I'm back... where's Wants2fly??? Bad hurricane, bad bad hurricane!

[b]<font color="purple">Update from Broward Country, Florida.

Just got power, phone back. I am NOT fully functioning (and I already typed this paragraph once but lost it and now I have no idea what I typed before...) Wilma came through October 24th, Monday in early morning.. (just like Andrew did August 24, 1992, early morning) "She" went right over my location, and probably Want2fly's also. I see she hasn't been on yet.. many areas still don't have power, phone and /or water that's potable.

Insult to injury (just like Andrew) it was a category 3 yet now some "experts" are trying to say only a "1"... ha! Funny, right through storm they said "3." Why do they deny us legitimacy? As if those of us who live here can't tell a 1 from a 2 from a 3 from a 4 from a 5!

I am quite traumatized - again - as I was disabled in a thunderstorm, went through Andrew and lost everything... and went through Wilma by myself in home.

My home, which I had built for me in '99 to Miami-Dade building code (the strictest in the Nation) suffered NO DAMAGE. Well, the splash guard on one gutter ripped halfway off.. this is insignificant. I lost 5 trees, a Gumbo, a live Oak, the rest of my Mahogany and 2 "weeping figs" (which don't give figs, go figure.) They all fell short of my home, and all fell only on my property.

Debris piles of trees and shrubs, and other stuff others have lost (roof tiles, screen rooms etc.) line the streets. All intersections are 4 way stops and many ppl don't know how to do that. Cellular phones didn't work for many days... and still very unreliable.

I no longer have to "boil water" in my area, but had plenty in stock so I didn't anyway... I didn't cook a thing, in fact, just couldn't manage it. Ate cold soup out of cans, with spoon...etc. I waited in a fuel line one day, had 2 hours between doctors (as one didn't open office since no power there) .. got so sick I had to leave line and was 15th in line at that time! I begged into an ice/water line on day 4... they have no accomodations for handicapped and all have to wait... the first 2 days they had the POD open NO supplies arrived. Ppl had waited 12 - 18 hours for nothing. I didn't need ice.. except for ice packs....

I had no ice packs, no power for heating pad nor hot water... no power to charge my TENS batteries... and while I was very "prepared" ... I was to go to a shelter prior to the storm.. . they (the county) NEVER called me... never contacted me. TV stations/ radio stations never provided special needs shelter info etc.

Talk about another pain flare! Just today my physical therapist's office called (I just got phone back, they just got power back) and I went in today after nearly 2 weeks without. grrrrr My psychologist has struggled with me through out .. including my horrible cellular intermittent service and garbled messages. (His area "only" received wind, not the rain also.. but most all homes have roof damage due to winds.) The whole house shook/vibrated for HOURS like it was going to lift, concrete floors,walls and all! This NEVER happened not even with Andrew, where the roofs and walls went flying...hmmm guess the tying down of roof and walls shakes concrete foundations...)

I'm rattling on... sorry. It clouded up today and I triggered out... the PT's office, which just got power last night, had it's a/c fan on high and I was freaking out telling myself it wasn't a storm, it wasn't wind it wasn't rain it was the A/C FAN! It poured rain on the way home from T's, too. grrrr

I had an MD appointment LAST TUESDAY.. the day after Wilma came through... I managed to get a short call through to them on 3rd try.. and they were PO'd because I was late for my appointment!!!! They had power because they are on same grid as a hospital... like I knew? I had to drive all that way in debris ridden streets and no power/street lights and crazy other ppl driving... heavy sigh.... well, I gave my MD the what for after getting there, and declared the problem of her not giving me enough pain meds.. and she increased them back up some! grrrr I cannot think about this further now.

T says I'm to do "nothing" tonight, Wednesday.. and see him Thursday. There is much more to story here... I can't share .. yet?

Wants2fly, I hope you are managing as best you can.. we've been through so much!

Thank you all for your prayers... I'm sure they made a big difference for me!

Thank you sleeps for the welcome back. I reposted this as I guess ppl didn't realize I had added to the Hurricane thread...

hope a hug helps that is about all I can do 4 u hon
((((((((((SKY))))))))))

(((((((((((((Sky))))))))))))))) It's good to hear from you. I'm glad you're safe.

*hugs* glad you're safe!

It's good to see you posting again! I'm glad you are safe and back online. Take care.

emmy

((((((((((((((((sky)))))))))))))))))))
So glad you are back and okay sky!

welcome back sky and glad you made it through.

(((((((Sky)))))))

I am so glad you are safe...take gentle care of yourself.

((((((Wants2fly))))))) Let us know if you are ok.

So glad that you are back posting. I hope Wants2Fly is safe!
I cannot imagine how horrible going thru a hurricane is. Your description gives me the shivers tho ! Being alone through it doesnt sound plesasnt, what strength you have !!!

THANK YOU (((pooh)))) hugs are great!

wb Sky -- I was checking for you every day. Worried.
I'm so glad you're ok but I'm so sorry for your trees and your community

Wants2Fly - are YOU okay?

take care. pat

Hi Sky & All --

I was one of the lucky ones -- my power was off for only 2 days. Today, however, is the first day that I have an internet connection.

I live in a cinderblock apartment building. Even the roof is cinderblock. Altho I don't have storm shutters, my patio screens are flush with the exterior wall of the building -- in other words, the patio is not a projecting balcony. Winds have to blow directly into that patio feet to blow out my sliding doors. The bedroom window also is sheltered by a dormer.

I suffered no damage, except a few tears in the screen. I've never been in a direct hit before. I was visiting Sarasota when Andrew hit, where it was just a bit of wind and heavy rain; and I was in Florida when Katrina hit New Orleans, where I was living last summer.

I could easily have gone without power for longer than the 2 days. I loved the darkness. There was curfew, and so there was no sound of rushing traffic from the nearby turnpike, or people driving in and out of the parking lot. For 2 days, we had no water, because an upturned tree broke the water main -- but no one was sure which upturned tree had done it. That was a pain, because I had to carry a bucket of water up three flights of dark stairs to flush the toilets.

Hoo, boy, did my muscles ache.

I'm sure it was partly stress, too.

My friend lives next door, so it's been like living in a dormitory. We've had more time to spend together. I went nowhere until today, when classes resumed in Boca Raton, about an hour drive from where I live in Broward County.

Yesterday, in a nearby condo apartment complex, 9 thousand people were evicted from their homes and given 2 or 3 hours to remove what they had left of belongings. Roofs that were damaged by Wilma started caving in heavy rains that came yesterday.

Building inspectors are rushing madly all over the county, issuing eviction notices for people who have nowhere to go. Hotels and motels are full of local residents. No, it's not the tragic mess of the Gulf Coast and New Orleans, but it is very uncomfortable, frightening, and costly for many people here.

Debris is everywhere, as Sky said. I wish people would learn not to plant brittle trees that don't belong in this climate. As near as I can tell, the palms, that bend in the strong winds, are still standing.

Many traffic lights are still out, although gas lines are getting shorter. I only had to wait 20 minutes for gas today. This is the first time since Wilma that I've driven. I only left the apartment complex one other time, when my friend next-door asked me to go to a whole foods market with her. I am very self-sufficient, and it seems that I don't need much to be content -- a bit to eat, some fresh water, a flashlight to read by after dark.

I feel very, very blessed to be so snug in my little apartment.

Thank you, good friends, for your kind thoughts and concern. It really makes a nice difference to be missed, especially as I've not been active on the forums for a long time.

Peace and blessings, I hope things start to smooth out for you Sky.

I am so glad you are ok...and Sky I am glad you moved this cause I lose things so easy and this stands out ...I will tell you Wants I have never lived in a state with hurricanes BUT I do know to fill my tub with water before a storm here and get a bucket in the house for flushing..we lose power a lot so I am a pro at being prepared

Thank you Ozzie, yes... to look at me, my home.. all is well (but we all know, inside I still don't feel "safe") sigh.

heheeh thanks ((spaz))) gotta love that siggy!

Thank you emily ((hugs)) yeah.. but somehow, "online" just isn't so important any more, ya know? I'm glad for the members here, though!!

((wanttoheal))) thanks... I appreciate all the support .. really comes in handy! TC

yes, ((myself))) THROUGH isthe operative word! hehehe

Why, thank you! ((heather))) yeah.. gentleness.. whew my T went through this storm too... he is VERY sensitive to my sensitivity too!!!!

aw gee, (((parker))) I didn't share much of any thing how the storm REALLY affected me... thank you for your thoughts! I need lots of support!

Thank you (((LMo)))) good to see you still here LOL I mean... I forgot you had returned and made mod aggghhhh! I best shut my mouth.. not thinking as well as I speak either, right now!

((pat)) thanks!

Glad you came out of that pretty much intact. I have been through several hurricanes. The sounds of the wind are frightening. I used to hunker down in the hallway with my flashlight and pray out loud to God.

TGC

WOW! (((WANTS2FLY)))) good to hear from you! I'm glad you didn't have something come flying into your place (without shutters, oh!)

You are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT about the trees these foreign nurserymen sell and plant around here.. I call them "garbagetrees" as they aren't worth anything! In fact, one of the trees that was the same as one that went down in my front yard, I had cut down so it won't cause me problems in the future. (it was damaged and my neighbor had one damaged last year and nothing he did, did any good and it fell into the road etc etc) But also, I lost a mahogany and a live oak, both very sturdy trees... the winds were BAD, ya know??? I had had ALL of my trees pruned earlier this year, so their canopies were not too much for the trunks, root systems. I won't do palms though, did that with Andrew, and they are short root system (depends upon how the wind hits them?) and they are extremely dense/heavy if they need adjustment or disposal! I'm geared towards something pretty that won't matter if it blows away, and won't hurt anything if it falls on it LOL!

I didn't lose water.... though pressure went down as it does after a bad hurricane (not only due to power loss at water plants, but due to broken/open pipes flowing with blown away buildings/houses) Yeah, always learned as a child to have a tub full of water for flushing, but that was back when we had well water. Not since city/county water which works on a gravity system, have I lost water for toilets. Anyway, I was busy taking baths to try and relax!

I haven't been to church.. since.. of course... wonder how Coral Ridge Presbyterian is looking??? any idea?

Glad you're ok. You must have marvelous looking calves about now