85cherokee
NAXJA Member #970
- Location
- Florida
I live on Estero Island (Fort Myers Beach) and evacuated because of the storm surge, I did not want the XJ sitting in sea water for who knows how long. I was confident that, due to height of my lot and the additional gains from the lift, I might at most get the floorboard wet, but wasn't sure how long the water might stand before subsiding. All that saltwater can do a lot of damage.
I left the island Friday morning with about a 6-hour window thinking this thing was heading for Tampa Bay as a Category 2 storm. I made the call to head northeast and ride out the storm with friends in Port Charlotte in order to get a start towards Tampa come Saturday morning. HUGE miscalculation on my part! Within hours the thing went from a 2 to Category 4 hurricane and turned right into the mouth of Charlotte Harbor.
By the time all this happened there was no time to evacuate again and was unwittingly forced to witness the raw fury and destructive forces that these storms can unleash. I have endured several tropical storms and near misses in my years here, but have never seen this type of devastation firsthand. My friend's house was laid to waste right before our eyes. I drove south towards home Saturday morning through the moonscape of Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda.
Islanders were not allowed home to survey damages for four days while the town councils cleared sand, trees and downed power lines from streets. Sanibel Island suffered a similar fate and, as of this writing, still has not received full power to all homes. My heart goes out to the victims and spent three days myself back in Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda tarping roofs, covering windows and removing spoiled food from friends' freezers and fridges.
Other than having no electricity until the 19th and an ungodly amount of surge and storm debris in the yard, my home remained virtually undamaged. I am one of the lucky ones. An inconvienient stay in a motel and a few dollars worth of lost food are nothing compared to the losses than span across several Florida counties. Homes, jobs and families uprooted and destroyed.
This is not a personal appeal, but a witness asking you to reach into your pockets one more time and show these folks we care by earmarking your donations for the people who have no place else to turn. Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands and Polk Counties were hardest hit and some of these are the poorest communities in the area. I have already seen the posts here with the unselfish offerings of help. I myself was prepared to head to the Hillsborough/Pinellas area if Charley had come that way.
Those farther away, or unable to help physically can start by contacting your local American Red Cross Chapter or call 1-800-Help-Now or by contacting The United Way. Cash donations, water, non-perishable foods, baby formula and diapers, blankets and toiletries are the most needed. Those in this area who wish to personally get involved in helping with the cleanup can grab those chainsaws, winches and axes and call 1-800-FLHELP-1 (1-800-354-3571). Thanks to all for your thoughts and prayers.
I left the island Friday morning with about a 6-hour window thinking this thing was heading for Tampa Bay as a Category 2 storm. I made the call to head northeast and ride out the storm with friends in Port Charlotte in order to get a start towards Tampa come Saturday morning. HUGE miscalculation on my part! Within hours the thing went from a 2 to Category 4 hurricane and turned right into the mouth of Charlotte Harbor.
By the time all this happened there was no time to evacuate again and was unwittingly forced to witness the raw fury and destructive forces that these storms can unleash. I have endured several tropical storms and near misses in my years here, but have never seen this type of devastation firsthand. My friend's house was laid to waste right before our eyes. I drove south towards home Saturday morning through the moonscape of Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda.
Islanders were not allowed home to survey damages for four days while the town councils cleared sand, trees and downed power lines from streets. Sanibel Island suffered a similar fate and, as of this writing, still has not received full power to all homes. My heart goes out to the victims and spent three days myself back in Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda tarping roofs, covering windows and removing spoiled food from friends' freezers and fridges.
Other than having no electricity until the 19th and an ungodly amount of surge and storm debris in the yard, my home remained virtually undamaged. I am one of the lucky ones. An inconvienient stay in a motel and a few dollars worth of lost food are nothing compared to the losses than span across several Florida counties. Homes, jobs and families uprooted and destroyed.
This is not a personal appeal, but a witness asking you to reach into your pockets one more time and show these folks we care by earmarking your donations for the people who have no place else to turn. Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands and Polk Counties were hardest hit and some of these are the poorest communities in the area. I have already seen the posts here with the unselfish offerings of help. I myself was prepared to head to the Hillsborough/Pinellas area if Charley had come that way.
Those farther away, or unable to help physically can start by contacting your local American Red Cross Chapter or call 1-800-Help-Now or by contacting The United Way. Cash donations, water, non-perishable foods, baby formula and diapers, blankets and toiletries are the most needed. Those in this area who wish to personally get involved in helping with the cleanup can grab those chainsaws, winches and axes and call 1-800-FLHELP-1 (1-800-354-3571). Thanks to all for your thoughts and prayers.
