Well... we have an evacuation plan

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Lloyd
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Well... we have an evacuation plan

Post by Lloyd »

AND reservations, five states away from here.

If the storm doesn't change it's predicted track, we will be "out of here" Saturday a.m., in order to avoid the major traffic going north.

Eh... it's just money! Even if everything blows down, we'll still get by. With the predicted +140mph winds, I'm not sure there will be much left here, or in this whole county!

Lloyd
"Pyro for Fun and Profit for More Than Sixty Years"
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Boophoenix
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Re: Well... we have an evacuation plan

Post by Boophoenix »

Getting closer and closer to time to relocate.

I hope it skips ya or dwindles down to a weak storm at the least.
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Pyro-Gear
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Re: Well... we have an evacuation plan

Post by Pyro-Gear »

Good luck Lloyd keep your head down, for those that wish to follow this subject here is a live feed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBNAV6F7zSE

Thoughts are with you guys good luck.
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richardh08
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Re: Well... we have an evacuation plan

Post by richardh08 »

The prospects are not looking good. My thoughts are with you and all who may be affected.
Even when I'm wrong, I'm convincing.
dave321
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Re: Well... we have an evacuation plan

Post by dave321 »

hoping its not too bad for you all !
take care

dave
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Lloyd
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Re: Well... we have an evacuation plan

Post by Lloyd »

All,

As long as my loved ones and I are physically safe, we'll recover from anything else.

It looks as if the path will take the eye-wall directly over us, which will likely mean the destruction of our shop, even if it doesn't destroy our home.

We'll just have to "wait and see"... but we won't be doing it here. We're evacuating the area early Saturday a.m.

Thanks, all of you. If you pray, please say one for our safety, and the safety of our property.

Yours,
Lloyd
"Pyro for Fun and Profit for More Than Sixty Years"
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Lloyd
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Re: Well... we have an evacuation plan

Post by Lloyd »

Well, the eye of Irma DID pass almost directly over our property, after NOAA predicted it (even AFTER impact) to run 140 miles to the west of us.

In fact, right now, with the storm centered almost directly over Brunswick, Georgia, NOAA has it 300 miles to the west of there -- and their report came out AFTER the storm got there!

Our home is mostly intact, with minor damage to one edge of the roof, from a fallen tree. But all the damage is outside the outer-most walls, and my son reports no leaks inside. The entire 600 acre tract is under water, so there's no traveling back until the waters subside.

We lost about 25% of our 8000 sq.ft. (743 meters^2) shop/barn completely... it's just GONE... The primary 'machine shop' area is still under roof, but we lost about $80K USD worth of structure and goods to the south of the machine shop area. Shrug.

It's not insurable for anywhere near its actual value, so we'll probably just tear the remnants of that whole end off, re-roof the small section remaining uncovered, and call it a done deal. In Florida, insurance companies pay 'nearly nothing' for windstorm damage to non-residential structures. I _could_have_ insured the barn/shop, for about $1500-$2000 USD PER MONTH..., but I haven't make that much 'spare income' in four decades. Sigh...

All family members are safe. Thank the Lord!

Lloyd
"Pyro for Fun and Profit for More Than Sixty Years"
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richardh08
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Re: Well... we have an evacuation plan

Post by richardh08 »

Well that's a relief. Things could have been a lot worse.

That is easy for me to say, as storm damage for me has never exceeded the loss of one or two slates from my house roof. I'm sorry for your (financial) loss, but I'm delighted that you and your family have made it through what must have been a traumatic period.
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Lloyd
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Re: Well... we have an evacuation plan

Post by Lloyd »

Now our only remaining quandary is how to get home. Right now, it seems as if the major highway routes are open, but there's still the tropical storm directly over the path we'd need to take. And there's the matter of fuel.

We solved that last. I went to a tractor supply here in Virginia, and purchased three 20-litre fuel tanks. We'll fill the car's tank, and fill all three cans. That's just a bit more than we need to get all the way home. If we find fuel along the route, we'll save what's in the cans for the emergency generator.

Of course, if there's no power, we'll be off-line, and also won't be able to do any repairs. So we're considering staying-put until we're sure power will be available when we return.

Lloyd
"Pyro for Fun and Profit for More Than Sixty Years"
sambo
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Re: Well... we have an evacuation plan

Post by sambo »

Lloyd,

i'm really sorry to hear of your plight. I can't imagine for one moment what it is like / feels - I have seen the destruction on our news channels. Safe journey and good luck.

Sam.
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Boophoenix
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Re: Well... we have an evacuation plan

Post by Boophoenix »

As of the last info I heard being a member of the Florida Pyro Guild ( FPAG ) everyone was safe and sound. Damages seem manageable to most home residents. One member had some rental property damage, but didn't go into great detail. That information is limited since I'm a fairly new member to the group though.

It's a bit of a sobering experiance Sambo. While I personally have not been a victim of a natural disaster other than some auto damage from a tornado. It's interesting at the least to ponder these events. A hurricane beats and beats on an area, but you often have warning it's coming. In my area flooding and tornadoes are a little less predictable. When my neighbors were getting beaten by a tornadoe I was 30 miles away one a backhoe in the hot sun working then the phone started ringing asking questions. I returned home after work to a great surprise.

One friend had a 6" ball of home insulation in a small dogwood tree and a front porch. The rest of his home was scattered over near a mile of wooded area to the left of where it was. The house had lifted from the basement and hit the ground some ten feet away. It turned to one corner and plowed about 3" into the ground for some hundreds of feet till it hit the tree line Which turned it to toothpicks.

The same tornadoe continued towards my house hitting another friend less extensively since it had just jumped a bluff by the river land about even with his house a couple of hundred feet behind it. As it proceeded my direction it grew exponentially in diameter of destruction.

It passed threw my back yard, but just wiped out some trees. I had no physical damage to my house that I've ever noticed. Past my house there were houses that were shifted in the foundations.

I guess it broke up shortly after my home town as it left some areas between me and Nashville untouched, but when it hit nashville it wreaked havoc again.

When the big tornadoe hit Birmingham just a few years later a bunch of us loaded up equipment and chain saws and made the venture to lend a hand for a few days. That was astronomical damage. Whole communities layed in waste. It was astounding to see. In cleaning up one community on the final day of out trip I noticed a neighboring hill side that had been wiped clean some years earlier from a tornado. The two paths physicallly touched each other in that area which I found strange. Almost as much as there is a furniture store in the Nashville area that has three stores 2 of which have been hit hard by tornadoe in the past two decades.

Flooding is pretty unique two. Some areas in my area had 16 feet of water on them in 2010. I was trapped by flooded, destroyed and closed bridges for the better part of a week. Being surrounded by waterways kind of made the options limited. The places where current hit roads just pealed them away. Houses in swift water were gone or gutted from the inside out. One friends house was 50 feet from the foundation, but most of the interior that we actually found was 15 feet or so in trees over the next mile down river. Smaller heavy items could sometimes be found in the fields. The fridge and water heater have never been found.

The most interesting part of the flood was the water table was never dropped. I don't watch the weather very often as if they call for poor weather I assume they may be correct and end up late for work since rain often gives me a day off. It stopped rang here on Sunday in 2010, but the water didn't crest till Thur. AM. All we could do just about is sit around and watch the water rise.

Mother Nature can be a violent witch for sure when she wants to be.
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Lloyd
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Re: Well... we have an evacuation plan

Post by Lloyd »

Well, in the end-game, it's only a little bit of work... maybe four or five days' of repairs.

The house has minor roof damage from a fallen tree, but nothing actually perforated inside the outer walls.

The barn/shop... eh...
Irma_Barn.jpg
Lloyd
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richardh08
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Re: Well... we have an evacuation plan

Post by richardh08 »

Oh my! And there appears still to be a lot of standing water. I wish I could help, Lloyd.
Even when I'm wrong, I'm convincing.
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Boophoenix
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Re: Well... we have an evacuation plan

Post by Boophoenix »

It is a little more excessive than normal. I've visited a time or two when it's rained while there or just prior and there are a couple of low spots. Being a pretty flat state right near sea level drainage is likely pretty tight. Unlike my area in a lot of places. I'm probably 80 feet or more above normal river level a half mile or so away. At around 200-250 feet I can see over the trees and hills surrounding my little spot.

I had never traveled much prior to getting involved in pyro and have found other terrain interesting.
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Lloyd
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Re: Well... we have an evacuation plan

Post by Lloyd »

Well... I spent most of the day doing what I hate the worst... working 'at altitude'. I can fly a plane upside-down, and I'm fine, but put me 15' up on a ladder, and I'm fraught with fear!

So, in addition to 'tuning up' the torque on the new meter box and cleaning up loose debris, I spent about seven hours first on the roof of the barn, securing Visqueen sheets over the missing roof, then about five of that seven climbing a tree (20' up) cutting down broken limbs and a 'major' trunk that was lying on the house.

The one trunk - devoid of all limbs - weighed about 300 lb, and had a big risk of damaging the siding on the house as it came down. I winched it up to the almost non-broken state, and secured it there, then cut through where it had torn loose from the main trunk. Only... my chainsaw died an untimely death, so I had to finish 5" of the 8" cut with a Milwaukee Sawzall... slow work, so it took a while. I think the chain saw is 'toast'. Time for another.

No damage to the siding! <grin>

We're supposed to get a power company team out here tomorrow to restore power to the shop. In the meanwhile, I'm powering the internet dish (down at the shop) from the house via 500' of 2-pair direct-burial telephone cable! <grin> Hey! Ringing voltage is nearly the same as 'line voltage' here (125VAC). So it should be fine.

Lloyd
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richardh08
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Re: Well... we have an evacuation plan

Post by richardh08 »

Well, Lloyd, what an 'exciting' time you are having!

I can sympathize with your feelings on heights. On the rare occasion I've had to climb a ladder to the top of my house (about 25 feet) I've felt distinctly uncomfortable.
Even when I'm wrong, I'm convincing.
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