hurricane charley

[scubadude]

Looks like this one is for real for my area....Had to batten down the hatches on the greenhouse and Have the generator on hand, plenty of batterys, flashlights, candles, first aid kit, water, and other supplies. Anyone else in S. Florida getting ready for this?

[Ninong]

Rocky,

Good luck! I hope the eye misses you by as much as possible. Keep us posted if you have internet access.



P.S. -- Is this your first hurricane? I'm not sure if you are a native of the Gulf coast or if you recently moved to Florida. I have been through several of these going back to the 1940's. Hurricane Betsy in 1965 was our worst direct hit. Camille was even stronger but all we got here (I lived in New Orleans then) was 95 mph winds because we were 60 miles west of the eye.

P.P.S. -- Besides the items you have already listed, stock up on as much block ice as you can store (if you can still find any).

[Ninong]

Rocky,

I think you're going to luck out!

The current forecasts show the eye tracking well to the west of you. Looks like it will pass your area while still well out over the Gulf. I would say that unless it suddenly changes course within the next couple of hours the eye will pass about 70 miles west of your location.

P.S. -- That comment was based on the tracking map from a couple hours ago but the real time satellite visible image link that I put up in the following post doesn't correspond with what the weather bureau has been predicting as far as landfall is concerned. The live satellite pics seem to indicate landfall well south of Tampa Bay instead of north of it.

[Ninong]

Rocky,

Good luck but I think I spoke too soon. It has started to drift sharply to the east in the last hour. Looks like the earlier landfall forecasts from just two hours ago were wrong. This is a live visible image loop and unless it changes course, it doesn't look too good for your location: http://www.intellicast.com/Local/USN...=none&pid=none

[Michelle]

Good luck to you Rocky and anyone else that is preparing for Charlie.

[saltjunkie]

this is my first....... i am a bit anxious.... looks like if it keeps going east... we will miss the major winds.. but the tropical winds and tornados aer a problem...........
thanks, for the wishes........

[scubadude]

yeah it just scares me that the east end of the hurricane is supposed to have the strongest winds....Port Charlotte is where I used to live now in about 20 miles inland but they are saying that Port Charlotte will be getting some ferocious winds. I went through a couple other hurricanes but I dont think any have been this close. I might be staying @ work tonight (pizza hut) they have offered a safe haven for employees being its a brick building and I live in a mobile home now. Stay safe and god speed to all

[Ninong]

yeah it just scares me that the east end of the hurricane is supposed to have the strongest winds....Port Charlotte is where I used to live now in about 20 miles inland but they are saying that Port Charlotte will be getting some ferocious winds. I went through a couple other hurricanes but I dont think any have been this close. I might be staying @ work tonight (pizza hut) they have offered a safe haven for employees being its a brick building and I live in a mobile home now. Stay safe and god speed to all

I thought you still lived in Pt. Charlotte. If you are 20 miles inland that will help a lot. It appears that Pt. Charlotte will take a direct hit within the next three hours or so. And yes, the strongest winds are usually to the east of the eye. If the eye passes over you, the problem is that everything is weakened by the winds blowing from from east to west before the eye passes and then totally destroyed once the back wall of the eye hits with winds blowing from west to east. And if you are very close to the open Gulf, you have to contend with the storm surge. The storm surge with Camille was in excess of 20 feet. Looks like the storm surge in this now Category 4 Charley will be in excess of 12 feet.

Good luck and keep us posted if you can.

[Ninong]

This is the 2 p.m. EDT advisory:


AT 2 PM EDT...1800Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE CHARLEY WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 26.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.4 WEST OR ABOUT 60 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF FT. MYERS FLORIDA.

CHARLEY IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 20 MPH. ON THIS
TRACK...THE CENTER OF CHARLEY SHOULD MAKE LANDFALL IN THE VICINITY
OF CHARLOTTE HARBOR FLORIDA LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 145 MPH WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE CONCENTRATED IN A VERY SMALL AREA
NEAR THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN WIND SPEED
MAY OCCUR BEFORE LANDFALL.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES... 45 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 105 MILES...165 KM.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 954 MB...28.17 INCHES.

STORM SURGE FLOODING IN THE FLORIDA KEYS WILL BE SUBSIDING LATER
TODAY. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 10 TO 15 FEET IS EXPECTED NEAR AND
SOUTH OF THE WHERE THE CENTER CROSSES THE FLORIDA WEST COAST.
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 7 FEET ALONG AND NEAR THE NORTHEAST
FLORIDA AND GEORGIA COASTS IS EXPECTED IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS WITH
LESSER FLOODING TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH.

RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE LIKELY ALONG CHARLEYS PATH
ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. THESE RAINS COULD
CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS.

ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL
FLORIDA INCLUDING THE FLORIDA KEYS TODAY.

REPEATING THE 2 PM EDT POSITION...26.0 N... 82.4 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 20 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...145 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 954 MB.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT
5 PM EDT.

FORECASTER LAWRENCE

[Reefland]

Hurricane warnings have already been issued for the east coast as well.

[Ninong]

I hope Rocky's OK. The eye of the storm is over Charlotte Harbor right now: http://www.intellicast.com/Local/USN...=none&pid=none

[Ninong]

The 5 p.m. EDT advisory:



WTNT33 KNHC 132057
TCPAT3
BULLETIN
HURRICANE CHARLEY ADVISORY NUMBER 19
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 PM EDT FRI AUG 13 2004

...CHARLEY MAKES LANDFALL AS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE NEAR
CHARLOTTE HARBOR FLORIDA...

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM EAST CAPE SABLE NORTHWARD
TO THE SUWANNEE RIVER ON THE FLORIDA WEST COAST AND FROM COCOA
BEACH FLORIDA TO CAPE LOOKOUT NORTH CAROLINA ON THE SOUTHEAST U.S.
COAST.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM JUPITER INLET TO
COCOA BEACH FLORIDA...AND FOR LAKE OKEECHOBEE.

AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM CAPE
LOOKOUT TO CHINCOTEAGUE VIRGINIA INCLUDING PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE
SOUNDS AND FOR CHESAPEAKE BAY SOUTH OF SMITH POINT.

ELSEWHERE...ALL WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE DISCONTINUED.

AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE CHARLEY WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 26.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.2 WEST OR ABOUT 30 MILES
WEST-NORTHWEST OF FT. MYERS FLORIDA. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT
115 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF ORLANDO.

CHARLEY IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 22 MPH AND A
GRADUAL INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED TONIGHT AND SATURDAY.
THE FORECAST TRACK MOVES CHARLEY ACROSS FLORIDA AND OFF THE
NORTHEAST FLORIDA COAST OVERNIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 140 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HOWEVER HURRICANE
FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD ACROSS FLORIDA NEAR THE PATH OF
THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE. AT 432 PM EDT...PUNTA GORDA FLORIDA
REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 87 MPH WITH A GUST TO 109 MPH.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 85 MILES.

THE LAST PRESSURE MEASURED BY THE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT WAS
941 MB...27.79 INCHES.

STORM SURGE FLOODING IN THE FLORIDA KEYS IS SUBSIDING. STORM SURGE
FLOODING OF 10 TO 15 FEET IS OCCURING NEAR AND SOUTH OF WHERE THE
CENTER MOVED INLAND. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 7 FEET IS
EXPECTED ALONG THE NORTHEAST FLORIDA AND GEORGIA COASTS WITH LESSER
FLOODING TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH.

RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE LIKELY ALONG CHARLEYS PATH
ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. THESE RAINS COULD
CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS.

ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA
PENINSULA TONIGHT.

REPEATING THE 5 PM EDT POSITION...26.9 N... 82.2 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 22 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...140 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 941 MB.

[Ninong]

I tried calling Rocky just now to see how he was doing but I got this message: "We're sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service at this time."

Looking at the visible feed from the satellite it would appear that he took a direct hit. I hope everything is still there but if the eye passed within twenty miles of his greenhouse, I fear it didn't make it.

[Ninong]

Rick,

Are you still online? Looks like the eye is due south of Lakeland right now. If it keeps going the way it is going, the eye will probably pass a little to the east of you within the next thirty minutes or so.

[Reefland]

Prayers go out to Rocky, Rick and all of the other Reefland Members who have to go through this terrible storm.

[saltjunkie]

thanks guys.. and lets hope the best for rocky.............
it was very very bad down there.. in punta gorda (ground zero)our local weather channel actually had a crew down there and were able to keep filming.....

Lakeland got hit very bad...... but luckily.. i am extreme north lakeland........
one of my buddies lives down were near the eye hit.. what was left of it.... he was going through alot.. extreme high winds,, no power etc.. my sister lives 5 miles away.. same for her.....
but due to the path of charlie, i was north west of it..... so i got alot or rain.. and some high winds.. but no damage and my electric is still on.. thankfully.....
Thanks guys......

try going to
www.abcactionnews.com/
they may have some good vids already....

[Michelle]

thanks guys.. and lets hope the best for rocky.............
it was very very bad down there.. in punta gorda (ground zero)our local weather channel actually had a crew down there and were able to keep filming.....

Lakeland got hit very bad...... but luckily.. i am extreme north lakeland........
one of my buddies lives down were near the eye hit.. what was left of it.... he was going through alot.. extreme high winds,, no power etc.. my sister lives 5 miles away.. same for her.....
but due to the path of charlie, i was north west of it..... so i got alot or rain.. and some high winds.. but no damage and my electric is still on.. thankfully.....
Thanks guys......

try going to
www.abcactionnews.com/
they may have some good vids already....

Glad to hear your okay Rick, some of the pictures they are showing on tv are unbelievable!!

[saltjunkie]

yeah it was scarry down here watching all that knowing it was that close....... and the threat of tornadoes was pretty scarry........

[Samper]

Supposed to hit an hour south of me at 8am tomorrow morning. Hope it doesnt gain too much strength when it passes over the ocean again tonight.

[saltjunkie]

Supposed to hit an hour south of me at 8am tomorrow morning. Hope it doesnt gain too much strength when it passes over the ocean again tonight.

good luck..........