Post Your Hurricane Experiences

[vacanechaser]

I think I will post this link for you.. Have photos s well.. Sure most of you hav seen them.. But this is by far the worst I have been through...

http://www.vastormphoto.com/charley2004pg1.htm


You can see more at the link below..


Jesse V. Bass III
http://www.vastormphoto.com

[cycloneye]

Any more hurricane experiences?

[jdray]

Was 5 years old during the brush with Hurricane David. Scared me easily.

In 1989, I watched the high waves from Hugo and wondered why I was too scared to get in the water while standing on the beach in my wetsuit holding a board.

2004:
watched nervously as Bonnie spawned tornados

watched nervously as Charley moved just far enough south to spare us any damage

sat in the dark for 4 days while power was being restored from Frances. went without a phone for 8 days. enjoyed 3 days of high winds with tornado warnings blaring every 2 minutes from whatever radio I had on.
Cringed every time I heard a high wind gust as a tornado had spawned sunday morning over my house and touched down just a mile away.

sat in the dark with my 4 month pregnant wife while Jeanne once again took out power in our area.luckliy Frances had already taken down most tree limbs near power lines, while tree crews pruned the rest, reducing the damage.


*no damage physically, but plenty of mental grief as Ivan ripped through my wife's grandparents house in Brewton Alabama, (45 minutes north of Pensacola)


Even though not major damage, 2004 will be forever remembered by me.

[cajungal]

I have my post about my hurricane Andrew experience on the previous page. That was the worse. That was the only hurricane that I been through and we were still 25 miles east of the eyewall. But, it was the only time in my lifetime that I experienced winds of 100 mph.

I went through many brushes and tropical storms. I was a little bit too young to remember Hurricane Juan. I was around 9 years old and don't remember anything but rain. Terrebonne Parish had lots of flooding.

I went through Tropical Storm Allison. I barely made it home from work that day. It rained the whole entire day and it started to flood. But, even so, they would not close the store or even let us go home early. So, I finished my shift and tried to go home. The bridge by the mall was almost completly washed over. You could barely tell what was the bayou and what was the highway. The usual 15 minute drive back to my house took over 30 minutes. Luckily, I got home when I did. Because the weather steadily got worse. It started to rain so hard that you could not see your hand in front of your face. It would not stop. I remember staying up all night. My neighbors called frantic. We had to go help them sandbag. Water was almost in there home. When it was all said and done, Schriever and Thibodaux was under 4 feet of water. Not all over. Just in certain places. The neighborhood directly across the highway from us was under 4 feet. Lots lost their homes. We sat high and dry at my house. We never once flooded at my home. We are probably at the highest point in my neighborhood. Because everyone else almost had water in their home.

Tropical Storm Bill- not much to tell. Just a little wind and lots of rain. He was just mostly a rainmaker. And the center passed directly over my house. They did not even shut most of the businessess down. I was off of work that day. But, if I wasn't, I would of had to report to work as usual.

Tropical Storm Isidore- I slept through most of it. And again, the center passed directly over my house. Just some rain and gusty winds. We lost power for several hours. That time they had to shut down the mall and I did not go to work that day. The whole mall was without power that whole day. There was lots of flooding in Houma.

Hurricane Lili- we were expected to get hit with the northern eyewall at the last minute. Because she made an eastern jog. My brother was out video taping because we both found it scary but exciting at the same time. My neighbors came over because they did not feel their home would withstand the 145 mph winds. We live in a brick home that is pretty strong. The wind started to whistle through the house and all the lights started flickering. My aunt who lives in Kenner was screaming for us to evacuate. Scaring us saying that anyone who chose to ride out Lili in Terrebonne Parish would be picked up in a body bag. It was way too late to leave. Lili was almost on our doorstep. We lost power for only a few minutes. And it came right back on. It is amazing we did not lose power. We were getting at least Tropical Storm force winds. The weather did not get any worse. So, I went to bed. She hit New Iberia instead. So, we were spared. Close call.

That is all the experiences that stick out in my head right now. Living in coastal southeast Louisiana, I am sure it won't be my last. I can't wait to track down hurricane season 2005 and just hope it is a safe one for everyone!

[LSU2001]

Hey Cajungal,
I am going to move down your way this summer. I am planning to move in July or August to Cut Off. I guess I will experience Hurricanes a little closer to the coast now. I currently live in the BR area.
See Ya,
Tim

[beenthru6]

I have been through 6 hurricanes (you all would have never guessed that right?) The first one was Hugo. I remember sitting in the fire Dept. Bay in N Myrtle Beach listening to the winds roar and the big Bay doors shake. Next morning at dawn I went with several other police personnel to Cherry Grove to see the damage. This being my very first hurricane, I was shocked to see how much damage had been done, considering Hugo came ashore a good deal south of us. Several houses were gone, washed into the ocean, There were refridgerators, stoves, couches, you name it laying in the middle of Ocean Blvd. More than half of Cherry Grove wasn't even accessible, because the road was either gone or still under lots of water. We had the National Guard in our city for about two weeks afterwards.

Hurricane Bonnie though was the one I remember the most. She sat off the coast and chewed us up for 2 1/2 days. She just didn't want to leave.
At one point during the hurricane, my brother who also works for the city, came over to the P.D. to tell me he was bored and wondered if I wanted to go for a drive to see the damage. Neither of us were supposed to be going out, but the winds were dying down and the sky seemed to be clearing, so I jumped at the chance to get out. We used a water Dept. truck and headed to Cherry Grove, as we knew that would be the hardest hit. We slowly made our way weaving in and out of the fallen debris, and lines, but the city had shut off the power, so we knew they weren't live. We got about 4 miles away, when all of a sudden a gust of wind seemingly out of nowhere hit our truck so hard, it knocked the light bar on top of the truck into the trucks bed. We looked at each other and suddenly realized that what we thought was the end of the hurricane was actually just the eye passing over. I couldn't believe how fast conditions deteriorated. We made our way back towards the police Dept. as fast as we could under the circumstances with debris flying all around us until we got to a large cable down over the road. My brother stopped briefly, and said, I have no choice but to drive over it. Our front wheels cleared the cable, but before our back wheels cleared it, this huge wind gust lifted the cable and wrapped it around the axle of the truck. We weren't going anywhere, and the wind was getting worse by the minute. Suddenly, we saw flashing lights behind us, and were very glad we weren't the only ones who disobeyed the "stay put" order. We got out, and with the help of the two officers behind us, were able to use a shovel handle to work the cable loose from the axle. We all agreed that we would not breathe a word of what happened or who was out and about, and we made it back to the P.D. without anymore incidents. Bonnie finally left, but not before handing me one more farewell gesture. I got home to find she had left me a pine tree through the middle of my roof. Bonnie certainly wasn't the strongest hurricane we have felt, but she is the one I remember the most.

[pojo]

I wasn't really in a Hurricane but I was in TS Barry in Key West in '01. Horizon was BLACK... sailboats were coming into the harbor... it was a very pretty site to see the sailboats against the black horizon.. looked like a Normal Rockwell painting. Rained for a day...some inbedded thunderstorms.

[cycloneye]

Bumping for more storys that may be out there from more members.

[cajungal]

Is there anyone who went through Betsy? Especially in Terrebonne or Lafourche Parish? I did not hear too many experiences on this board from Betsy. I guess most of our member like myself were not even born yet for Betsy.

[Derek Ortt]

Frances and Jeanne in MIA brought TS conditions, was driving in Jeanne. Michelle gave us a threat, but winds guste only to minimal TS force. Jeanne and Frances were an annoycance because I had to work from my apt on a dial-up; however, in the future, I plan on staying on the Rickenbacker to have access to the vital data, no matter the intensity of a hurricane, besides, I am moving to Key Biscayne soon. I do not advise the rest of you all to ride out a cat 4 or a 5 on a causeway though

[cyclonaut]

Frances and Jeanne in MIA brought TS conditions, was driving in Jeanne. Michelle gave us a threat, but winds guste only to minimal TS force. Jeanne and Frances were an annoycance because I had to work from my apt on a dial-up; however, in the future, I plan on staying on the Rickenbacker to have access to the vital data, no matter the intensity of a hurricane, besides, I am moving to Key Biscayne soon. I do not advise the rest of you all to ride out a cat 4 or a 5 on a causeway though

I would advise you as well not to be on the Rickenbacker Causeway during a CAT 4 or 5!

That vital data might be the last you receive.

[T'Bonz]

1992 Andrew. I lived in Broward County.

I knew it was coming before most, I tracked it almost from Africa. But on Aug 22nd, we knew for sure that it was headed our way. That date was my birthday. I remember hunting for water (husband and I both found some) before he took me out to dinner for my birthday.

The dinner was strange, knowing this beast was coming. We were nervous, but naive and not really afraid. The restaurant had their TV on and everyone had an eye on the TV as they ate and chattered, mostly about Andrew.

Sunday Aug 23rd dawned hot and clear, as per a usual summer day. The kids and I went to church. In-between Sunday School and church, I dashed over to the Target to get a gift for my daughter, whose birthday is Aug 23rd. (Heh.) The store hadn't opened yet, but there was a huge throng of people waiting in the heat.

It was so surreal. I've never seen that many people in my life waiting for a store to open. We all talked to each other, again, not something that is normal. The store opened early and the vast majority ran straight for the batteries. I got my gift and got out.

After church, I drove the girls (I had girls aged 4,6 and 8 at the time) around the neighborhood to see houses boarded up. I had never seen this in person, only on TV. It was exciting and scary all at once. I burned the image in my mind and wondered what the morrow would bring.

Around midnight, the winds began to pick up and Andrew began. My husband was out of the back porch of our townhouse, where he smoked, to my astonishment (he had quit several years before.) He stayed out there until it got too bad to be outdoors.

The wind howled, and screens rattled. The wind got strong enough that it made an odd, rumbling noise, very scary. I sat there and wondered if I should get the girls up and bring them downstairs. I decided against it.

About 5 a.m, just as I went to nuke a cup of tea, we lost our power. The dark made the storm even more scary. I had a hand-held color TV which was worth every single penny of the $90 that I had paid for it a few years before and I watched the news (but not Bryan Norcross, I preferred Channel 7's coverage.) It was so bizarre to see the newscasters NOT perfectly coiffed and dressed, some were in jeans and casual shirts and they left the stage and went to bunker like places.

Finally the dawn broke, and around 7:30 or so, the worst of the storm was gone (it was a fast-moving storm). About 9:30, I drove around to see the damage. Every sign was blown out, and multiple trees were down. There was debris in places and we lost one of our two trees in our backyard (it considerately hit the other neighbor's porch, not ours.) Our church roof had a gaping hole and water streamed in.

So that was Andrew. I believe we had cat 2 maximum winds up here as opposed to the cat 5 that they got one county south.

That afternoon, every person in S. Florida who had a home left napped, as most of us had been up all night.

Then the pictures began to come in from Kendall and I wept. There but for the grace of God. We were just stunned by what we saw. We had NO idea that so close to us (about an hour south) there was such devastation.

* *

I went through Frances (which howled like on TV, but was weaker than Andrew up here, still impressive though) and Jeanne (a dud, I was outside for most of it watching transformers blow. It was more of a tropical storm with Cat 1 gusts.) I fretted through Ivan (I have college aged children in Tallahassee) and Charley (mom and sister lived in Naples then.)

So who knows what this year will bring? We've had major hurricanes one county north of us and one county south since I've lived in Florida. I worry that our county will get hit eventually.

The joys of living in the subtropics.

[MomH]

My story is not mine - it is my father- in -law’s tale and he is no longer here to share it.

Early in my marriage, I realized Dad was terrified of “canes., literally shaking during the smallest of them. Since Dad was one of the strongest, calmest men I have ever known, I was surprised. Dad was also the quietest, least talkative man I have ever known, though my ex-husband runs a close second. In any case, one afternoon while we were alone, swinging on the front porch, I asked him why the fear. This is his story.

In mid August of 1928, Dad (age 21) had driven his mother and seven siblings (ages 1 to 15) to the Tampa area to visit with family. Visits lasted longer back then because they were such a major undertaking. They were in a horse drawn farm wagon and overnighted with family and friends or camped out along the way. Grandpa and the next two oldest sons had stayed at home at the north end of Lake Okeechobee on the Kissimmee River. As I understand it, Grandpa ran a ferry across the river at the time.

They were on the way home in mid September when somewhere north of Avon Park they began running into bad rains. Luckily there was family in Avon Park and they made it there wet, cold, and tired. They had encountered the forward edge of the storm now known as the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane. An unplanned visit ensued, since they could not leave for several days. Eventually, they started home again.

They arrived home safely -- to no home. All that was left of their place was a chimney and one wall of the new kitchen the men had built. Everything else was gone. Grandpa and the brothers were safe but well scratched, banged, bruised and very, very tired. They had tied themselves to Pine trees when they realized the house was not going to stand up to much more wind. That is where they spent the worst of the “cane.”

Dad wouldn’t talk about the aftermath so I always figured it was pretty bad. They moved soon to Lake County. The fear and pain never left Dad, Grandpa, Grandma, and the older boys. Though extremely thankful the younger children were not there, they were forever affected by the experience. They were always afraid during “canes” and always were as prepared as possible. Grandpa ended up hospitalized for severe depression within a few years and never came out of it. Dad lived through many more “canes” including Donna which hit our area badly.

[Derek Ortt]

we are protected by Key Biscayne at RSMAS, so surge should not be a severe issue (only had 4 feet from Andrew and there were cat 3 conditions at RSMAS, building can windwise remain in tact).

I almost stayed during Jeanne, but didn't like the 127KT sat estimates and a possible RI trend into a cat 5, as it seemed it was going to do that sat morning

[cajungal]

Anybody got any more hurricane experiences to contribute to the board? I can't get enough of hurricane experience stories!

[cycloneye]

Anybody got any more hurricane experiences to contribute to the board? I can't get enough of hurricane experience stories!

Oh man that was very buried down the pages but you found it. Thank you for bumping it as there are new members now.

[hicksta]

Let me share mine. It was 7 years ago i was 8. It was my neighbors birthday we had frances and it flooded our street. And alot of houses. We played darts all night and ate homeade pizza. My worst one is allison when i was wadeing neck high in water to go get my dog.. the water rose so high so fast it was amazing.. I'v loved it ever since. Once a storm gets active i ussually spend alot of time on the pc tracking it and learing. But then the girlfreind gets mad lol well everyone knows weather before girls

[Hurricanehink]

I only had a few remnants of some once powerful storms; Bonnie, Floyd, and outskirts of Isabel.

[Baggio]

Before I was born, my family's house in Tampa was flooded twice by Hurricane Elena. The house is in an extremely flood prone area, and the streets will fill with water when the high tide is a few feet above normal. Of course, I didn't experience any of it, but it sounded like it was a big pain in the ass for my family, even if they did get new furniture out of it.

The next big storm I remember was the "No Name Storm" of March 1993. Our house was in a different neighborhood in Tampa, and the streets flooded considerably from all the rain. I had to go over to my grandparents house and help clean up all the mess in the backyard. The house is off West Shore in Tampa, and sits on right on the water. Consequently, there were pieces of neighbor's docks in the backyard.

For the next few years, the main effect Hurricanes had on me were cancelling school. Inevitably, the hurricanes or tropical storms would veer north or south of Tampa, so I've been pretty happy when hurricanes threaten the area. Last year, of course, brought several days of cancelled school, but little damage in the area. I didn't even lose electricity at all while many of my South Tampa neighbors lost power during Jeanne(or was it Frances? don't remember) During Jeanne, I went over to my grandparents house, and witnessed the waves crashing over the sea wall and dangerously close to the house. Luckily, the only casualty was the dock, but I had to help clean up the backyard again.

In sum, the main effect of hurricanes on me has been missing school and helping to clean up my grandparents house.

If any hurricanes actually end up hitting the Tampa area, the main difference will be no more missed school (in college now), and more cleanup. It's a virtual certainty my grandparents house will flood, and I'll probably have to help clean up the inevitable mess at the rental properties on the Pinellas beaches. Fortunately, my house sits in a Cat 5 evacuation zone, so at I won't have to evacuate.

[clfenwi]

Earliest memory - 1983, must have been then TS Barry. Living in Orange Park, FL (suburb of Jacksonville). All I remember is my mom being concerned about the prospect of a hurricane (my father away was on deployment) and I was running around crazy proclaiming that we were going to have a hurricane (there is no way I had any understanding of what a hurricane was, mind you).

1985 - Living in Hollywood, Maryland. We drove to my grandparent's house in Chesapeake, Virginia as Gloria was making her run to the Outer Banks (and then running parallel to them instead of going ashore). Rain, rain, rain. Grandfather stayed up most of the night with The Weather Channel plotting coordinates.

1991 - Brunswick, Maine. Hell of a place to have a tropical weather story from. Storm of course was Bob, passed right by (as a tropical storm), knocked out power. My Dad's squadron flew a good deal of Search and Rescue missions during that time.

1996 - Driving back to Chesapeake, VA from Florida. Listening to the radio as we drive up I-95 hearing accounts of Hurricane Bertha's landfall. We catch up to her in North Carolina. It's late at night as we drive up U.S. 17, we cross into Virginia and my Dad sees a huge downed limb in the road. No chance to stop, we hit it at speed, blowing out the tire. Had to assist my Dad in changing the tire in an ungodly driving rain. Ugh.