Hurricane Katrina

[Richard S]

RJ, Duane, Fly:

I've been immersed in a research project, surfacing long enough now and then to check the Forum, and just noticed that Tropical Storm Katrina is now Hurricane Katrina with a projected path which includes all of you.  Good luck, my friends, and God Speed once again!

[Michigunner]

Good luck to all in Florida.

I'm sorry you have to face another one of these storms.

Be safe!

Bill

[DDGator]

Thanks guys.  At least this one is not of monstrous proportions...  Although early reports are two dead in Ft. Lauderdale...

[R9SCarry]

Duane - been following this - and tho a lower grade hurricane - does seem it has been pretty nasty.  Four deaths I hear this morning - plus over 1 million with power out.

So - hope all other FL folks have made it thru OK.

Fly? - you in the clear, and RJ too.  I heard from Kevin this morning so know he is OK.

[DDGator]

Kevin, RJ and I should be fine.  A bit windy here, but no rain or anything yet.  We will see how far out it goes before it turns north.  Fly on the other hand...   It doesn't look good for the panhandle.

Hang in there, buddy!  Stay safe.

[flyandscuba]

Making preparations right now.  It appears it will strengthen to a Cat 3 or 4 before making landfall late this weekend.

I'll be moving up my business trip departure to Sunday morning rather than Tuesday morning (Seattle bound).  I'll be living in the luxury of a Residence Inn until the week after the holiday weekend.

Personally, if the third major hurricane hits my house within a year, I hope that it totally destroys it. I'll take the policy limits payment for the house and move somewhere else -- keeping the waterfront lot as an investment.  I'm tired of living in a travel trailer while a partially repaired home continues to be battered by hurricanes...

Think I'll find a nice fly-in community inland somewhere.

[tracker]

Sounds like a good plan to keep the fly and ditch
the scuba.

[Richard S]

Fly:

There are always quarries inland for SCUBA diving.  Come to think of it, I got my NAUI certification in a quarry.  (We used to say that you could always spot the quarry divers -- they would be the ones wearing their dive knives at lunch.)  

Good luck, Fly!

[DDGator]

Wow.  That storm is becoming an absolute monster.  Watch out New Orleans... its gonna be ugly.

[R9SCarry]

I am I confess filled with horror at the way that ''thing'' has grown and strengthened - it is inevitably going to cause massive damage - perhaps on the scale of other monsters in previous years.

I hope very much that all folks who have had to get out - ride things out sfaely and don't come back to total chaos - but in that regard I am feeling very pessimistic.

Nature is a powerful and sometimes cruel creature.

[Richard S]

My God have mercy on and protect those in the path of this monster!  

[K-Man]

Wow - the 11:00 update shows the winds at 175 mph.    If the winds stay at or near that level, the initial wave of water will do unimagineable and enormous damage to New Orleans (or wherever it comes ashore).  I would hope that folks would exercise some good judgment and get out of its way.  

I recently got to meet one of the hurricane hunter pilots who fly into the storm(s).  He said it was quite the "ride."  

[theirishguard]

hang on big easy!!!  I sure hope everyone in La has moved to TX.    Tom

[Michigunner]

Good luck to all in  New Orleans and nearby!

[flyandscuba]

Here's a video taken in downtown Pensacola this afternoon...

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/assets/wmv/DP7742829.WMV

We got hit, but not as bad this time as was with Ivan.