Ivan The Terrible!

[Gimpy]

Feared Russian Czar that left death and destruction wherever he went!

Looks like we got our own "version" headin right at us!

No plywood, plyboard, steel window shutters, and nearly NO gasoline on the West coast of Florida and Ivan The Terrible is about three days away!

If it does strike Florida (and it appears this is becoming more and more certain), Ivan would add to our state's already deadly and costly hurricane season. Charley, which hit Aug. 13, and Frances, which hit Sunday, killed at least 43 people and caused up to $20 billion in combined damage.

About a million homes and businesses still lacked power in the state as of today, more than 500,000 in the Tampa/St. Pete area.

In South Florida, and now in West/West Central areas as well, many gas stations are running dry, as they had before Frances. I had to travel to seven different gas stations today before I could find any gas, and then the lines were about ten or so deep at each pump. The clerk said at this rate they would be out of gas by around 6:00 PM.


Governor Jeb Bush (He and Gee-W were passin out bottled water the other day for a "photo-op" just south of here-----BIG HELP that was!) said storage-tank supplies were significantly higher than before Frances, and ships are daily bringing more fuel to ports in Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa.

If that's the case, why the hell are about one-half of ALL gas stations from Crystal River down through Sarasota without gasoline?? What the hell are they doing, holding back supplies so folks will have gas AFTER the storm hits? That makes a whole lot of sense, right?

Forecasters say Ivan's winds might drop after crossing Cuba to about 132 mph, slightly less than Charley's power but dramatically higher than the sustained winds of 60 or 70 mph Frances brought to the hardest-hit sections of West/West Central Florida.

The energy of the wind transferred to your house - what can cause nails and fasteners to pull free or a roof to rip loose - is eight times as much in 120 mph wind as in 60 mph.

That's why storms with wind more than 111 mph account for about 20 percent of the hurricanes to hit the United States but have caused 80 percent of the total storm damage.

Home Depot has about 130 stores in Florida. And Mooresville, N.C.-based Lowe's has 65. About one half of these are in the West/West Central Florida area. We also have some Cox Lumber stores, a few old "Scottys' home supply stores and several local hardware and lumber companies that are out of supplies as well.

So that means there's about 97 or 98 Home Depot & Lowes stores on, or near the West coast of Florida with NO APPRECIABLE STOCKS of plywood, plyboard or steel window shutters avaible to the public??

They "say" they have trucks coming soon with additional supplies, but probably will not make it in time for the forecasted landfall of Ivan.

But, the "stocks" of plywood and plyboard that were shipped to Iraq for THEIR new construction of schools, hospitals, etc., has apparently helped cause part of the "shortages" that we are enduring according to lumber manufacturers.


We have a couple of units of Florida National Guard already on duty down in the Punta Gorda/Charlotte Harbor area and are doing all they can to help........but we have about one-half of ALL Florida NG troops still in Iraq rather than helping out back here where they're REALLY needed!

If we had them here, they could at least assist in getting the necessary supplies to us in time.

I've got about two-thirds of the folks in my neighborhood who did not put up plywood or shutters before Charley and Frances came through, only a few of them had any appreciable damage..............but now they have SEEN what 120 mph to 145 mph winds can do and are desperately trying to get their homes protected before Ivan gets here.


Thanks to the inability of the 'private sector' to respond to these disastrous conditions. And, the inability and inadequacy of our State government officials and the Federal government to offer further assistance it seems lots and lots of ordinary citizens and businesses are going to suffer tremendous loss of property, personal belongings and possibly serious injury and loss of life.

Yeah.............I'm just a LITTLE "pissed-off" alright!

[MORTARDUDE]

It looks like to me that the Florida National Guard and the Regular Army and Reserves should be mobilized thru-out Florida to get water, food, gasoline and other needed supplies to those without, not to mention to stop looting. My prayers are with all those who live there. If I can help, let me know... 901.386.7244

Larry

[Gimpy]

for the offer Larry.

Looks like we won't be getting much from Jeb & GEE-W!

No surprise there though, huh? :cd: