[quote=unome]^^ sorry I was having issues with some error message, lol[/quote] Don't worry..I was having the same problem!

[quote]I hope everyone in Orlando is ready, looks like it might be heading that way. I feel bad for all the people that left Tampa for the Orlando area.[/quote]

No sweat...we can handle these things a lot better than you tamp-ons! Speaking of which, I was in line at 7-11 and I counted 24 people in line including myself...and only 3 were not buying beer! All of the grocery stores had closed already so everyone was at the 7-11...it was pure craziness!!!

Could someone fax or send in an attachment a generator? :lol: I'll see how long a person can survive on beer carbs!!

Re:: FLORIDA FACES TWO BIG STORMS

Well still hasn't hit yet. Local 6 says it wont hit Orlando until 11pm but were under tornado warnings. Right now its not even raining. Damn all the beer stores are closed and all I got is this chronic. My fam down in Ft. Myers are gettin hamered right now, especially my brother. He's on a canal in Cape Coral and didn't prepare... no boards over the windows.. nothing he thought it wasn't gonna be bad so he's ridin it out. He's prolly under water now cause the storm surge, but I wouldn't know cause the cell phones have been out since it hit. Check this pic, this guy is insane. He was Kiteboardin on the Gulf this morning.

[img]http://home.earthlink.net/~joshpowelson/images/Kite%20Boarder%20-%20Ft.%20Myers%20-%20Hurricane%20Charley.jpg[/img]

SOOOoooo the tolls are all opened up.. where's the party! lol

Dude come on over. I have all the beer but no chronic. Your supplies are bette than mine. Meet you half way :NotMe:

[quote=skahound][quote=unome]^^ sorry I was having issues with some error message, lol[/quote] Don't worry..I was having the same problem!

[quote]I hope everyone in Orlando is ready, looks like it might be heading that way. I feel bad for all the people that left Tampa for the Orlando area.[/quote]

No sweat...we can handle these things a lot better than you tamp-ons[/quote]

easy there tough guy, i believe i am still in tampa... didnt flee like the scaredy cats, lol. we've made numerous beer runs, turning into a regular friday night so far. :RockOn: party on

[quote=Neo]Dude come on over. I have all the beer but no chronic. Your supplies are bette than mine. Meet you half way :NotMe:[/quote]

sure man.. got some of the stella?! How far you from UCF.

Has anyone elses house get plowed by a very omnious yet beautiful cloud?

[quote=Balanc3][quote=Neo]Dude come on over. I have all the beer but no chronic. Your supplies are bette than mine. Meet you half way :NotMe:[/quote]

sure man.. got some of the stella?! How far you from UCF.[/quote]

Just fiinished the last black-n-tan but have a 12 of Newcastle and 1.75 of Kettle One and some Red Bull. To say the least. 30 minutes. I'm in Ocoee just of the East-West

AHHH damn thats too far. We just made a beer run, picked up blueberry wheat and modelo negro (only decent beer they had) and right as I left the store the first phase of this storm hit. The sky was black and the lightning and rain was pounding, but all is quiet again. Oh and Polk county is now getting evacuated.

it was just grey with rain. Just pelting then just went away. Hurricanes are spookey like that. What did people do before this tracking technology?

built a raft.

[quote=Balanc3]built a raft.[/quote] No I mean it seems like a regular old thunderstorm then hits like a freight train. The the eye passes and it's tranquil then bam you get the other side. No preparation at all.

Wholly shit. A shelter in De Soto, Florida collapsed. I'm getting nervous.

hang in there buddy. :cry:

[quote=peloquin]hang in there buddy. :cry:[/quote]

Dont worry it'll only be cat. 2 when it arrives. Look at the pics from Ft. Myers and Punta Gorda when it was still cat. 4 :Wacko:

Re:: FLORIDA FACES TWO BIG STORMS

I got this in an email at work regarding the area. I'm not familiar with that area at all but since there were some hopes that power would stay up from some of you and I know this affects Tampa I thought I'd pass it on:

[quote]The Tampa Electric Company has announced it may turn down power to the downtown Tampa area later in the day as Hurricane Charley makes landfall. The Tampa Airport will close at noon Eastern and the St Petersburg Airport is already closed.

Process Power, the utility for St Petersburg and the surrounding areas will be shutting down power in areas early on Friday afternoon.

[/quote]

They shutoff all gas & electric sources before the storm hits. But Ft. Myers is saying they may be without power for a week because of all the downed/crossed power lines.

Just called somes neighbors who are about 2 miles away. They have no power already. Obviously I still do. I will be getting a battery backup after this though. Still gotta have da tunes.

Well its in Kissimmee now, so get ready. The wind has picked up, but no impressive rain or lightning. And I still have power! I wonder how Pam is doin at the new place. Gotta be freaky.

:JamesBro:

Still have power but it is flickering. Lost satelitte again. I'm going to start watching some DVDs when this Hernan mix is over.

Re:: FLORIDA FACES TWO BIG STORMS

:shock: Well i very glad to say it missed tampa, if it would have hit us like they thought it would have really fucked up the area,Hope the area that it did hit are ok . I just heard that they were sending out 60 body bags and a truck.to the punta gorda area. That sucks :Down:

^ i cant believe these people. its sad and maddening at the same time. if you live in an aluminum box, and you KNOW there is 140-150mph winds coming your way, GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE BOX !!!!

my moms house sustained some damage in port charlotte. when i get the pics i'll post em. this was a bad one for sure. :cry:

We've temporarily relocated to my parents' house in Leesburg. We began to feel the hurricane effects at about 9:00 or so and it lasted for a good hour. We were definitely in one of the hardest hit areas in Orlando (UCF area) and lost power at about 10:00. As of this posting our apartment complex is still without power. The good news is that we were uninjured and the better news is that Orlando for the most part seems to have held up well and very few people were injured. Good luck to everyone else in the Orlando area and if anyone needs anything please don't hesitate to PM me.

[quote=skahound]We've temporarily relocated to my parents' house in Leesburg. We began to feel the hurricane effects at about 9:00 or so and it lasted for a good hour. We were definitely in one of the hardest hit areas in Orlando (UCF area) and lost power at about 10:00. As of this posting our apartment complex is still without power. The good news is that we were uninjured and the better news is that Orlando for the most part seems to have held up well and very few people were injured. Good luck to everyone else in the Orlando area and if anyone needs anything please don't hesitate to PM me.[/quote]

Very glad to hear you got thru it allright. As happy as I am we did not get hit in Tampa, my heart goes out to all the people in the areas that were hard hit, and I hope it doesnt take too long to get things back to normal.

:Smiling:

Re:: FLORIDA FACES TWO BIG STORMS

Guyz out there, hope whichever god you believe in keeps you safe. My father should be in the Gulf of Mexico now, but I don't think any of the hurricanes will make it that far.

Can't imagine what it's like, we don't have hurricanes in Europe. All I had was some heavy storms in Africa last year, but they don't come anyway near that stuff eh?

Re:: FLORIDA FACES TWO BIG STORMS

One thing has always puzzled me about you Americans. Why is it when you know at some point you will have some extreme weather conditions you choose to build your houses with wood? What chance do you stand when the wind gets up to 150 mph? Surely brick or stone would be much better.

I just heard that there are 13 dead, god rest there souls, and thousands homeless. A sad day for you guys. :cry:

Re:: FLORIDA FACES TWO BIG STORMS

[quote=Musical Journey]One thing has always puzzled me about you Americans. Why is it when you know at some point you will have some extreme weather conditions you choose to build your houses with wood? What chance do you stand when the wind gets up to 150 mph? Surely brick or stone would be much better.

I just heard that there are 13 dead, god rest there souls, and thousands homeless. A sad day for you guys. :cry:[/quote]

It's my belief that it comes down to a couple things:

1.) This is the first storm to hit the west coast and central Florida since 1964. So 40 years without a major storm is a pretty good thing.

2.) Economics. The difference in cost of building a concrete block/masonry home versus a wood frame structure is quite substantial.

Re:: FLORIDA FACES TWO BIG STORMS

[quote=skahound]It's my belief that it comes down to a couple things:

1.) This is the first storm to hit the west coast and central Florida since 1964. So 40 years without a major storm is a pretty good thing.

2.) Economics. The difference in cost of building a concrete block/masonry home versus a wood frame structure is quite substantial.[/quote]

Exactly.

Good luck to everyone over there with the rebuilding.

Re:: FLORIDA FACES TWO BIG STORMS

[quote=skahound] 2.) Economics. The difference in cost of building a concrete block/masonry home versus a wood frame structure is quite substantial.[/quote]

So you put cost before human safety? Now that does seem a bit strange. So far there has reported to have been $18b worth of damage, i ask myself how much would you have saved if you`re houses were built with bricks and mortar.

Re:: FLORIDA FACES TWO BIG STORMS

[quote=Musical Journey]So you put cost before human safety? Now that does seem a bit strange.[/quote]

It's called complacency.... and us being money whores too. :P

Re:: FLORIDA FACES TWO BIG STORMS

YEAH, Nothing in Tampa. raided the liquor store & got some fat bastard ....drizzle. what amazes me is how an area can be under tornado warning & one touch down 2 blocks away, but people are still our buyin electronics in the damn rain (bonus: without surge protection)!!!!

"i want the most expensive sony computer you have. battery back up? no i don't need that. my last computer? yeah, i just bought it 6 months ago & it died because of a power surge. no, thats to expensive, sony will replace it. (like they did now you moron)"

sorry, venting. i work @ a best buy in new port richey.

Re:: FLORIDA FACES TWO BIG STORMS

[quote=skahound][quote=Musical Journey]One thing has always puzzled me about you Americans. Why is it when you know at some point you will have some extreme weather conditions you choose to build your houses with wood? What chance do you stand when the wind gets up to 150 mph? Surely brick or stone would be much better.

I just heard that there are 13 dead, god rest there souls, and thousands homeless. A sad day for you guys. :cry:[/quote]

2.) Economics. The difference in cost of building a concrete block/masonry home versus a wood frame structure is quite substantial.[/quote]

no offence, but that's bollox. houses over there are built from wood because that's they way they've always been built there. it's local tradition and it's what the local contractors know and it's the material they can source most easily. there isn't a great difference in cost between concrete and wood. :Rolling:

Re:: FLORIDA FACES TWO BIG STORMS

[quote=Hos][quote=skahound][quote=Musical Journey]One thing has always puzzled me about you Americans. Why is it when you know at some point you will have some extreme weather conditions you choose to build your houses with wood? What chance do you stand when the wind gets up to 150 mph? Surely brick or stone would be much better.

I just heard that there are 13 dead, god rest there souls, and thousands homeless. A sad day for you guys. :cry:[/quote]

2.) Economics. The difference in cost of building a concrete block/masonry home versus a wood frame structure is quite substantial.[/quote]

no offence, but that's bollox. houses over there are built from wood because that's they way they've always been built there. it's local tradition and it's what the local contractors know and it's the material they can source most easily. there isn't a great difference in cost between concrete and wood. :Rolling:[/quote]

Lucky one that, hard hit, but not as bad as it could have been.

Here in Guatemala as it?s considered an earthquake zone :? they use re-enforced concrete frames and block. just bought 150 blocks for about $50 and 5 tonnes of sand for $50 cement is about $5 a bag. Cheap compared to the UK, and house last for years and years. Wood is more expensive you could get about 8 10ft1ft1" for $12.

Re:: FLORIDA FACES TWO BIG STORMS

[quote=Musical Journey]So you put cost before human safety? Now that does seem a bit strange. So far there has reported to have been $18b worth of damage, i ask myself how much would you have saved if you`re houses were built with bricks and mortar.[/quote]

Personally, I don't place cost before human safety - in most cases that is. It should be noted that most of the structural damage occurred as a result of trees being uprooted and literally tossed onto the roofs of homes (which are wood-framed structures) causing severe damage. As a result of this roof damage rain water poured into homes causing flood damage. The $18B figure you quote takes into account a great number of things other than just home destruction per se. The vast majority of 'homes' that were destroyed were aluminum manufactured residences that have been in place since the mid-twentieth century and long before strict building and occupancy codes were put in place and enforced.

[quote=Hos]no offence, but that's bollox. houses over there are built from wood because that's they way they've always been built there. it's local tradition and it's what the local contractors know and it's the material they can source most easily. there isn't a great difference in cost between concrete and wood. :Rolling:[/quote]

On average, for a roughly 1,000 sq. ft. home the cost of a building with concrete rather than wood is roughly 7%-8% greater. Now that may not seem like a significant amount, but talk to any middle-class home buyer that is attempting to finance their property and that 7%-8% will make a huge difference. As for the point you make about homes being built with wood, that may be true in some cases. It certainly depends on the architecture and neighborhood. A significant amount of neighborhoods around the Orlando area are made up of homes that are concrete block. Dip into the areas around railroad tracks and the inner city and you'll certainly notice more wood-framed structures due to the fact that the people that built these homes were generally poor and couldn't afford the luxury of concrete before it became so widely used.

it amazes me the people who didn't evacuate (a few of which got killed)

I mean, if you're living in an aluminum hut (basically) and there's going to be 140-150mph winds heading your way, do you think you should leave?

On a side note, one of the dead was some dumbass who stepped out in the high point of the storm to smoke a cigarette...:roll:

Ive never lived in anything other than brick or concrete.

HAHA well there were brick walls around houses that collapsed so think what you will. My brother lost his house, wasn't cause of the canal but his entire roof blew off and some windows exploded. He lost everything inside except what he had moved prior.

Glad to say we relocated to Sarasota and I'm enjoying the internet again. I was over by UCF when the storm hit and we were still without power, I just got sick of hangin out in the hot apt. with no decent food or drink. My beer finally ran out of ice. :cry:

[quote=Balanc3]I was over by UCF when the storm hit and we were still without power, I just got sick of hangin out in the hot apt. with no decent food or drink. [/quote]

It's 7:45pm Sunday night and we're still without power. We drove over to our apartment a little earlier and cleared out the refrigerator of practically everything (2 large garbage bags full). Sucks that my parents only have dial-up but a big thanks to Mel across the street for a having a nice wireless setup so I can surf high speed!!!

yep cleared the fridge. Im freezing most perishables while im here and stocking up on ice and batteries..

yeah it just missed naples (where i was for the weekend), and hit north of me, but on my drive back to tampa, it was crazy shit..........houses just totalled and the exit signs on I75 were ripped out and the big metal streetlights were bent in half.......crazy shit......:?