# Hurricane Michael is coming to visit.



## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

It looks like Michael will be affecting many of the same areas still flooded from Hurricane Florence, although by the time it gets that far North it should just be a strong tropical storm. 

Sadly, that will still do more damage to areas trying to pick up the pieces from the last storm.

Current NWS forecasts have it over NC late Thursday into early Friday with 65 MPH winds. Some other models show it moving slower and not arriving here until Friday afternoon, but exiting more rapidly.

https://www.windy.com/?30.335,-77.212,5

Florida, Alabama and Georgia will take the hardest hits from wind and storm surge unless things change.
Florence proved how unpredictable these storms can be.

Personally, I'd like to see it turn more quickly to the East and bypass as much of the Southeast coast as possible,
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/



> At 200 PM EDT (1800 UTC), the center of Hurricane Michael was
> located near latitude 21.7 North, longitude 85.1 West. Michael is
> moving toward the north near 7 mph (11 km/h). A northward to
> north-northwestward motion at a slightly faster forward speed is
> ...












*The time to prepare is* *now. 
If you are anywhere near these areas, do not wait to get ready.*


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## Shine (Feb 19, 2011)

It is supposed to miss us by a few hundred miles but we are already feeling the effects.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Shine said:


> It is supposed to miss us by a few hundred miles but we are already feeling the effects.


That's not too surprising:


> Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles (45 km) from
> the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175
> miles (280 km).


Luckily you won't be in the worst of it unless it takes a sudden sharp turn to the East, and I don't foresee that happening based on the wind maps I've been seeing.


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

I hope everyone in those areas stays safe,my thoughts are with you


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## crehberg (Mar 16, 2008)

We're bracing here. Hurricane warnings are already up...and we're well inland compared to many (Thomas County, GA). I think at this point we're gonna see the proverbial SHTF here. We haven't seen anything like this in decades...and we've been suffering from a severe lack of rain which has weakened a ton of trees. 

This may get ugly, folks.


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

crehberg said:


> We're bracing here. Hurricane warnings are already up...and we're well inland compared to many (Thomas County, GA). I think at this point we're gonna see the proverbial SHTF here. We haven't seen anything like this in decades...and we've been suffering from a severe lack of rain which has weakened a ton of trees.
> 
> This may get ugly, folks.


Do you have a safe place to go?


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

crehberg said:


> we've been suffering from a severe *lack of rain* which has weakened a ton of trees.


That may be a good thing.
Wet ground makes it easier for them to blow over.
Soft, saturated soil tends to let them uproot.

I hope you have a generator with plenty of fuel and lots of water stored if you're on a well.

Flooding shouldn't be too bad since it appears it will move through relatively quickly.
This latest map shows it moving more rapidly than before:


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

I have to drive to Durham tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. Should make it back home to VA by early afternoon. Sure glad my appointment is Wednesday and not Thursday.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

I'd almost prefer a hurricane over a trip to Durham. 
You should have no problems from the storm that day though.


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## kinnb (Oct 23, 2011)

I'm right outside the Tallahassee city limits. This oughta get interesting...


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## crehberg (Mar 16, 2008)

Oregon1986 said:


> Do you have a safe place to go?


We're gonna hang out here as long as possible, then make a bee line a half mile up the road to the cousins block house. Can't leave because both I and my wife's job as of now are still go for Thursday...and if we leave I'm afraid we won't be able to get back.


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## crehberg (Mar 16, 2008)

Bearfootfarm said:


> That may be a good thing.
> Wet ground makes it easier for them to blow over.
> Soft, saturated soil tends to let them uproot.
> 
> ...


BFF... normally I'd agree. But these are drought stressed trees. We're already losing some significant limbage with these 25-30 mph gusts we're getting now. It's gonna be ugly regardless if the track holds true. We haven't seen winds like they're forecasting in 20+ years. Hopefully everything holds together. I keep hoping for shear to take hold...but it doesn't appear to be happening...

We'll make it.


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

crehberg said:


> We're gonna hang out here as long as possible, then make a bee line a half mile up the road to the cousins block house. Can't leave because both I and my wife's job as of now are still go for Thursday...and if we leave I'm afraid we won't be able to get back.


We'll be careful. Remember no job is worth your life


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## ed/La (Feb 26, 2009)

crehberg said:


> We're gonna hang out here as long as possible, then make a bee line a half mile up the road to the cousins block house. Can't leave because both I and my wife's job as of now are still go for Thursday...and if we leave I'm afraid we won't be able to get back.


Where do you live? It doesn't take much flooding to destroy your vehicles. The saying run from the water and hide from the wind is a good one. Good luck..


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## crehberg (Mar 16, 2008)

ed/La said:


> Where do you live? It doesn't take much flooding to destroy your vehicles. The saying run from the water and hide from the wind is a good one. Good luck..


We're in Thomas County, GA, the first county above the Florida line at Leon County (Tallahassee).

We're blessed enough that all the land here has a fairly good slope to it...and we're on the high end. I've seen over twice as much rain as they're predicting with no major flooding. The low lying areas....they are in for a rough one. We mainly worry about hiding from the wind.


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## crehberg (Mar 16, 2008)

Oregon1986 said:


> We'll be careful. Remember no job is worth your life


To be honest, if we both hadn't had to work today as well, we probably would have left. But after checking the roadways and weighing the options...it just seemed more risky to leave at this point. We're praying for the best...and preparing for the worst.

Fingers crossed!


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

crehberg said:


> To be honest, if we both hadn't had to work today as well, we probably would have left. But after checking the roadways and weighing the options...it just seemed more risky to leave at this point. We're praying for the best...and preparing for the worst.
> 
> Fingers crossed!


My thoughts are with you both. Please let us know you are ok after storm passes


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

crehberg said:


> We're blessed enough that all the land here has a fairly good slope to it...and we're on the high end. I've seen over twice as much rain as they're predicting with no major flooding. The low lying areas....they are in for a rough one. We mainly worry about hiding from the wind.


I agree.
The wind is going to be the biggest threat for most from this storm until it gets beyond GA.
Then it will be over areas still soaked from Florence, and still may be just below CAT 1 strength.

It's already a CAT 4 now

"BULLETIN
Hurricane Michael Intermediate Advisory Number 14A
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL142018
100 AM CDT Wed Oct 10 2018

...MICHAEL BECOMES AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE...
...LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE...HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...AND HEAVY
RAINFALL EXPECTED ALONG THE NORTHEASTERN GULF COAST...


SUMMARY OF 100 AM CDT...0600 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...27.7N 86.6W
ABOUT 180 MI...290 KM SSW OF PANAMA CITY FLORIDA
ABOUT 170 MI...275 KM SW OF APALACHICOLA FLORIDA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...*130 MPH*...210 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...N OR 355 DEGREES AT 12 MPH...19 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...945 MB...27.91 INCHES

Data from Air Force Reserve and NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft
indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 130 mph
(210 km/h) with higher gusts. *Michael is now a category 4 hurricane
on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.* Some additional
strengthening is possible today before Michael makes landfall in the
Florida Panhandle or the Florida Big Bend area. Weakening is
expected after landfall as Michael moves across the southeastern
United States.

*Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles (75 km) from
the center* and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175
miles. "
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/100555.shtml

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/033350.shtml?cone#contents


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

crehberg said:


> We're gonna hang out here as long as possible, then make a bee line a half mile up the road to the cousins block house.


If you think that's a safer place I wouldn't wait long to go.
Once this storm hits it won't be wise to be outside or in a vehicle.

Latest NHC update:

"...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY 4 MICHAEL STRENGTHENS
FURTHER AS IT HEADS NORTHWARD TOWARD THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...
...LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE...HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...AND HEAVY
RAINFALL EXPECTED ALONG THE NORTHEASTERN GULF COAST...


SUMMARY OF 400 AM CDT...0900 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...28.3N 86.5W
ABOUT 140 MI...225 KM SSW OF PANAMA CITY FLORIDA
ABOUT 130 MI...215 KM SW OF APALACHICOLA FLORIDA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...*140 MPH*...220 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...N OR 360 DEGREES AT 13 MPH...20 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...943 MB...27.85 INCHES

At 400 AM CDT (0900 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Michael was located
near latitude 28.3 North, longitude 86.5 West. Michael is moving
toward the north near 13 mph (20 km/h). A turn toward the north-
northeast is expected this morning, with a turn toward the northeast
expected this afternoon or tonight. 

A motion toward the northeast at a faster forward speed is forecast on Thursday and Friday. On the forecast track, the eye of Michael is expected to move ashore over
the Florida Panhandle later today, move northeastward across the southeastern United States tonight and Thursday, and then move off the Mid-Atlantic coast away from the United States on Friday."
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/100848.shtml



kinnb said:


> I'm right outside the Tallahassee city limits. This oughta get interesting...


A CAT 4 is worse than anything I've been through and I can't even imagine what it will be like. I'd consider leaving for one that strong.

I wish you the best of luck, and keep us updated as much as possible.


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Godspeed people.


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## LT2108 (May 28, 2014)

Thoughts and prayers sent .... stay safe


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## kinnb (Oct 23, 2011)

Crehberg, our dog trainer is up in Thomasville, so we'll wave atcha the next time we run through. I get it with the trees, same problem here in Tallahassee. We're also staying put, and are not in a flood prone area. There's a tornado watch here for Leon County (FL) until 5pm tonight to liven the party up some too *eyeroll*

Hope you and yours stay safe--we've done all we can do here and are already seeing the first outer bands and rain, so it won't be long up your way!

Peace,
Kyrie, Tao Blue, SD, AKC CGC CGCA CGCU TKN, Deja Blue, SDiT, AKC CGC TKN


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## ed/La (Feb 26, 2009)

crehberg said:


> To be honest, if we both hadn't had to work today as well, we probably would have left. But after checking the roadways and weighing the options...it just seemed more risky to leave at this point. We're praying for the best...and preparing for the worst.
> 
> Fingers crossed!


It looks like the eye will go over you. It is not to late to leave. Perhaps Mobile or Biloxi if there is any lodging available. I looked and the the traffic on i10 is not bad.


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## kinnb (Oct 23, 2011)

hang in, Crehberg! it's increasing fairly steadily here in Tally! 

Peace,
Kyrie, Tao Blue, SD, AKC CGC CGCA CGCU TKN, Deja Blue, SDiT, AKC CGC TKN


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## tiffanysgallery (Jan 17, 2015)

My thoughts are with everyone in the area. Please be safe.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I don't think we've heard from Crehberg since last night have we? I do hope he got somewhere safe


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

Crehberg where are you?? I imagine some people may lose power


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## ed/La (Feb 26, 2009)

Here is link to scary video from storm chaser Brent Adair. If someone knows how to drag it here please do. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=242161649794753&id=97475561737&_rdr


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## ed/La (Feb 26, 2009)

Here is video from Panama City beach.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

newfieannie said:


> I don't think we've heard from Crehberg since last night have we? I do hope he got somewhere safe





Oregon1986 said:


> Crehberg where are you?? I imagine some people *may lose power*


*Everyone* *in that area will lose power*, and it will be hours before it's safe to go outside to run a generator. Even on the outskirts of Florence we lost power for almost 5 days, and lost *all* communications for several days. It's the first time our land line ever stopped working, and the cell towers went down early in the storm.

Michael is exponentially more powerful, and the destruction is going to surprise lots of people who have never experienced a hurricane this strong. 

It was just a few MPH short of being a CAT 5 at landfall.

While it's impossible to not be concerned, it's unrealistic to expect to hear from some very soon, and it's still an ongoing situation there. 

It will take a* long* time for the area to recover.
All we can do right now is hope for the best for all those affected, and wait another couple of days for the damage assessments to begin.


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## ed/La (Feb 26, 2009)

Last one for now.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

for heavens sake isn't that something. we had a condo right there in panama city beach and went through a hurricane while i was there but nothing compared to this but since this was my first hurricane I was scared stiff. think what I would be in this! (since then we had juan and another one) I cant quite remember when it was maybe 2002 or 3 or 4 something like that. ~Georgia


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## crehberg (Mar 16, 2008)

I'm back up and running. Cell towers went down here for a good long while. We dodged a major bullet here. 30 miles west of us and further toward the Alabama line got hammered.

Last check, our county is 95% plus out of power and dropping further. I'm friends with one of our local public works guys...and he just let me know we've surpassed Kate numbers for power outages. We've definitely got damage...but much, much less than expected. That last minute jog saved our tails this time. Still getting 40+ mph gusts....but all in all....can't complain.

Thanks for all the well wishes and concern. I'll try to keep checking in if service stays up.


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

crehberg said:


> I'm back up and running. Cell towers went down here for a good long while. We dodged a major bullet here. 30 miles west of us and further toward the Alabama line got hammered.
> 
> Last check, our county is 95% plus out of power and dropping further. I'm friends with one of our local public works guys...and he just let me know we've surpassed Kate numbers for power outages. We've definitely got damage...but much, much less than expected. That last minute jog saved our tails this time. Still getting 40+ mph gusts....but all in all....can't complain.
> 
> Thanks for all the well wishes and concern. I'll try to keep checking in if service stays up.


So glad you're ok.


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## crehberg (Mar 16, 2008)

kinnb said:


> hang in, Crehberg! it's increasing fairly steadily here in Tally!
> 
> Peace,
> Kyrie, Tao Blue, SD, AKC CGC CGCA CGCU TKN, Deja Blue, SDiT, AKC CGC TKN


Kinnb hope all is well. I think we dodged a huge one here.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

crehberg said:


> We dodged a major bullet here.


I'm amazed!
Glad to hear you got through relatively unscathed given it was such a powerful storm. 
It's strange the difference a few miles can make sometimes.


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## tiffanysgallery (Jan 17, 2015)

crehberg said:


> Kinnb hope all is well. I think we dodged a huge one here.


Glad you're okay crehberg. 
Hoping Kinnb's well also. 
The pics on TV... wow!


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## crehberg (Mar 16, 2008)

Bearfootfarm said:


> I'm amazed!
> Glad to hear you got through relatively unscathed given it was such a powerful storm.
> It's strange the difference a few miles can make sometimes.


That eyewall was something else. I've got some friends over near the Alabama line... Looks like WW III broke out over there. Less than an hour drive to them...it's mind boggling.


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## crehberg (Mar 16, 2008)

We're slowly improving here. Power crews are everywhere right now trying to get the juice back running. 

We're so blessed it's unbelievable.

All my winter projects have got shelved for severe weather preps after yesterday. I thought we had things pretty well covered...but I'm finding a lot of loopholes that need to be fixed. Y'all keep these public works and linemen in your thoughts and prayers...a lot of the crews are coming straight from the Carolinas down here. It looks like it will be a while before they see home again.


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

What's left of the eye just passed a little to the south, but butted up against a cold front a little north of us. Lots of wind and rain for a few hours. Tornado warning just expired. City declared local state of emergency because of flooding. Power out- trees down.

I'm on west side of city and I think east side got the worst of it.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

MoonRiver said:


> Power out- trees down.


Our power went out around 4:00 PM

I waited a while and kept checking with the power company since their automated system normally gives an estimated time of restoration. 

After about an hour and a half they were still saying "we don't have an estimated time of repair" so I decided to hook up the generator.

I got all the drop cords strung out and was about to crank it up when the power came back on.

I just left everything where it was since the storm will still be affecting us until around Midnight. 

Overall, it was out about 2.5 hours.

It appears the worst is over for my location though, as the center of rotation is now over Petersburg, VA.
https://radar.weather.gov/radar_lite.php?rid=akq&product=NCR&loop=yes


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

I spoke too soon.
The power is out again.

Have I mentioned how much I like my Honda generator?


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

Power still out - 15 hours. Heard police sirens all night. Going to go out to trailer to make coffee.

ETA: Trunks to city are down, so still no power. From what I saw this morning, lots of trees down, but looks like those blocking roads have been cut up and moved to shoulder. A few were partially blocking road, so I imagine there were lots of accidents last evening and night.

ETA2: Article on Breitbart about flooding in Danville.
https://www.breitbart.com/big-gover...brings-massive-flooding-to-danville-virginia/


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## crehberg (Mar 16, 2008)

BFF and Moon...hope they get it all straightened out soon!


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

I got a little over 2.3 inches of rain over night Tuesday. No evidence of high winds in my area. I am about two counties out of the watch area.


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

Power back on about 9 this morning. About 3 pm today, went to Food Lion and it was closed. Went to Walmart and it was closed. They have had power since this morning, so I wonder if they have to go through all the chilled and frozen foods and dispose of any food that might have spoiled. 

It's a beautiful day and no flooding near either of these stores, so that's the only reason I can think of for them not opening back up today.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

MoonRiver said:


> Power still out - 15 hours.


Ours was restored around 9 AM, after being out nearly 12 hours.

I had just drifted off to sleep when it came back on, so then I had to get back out of bed and shut down the generator and get things plugged back into the grid. 

The good news was the cold front that pushed the storm out to sea dropped the temperature enough that the AC hasn't needed to run all day.

I ran the generator close to 12 hours on less than 1 gallon of gas while powering a freezer, a refrigerator, a PC and a TV for much of that time.


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## kinnb (Oct 23, 2011)

I'm here!! Thanks for the good thoughts, power/water out for 36 hrs. Most of Tallahassee is still out of power and most businesses of all kinds are still closed. 

We didn't get as walloped as Mexico City...def dodged a bullet, but crazy damage in and around the city. 
We are fine, mobile home still standing, minimal damage in our park. 

Incredibly grateful! Also thanks to all I've learned here over these many years <3

Peace,
Kyrie, Tao Blue, SD AKC CGC CGCA CGCU TKN, Deja Blue, SDiT AKC CGC TKN


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

kinnb said:


> I'm here!!


Glad to hear you made it through.



kinnb said:


> power/water out for 36 hrs.


We've never lost our supply (rural co-op) and we have a well for back up with a 120 volt pump.

You're lucky to get power back so soon.

Last night there were over 600,000 customers without power in NC alone. 
I heard it was around 1.5 million total from Michael, and many of those will be waiting for weeks.

(Have I mentioned I LOVE my Honda generator?)


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

MoonRiver said:


> About 3 pm today, went to Food Lion and it was closed. Went to Walmart and it was closed. They have had power since this morning, so I wonder if they have to go through all the chilled and frozen foods and dispose of any food that might have spoiled.


That may be part of the reason, but sometimes they rely on offsite approval of credit cards and won't open if they can't process them. We saw a lot of that when we had to buy a battery for my wife's car the day after Irene came through. 

Stores were only accepting cash because their satellite connections were down, and many didn't realize that until they got to the checkout counter. 

That's why we keep cash on hand in the safe at home.


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## kinnb (Oct 23, 2011)

BFF, yep, Publix here was operating cash only, the couple that were up and running on generators. Also, our park landlord went to Emergency Management for a well generator yesterday. Soon as he came back...the power came back on, and with it the water!

We WERE lucky with the power. A couple years ago, we as a park alerted local media when we went without power for a week or so. Fully 1/4 of the residents were disabled officially/legit at the time. The power company had been stringing us along about restoration (we live just outside the city limits), and telling all of us who called in all different things. 

When we went public (and there's so much more to this), the power went back on magically the same day the story came out. Go figure 

The city has also since upgraded the process of having a disabled-specific shelter, although it does still leave a lot to be desired. Progress is good! 

A generator is still on the list since I've moved house and in with a friend. We are able to share some with another resident next door, just to keep the fridge up if nothing else. I WANT THAT HONDA!


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## sweetbabyjane (Oct 21, 2002)

We are in Grady County, also one of the first counties over the FG/GA line. We lost power at 11:20 on Tuesday and are still without power. As of this morning several nearby towns are still without power. Our mail lady brought the mail to our door this morning and said only Thomasville had power and gas. mainly on Jackson Street (a main street). This is the second time in about a month we have been without power for several days but as long as the generator runs we are ok. So many good tips from this web site. One really useful one is to use solar lights inside at night. They don't need batteries or the generator to give light. There was a great deal of damage to this area, no estimated time for restoration.


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## ed/La (Feb 26, 2009)

sweetbabyjane said:


> We are in Grady County, also one of the first counties over the FG/GA line. We lost power at 11:20 on Tuesday and are still without power. As of this morning several nearby towns are still without power. Our mail lady brought the mail to our door this morning and said only Thomasville had power and gas. mainly on Jackson Street (a main street). This is the second time in about a month we have been without power for several days but as long as the generator runs we are ok. So many good tips from this web site. One really useful one is to use solar lights inside at night. They don't need batteries or the generator to give light. There was a great deal of damage to this area, no estimated time for restoration.


Is Fema there to supply free ice, bottled water and things?


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## farmrbrown (Jun 25, 2012)

Glad everyone is ok.
All we got in the mountains of NC was some rain, most of it from a cold front on Tuesday and Wednesday, not much at all from Michael, who was hauling butt for the coast.
A little flooding and a few mudslides since his year has been wet already.
We still have friends in PC and Mexico Beach, some don't have a home anymore, but all are ok.
This one was fast and furious, fierce for this time of year.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

kinnb said:


> A generator is still on the list since I've moved house and in with a friend.


Check all the nearby pawn shops in a few weeks and you should find some barely used deals.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

sweetbabyjane said:


> *They don't need batteries* or the generator to give light.


Technically, they do use batteries, and if you can find some that use AA or AAA sizes, you can use the solar lights to recharge batteries for other uses. 

I was just telling my wife today we need to get some battery powered LED lights for strategic locations around the house so we don't have to use flashlights to walk around during outages.


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

Went back to Walmart and Food Lion this morning. Food Lion had removed all meat, dairy, and frozen foods from displays. About 1/2 of chilled produce had also been removed.

Walmart didn't open until almost 8 am. They had restocked some of the perishables, especially their own brand of products, but still a lot of empty displays.


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## margoC (Jul 26, 2007)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Glad to hear you made it through.
> 
> 
> We've never lost our supply (rural co-op) and we have a well for back up with a 120 volt pump.
> ...


We only got a little brisk wind but that's all it takes for us to lose power, especially for the few of us at the end of our street for some reason. 

I had gotten a generator a couple weeks ago, I was off for a week and used some of that time to break it in. I felt a little bad for spending the time and money on something I've always been able to do without. A couple years ago during one of the hurricanes I got some dry ice and threw it in my small chest freezer. We put the other daily perishables in an ice chest. It didn't get hot but I have a couple of battery powered fans and a bunch of headlamps and other led lights, light has never been an issue. 

But I had read a thread on a different forum when the last one went through a month or so ago and there was a big discussion on generators.

I decided on the harbor freight predator 3500, more than enough for my needs and a neighbor could plug in as well.

The electricity went out about 1am Thursday morning which was not a surprise. The weather was nice when I got up and the power was still out so this was my chance. I cooled down my fridge and freezer then turned it off and went to work.

I came home at lunch (I live 2 miles from work) and my neighbor was up hanging out in his garage so I left it on and set a fire extinguisher by the patio. I would be home in a few hours and neighbor was going to keep an eye on it. I offered to let him plug in but he thought power would be on within the hour. 

As it turned out it didn't come on till 2300 that night! I was able to not only to keep food cold but I had the TV's and wifi going as well. It was a nice option instead of making do with alternative entertainment. 

I turned it off to refuel. It ran mostly smoothly but in a few hours really started to purr, the occasional slight roughness had totally dissapeared. It was so quiet I couldn't hear it in the house and could barely hear it in the bedroom even though it was sitting right next to it.

I changed the oil again today and checked the plug and air filter. Tomorrow I'm going to make sure the spark arrestor is clean and it will be ready for the next time. I'm going to run it once a month until I have about 70 or 80 hours or so, then I'll run it dry and run some stabilizer through the carb. This model has a screw you can loosen to drain the carb. 

I also want to make a stand, something that will raise it up in case there is standing water and a top to keep light rain off. Something simple, just a frame with a top and bottom. I'll keep it behind the shed when not in use, I have a bunch of spare wood.

Anyway, it was nice not having to plow around in an ice chest for stuff. It's small and fits easily in the mudroom, all I have to do is roll it out the door to the patio. I'm glad I got it.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

crehberg said:


> We're bracing here. Hurricane warnings are already up...and we're well inland compared to many (Thomas County, GA). I think at this point we're gonna see the proverbial SHTF here. We haven't seen anything like this in decades...and we've been suffering from a severe lack of rain which has weakened a ton of trees.
> 
> This may get ugly, folks.


We have it pretty good today, comparatively. Keep in mind that we didn't have satellite imagery until the mid-1960's, and I was in high school by then so it's not ancient history. Before that they relied on weather reports from ships and island nations, but that provided only general information about the storm. If it became clear that a hurricane was headed for the US mainland the Coast Guard would send aircraft to the storm to take readings. Still, information about the exact path and forecasted strength at landfall was pretty much unknown.

My grandmother lived in southern Florida on the atlantic coast during the 1950's. She used to tell me about hurricanes. They knew a storm was on the way, but they never knew if it was going to be a direct hit or how long the storm might last. When the storm started there was a lot of apprehension because they didn't really know what was coming. It was always in their minds that the right conditions could rip their roof off, regardless of how well the house was built.

Back then, a lot more than today, people associated weather with religion. It's no wonder why people attributed the strength and direction of a storm to God's hand. After all, they had no idea what they were in for. It's the only thing that remotely made sense of it. But today we track storms with satellite imagery and have a very good idea about approaching tropical storms.

The apprehension of not knowing the direction or strength of a storm inspired the hurricane scene in the classic film Key Largo. In that scene we watch gangster "Rocco" (Edward G. Robinson) go stir crazy as a hurricane slammed the hotel. The hotel owner calmly tells Rocco that 800 people got washed out to sea in a community not far from the hotel during a previous hurricane. Notice Humphrey Bogart studying Rocco's reaction to the storm, as Bogey began to figure out Rocco's emotional weaknesses.
(4 minute clip)


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## farmrbrown (Jun 25, 2012)

Nevada said:


> Of course we have it pretty good today, comparatively. Keep in mind that we didn't have satellite imagery until the mid-1960's, and I was in high school by then so it's not ancient history. Before that they relied on weather reports from ships and island nations, but that provided only general information about the storm. If it became clear that a hurricane was headed for the US mainland the Coast Guard would send aircraft to the storm to take readings. Still, information about the exact path and forecasted strength at landfall was pretty much unknown.
> 
> My grandmother lived in southern Florida on the atlantic coast during the 1950's. She used to tell me about hurricanes. They knew a storm was on the way, but they never knew if it was going to be a direct hit and how long the storm might last. When the storm started there was a lot of apprehension because they didn't really know what was coming. It was always in their minds that the right conditions could rip their roof off, regardless of how well the house was built.
> 
> ...


I love watching Classic movies, but I never saw that one, thanks.
Old timers I knew used to talk about that hurricane of Labor Day 1935.
What I liked is how the veterans of the storms in that clip just took it in stride.
Edward G. looked like he was gonna have a stroke though, lol.
Today, they'd count him as another "hurricane related death".


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

farmrbrown said:


> I love watching Classic movies, but I never saw that one, thanks.
> Old timers I knew used to talk about that hurricane of Labor Day 1935.
> What I liked is how the veterans of the storms in that clip just took it in stride.
> Edward G. looked like he was gonna have a stroke though, lol.
> Today, they'd count him as another "hurricane related death".


The hotel owner's daughter was Lauren Bacall. She was Bogey's real-life wife.

I was surprised when Lauren Bacall died only a few years ago in 2014. I guess I lumped her in with the other actors in that film, who mostly died in the 1950's. I asked my mother about that and she told me that Lauren Bacall was only a kid of 19 when she married Bogey. Lauren Bacall was one month short of 90 when she died.


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## Hiro (Feb 14, 2016)

Still in the dark. Down 40 gallons of gasoline for the generators. The youngest child, the dogs and the livestock are loving this. In respective order, this is a big adventure for him with a shower in the old bathroom over the old garage with a propane water heater and movies on the old TV, the dogs from the fridge/freezer that had stuff that I couldn't save and the livestock because they got turned out into the winter pastures that I can water manually....the last hurts the worst as I had babied those things since August. The two old people are just tired.......this stinks. On the plus side, I had the last filet mignon from the last steer as it was in the group of thawed out meat that I cannot keep frozen.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Hiro said:


> The two old people are just *tired*.......*this stinks*.


I know that feeling all too well.
Hopefully it will get better for you real soon.


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## kinnb (Oct 23, 2011)

Hear you, hoping the crews get to your area soon!


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## Esteban29304 (Apr 29, 2003)

A friend's house ONCE was here.


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## Hiro (Feb 14, 2016)

Yay! Lights came on about 5 p.m. Not without drama. I stopped at the utility truck pow wow about 1 mile from here on my way back from buying more gas. There were about 30 line trucks and about 100 people standing around doing nothing. So, I stopped and gave them the pole number that had the hot line disconnected from the pole and grounding out on the neutral. The guy looked at me and said that isn't on this circuit to which I asked where he was from.....Ohio. I politely informed him it was and said thank you and drove away. Shortly there after a local utility worker walked up on my daughter who was on buzzard watch as lambs are falling and his response when I ran into him later was you raised quite the track star. Strange man saying hello from the woods, she bolted like a rabbit. 

Anyway, they figured it out and we are back in the 21st century.


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## crehberg (Mar 16, 2008)

Hiro said:


> Yay! Lights came on about 5 p.m. Not without drama. I stopped at the utility truck pow wow about 1 mile from here on my way back from buying more gas. There were about 30 line trucks and about 100 people standing around doing nothing. So, I stopped and gave them the pole number that had the hot line disconnected from the pole and grounding out on the neutral. The guy looked at me and said that isn't on this circuit to which I asked where he was from.....Ohio. I politely informed him it was and said thank you and drove away. Shortly there after a local utility worker walked up on my daughter who was on buzzard watch as lambs are falling and his response when I ran into him later was you raised quite the track star. Strange man saying hello from the woods, she bolted like a rabbit.
> 
> Anyway, they figured it out and we are back in the 21st century.


Glad they got you back on grid. I know progress here is continuing slowly. City utilities hopes to have everyone up by Friday. EMC is still 2-3 weeks out for full restoration with down stations.

Ours are back on for now...fingers crossed.


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## sweetbabyjane (Oct 21, 2002)

ed/La said:


> Is Fema there to supply free ice, bottled water and things?


I am not aware of FEMA being anywhere in this area. The relief efforts I know of are for the hardest hit areas like Mexico Beach, Panama City, St. George Island, Marianna--mainly the coastal areas.

Today makes one week we have been without power. The crews got to a junction about a mile away, but went the other direction as there are large chicken houses with thousands of chickens that way and only a few people houses our direction. In a way, it is good that we are being tested like this, as you never know how strong you are until you are tested. And it lets us see any holes in our preps. I am glad to say we have done ok (although I really look forward to warm showers again!).

I do worry about looters. The heat means you sleep with the windows and sometimes doors open and that is a little scary. We have a driveway ringer (Harbor Freight, $12.99, well worth it) that lets us know if anyone comes up the driveway and it has gone off two nights. You would think that a ringer would give you piece of mind, and to some extent it does, but it also makes you paranoid! When it goes off you wake up in a fright, grab the spotlight and the .38 and check things out, then spend the rest of the night half sleeping/half listening, hoping it was a deer. Fatigue is more than I expected with the clean up, then going back to work in town, plus little sleep.

Here are a few things that have been very useful to us: multiple gas cans for keeping the genny going, solar lights to make the house navigable at night, a heavy chain and padlock to chain the genny to a post in the carport, and portable fans. Flash lights/lanterns/candles are good but it is better to just go to bed when it gets dark. I am surprised at how much I miss music! I could turn a radio on but so far we just run the genny for basics. Hearing the Mexicans salvaging crops in a nearby field while listening to their truck radio really brought it home. On the other hand, I have finally got to read The Bourne Legacy. It's been waiting for awhile.

Last night WCTV said that Grady County had 56% or 57% still without power. Hopefully we will get it back soon. My oldest son is a lineman for EMC and they have been working 12 hour + days. They are all exhausted but not slowing down.

At least it is not as hot as it was,
SweetBabyJane


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

It sounds like you were pretty well prepared.
Hopefully you'll get the power back on soon.



sweetbabyjane said:


> I really look forward to warm showers again!).


I have a camping shower that uses a 30 gallon barrel, a propane heater to warm the water, and a 12 volt bilge pump. All the "plumbing" is PVC and the shower head is from a Solar Shower Bag. With a little practice you can get a decent shower with very little water. 

Hang in there!


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## ed/La (Feb 26, 2009)

Sweetbabyjane is gas readily available? Credit cards and ATM's work. Is ice available? Curfew? For Katrina none of the above was available.just wondering if those necessities are there yet.After a week or so we had free ice water and meals if you wanted them. I did not worry to much about looting except for fuel and generators. Everyone has guns so you have to be desperate or stupid criminal to loot. I am sure it was less safe in the city where people were in more desperate cramped situation.


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## M5farm (Jan 14, 2014)

It's been pure hell here, day 7 without power. House will only need a new roof. All other buildings destroyed. Hundreds of trees lost on my place. I'm very weary at this point. I am a roofing distributor so 12 hrs a day doing that another 8 hrs at home trying to water clean up , fuel up, someone needing help every day. Say a prayer for us.


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## Hiro (Feb 14, 2016)

M5farm said:


> It's been pure hell here, day 7 without power. House will only need a new roof. All other buildings destroyed. Hundreds of trees lost on my place. I'm very weary at this point. I am a roofing distributor so 12 hrs a day doing that another 8 hrs at home trying to water clean up , fuel up, someone needing help every day. Say a prayer for us.


:-(

Prayers for all. I hate it for you guys.


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## kinnb (Oct 23, 2011)

M5farm, egads...seriously sending thoughts your way. The crews that have been parked at the Tallahassee N FL Fairgrounds (FEMA et al) have been demobilizing for a couple days now out toward the west. Hoping they get to you ASAP.


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## sweetbabyjane (Oct 21, 2002)

ed/La said:


> Sweetbabyjane is gas readily available? Credit cards and ATM's work. Is ice available? Curfew? For Katrina none of the above was available.just wondering if those necessities are there yet.After a week or so we had free ice water and meals if you wanted them. I did not worry to much about looting except for fuel and generators. Everyone has guns so you have to be desperate or stupid criminal to loot. I am sure it was less safe in the city where people were in more desperate cramped situation.


Gas was not available for a few days and I was afraid we would run out, but as power came back to the communities around us gas did, too. Our generator will power most of the house, but we only ran the basics to make the gas last as long as possible. For us, the basics are the well, the freezers, and the fridge. Then small things like fans, an occasional lamp, the TV to see the news in the evening, one burner on the stove once a day to fix breakfast, plus extra bacon for sandwiches at lunch or hamburgers for supper, whatever was thawed in the fridge, cooked all at the same time and eaten throughout the day. I cooked spaghetti and taco meat before the storm, and two loaves of banana nut bread, plus we had fruit, so we had food the first several days that did not need much cooking. By the time that ran out, I was back at work in Tallahassee and picked up something for supper something on the way home. Necessities are available now so we have not had to use the credit card or the ATM. We are approximately 40 minutes from Tallahassee, in the boonies, so no curfew here.

A lot of the destruction around us was tree related. The Pecan orchards are decimated, as well as the big Live Oaks and planted pines. We had a big storm with a tornado about a month and a half ago that brought down many Pecan trees, and a lot of the remaining ones came down or were badly damaged from Michael, just when it is time for this year's harvest. The Pecan industry here will suffer for years to come. It is amazing that most of the trees did not fall on houses, and for that we are very thankful.

Yesterday was pretty disappointing as the linemen were in within earshot (about a mile) on Tuesday and we kind of expected them to come back and finish up our road on Wednesday, but they were nowhere around. A little white truck with a light on top drove past our house, and our closest neighbor where the lines end at, then turned around and left. I texted my son and he said the crew had been called off to more populated roads. I texted him again last night, as everyone around except us & the neighbor had power, and he said he was bird dogging right then (showing the crews where to work the following day) and he thought we might get power back on today. E-mailed hubs this morning and he says no crews are around. All we need is one pole replaced, one repaired, and to restring the lines. I guess it is as with most things in life: unfulfilled expectations bring unhappiness. If no one else had power we would just carry on, but we are one of only two houses without power now so it is a bit of a bummer.  *UPDATE* Hubs just called and said the linemen are at the corner!!!

Bearfoot, thanks for your suggestions about recharging batteries via the solar lamps. Never thought about that. I could heat up water on the stove if I had too, but in the interest of time I just take a (very quick) cold shower in the morning. By evening that cold water will fill good.

M5farm, you sound like you have it a lot worse than us. Do you have a church who can help you? I will add you to my prayers...

SweetBabyJane


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## M5farm (Jan 14, 2014)

sweetbabyjane said:


> Gas was not available for a few days and I was afraid we would run out, but as power came back to the communities around us gas did, too. Our generator will power most of the house, but we only ran the basics to make the gas last as long as possible. For us, the basics are the well, the freezers, and the fridge. Then small things like fans, an occasional lamp, the TV to see the news in the evening, one burner on the stove once a day to fix breakfast, plus extra bacon for sandwiches at lunch or hamburgers for supper, whatever was thawed in the fridge, cooked all at the same time and eaten throughout the day. I cooked spaghetti and taco meat before the storm, and two loaves of banana nut bread, plus we had fruit, so we had food the first several days that did not need much cooking. By the time that ran out, I was back at work in Tallahassee and picked up something for supper something on the way home. Necessities are available now so we have not had to use the credit card or the ATM. We are approximately 40 minutes from Tallahassee, in the boonies, so no curfew here.
> 
> A lot of the destruction around us was tree related. The Pecan orchards are decimated, as well as the big Live Oaks and planted pines. We had a big storm with a tornado about a month and a half ago that brought down many Pecan trees, and a lot of the remaining ones came down or were badly damaged from Michael, just when it is time for this year's harvest. The Pecan industry here will suffer for years to come. It is amazing that most of the trees did not fall on houses, and for that we are very thankful.
> 
> ...


thank you, We do have a church and we are trying to help them help those that have nothing.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

sweetbabyjane said:


> I could heat up water on the stove if I had too, but in the interest of time I just take a (very quick) cold shower in the morning. By evening that cold water will fill good.


I'd suggest getting a propane heater and cooker or camp stove you could use without needing to run a generator. Heating with electricity isn't all that efficient and takes a lot of watts. 

You can even use a propane grill as long as you have the needed containers to hold the water. Camping stoves can be used indoors.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> M5farm said: ↑
> It's been pure hell here, day 7 without power. House will only need a new roof. All other buildings destroyed. Hundreds of trees lost on my place. I'm very weary at this point. I am a roofing distributor so 12 hrs a day doing that another 8 hrs at home trying to water clean up , fuel up, someone needing help every day. Say a prayer for us.


Hopefully things will return to semi-normal soon.
Just don't forget that not everything has to be done all at once.
It's too easy to wear yourself out.

Make yourself take a break once in a while.
It's a marathon, not a sprint.


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## sweetbabyjane (Oct 21, 2002)

Quick update: we got power back Thursday evening! Our electrical co-op had its annual meeting on Friday and the director of emergency services guy said that when they did the initial survey they estimated it would take 3-4 weeks to get power back. They saw it was too big to do alone so they put out a call for assistance to the states we have reciprocal agreements with. 400 linemen from 7 different states responded, and our county leaders were able to change their predictions to 99% of the county back up by Sunday night.  Great work linemen! Still a lot of work to do before Grady County gets back to normal, but we are getting there.

SweetBabyJane


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

We forget how much we rely on power until it's lost.
Glad to hear you've gotten yours back.
That will relieve a lot of the stress.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

farmrbrown said:


> Edward G. looked like he was gonna have a stroke though, lol.
> Today, they'd count him as another "hurricane related death".


Often those heart attacks and strokes are brought on by stress and exertion caused by the hurricane, and the deaths are due to emergency services not being able to respond in a timely manner, if at all.

They are "hurricane related" in that sense.


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