fiction, poems and other general flirtatious happenings
Monday, August 29, 2005
In Harm's Way
For all those in harm's way. Godspeed.
Spoke with my family in South Louisiana and they are all doing fine. Thanks to everyone for the many thoughts and prayers. Very much appreciated my friends.
26 comments:
Anonymous
said...
wow that is some storm! I just hope everyone is okay and nothing bad happens to anyone.
Leigh, thanks for the thoughts. The storm hits Tennessee tomorrow morning. I was just reading your blog entry today and wishing that could have been me. I had to laugh at taking a wrong turn and having to ride longer. Last time I did that I ran out of water and food and the last 10 miles of my ride was torture. Sounds like you had a great time :-)
Leigh, yep that's me on my Bianchi. I don't find many female cyclists who have the passion so I was more than happy to link to your site and enjoy your postings "from the road." :-)
Thanks Sherri. We are getting the first wave of rain and wind here in Tennessee now. I'm sure we will lose our share of trees and have some local flooding but otherwise we'll be fine.
I know most of you dont know me very well yet. I tend to deal with bad/tragic times with humor. That said; I have friends that are EMTs in Orlando and this is whats been posted recently.
Not good.... in fact... all bad... I've had a very bad feeling about this storm since It mushroomed after crossing So. Florida on Thursday. Anwyay- here ya go....
From another chat board (for rescue personnel)
From Biloxi, MS: Mary Mahoney's had waves crashing in on thier second floor, forcing my friends into the third level.
Bombay Bicycle Club is nothing more than a slab.
Hard Rock has lost much of it's structure.
Many homes on the beach are slabs.
Water levels rose over 25 feet in many areas.
Treasure Bay has broken from it's moorings, nothing else is known about it.
Many boats have washed on shore, destroying anything in their path.
This storm is WORSE than Camille as far as destruction. There is much more on the coast now to destroy than in 1969.
This comes from a friend at hospital in Biloxi.... of two hospitals in Gulfport, one heavily damaged and the other destroyed. Roof collapsed at the Biloxi coliseum. Biloxi hospital has windows out but the water did not get in. Concrete slabs left along the beach in that area where buildings of some sort stood.
Word is, everything south of I10 is gone.
The bad part is that there are entire area that are not reporting in. When you get an area that is so badly damaged that local emergency officials can't report in, it is very bad.
They have rescued 4 people from the roof of the St. Patrick's Church. The water is so high there the only thing visible is the bell tower.
There were three breaks in the levee. Not sure of the locations.
Someone with airboats (they said Jody so he's assuming Jody Danos) is going around helping to rescue people. He's picked up eight dead bodies and supposedly they've called into the emergency management people for 600 more. At least seven bodies have been recovered from the flood waters in Empire, LA.
This will be the worst disaster in US history, in human AND financial terms. I hope that the early reports are exaggerated, but right now it looks like hundreds or even thousands could be dead.
J, hadn't heard that news--thanks for sharing. The major networks are still only confirming 3 dead. If you learn anything more that is not being reported please feel free to post here or email me. Thanks for the information.
Will do Tree.... I was up every hour last night checking on this... and I'm hoping in my last post the quote was for 600 more EMTs and not body bags...
scary stuff....
btw I'm in San Fran now... flew out this morning so I will post anything I find out in this thread for all...
Thanks J. I was up til 1am watching TV, then got back up at 4am. I was only 6 when Camille hit, but the shear destruction I saw as we drove through the area will forever be etched in my memory.
Camille, and Besty before, were talked about like legends around our dinner table for years. I developed a very healthy fear of the destructive power of hurricanes.
Thank God they got 80% of the city to evac. How many lives were lost . . . right now, nobody knows.
J, I just saw that. The stories are starting to come in. So hard to listen to the details. Eye-witness accounts told with such emotion, brings tears to the eyes.
We just got our roof replaced last week from the hurricanes last year... if anyone thinks this sort of stuff just gets fixed, think again... it will take years... and the season isn't over yet. For everyone not in the area, this is a GLOBAL event. What will oil prices do, what will that do to the airlines around the world struggling still? What do you think will happen to the insurance industry? And then of course there's Real Estate... its huge guys.... and we will all be reeling from this for a long time... lets just hope that we dont get another one...
and then, there is the human suffering. I was just having a discussion about the difference between what happens when something like this hits a prosperous country vs. a 3rd world country.. and you know what.. there is no difference... total destruction, is just that. It doesnt matter if it was your shack that was blown away or your million $ home-your still homeless... granted some have more means than others.. but at the end of the day-it sucks for all...
And what about the looting they are showing now.... I just dont get it. We didnt see that.
OK, so, doesnt all the water/rain thats going to fall in the TN and OH valley's going to end up in the Mississippi river, and then, New Orleans? Yikes...
i do hope your family is ok in New Orleans. I was watching a bit of what happened on the news... it looked really freaking scary. i will keep them in my prayers!
For all those in harm's way. Godspeed.
26 comments:
wow that is some storm! I just hope everyone is okay and nothing bad happens to anyone.
Very relieved to know that you've spoken with them. Godspeed indeed.
Leigh, thanks for the thoughts. The storm hits Tennessee tomorrow morning. I was just reading your blog entry today and wishing that could have been me. I had to laugh at taking a wrong turn and having to ride longer. Last time I did that I ran out of water and food and the last 10 miles of my ride was torture. Sounds like you had a great time :-)
Yes and us men do have that advantage--LOL.
Thanks Agnes.
Trée, thanks for linking me :-) Is that a photograph of you in the comments? Thanks for posting on my blog, too!
Leigh, yep that's me on my Bianchi. I don't find many female cyclists who have the passion so I was more than happy to link to your site and enjoy your postings "from the road." :-)
Very relieved to hear your friends and family are out of harms way. That's quite a storm, I worry about everyone who is in it's path.
Thanks Sherri. We are getting the first wave of rain and wind here in Tennessee now. I'm sure we will lose our share of trees and have some local flooding but otherwise we'll be fine.
Good on ya Tre n great to know ur family is OK.
TC!
Keshi.
Thanks Keshi. I've felt a lot of love on the blog, and it's a nice feeling. :-)
Some things we learned last year after our hurricane encounters:
* Coffee and frozen pizzas can be made on a BBQ grill.
* No matter how many times you flick the switch, lights don't work
without electricity. But you still do it over and over again.
* Kids can survive 4 days or longer without a video game controller in
their hand.
* Cats are even more irritating without power.
* He who has the biggest generator wins.
* Women can actually survive without doing their hair--you just wish
they weren't around you.
* A new method of non-lethal torture--showers without hot water.
* There are a lot more stars in the sky than most people thought.
* TV is an addiction and the withdrawal symptoms are painful. One day at a time, brother.
* A 7 lb bag of ice will chill 6-12 oz Budweiser's to a drinkable
temperature in 11 minutes, and still keep a 14-pound turkey frozen for 8 more hours.
* There are a lot of trees around here.
* Flood plan drawings on some mortgage documents were seriously wrong.
* Contrary to most Florida natives' beliefs, speed limit on roads
without traffic lights does not increase.
* Aluminum siding, while aesthetically pleasing, is definitely not
required.
* Just because you're 35 doesn't mean you can stay out as late as you
want. At least that's what the cops told me during a curfew stop.
* Crickets can increase their volume to overcome the sound of 14
generators.
* People will get into a line that has already formed without having any idea what the line is for.
* When required, a Lincoln Continental will float--doesn't steer well, but floats just the same.
* Some things do keep the mailman from his appointed rounds.
* Tele-marketers function no matter what the weather is doing.
* Cell phones work when land lines are down, but only as long as the
battery remains charged.
* Cell phones dont work when the cell towers have no power but your battery is fully charged.
* 27 of your neighbors are fed from a different transformer than you,
and they are quick to point that out!
* Laundry hampers were not made to contain such a volume.
* If my store sold only ice, chainsaws, gas, and generators...I'd be rich.
* The price of a bag of ice rises 200% after a hurricane.
* Your water front property can quickly become someone else's fishin g hole.
* Tree service companies are under appreciated.
* I learned what happens when you make fun of another state's blackout.
* MATH 101: 30 days in month, minus 6 days without power equals 30%
higher electric bill ?????
* Drywall is a compound word, take away the "dry" part and it's
worthless.
* I can walk a lot farther than I thought.
* Your house can sleep more than the 'posted occupancy'
* Cancel all pending trips by relatives that may coincide during a hurricane. The questions about hurricanes get old fast.
* No matter how much deodorant you use-you still stink.
* The neighbors are pretty cool (well most of them).
* Stump grinders will also cut phone/cable lines.
* Newscasters all wear black during/after a hurricane.
* You cannot read the crawl at the bottom of the screen on a handheld battery operated TV-and thats usually where the info you need is.
* Insects do not like it outside during/after storms and decide inside your house is the place to be.
* Your Hurricane deductible is MUCH higher than you ever thought possible.
* I will never take gasoline for granted again.
Take care everyone and I hope this at least brings a little smile to your face and they are all very, very true... God Bless.
J, that is so good I'm gonna make it into a post. Thanks for sharing brother--LMAO.
snow-that was great...i now have water all over my screen...it came from my nose...thank you very much!
I know most of you dont know me very well yet. I tend to deal with bad/tragic times with humor. That said; I have friends that are EMTs in Orlando and this is whats been posted recently.
Not good.... in fact... all bad... I've had a very bad feeling about this storm since It mushroomed after crossing So. Florida on Thursday. Anwyay- here ya go....
From another chat board (for rescue personnel)
From Biloxi, MS:
Mary Mahoney's had waves crashing in on thier second floor, forcing my friends into the third level.
Bombay Bicycle Club is nothing more than a slab.
Hard Rock has lost much of it's structure.
Many homes on the beach are slabs.
Water levels rose over 25 feet in many areas.
Treasure Bay has broken from it's moorings, nothing else is known about it.
Many boats have washed on shore, destroying anything in their path.
This storm is WORSE than Camille as far as destruction. There is much more on the coast now to destroy than in 1969.
This comes from a friend at hospital in Biloxi....
of two hospitals in Gulfport, one heavily damaged and the other destroyed. Roof collapsed at the Biloxi coliseum. Biloxi hospital has windows out but the water did not get in. Concrete slabs left along the beach in that area where buildings of some sort stood.
Word is, everything south of I10 is gone.
The bad part is that there are entire area that are not reporting in. When you get an area that is so badly damaged that local emergency officials can't report in, it is very bad.
:(
J, I've been glued to the TV all day and all night since I know the area so well. I lived in Louisiana for 29 years and all my family is still there.
I've come to one conclusion, and your post confirms my feeling, we really have no idea how bad it was today or how bad it is now.
Thanks for the humor. I appreciate the hell out it at times like this. Keeps us all sane.
More from my EMT friend:
From WWLTV website (www.wwltv.com):
They have rescued 4 people from the roof of the St. Patrick's Church. The water is so high there the only thing visible is the bell tower.
There were three breaks in the levee. Not sure of the locations.
Someone with airboats (they said Jody so he's assuming Jody Danos) is going around helping to rescue people. He's picked up eight dead bodies and supposedly they've called into the emergency management people for 600 more. At least seven bodies have been recovered from the flood waters in Empire, LA.
This will be the worst disaster in US history, in human AND financial terms. I hope that the early reports are exaggerated, but right now it looks like hundreds or even thousands could be dead.
J, hadn't heard that news--thanks for sharing. The major networks are still only confirming 3 dead. If you learn anything more that is not being reported please feel free to post here or email me. Thanks for the information.
Will do Tree.... I was up every hour last night checking on this... and I'm hoping in my last post the quote was for 600 more EMTs and not body bags...
scary stuff....
btw I'm in San Fran now... flew out this morning so I will post anything I find out in this thread for all...
Thanks J. I was up til 1am watching TV, then got back up at 4am. I was only 6 when Camille hit, but the shear destruction I saw as we drove through the area will forever be etched in my memory.
Camille, and Besty before, were talked about like legends around our dinner table for years. I developed a very healthy fear of the destructive power of hurricanes.
Thank God they got 80% of the city to evac. How many lives were lost . . . right now, nobody knows.
AP is confirming 50 Hurricane deaths in Harrisburg, MS.
J, I just saw that. The stories are starting to come in. So hard to listen to the details. Eye-witness accounts told with such emotion, brings tears to the eyes.
We just got our roof replaced last week from the hurricanes last year... if anyone thinks this sort of stuff just gets fixed, think again... it will take years... and the season isn't over yet. For everyone not in the area, this is a GLOBAL event. What will oil prices do, what will that do to the airlines around the world struggling still? What do you think will happen to the insurance industry? And then of course there's Real Estate... its huge guys.... and we will all be reeling from this for a long time... lets just hope that we dont get another one...
and then, there is the human suffering. I was just having a discussion about the difference between what happens when something like this hits a prosperous country vs. a 3rd world country.. and you know what.. there is no difference... total destruction, is just that. It doesnt matter if it was your shack that was blown away or your million $ home-your still homeless... granted some have more means than others.. but at the end of the day-it sucks for all...
And what about the looting they are showing now.... I just dont get it. We didnt see that.
J, I heard about the looting. Beyond my comprehension, yet having lived in New Orleans I'm not shocked.
OK-so I have to share this thought with everyone... and this is mine.
'What if?'
What if, all of those in the world that hate us, thought differently of us now?
What if they saw us as just human?
What if they thought, 'Hey, wow, they are just like us!'
What if, this was just enough for everyone that wants to do us harm to say-ok... thats enough...
What if any other country cared?
Hmm... what if?... what if....
OK, so, doesnt all the water/rain thats going to fall in the TN and OH valley's going to end up in the Mississippi river, and then, New Orleans? Yikes...
i do hope your family is ok in New Orleans. I was watching a bit of what happened on the news... it looked really freaking scary. i will keep them in my prayers!
other then that i hope all is well!
aloha, ff
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