortunate that the warnings never seem to reach everyone.

The Hurricane Jeanne Darwin Award goes to...

MW

natural selection?

[Jupiter]

Short story on the car going off the bridge
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/storm/cont ... riefs.html

[Janie34]

Its unfortunately true that during all severe wx events, from hurricanes to blizzards, you have people who take foolish chances, even criminally negligent actions. Its as though they think the police and the government issue these warnings and restrictions for the fun of it. I'll wager the driver of that truck in Pensacola didn't think he'd end up at the bottom of the bay when he started his voyage across that bridge. You can't play with a major hurricane (or really any hurricane for that matter) and think you'll emerge unscathed.

I hope those reports about the cars on the bridge turn out to be untrue, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if they were true.

[caribepr]

...and now we know how to use the bleach too!

[Brent]

Earlier in the evening they had reported on TV seeing people driving out to the islands as the storm was heading in. After hearing that, I wouldn't discount that car report. What are people thinking? It's unfortunate that the warnings never seem to reach everyone.

The Hurricane Jeanne Darwin Award goes to...

MW

I agree.

Stupid people.

[Robert]

The police and fire department's job is to protect and to serve. But in situations like this it is too dangerous for even them to be doing their outdoor jobs. I wouldn't want to see anyone in a mangled car wreck or burning up in a house / building fire. In fact I NEVER want to wish harm upon ANYONE!

I am a firefighter and EMT. I have blocked many roads with bad accidents (where it would be dangerous for the people trying to get someone out of a car into an ambulance or helicopter for people to be driving by). There is nothing you can do to stop stupid people from driving by. One day we had two firetrucks blocking the entire road plus a big flashing arrow pointing them to a road that would bring them past the accident. A woman drove up, onto somebodies front yard, then back down onto the road and drove off (dispite us yelling for her to stop). Luckily, in that situation, there were about 10 police cars on the same radio frequency as we were. I drove down to where she was stopped and she claimed that she had no idea the road was closed. Having to drive up on someone's lawn never even gave her a clue (yes, she got a big ticket).

Having someone sitting at the roadblock (up here they use big "Road Closed" signs) might stop a few more people, but the simple fact is that many drivers feel that it will never happen to them, and the rules to do not apply to them. Obviously I am all for protecting people and saving lives (that is what we do), but it also takes a bit of responsibility on the person's part. There has to be a point where we say that we have done what is reasonably possible and they chose to take an unreasonable risk.

That does not effect my sympathy for the families of anyone injured or killed. We do put on lives on the line on a regular basis, but also have the equipment and resourses to make it safer (not safe, just safer). But if we have taken reasonable actions to protect life and property, it is unreasonable to ask us to sit in a car during a hurricane to protect people who are choosing not to listen or obey what we have done to protect them.

I hope people do not take this as a cold remark, just a view from the other side.

[baygirl_1]

Is there any more word about the building collapse in Jensen Beach? Has it been confirmed? I haven't seen that on TV, yet. I'm concerned because we do business with a company down in that area. The last time I spoke with them was just before Ivan hit us and they were wishing us well. I didn't get to call them last week because we were trying to clean up at work. Now, I'm very worried for them. If anyone has anymore info about that situation, I'd appreciate you sharing it.
Thanks!
(I missed the board last night. Wish I could have been here with y'all, but the clean-up from Ivan has taken its toll on my respiratory tract! Ugh!)

[therealashe]

Can you imagine how bad things must have been on Hutchinson Island for people to risk evacuating at the height of the storm over a low bridge?

[Pebbles]

What's really sad is people chose to take that risk because they were so bone tired (or chose not to for various other reasons) of evacuating because of all the other storms.

[mijakamaj]

Why aren't police car blockades at the foot of the bridges with live policemen in the cars???

At what point should people be expected to take some personal responsibility? I mean, come on. In the middle of a severe weather event, LE and local officials can only do so much. If someone is driving and comes to a bridge with barriers placed in front of the entrance they SHOULD know that this is a sign that travel on that particular bridge is perilous. Barriers combined with a severe weather event such as a hurricane should lead this person to determine that travel is dangerous. Some people, sadly, make foolish choices with fatal outcomes.

[charleston_hugo_veteran]

I wonder why he was out there on I-10? the driver had to have known about Ivan's approach. Was the driver found? i found that strange as well

Yes, the driver was found in the bay
And yes, I am sure the bridge was closed to traffic, as were all roads at that point. I expect the driver made it across the Mobile Bay causeway and thought if he could make it through Pensacola, he could out run the storm. A bad idea to be sure.

Forgive me for saying this but.........
If you have no need for your own life(by being an idiot and driving across a bridge in a hurricane), then you deserve what ya get!

[Aimless]

can't give an exact location, but the local news had a report of two 72yoa women who evacuated from their trailer on the coast to a hotel/cottage near where they worked ( Satellite Beach ...maybe??) and a roof from a nearby hotel/apartment blew off and landed on top of the cottage. Someone from the restaurant where they worked and a bystander dug the out of the smashed cottage. They were shook up but were essetially unharmed. ( Could this be the collaped building report??)