Dee Light
Logs - 2004 - Fall - Hurricane Ivan
Fort Myers Florida
Hurrican Frances and Hurricane Ivan
NOTE .. for a larger version of the photos on this page .. just click on the photo .. NOTE
Hurrican Frances and Hurricane Ivan
NOTE .. for a larger version of the photos on this page .. just click on the photo .. NOTE
HERE WE GO AGAIN - ???
Thursday – September 09 2004 - Centennial Harbour Marina – Fort Myers, FL - (239) 461-0775 – Mile 136 … after getting back from our Road Trip to Lake Okeechobee yesterday we got up the clear skies but only find out that Ivan’s Track is now heading right to where we were looking at as a safe Hurricane Hole for Dee Light .. UGH !! …
HEADLINES –
Florida Keeps Cautious Eye On Ivan - Category 5 storm’s track still uncertain
By GRANT BOXLEITNER – September 9 2004
FORT MYERS FL - Forecasters cautioned Wednesday - Thursday that Hurricane Ivan could pose a third consecutive threat to Florida’s coast, leaving millions of residents thinking to themselves, “not again.” .. “We should be paying attention,” hurricane specialist Jack Beven said. “The whole state is in the danger cone.” .. the last time three hurricanes hit Florida in one season was 1964, but none of those were major storms with sustained winds of more than 110 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami .. Ivan was a Category 4 storm packing maximum winds of 145 mph Wednesday as it headed toward Jamaica. The storm has not hit any land since tearing through Grenada on Tuesday. The forecast track brings it closer to Florida by the weekend .. “A number of computer models are showing another direct hit on the (Florida) west coast, and I know that’s not news (Floridians) want to hear,” AccuWeather.com meteorologist Ray Martin said ..
07:00 am .. we got word that the Lock East of Lake Okeechobee was closed for repairs from Frances .. UGH !! .. this means that all the Boats that headed West for Frances are now stuck and cannot return to their Home Ports on the East Coast .. and we will be unable to head East with Dee Light .. later in the day the Lock was re-opened ..
09:00 am .. Hurricane Ivan’s proposed Track Line is now projected to head right for Fort Myers .. and it has now been rated a Category 5 Hurricane .. YUCK !!! …
10:00 am .. Lori and Brian to their two boys and headed out for Tennessee to spell out Ivan up there .. they will be with Brian’s family ..
11:00 am .. two Boats ( Jim and Kim – Ole and Holly ) on B-Dock decided to head East to spell out Ivan ..
12:00 pm .. Marv brought Bernie and Barb ( SITTING DUCK ) to the Airport as they will be spending the next two weeks up North at their home in Wisconsin ..
01:00 pm .. we had decided that we could use additional Hurricane Lines .. so I drove to Gulf Marine and bought 4 more 7/8 inch 60 foot Lines .. Marv also stopped in at the Fort Myers Yacht Basin to check on their Diesel Fuel .. they said that they would have some for us in the morning but we may now be able to fill our Tanks as they were rationing the Fuel ..
02:00 pm .. Marv spent the afternoon taking our Hurricane Lines off Dee Light in preparation to pull out for Fuel in the morning ..
03:00 pm .. our Harbormasters ( David ) family is going to head North to Washington DC to spell out the Storm .. and our Assistant Harbormasters family is headed to North Carolina ..
04:00 pm .. Marv helped Eric get Scott’s 60 foot Viking to the Fort Myers Yacht Basin for Fuel .. Scott and a Captain will be here in the morning to head for Jacksonville Florida with the Boat ..
05:00 pm .. we checked Hurricane Plans with a number of other Boaters in the Marina ..
08:00 pm .. we had dinner at Perkins and then watched the first Trump Show of the New Season ..
11:00 pm .. the Indianapolis Colts loose to the New England Patriots 24 to 27 ..
HEADLINES –
Florida Keeps Cautious Eye On Ivan - Category 5 storm’s track still uncertain
By GRANT BOXLEITNER – September 9 2004
FORT MYERS FL - Forecasters cautioned Wednesday - Thursday that Hurricane Ivan could pose a third consecutive threat to Florida’s coast, leaving millions of residents thinking to themselves, “not again.” .. “We should be paying attention,” hurricane specialist Jack Beven said. “The whole state is in the danger cone.” .. the last time three hurricanes hit Florida in one season was 1964, but none of those were major storms with sustained winds of more than 110 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami .. Ivan was a Category 4 storm packing maximum winds of 145 mph Wednesday as it headed toward Jamaica. The storm has not hit any land since tearing through Grenada on Tuesday. The forecast track brings it closer to Florida by the weekend .. “A number of computer models are showing another direct hit on the (Florida) west coast, and I know that’s not news (Floridians) want to hear,” AccuWeather.com meteorologist Ray Martin said ..
07:00 am .. we got word that the Lock East of Lake Okeechobee was closed for repairs from Frances .. UGH !! .. this means that all the Boats that headed West for Frances are now stuck and cannot return to their Home Ports on the East Coast .. and we will be unable to head East with Dee Light .. later in the day the Lock was re-opened ..
09:00 am .. Hurricane Ivan’s proposed Track Line is now projected to head right for Fort Myers .. and it has now been rated a Category 5 Hurricane .. YUCK !!! …
10:00 am .. Lori and Brian to their two boys and headed out for Tennessee to spell out Ivan up there .. they will be with Brian’s family ..
11:00 am .. two Boats ( Jim and Kim – Ole and Holly ) on B-Dock decided to head East to spell out Ivan ..
12:00 pm .. Marv brought Bernie and Barb ( SITTING DUCK ) to the Airport as they will be spending the next two weeks up North at their home in Wisconsin ..
01:00 pm .. we had decided that we could use additional Hurricane Lines .. so I drove to Gulf Marine and bought 4 more 7/8 inch 60 foot Lines .. Marv also stopped in at the Fort Myers Yacht Basin to check on their Diesel Fuel .. they said that they would have some for us in the morning but we may now be able to fill our Tanks as they were rationing the Fuel ..
02:00 pm .. Marv spent the afternoon taking our Hurricane Lines off Dee Light in preparation to pull out for Fuel in the morning ..
03:00 pm .. our Harbormasters ( David ) family is going to head North to Washington DC to spell out the Storm .. and our Assistant Harbormasters family is headed to North Carolina ..
04:00 pm .. Marv helped Eric get Scott’s 60 foot Viking to the Fort Myers Yacht Basin for Fuel .. Scott and a Captain will be here in the morning to head for Jacksonville Florida with the Boat ..
05:00 pm .. we checked Hurricane Plans with a number of other Boaters in the Marina ..
08:00 pm .. we had dinner at Perkins and then watched the first Trump Show of the New Season ..
11:00 pm .. the Indianapolis Colts loose to the New England Patriots 24 to 27 ..
Friday – 2004-09-10 –
07:00 am .. the first of a number of Boats to leave the Marina today pulled out and headed up River ( East ) ..
07:30 am .. we went to the Fort Myers Yacht Basin for Fuel .. good thing that we got here when we did as there were other Boats with the same idea .. once docked Betty left for work and when the Fuel Dock opened up at 08:00 am we started to take on Fuel ..
08:00 am .. when we were taking on Fuel the Boat THINK BIG ( 90 footer ) left the Marina .. they weathered out Frances here and now are heading for Tampa Florida .. ?? .. that is right where the Eye of Ivan is heading at this time .. UGH !! ..
09:15 am .. after taking on as much Fuel that they would allow us we returned to our Marina .. by the time we pulled out there were 6 Boats waiting for our spot on the Fuel Dock ..
10:00 am .. SERGENTY ( Pat and Pete ) headed out of the Marina to take on Fuel at the Fort Myers Yacht Basin .. Marv went with them to help with Lines .. we were back to the Marina about 11:30 am ..
11:00 am .. Marv talked with Little Man ( Harbour Master at Roland Martins Resort Marina ) .. he said that he will hold a spot for Dee Light at ‘The Inn’ on the Fuel Dock ..
07:00 am .. the first of a number of Boats to leave the Marina today pulled out and headed up River ( East ) ..
07:30 am .. we went to the Fort Myers Yacht Basin for Fuel .. good thing that we got here when we did as there were other Boats with the same idea .. once docked Betty left for work and when the Fuel Dock opened up at 08:00 am we started to take on Fuel ..
08:00 am .. when we were taking on Fuel the Boat THINK BIG ( 90 footer ) left the Marina .. they weathered out Frances here and now are heading for Tampa Florida .. ?? .. that is right where the Eye of Ivan is heading at this time .. UGH !! ..
09:15 am .. after taking on as much Fuel that they would allow us we returned to our Marina .. by the time we pulled out there were 6 Boats waiting for our spot on the Fuel Dock ..
10:00 am .. SERGENTY ( Pat and Pete ) headed out of the Marina to take on Fuel at the Fort Myers Yacht Basin .. Marv went with them to help with Lines .. we were back to the Marina about 11:30 am ..
11:00 am .. Marv talked with Little Man ( Harbour Master at Roland Martins Resort Marina ) .. he said that he will hold a spot for Dee Light at ‘The Inn’ on the Fuel Dock ..
.. Ivan The Terrible .. this dose not look good at all !! ..
.. at this time this is our current Hurricane Ivan Plan ..
Dee Light’s Hurricane Plan
A – on Friday ( 2004-09-10 ) – the Crew of Dee Light will make one final trip to Daddy Dee’s for Ice Cream ..
B – on Saturday ( 2004-09-11 ) – Dee Light will head out to the East at first light .. i.e. we plan to head in a general direction that is at right angles to Hurricane Ivan’s Current Track Line .. we plan to take the ICW System to Clewiston ( Roland Martins Resort Marina ) .. the Marina will be our final destination to ride our Hurricane Ivan ..
C – on Sunday ( 2004-09-12 ) – if Ivan’s Track line remains the same we will ready our Hurricane Lines for the worst possible conditions ..
D – on Sunday ( 2004-09-12 ) – if Ivan’s Track line makes a change we will alter our plans . i.e. if the Track Line starts to head our direction we will head further East on the ICW with a destination to be determined totally dependent on the Ivan’s Track Line ..
E – once Dee Light is secure we will case the area out on the land and develop the balance of our Hurricane Ivan Plan ..
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02:30 pm .. Little Man called and said that the Boats that were going to be heading East from his Marina are now unable to head East as the Marinas that they were going to go to are not able to get them into their Marinas because of the damage that has been caused by Frances .. UFFDA !! .. thus there in no Room at the Inn for Dee Light .. YUCK ..
03:00 pm .. we talked to Gene ( FRONT PAGE ) .. he and his Son are on their way down from Minnesota .. they will be getting in about midnight ..
03:30 pm .. there has been a parade of Boats all day heading East .. many stopping at the FMYB for Fuel that is getting very short now ..
04:00 pm .. Governor Jeb Bush had another Press Conference .. he was very reassuring to all Floridians .. in every one of his Press Conferences he address Floridians in English and Spanish ..
06:00 pm .. we headed out to Perkins for dinner with Pat and Pete .. and yes we did stop at Daddy Dee’s for Ice Cream .. and it was GREAT ..
08:00 pm .. after dinner Betty headed out to pick up some last minute supplies and Marv headed back to the drawing board to come up with a new Hurricane Ivan Plan .. UGH !! ..
10:00 pm .. we explored dockage with Jim and Carol (LEGACY ) .. they are doing the Loop this year but returned to their home in the Jupiter Florida area due to Frances .. they were able to give us a ‘heads up on their Home Port Marina .. we tried to contact the Marina but the phone lines are down due to Frances ..
11:00 pm .. we got NOAA’s .. not a lot of change except it is now once again almost a Category 5 Hurricane UGH !! .. it gonna be a long night .. again ..
.. at this time this is our current Hurricane Ivan Plan ..
Dee Light’s Hurricane Plan
A – on Friday ( 2004-09-10 ) – the Crew of Dee Light will make one final trip to Daddy Dee’s for Ice Cream ..
B – on Saturday ( 2004-09-11 ) – Dee Light will head out to the East at first light .. i.e. we plan to head in a general direction that is at right angles to Hurricane Ivan’s Current Track Line .. we plan to take the ICW System to Clewiston ( Roland Martins Resort Marina ) .. the Marina will be our final destination to ride our Hurricane Ivan ..
C – on Sunday ( 2004-09-12 ) – if Ivan’s Track line remains the same we will ready our Hurricane Lines for the worst possible conditions ..
D – on Sunday ( 2004-09-12 ) – if Ivan’s Track line makes a change we will alter our plans . i.e. if the Track Line starts to head our direction we will head further East on the ICW with a destination to be determined totally dependent on the Ivan’s Track Line ..
E – once Dee Light is secure we will case the area out on the land and develop the balance of our Hurricane Ivan Plan ..
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02:30 pm .. Little Man called and said that the Boats that were going to be heading East from his Marina are now unable to head East as the Marinas that they were going to go to are not able to get them into their Marinas because of the damage that has been caused by Frances .. UFFDA !! .. thus there in no Room at the Inn for Dee Light .. YUCK ..
03:00 pm .. we talked to Gene ( FRONT PAGE ) .. he and his Son are on their way down from Minnesota .. they will be getting in about midnight ..
03:30 pm .. there has been a parade of Boats all day heading East .. many stopping at the FMYB for Fuel that is getting very short now ..
04:00 pm .. Governor Jeb Bush had another Press Conference .. he was very reassuring to all Floridians .. in every one of his Press Conferences he address Floridians in English and Spanish ..
06:00 pm .. we headed out to Perkins for dinner with Pat and Pete .. and yes we did stop at Daddy Dee’s for Ice Cream .. and it was GREAT ..
08:00 pm .. after dinner Betty headed out to pick up some last minute supplies and Marv headed back to the drawing board to come up with a new Hurricane Ivan Plan .. UGH !! ..
10:00 pm .. we explored dockage with Jim and Carol (LEGACY ) .. they are doing the Loop this year but returned to their home in the Jupiter Florida area due to Frances .. they were able to give us a ‘heads up on their Home Port Marina .. we tried to contact the Marina but the phone lines are down due to Frances ..
11:00 pm .. we got NOAA’s .. not a lot of change except it is now once again almost a Category 5 Hurricane UGH !! .. it gonna be a long night .. again ..
Saturday – 2004-09-11 –
04:45 am .. we called for Little Man at Clewiston ( Roland Martins Resort Marina ) and talked with the Security Guard at the Marina .. he said that they was no ‘Room at the Inn’ and that were already rafted off two deep .. and that Little Man would not be in until 08:00 am .. Little Man did leave word that he would save room for us on the Dolphins that are outside the Hurricane Gates .. UGH .. we do not want to do this at all !! .. but left the option open ..
05:00 am .. we check out NOAA’s 05:00 am update but found no new information .. except it sure looks a lot like CHARLEY !! ..
06:00 am .. we explored our options and found that the Docks East of us are filled with Boats that fled Charley and have not returned to their Home Ports .. and now there are many more Boats heading East again to avoid Ivan .. we do have two backup Plans but we would still like to do our Plan A ..
06:15 am .. TRUE LOVE pulled out of he Marina and started to head East up the River ..
06:30 am .. we talked to Little Man again .. we expressed that we did not want to spell out Ivan on the Dolphins .. looks like we will have to go with Plan B .. UGH !! ..
07:15 am .. we talked to Little Man for the third time this morning .. he said that we should get on our way right NOW and he will find a spot at the Marina for us ..
07:45 am .. after taking both of our Cars to the elevated Parking Ramp we got Dee Light ready and pulled out of the Marina .. once underway we got on our Cell Phones to let the marina know of our plans .. we also called family member to let them know that Dee Light was on the run heading East .. also we talked to Gene ( FRONT PAGE ) .. they will be heading out later behind us ..
09:00 am .. as we approached our first Lock we saw a number of Shrimp Boats that were tucked back in a Lagoon ..
09:30 am .. we made it thru the Franklin Lock .. our first Lock of three for today .. MONROE TIME that was at our Marina Locked thru with us .. he headed out with his 50 Post all by himself .. UGH .. the Lock was FULL of Boats all heading East .. once past the Lock we spotted the Big M Casino Boat and the J. P. Cruse Boat both from Fort Myers .. they were tied off to the Dolphins above the Lock ..
09:45 am .. we called Little Man and updated him with our progress .. we did that again after each Lock ..
10:00 am .. we talked with Jim ( LEGACY ) .. Jim drove to a number of Marinas in his Car as the Phone Lines are down due to Hurricane Frances .. he got dockage for us in Stuart for Sunday night .. we talked to the Harbour Master and said that we would get back to him in the morning ..
11:15 am .. as we passed TRUE LOVE we talked with them on the Marine Radio .. they have Fuel Filter troubles .. UGH !! .. we know the feeling all too well ..
12:15 pm .. we made it thru our Second Lock .. every Lock was full of Boats heading East .. many of the boaters did not know where they were going to just that they were heading East .. Betty talked with the Crew on one Boat ( NEVER SAY NEVER ) and found that they are headed to the Bahamas to weather out Ivan ..
01:45 m .. after a short wait at the Lock .. i.e. it was filled with Boats that were ahead of us heading East .. we made it thru our last Lock for the day ..
02:00 pm .. we kept in contact with FRONT PAGE ..they are on the move a few hours behind us ..
03:00 pm .. Dee Light was docked and hooked up at Clewiston ( Roland Martins Resort Marina ) ..
04:45 am .. we called for Little Man at Clewiston ( Roland Martins Resort Marina ) and talked with the Security Guard at the Marina .. he said that they was no ‘Room at the Inn’ and that were already rafted off two deep .. and that Little Man would not be in until 08:00 am .. Little Man did leave word that he would save room for us on the Dolphins that are outside the Hurricane Gates .. UGH .. we do not want to do this at all !! .. but left the option open ..
05:00 am .. we check out NOAA’s 05:00 am update but found no new information .. except it sure looks a lot like CHARLEY !! ..
06:00 am .. we explored our options and found that the Docks East of us are filled with Boats that fled Charley and have not returned to their Home Ports .. and now there are many more Boats heading East again to avoid Ivan .. we do have two backup Plans but we would still like to do our Plan A ..
06:15 am .. TRUE LOVE pulled out of he Marina and started to head East up the River ..
06:30 am .. we talked to Little Man again .. we expressed that we did not want to spell out Ivan on the Dolphins .. looks like we will have to go with Plan B .. UGH !! ..
07:15 am .. we talked to Little Man for the third time this morning .. he said that we should get on our way right NOW and he will find a spot at the Marina for us ..
07:45 am .. after taking both of our Cars to the elevated Parking Ramp we got Dee Light ready and pulled out of the Marina .. once underway we got on our Cell Phones to let the marina know of our plans .. we also called family member to let them know that Dee Light was on the run heading East .. also we talked to Gene ( FRONT PAGE ) .. they will be heading out later behind us ..
09:00 am .. as we approached our first Lock we saw a number of Shrimp Boats that were tucked back in a Lagoon ..
09:30 am .. we made it thru the Franklin Lock .. our first Lock of three for today .. MONROE TIME that was at our Marina Locked thru with us .. he headed out with his 50 Post all by himself .. UGH .. the Lock was FULL of Boats all heading East .. once past the Lock we spotted the Big M Casino Boat and the J. P. Cruse Boat both from Fort Myers .. they were tied off to the Dolphins above the Lock ..
09:45 am .. we called Little Man and updated him with our progress .. we did that again after each Lock ..
10:00 am .. we talked with Jim ( LEGACY ) .. Jim drove to a number of Marinas in his Car as the Phone Lines are down due to Hurricane Frances .. he got dockage for us in Stuart for Sunday night .. we talked to the Harbour Master and said that we would get back to him in the morning ..
11:15 am .. as we passed TRUE LOVE we talked with them on the Marine Radio .. they have Fuel Filter troubles .. UGH !! .. we know the feeling all too well ..
12:15 pm .. we made it thru our Second Lock .. every Lock was full of Boats heading East .. many of the boaters did not know where they were going to just that they were heading East .. Betty talked with the Crew on one Boat ( NEVER SAY NEVER ) and found that they are headed to the Bahamas to weather out Ivan ..
01:45 m .. after a short wait at the Lock .. i.e. it was filled with Boats that were ahead of us heading East .. we made it thru our last Lock for the day ..
02:00 pm .. we kept in contact with FRONT PAGE ..they are on the move a few hours behind us ..
03:00 pm .. Dee Light was docked and hooked up at Clewiston ( Roland Martins Resort Marina ) ..
03:30 pm .. we the Track of Ivan staying in the Gulf Jon and Sarah have decided to remain at their place in Cape Coral .. if the Track starts to change it would not take them long to make a move by Car ..
04:00 pm .. we got checked in at the Marina’s Office and relaxed at the Tiki Bar that is located right on our Port Side ..
04:30 pm .. Pattie and Tom ( TRUE LOVE ) tied off to the Dolphins for the night and used our Swim Platform to tie off their Dinghy when they came into the Marina from their Boat ..
05:00 pm .. FRONT PAGE called and Gene said that they made it thru their final Lock for today and should be here in about 30 minutes ..
05:30 pm .. FRONT PAGE was rafted off on our Starboard Side .. Gene was quick so note that since FRONT PAGE was the Boat rafted off that they would be able to secure dockage for half of the going rate ..
07:0 pm .. we had a great dinner with the Crew from FRONT PAGE ( Gene and Cameron ) at the Tiki Bar and Galley right at the Marina .. once we made it back to Dee Light we were dead .. with everything that we had going on today we completely forgot about today being the anniversary of the tragedy that took place in New York just three years ago .. we can be thankful that we are just dealing with a Hurricane ..
04:00 pm .. we got checked in at the Marina’s Office and relaxed at the Tiki Bar that is located right on our Port Side ..
04:30 pm .. Pattie and Tom ( TRUE LOVE ) tied off to the Dolphins for the night and used our Swim Platform to tie off their Dinghy when they came into the Marina from their Boat ..
05:00 pm .. FRONT PAGE called and Gene said that they made it thru their final Lock for today and should be here in about 30 minutes ..
05:30 pm .. FRONT PAGE was rafted off on our Starboard Side .. Gene was quick so note that since FRONT PAGE was the Boat rafted off that they would be able to secure dockage for half of the going rate ..
07:0 pm .. we had a great dinner with the Crew from FRONT PAGE ( Gene and Cameron ) at the Tiki Bar and Galley right at the Marina .. once we made it back to Dee Light we were dead .. with everything that we had going on today we completely forgot about today being the anniversary of the tragedy that took place in New York just three years ago .. we can be thankful that we are just dealing with a Hurricane ..
Sunday – September 12 2004 - Roland Martins Resort Marina - Clewiston FL - (800) 473-6766 – Mile 65 … today has been an interesting day for forecasting IVAN .. the track has now shifted noticeably to the left and takes the storm to the west of us by over 100 miles .. IVAN is still a Catagory 5 Hurricane and can not be discounted completely but if the forecasts today hold for the next few days IVAN will be a problem for the Panhandle or Big Bend area of Florida .. looks like we will get rain and wind from the Storm on Monday night and Tuesday but the destructive forces of IVAN should stay offshore .. but Charley looked much the same just a Month ago ..
07:00 am .. GOOD WEATHER NEWS - since adjusting to a Westerly Track on Friday night Ivan has not started any move toward the Gulf .. the official forecast takes this major Hurricane into the Eastern Gulf of Mexico on Monday .. Tuesday will have windy weather ( 20-30 mph ) for SW Florida as the Storm passes well offshore ..
08:00 am .. we did some cleaning on the Interior of Dee Light and called the Northside Marina in Stuart Florida .. we left the message that based on Ivan’s current Track we have decided to stay right here at Clewiston Florida to ride out Ivan’s winds and rain ..
04:00 pm .. the Crew from FRONT PAGE joined us for the Minnesota Vikings – Dallas Cowboys Game .. the Viks won 34 to 17 ..
07:00 am .. GOOD WEATHER NEWS - since adjusting to a Westerly Track on Friday night Ivan has not started any move toward the Gulf .. the official forecast takes this major Hurricane into the Eastern Gulf of Mexico on Monday .. Tuesday will have windy weather ( 20-30 mph ) for SW Florida as the Storm passes well offshore ..
08:00 am .. we did some cleaning on the Interior of Dee Light and called the Northside Marina in Stuart Florida .. we left the message that based on Ivan’s current Track we have decided to stay right here at Clewiston Florida to ride out Ivan’s winds and rain ..
04:00 pm .. the Crew from FRONT PAGE joined us for the Minnesota Vikings – Dallas Cowboys Game .. the Viks won 34 to 17 ..
Monday – 2004-09-13 –
04:00 am .. our Harbour Master Dave at Fort Myers had sent his wife and girls to the DC area to weather out the Hurricane .. Stephanie had an emergency c-section on Monday morning around 4:00 a.m. .. the baby .. Lane .. weighed about 4 pounds .. they are in northern Virginia .. Dave took off to be there for the birth of their child ..
05:00 am - GOOD NEWS - after going through a very nice weather weekend our good weather news is that Hurricane Ivan forecast Track continues to move farther away from Southern Florida .. and the good news is Southwest Florida ‘probably’ will not feel much effect from Hurricane Ivan ... the Weather Forecasters say the key word is "probably" .. while Forecasters can't say for certain what Ivan will do once it crosses Cuba this afternoon the anticipated Track keeps the powerful Hurricane at least 200 miles off Southwest Florida's Coast ..
02:00 pm .. we took the Marinas Car that they let the Boaters use into town for some supplies .. the Car is a Grey Cadillac that was once owned by Gloria Vanderbilt .. when we had the Car we toured Clewiston and took a few photos ..
06:00 pm .. Betty’s son Randy joined us by Car for the night .. he is an Airplane Pilot and his principal route is Miami to Jamaica .. Randy said that when Ivan passed by the Airport at Kingston Jamaica it left five feet of sand on parts of the Runways thus the Airport will be closed until the Runways can be cleared ..
07:00 pm .. after resolving the problems of the World at the Tiki Bar we had a snack at The Tiki Galley ..
09:00 pm .. Gene joined us on Dee Light to watched the Green Bay Packers and the Carolina Panthers on ABC’s Opening Night of Monday Night Football .. and yes the Packers won with a final score of 24 to 14 ..
HEADLINES –
Green Bay Turns Carolina Blue
Jake Delhomme and Brett Favre got most of the attention leading up to the Monday Night Football opener, but Ahman Green stole the show with three touchdowns in Green Bay's 24-14 victory at Carolina .. Green rushed for 119 yards and two scores and caught a short TD pass .. Delhomme passed for 284 yards but the Packers contained the Panthers' running game ...
12:00 am .. we all had a good nights sleep !!! ….
04:00 am .. our Harbour Master Dave at Fort Myers had sent his wife and girls to the DC area to weather out the Hurricane .. Stephanie had an emergency c-section on Monday morning around 4:00 a.m. .. the baby .. Lane .. weighed about 4 pounds .. they are in northern Virginia .. Dave took off to be there for the birth of their child ..
05:00 am - GOOD NEWS - after going through a very nice weather weekend our good weather news is that Hurricane Ivan forecast Track continues to move farther away from Southern Florida .. and the good news is Southwest Florida ‘probably’ will not feel much effect from Hurricane Ivan ... the Weather Forecasters say the key word is "probably" .. while Forecasters can't say for certain what Ivan will do once it crosses Cuba this afternoon the anticipated Track keeps the powerful Hurricane at least 200 miles off Southwest Florida's Coast ..
02:00 pm .. we took the Marinas Car that they let the Boaters use into town for some supplies .. the Car is a Grey Cadillac that was once owned by Gloria Vanderbilt .. when we had the Car we toured Clewiston and took a few photos ..
06:00 pm .. Betty’s son Randy joined us by Car for the night .. he is an Airplane Pilot and his principal route is Miami to Jamaica .. Randy said that when Ivan passed by the Airport at Kingston Jamaica it left five feet of sand on parts of the Runways thus the Airport will be closed until the Runways can be cleared ..
07:00 pm .. after resolving the problems of the World at the Tiki Bar we had a snack at The Tiki Galley ..
09:00 pm .. Gene joined us on Dee Light to watched the Green Bay Packers and the Carolina Panthers on ABC’s Opening Night of Monday Night Football .. and yes the Packers won with a final score of 24 to 14 ..
HEADLINES –
Green Bay Turns Carolina Blue
Jake Delhomme and Brett Favre got most of the attention leading up to the Monday Night Football opener, but Ahman Green stole the show with three touchdowns in Green Bay's 24-14 victory at Carolina .. Green rushed for 119 yards and two scores and caught a short TD pass .. Delhomme passed for 284 yards but the Packers contained the Panthers' running game ...
12:00 am .. we all had a good nights sleep !!! ….
Tuesday - 2004-09-14 –
05:00 am .. NOAA’s 5 am update shows Hurricane Ivan Track continues to move farther away from Southern Florida .. Ivan’s Track is now heading North to Florida’s Panhandle .. WINK said that we will have a couple of very windy days from Ivan ..
08:00 am – the Schools in Lee, Collier and Charlotte Counties resumed classes on today .. officials said no more Snow Days ..
10:00 am .. with Ivan heading North up thru the Gulf a couple of Boats pulled out of the Marina and headed West .. OVERDRAFT a 72 foot Viking also pulled out .. their Home Port is Fort Myers but the Crew is now heading to Miami Florida where the they will meet up with the Owner for a few days ..
06:00 pm .. the Crew from FRONT PAGE ( Gene and Cameron ) joined us and we took the Marinas Car to The Clewiston Inn located near downtown Clewiston for dinner .. The historic Clewiston Inn was built in 1938 in the heart of sugar cane country .. President Herbert Hoover visited the Inn when he dedicated the Levee that surrounds Lake Okeechobee .. it is named the ‘Hoover Dike’ in his honor .. the Inn is a Hurricane Shelter for local residents and for weary boaters looking for a very good dinner .. and did we have a great dinner topped off with desert .. when Gene read the description of the ‘Clewiston Inn Ice Cream Sunday’ .. ‘With Peaches and Cream, Sugar Cookies, then Drizzled with Orange Sugar and Cinnamon Sauce’ his mouth was dripping .. but our Waitress was quick to let him know that there was a slight error on the Desserts Menu and that the Clewiston Sunday was really just a Chocolate Sunday .. sooooo Gene enjoyed his second choice the ‘Clewiston Inn Peach Cobbler’ ..
05:00 am .. NOAA’s 5 am update shows Hurricane Ivan Track continues to move farther away from Southern Florida .. Ivan’s Track is now heading North to Florida’s Panhandle .. WINK said that we will have a couple of very windy days from Ivan ..
08:00 am – the Schools in Lee, Collier and Charlotte Counties resumed classes on today .. officials said no more Snow Days ..
10:00 am .. with Ivan heading North up thru the Gulf a couple of Boats pulled out of the Marina and headed West .. OVERDRAFT a 72 foot Viking also pulled out .. their Home Port is Fort Myers but the Crew is now heading to Miami Florida where the they will meet up with the Owner for a few days ..
06:00 pm .. the Crew from FRONT PAGE ( Gene and Cameron ) joined us and we took the Marinas Car to The Clewiston Inn located near downtown Clewiston for dinner .. The historic Clewiston Inn was built in 1938 in the heart of sugar cane country .. President Herbert Hoover visited the Inn when he dedicated the Levee that surrounds Lake Okeechobee .. it is named the ‘Hoover Dike’ in his honor .. the Inn is a Hurricane Shelter for local residents and for weary boaters looking for a very good dinner .. and did we have a great dinner topped off with desert .. when Gene read the description of the ‘Clewiston Inn Ice Cream Sunday’ .. ‘With Peaches and Cream, Sugar Cookies, then Drizzled with Orange Sugar and Cinnamon Sauce’ his mouth was dripping .. but our Waitress was quick to let him know that there was a slight error on the Desserts Menu and that the Clewiston Sunday was really just a Chocolate Sunday .. sooooo Gene enjoyed his second choice the ‘Clewiston Inn Peach Cobbler’ ..
Wednesday – 2004-09-15 –
05:00 am .. today will NOT be the sunniest of Florida days as we continue to track Ivan on a course to the North .. the storm is still over 300 miles West of Fort Myers and the wind you will feel today is a result of the massive circulation around the Hurricane .. WINK is expect some passing showers throughout the day and some could be briefly heavy .. by tomorrow and Friday the surf will be up on our beaches and rip currents will likely be developing ..
09:30 am .. Gene and Cameron ( FRONT PAGE ) headed out for Fort Myers .. we decided to spend one more day here at Clewiston and head out on Thursday morning ..
HEADLINES –
Storm Surge Begins On Alabama Coast .. County Commission Orders Curfew
GULF SHORES AL - September 15 - Alabama's Beach Communities resemble ghost towns and shelters in Mobile are filling up today as Hurricane Ivan pushes Gulf waters across the main Beach Road in Gulf Shores .. nearby bayous are rising with spillover from heavy Surf and some Beach erosion already was visible .. the Mobile County Commission has declared a curfew for the entire county including all municipalities .. the curfew effective immediately will be from 6 p-m to 6 a-m daily until further notice ..
03:45 pm .. FRONT PAGE pulled into Centennial Harbour Marina at Fort Myers .. Gene said they had an uneventful trip .. thus a very good trip back ..
07:30 pm .. last Saturday when we traveled from Fort Myers to Clewiston we locked thru two Locks with a 63 foot Boat named NEVER SAY NEVER .. it had a foreign Crew on it that said that they were headed to the Bahamas .. well they made it to Stuart Florida and now with Tropical Storm / Hurricane Jeanne headed to the Bahamas they turned around and just pulled into the Marina .. UGH !! ..
.. Little Man – Dockmaster - Roland Martins Resort Marina - Clewiston Florida ..
The Legend of ‘Little Man’
Big Man Among Boaters
05:00 am .. today will NOT be the sunniest of Florida days as we continue to track Ivan on a course to the North .. the storm is still over 300 miles West of Fort Myers and the wind you will feel today is a result of the massive circulation around the Hurricane .. WINK is expect some passing showers throughout the day and some could be briefly heavy .. by tomorrow and Friday the surf will be up on our beaches and rip currents will likely be developing ..
09:30 am .. Gene and Cameron ( FRONT PAGE ) headed out for Fort Myers .. we decided to spend one more day here at Clewiston and head out on Thursday morning ..
HEADLINES –
Storm Surge Begins On Alabama Coast .. County Commission Orders Curfew
GULF SHORES AL - September 15 - Alabama's Beach Communities resemble ghost towns and shelters in Mobile are filling up today as Hurricane Ivan pushes Gulf waters across the main Beach Road in Gulf Shores .. nearby bayous are rising with spillover from heavy Surf and some Beach erosion already was visible .. the Mobile County Commission has declared a curfew for the entire county including all municipalities .. the curfew effective immediately will be from 6 p-m to 6 a-m daily until further notice ..
03:45 pm .. FRONT PAGE pulled into Centennial Harbour Marina at Fort Myers .. Gene said they had an uneventful trip .. thus a very good trip back ..
07:30 pm .. last Saturday when we traveled from Fort Myers to Clewiston we locked thru two Locks with a 63 foot Boat named NEVER SAY NEVER .. it had a foreign Crew on it that said that they were headed to the Bahamas .. well they made it to Stuart Florida and now with Tropical Storm / Hurricane Jeanne headed to the Bahamas they turned around and just pulled into the Marina .. UGH !! ..
.. Little Man – Dockmaster - Roland Martins Resort Marina - Clewiston Florida ..
The Legend of ‘Little Man’
Big Man Among Boaters
(( .. in the September 2004 issue of YACHTING has an article on Little Man .. and the Clewiston weekly Newspaper also recently had an article on Little Man .. the following is bits and pieces from the two articles .. ))
Clewiston FL – the Dockmaster at the Roland and Mary Ann Martin Marina and Resort is Michael ‘Little Man’ Daugherty he is described by many boaters as ‘the best Dockmaster in the World’ .. and known only to many Boaters as .. ‘Little Man’ .. he came to work at the Marina seven years ago as a ‘jack of all trades’ doing whatever had to be done at the Marina or the Tiki Bar that is also located at the Marina .. ‘they threw me on the Dock one night and said .. you have it Little Man and I’ve been there ever since’ .. when he is securing a Boat to his Docks today he uses the skills that he developed back in Montana when he was a Cowboy securing a horse or a Steer with a Rope .. Little Man says that ‘I more or less trained myself .. most of its common sense .. some I learned and some I did it my way’ .. in any event the Boaters know that they can hail him at whatever time and Little Man will be there waiting for them ..
.. all Boaters have had many different experiences with Dockmasters .. and not all good experiences .. in the Florida Keys where appeals for dockage seem to be routinely sorted out on a Roulette Wheel labeled ‘YES’ .. ‘NO’ .. ‘FORGET IT’ and ‘SPIN AGAIN’ .. UGH .. and then there are some Dockmasters that just do not want to leave their air-conditioned Throne to assist boaters at all .. Little Man said ‘these boaters are my bread and butter and they know it .. so they can hail me and I will be there ..
.. Little Man said that when Hurricane Charley was heading towards Southwest Florida the Hurricane Gate was closed for repairs so the Boats that were at the Marina were could not get out of the Marina .. Little Man secured all on Boats on the Dock with Lines that formed a gigantic Cobweb of Lines, Boats, Docks, etc. .. when Hurricane Frances was approaching from the East many Boats filled the Marina .. he had Boats rafted off three deep .. and he once again tied off all the Boats in that ‘Web’ and then he rode out Frances on a 54 foot Hatters that the Owner had abandoned and entrusted Little Man to take care of during the Hurricane .. the experience was much like riding one of the unbroken horses that he rode when he was growing up back in Montana ..
.. as boaters make there way to other Marinas they will mention their experience with the other Dockmasters and most will laugh and say ‘oh you met Little Man’ .. they had all heard more than one story about the ‘best Dockmaster I the world’ .. soooo if you find yourself out on Lake Okeechobee at dusk just hail him on 16 .. he’ll be there ..
Clewiston FL – the Dockmaster at the Roland and Mary Ann Martin Marina and Resort is Michael ‘Little Man’ Daugherty he is described by many boaters as ‘the best Dockmaster in the World’ .. and known only to many Boaters as .. ‘Little Man’ .. he came to work at the Marina seven years ago as a ‘jack of all trades’ doing whatever had to be done at the Marina or the Tiki Bar that is also located at the Marina .. ‘they threw me on the Dock one night and said .. you have it Little Man and I’ve been there ever since’ .. when he is securing a Boat to his Docks today he uses the skills that he developed back in Montana when he was a Cowboy securing a horse or a Steer with a Rope .. Little Man says that ‘I more or less trained myself .. most of its common sense .. some I learned and some I did it my way’ .. in any event the Boaters know that they can hail him at whatever time and Little Man will be there waiting for them ..
.. all Boaters have had many different experiences with Dockmasters .. and not all good experiences .. in the Florida Keys where appeals for dockage seem to be routinely sorted out on a Roulette Wheel labeled ‘YES’ .. ‘NO’ .. ‘FORGET IT’ and ‘SPIN AGAIN’ .. UGH .. and then there are some Dockmasters that just do not want to leave their air-conditioned Throne to assist boaters at all .. Little Man said ‘these boaters are my bread and butter and they know it .. so they can hail me and I will be there ..
.. Little Man said that when Hurricane Charley was heading towards Southwest Florida the Hurricane Gate was closed for repairs so the Boats that were at the Marina were could not get out of the Marina .. Little Man secured all on Boats on the Dock with Lines that formed a gigantic Cobweb of Lines, Boats, Docks, etc. .. when Hurricane Frances was approaching from the East many Boats filled the Marina .. he had Boats rafted off three deep .. and he once again tied off all the Boats in that ‘Web’ and then he rode out Frances on a 54 foot Hatters that the Owner had abandoned and entrusted Little Man to take care of during the Hurricane .. the experience was much like riding one of the unbroken horses that he rode when he was growing up back in Montana ..
.. as boaters make there way to other Marinas they will mention their experience with the other Dockmasters and most will laugh and say ‘oh you met Little Man’ .. they had all heard more than one story about the ‘best Dockmaster I the world’ .. soooo if you find yourself out on Lake Okeechobee at dusk just hail him on 16 .. he’ll be there ..
Thursday – September 16 2004 - Roland Martins Resort Marina - Clewiston FL - (800) 473-6766 – Mile 65
HEADLINES –
Landfall: Ivan Comes Ashore Across Alabama Coast
Pensacola News Journal - UPDATED 3:13 a.m. THURSDAY
Pensacola FL - Hurricane Ivan slammed ashore early Thursday with winds of 130 mph, packing deadly tornadoes and a powerful punch of waves and rain that threatened to swamp communities from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle .. for the millions of Gulf Coast residents who were spending a frightening night in shelters and boarded-up homes, the worst could be yet to come: up to 15 inches of rain and a storm surge of up to 16 feet .. the Pensacola Bay Area was expected to experience hurricane-force winds, up to a sustained speed of 113 miles per hour, at least until well into the morning. Ivan was expected to bring a 5- to 7-foot or a 7- to 9-foot surge to Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, depending on where it makes landfall, said Stacy Stewart, hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center in Miami ..
HEADLINES –
Landfall: Ivan Comes Ashore Across Alabama Coast
Pensacola News Journal - UPDATED 3:13 a.m. THURSDAY
Pensacola FL - Hurricane Ivan slammed ashore early Thursday with winds of 130 mph, packing deadly tornadoes and a powerful punch of waves and rain that threatened to swamp communities from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle .. for the millions of Gulf Coast residents who were spending a frightening night in shelters and boarded-up homes, the worst could be yet to come: up to 15 inches of rain and a storm surge of up to 16 feet .. the Pensacola Bay Area was expected to experience hurricane-force winds, up to a sustained speed of 113 miles per hour, at least until well into the morning. Ivan was expected to bring a 5- to 7-foot or a 7- to 9-foot surge to Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, depending on where it makes landfall, said Stacy Stewart, hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center in Miami ..
07:00 am … NEVER SAY NEVER ( 64 footer from Cape Coral ) pulled out of the Marina at first light .. and after we took a good look at our local weather and the weather at Fort Myers and we headed out of the Marina about 07:15 am .. we locked thru the Moore Haven Lock with NEVER SAY NEVER at 08:15 am .. locking down is much easier than locking up .. once thru the Lock Betty took the Wheel and Marv put our Marine Antennas down for the Bridges ahead ..
08:30 am .. we saw over the Weather Channel that Tropical Storm Jeanne is now Hurricane Jeanne with winds of about 80 miles per hour .. UGH ..
09:30 am .. we made it thru the Ortana Lock with NEVER SAY NEVER and LAZY J’s ( 42 foot Carver – Green Bay WI ) .. we crossed wakes with LAZY J’s when we did The Loop .. once they completed The Loop they have been boating out of Cape Coral .. they were also returning after running from Ivan ..
10:30 am .. Jewel call with some bad news .. they had to bring Byorn to the Veterinarian this morning and had to have him put to sleep .. he has been suffering from seizures the last number of years and they have become more frequent ..
11:40 am .. we made it thru the Franklin Lock with NEVER SAY NEVER, JAZY J’s and AIR FORCE XXII .. just below the Lock the Shrimp Boats that we saw on our way up the River were still there .. tucked away just below the Lock ..
08:30 am .. we saw over the Weather Channel that Tropical Storm Jeanne is now Hurricane Jeanne with winds of about 80 miles per hour .. UGH ..
09:30 am .. we made it thru the Ortana Lock with NEVER SAY NEVER and LAZY J’s ( 42 foot Carver – Green Bay WI ) .. we crossed wakes with LAZY J’s when we did The Loop .. once they completed The Loop they have been boating out of Cape Coral .. they were also returning after running from Ivan ..
10:30 am .. Jewel call with some bad news .. they had to bring Byorn to the Veterinarian this morning and had to have him put to sleep .. he has been suffering from seizures the last number of years and they have become more frequent ..
11:40 am .. we made it thru the Franklin Lock with NEVER SAY NEVER, JAZY J’s and AIR FORCE XXII .. just below the Lock the Shrimp Boats that we saw on our way up the River were still there .. tucked away just below the Lock ..
12:30 pm .. on our way to our Marina we following a Work Barge for two miles .. it was windy when we made it to the Marina but that did not hamper our having Dee Light back in her Slip at all ..
02:00 pm .. after retrieving our Cars from the Parking Ramp we picked up our mail and Betty stopped at the Farmers Market under the Bridge .. later Betty went to her place to checkout what Ivan may have done as it passed by ….
09:00 pm .. we capped off the day with a visit to Daddy Dee’s for Ice Cream and then watched Donald on The Apprentice ..
02:00 pm .. after retrieving our Cars from the Parking Ramp we picked up our mail and Betty stopped at the Farmers Market under the Bridge .. later Betty went to her place to checkout what Ivan may have done as it passed by ….
09:00 pm .. we capped off the day with a visit to Daddy Dee’s for Ice Cream and then watched Donald on The Apprentice ..
Friday – September 17 2004 - Centennial Harbour Marina – Fort Myers, FL - (239) 461-0775 – Mile 136 … it is GREAT to be back to our Home Port with no more Hurricanes heading our way .. but when we got up the headlines said it all ….
HEADLINES -
Gov. Bush to visit Friday .. Bridges wrecked .. Death toll rises .. Devastation ...
Pensacola FL - • Virtually every major bridge in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties has been closed indefinitely to all traffic, according to information from transportation, emergency and law enforcement officials. A quarter-mile section of eastbound Interstate 10 bridge over Escambia Bay connecting Santa Rosa and Escambia counties was missing; the westbound section of I-10 was damaged but still standing. A roughly 30-foot section is missing from Bob Sikes Bridge, which is the bridge from Gulf Breeze to Pensacola Beach. The Navarre Beach bridge/causeway - the other entry point to Santa Rosa Island besides Bob Sikes - suffered significant structural damage. The Navarre Beach Causeway is closed because of damage. The Garcon Point Bridge and the Pensacola Bay Bridge were closed because of structural damage. The Lillian bridge on U.S. 98 at the Florida-Alabama state line is closed because of structural damage on Alabama side and flooding on Florida side. The U.S. 90 bridge over Escambia River, between Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, is closed because of hurricane debris. The Perdido Key Bridge on State Road 292 is closed because of flooding. State transportation officials said Thursday night that bridges will remain closed until they can make inspections of the damage Friday.
• Hundreds of homes were destroyed in both counties. Pensacola Beach homes were particularly hit hard. Officials believe that the southwest part of the county leading to Perdido Key, near where Hurricane Ivan made landfall at Gulf Shores, Ala., also received extensive damage, but no reports are available yet.
• Pensacola Bay Area hospitals, including Sacred Heart Hospital, Baptist Hospital and West Florida Hospital, sustained storm damage from Hurricane Ivan. On Thursday, many patients were being treated for minor injuries such as fractures, but officials said downed cell towers, phone lines and blocked roads slowed rescue efforts and made knowing the extent of the injuries across the area impossible.
• Seven people have died in Escambia County and one in Santa Rosa in the wake of Hurricane Ivan. Search and rescue efforts are continuing. At least two women in the Grande Lagoon subdivision off of Gulf Beach Highway died when flood waters ravaged the neighborhood early Thursday. A child was killed when a tree fell on a mobile home on Pine Forest Road near Milton. An elderly woman suffered a heart attack and died late Wednesday night at the Woodham High School shelter. Officials did not have details of the other deaths on Thursday night. Others in Escambia County are reported missing.
• The Pensacola Historic District is flooded as well as other parts of downtown. Other large areas across the two counties also saw flooding because of the storm surge.
• Tens of thousands of people are without running water in Escambia County. Water officials said that a worst-case scenario could leave people without it for six to eight weeks. The Escambia County Health Department has issued a boiled water advisory for all residents in Escambia County. Before drinking water residents should boil it for one minute or residents can add eight drops (1/8 teaspoon) of plain, unscented household bleach per gallon of water and let stand for 30 minutes. If water is still cloudy after 30 minutes repeat the process.
• Law enforcement and emergency officials reported that looting was occurring in the area. Numbers were not reported on the prevalence, but convenience stores, gas stations and other blown-out businesses have been cited as sites of the crime.
• Gov. Jeb Bush will visit the Pensacola Civic Center shelter at 9:05 a.m. Friday. More than 400 people had checked out of the shelter Thursday, but more were arriving in the wake of Ivan’s destruction. About 1,500 took shelter Thursday night at the shelter. At the special-needs center at Pensacola Junior College housed 260 evacuees. Both of those shelters experienced some damage. Regionally, the American Red Cross housed 40,809 people Wednesday at 275 shelters in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. Florida officials may have plans for a super shelter, like the one used in Orlando for special needs patients after Hurricane Charley.
• Because the American Red Cross has not fully surveyed the damage yet, the agency has no numbers on how many people they will be serving. Because of the curfews limiting travel in the area, the number of peoples who will want or need to stay in a shelter remains unclear for now.
• Gov. Jeb Bush also will visit Escambia Emergency Operations at 10:10 a.m. Friday and then Santa Rosa Emergency Operations at 11:40 a.m. After the Pensacola Bay Area, he is visiting Okaloosa County Emergency Operations and Bay County Department of Public Safety. Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings will be at the Pensacola Junior College special-needs shelter at 10:45 a.m.
• President Bush, who visited parts of Florida affected by the previous two hurricanes, is expected to visit the Florida Panhandle on Sunday. No other details of the visit were available late Thursday, The Associated Press reported.
• The storm left Escambia County virtually without power. Gulf Power said that 364,969 of its 405,000 customers are without electricity, including 137,963 in Escambia County and just more than 60,000 in Santa Rosa County. It could take weeks for some to regain service.
• A curfew remained in effect for Escambia County. The move is intended to deal with safety and security concerns.
• Pensacola Regional Airport remains closed to civilian air traffic. Although it sustained some damage to its terminal, emergency aid is landing at the airport.
• Schools are closed until further notice in Escambia County.
• Phone service virtually is out for Escambia - cellular or land line. Many cell phone users have no way to recharge their telephones ..
.. HEADLINES in PHOTOS ..
HEADLINES -
Gov. Bush to visit Friday .. Bridges wrecked .. Death toll rises .. Devastation ...
Pensacola FL - • Virtually every major bridge in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties has been closed indefinitely to all traffic, according to information from transportation, emergency and law enforcement officials. A quarter-mile section of eastbound Interstate 10 bridge over Escambia Bay connecting Santa Rosa and Escambia counties was missing; the westbound section of I-10 was damaged but still standing. A roughly 30-foot section is missing from Bob Sikes Bridge, which is the bridge from Gulf Breeze to Pensacola Beach. The Navarre Beach bridge/causeway - the other entry point to Santa Rosa Island besides Bob Sikes - suffered significant structural damage. The Navarre Beach Causeway is closed because of damage. The Garcon Point Bridge and the Pensacola Bay Bridge were closed because of structural damage. The Lillian bridge on U.S. 98 at the Florida-Alabama state line is closed because of structural damage on Alabama side and flooding on Florida side. The U.S. 90 bridge over Escambia River, between Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, is closed because of hurricane debris. The Perdido Key Bridge on State Road 292 is closed because of flooding. State transportation officials said Thursday night that bridges will remain closed until they can make inspections of the damage Friday.
• Hundreds of homes were destroyed in both counties. Pensacola Beach homes were particularly hit hard. Officials believe that the southwest part of the county leading to Perdido Key, near where Hurricane Ivan made landfall at Gulf Shores, Ala., also received extensive damage, but no reports are available yet.
• Pensacola Bay Area hospitals, including Sacred Heart Hospital, Baptist Hospital and West Florida Hospital, sustained storm damage from Hurricane Ivan. On Thursday, many patients were being treated for minor injuries such as fractures, but officials said downed cell towers, phone lines and blocked roads slowed rescue efforts and made knowing the extent of the injuries across the area impossible.
• Seven people have died in Escambia County and one in Santa Rosa in the wake of Hurricane Ivan. Search and rescue efforts are continuing. At least two women in the Grande Lagoon subdivision off of Gulf Beach Highway died when flood waters ravaged the neighborhood early Thursday. A child was killed when a tree fell on a mobile home on Pine Forest Road near Milton. An elderly woman suffered a heart attack and died late Wednesday night at the Woodham High School shelter. Officials did not have details of the other deaths on Thursday night. Others in Escambia County are reported missing.
• The Pensacola Historic District is flooded as well as other parts of downtown. Other large areas across the two counties also saw flooding because of the storm surge.
• Tens of thousands of people are without running water in Escambia County. Water officials said that a worst-case scenario could leave people without it for six to eight weeks. The Escambia County Health Department has issued a boiled water advisory for all residents in Escambia County. Before drinking water residents should boil it for one minute or residents can add eight drops (1/8 teaspoon) of plain, unscented household bleach per gallon of water and let stand for 30 minutes. If water is still cloudy after 30 minutes repeat the process.
• Law enforcement and emergency officials reported that looting was occurring in the area. Numbers were not reported on the prevalence, but convenience stores, gas stations and other blown-out businesses have been cited as sites of the crime.
• Gov. Jeb Bush will visit the Pensacola Civic Center shelter at 9:05 a.m. Friday. More than 400 people had checked out of the shelter Thursday, but more were arriving in the wake of Ivan’s destruction. About 1,500 took shelter Thursday night at the shelter. At the special-needs center at Pensacola Junior College housed 260 evacuees. Both of those shelters experienced some damage. Regionally, the American Red Cross housed 40,809 people Wednesday at 275 shelters in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. Florida officials may have plans for a super shelter, like the one used in Orlando for special needs patients after Hurricane Charley.
• Because the American Red Cross has not fully surveyed the damage yet, the agency has no numbers on how many people they will be serving. Because of the curfews limiting travel in the area, the number of peoples who will want or need to stay in a shelter remains unclear for now.
• Gov. Jeb Bush also will visit Escambia Emergency Operations at 10:10 a.m. Friday and then Santa Rosa Emergency Operations at 11:40 a.m. After the Pensacola Bay Area, he is visiting Okaloosa County Emergency Operations and Bay County Department of Public Safety. Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings will be at the Pensacola Junior College special-needs shelter at 10:45 a.m.
• President Bush, who visited parts of Florida affected by the previous two hurricanes, is expected to visit the Florida Panhandle on Sunday. No other details of the visit were available late Thursday, The Associated Press reported.
• The storm left Escambia County virtually without power. Gulf Power said that 364,969 of its 405,000 customers are without electricity, including 137,963 in Escambia County and just more than 60,000 in Santa Rosa County. It could take weeks for some to regain service.
• A curfew remained in effect for Escambia County. The move is intended to deal with safety and security concerns.
• Pensacola Regional Airport remains closed to civilian air traffic. Although it sustained some damage to its terminal, emergency aid is landing at the airport.
• Schools are closed until further notice in Escambia County.
• Phone service virtually is out for Escambia - cellular or land line. Many cell phone users have no way to recharge their telephones ..
.. HEADLINES in PHOTOS ..
Saturday – September 18 2004
HEADLINES -
Nightmare Tempest
Panhandle Residents Return To Clean Up, Inspect Damage
Pensacola FL - Shell-shocked Floridians began to clean up after their third hurricane pummeling in five weeks Friday, while Alabamans looked at crumbled condos and shattered beach homes along their coast and wondered how many months it would take for life to get back to normal.
The hurricanes have left virtually all of Florida a disaster area, and the recovery from Ivan has been complicated by widespread power outages, washed-out roads and bridges, and ongoing gas shortages.
In some areas, emergency workers had to be flown in by helicopters, and authorities said it could take weeks to restore water, power and sewer services in parts of the hard-hit Panhandle.
Ivan was the deadliest hurricane to hit the United States since Floyd in 1999. In all, Ivan was blamed for 70 deaths in the Caribbean and at least 39 in the United States, 15 of them in Florida.
Ivan weakened after coming ashore with 130 mph winds early Thursday, but it continued to spin off tornadoes and cause flooding across the Southeast, already soggy after Charley and Frances. More than a million people were without power across eight states. Florida officials said it wasn’t safe yet for the nearly 300,000 residents who fled the Panhandle to return.
Gov. Jeb Bush toured the Panhandle on Friday, meeting with residents and local officials and surveying the damage caused by Ivan’s powerful winds and storm surge. Bush and Craig Fugate, state emergency management director, said the damage they have seen from the air is worse than that from Hurricane Charley in Charlotte County.
“This is major devastation,” Bush said.
“We flew over the barrier islands and the most beautiful beaches in the world are devastated,” Bush said. “It looks like Charley but my estimation is, it is a lot wider.”
Fugate said numerous water line breaks will keep Escambia County without water — even at critical facilities such as hospitals — for a long time.
President Bush was expected to visit Florida and Alabama on Sunday, the President’s third trip to review hurricane damage in Florida.
“This is the gem of the South,” Riley said. “We’ve got to clean it up as quickly as we can.”
Up until the last hours before Ivan’s landfall early Thursday morning, forecasters had predicted it would strike Mobile Bay, Ala. But then the storm jutted slightly eastward, missing the bay and unleashing its most destructive winds on the greater Pensacola area to the east.
Pensacola residents were so glad to see signs of normalcy.
HEADLINES -
Nightmare Tempest
Panhandle Residents Return To Clean Up, Inspect Damage
Pensacola FL - Shell-shocked Floridians began to clean up after their third hurricane pummeling in five weeks Friday, while Alabamans looked at crumbled condos and shattered beach homes along their coast and wondered how many months it would take for life to get back to normal.
The hurricanes have left virtually all of Florida a disaster area, and the recovery from Ivan has been complicated by widespread power outages, washed-out roads and bridges, and ongoing gas shortages.
In some areas, emergency workers had to be flown in by helicopters, and authorities said it could take weeks to restore water, power and sewer services in parts of the hard-hit Panhandle.
Ivan was the deadliest hurricane to hit the United States since Floyd in 1999. In all, Ivan was blamed for 70 deaths in the Caribbean and at least 39 in the United States, 15 of them in Florida.
Ivan weakened after coming ashore with 130 mph winds early Thursday, but it continued to spin off tornadoes and cause flooding across the Southeast, already soggy after Charley and Frances. More than a million people were without power across eight states. Florida officials said it wasn’t safe yet for the nearly 300,000 residents who fled the Panhandle to return.
Gov. Jeb Bush toured the Panhandle on Friday, meeting with residents and local officials and surveying the damage caused by Ivan’s powerful winds and storm surge. Bush and Craig Fugate, state emergency management director, said the damage they have seen from the air is worse than that from Hurricane Charley in Charlotte County.
“This is major devastation,” Bush said.
“We flew over the barrier islands and the most beautiful beaches in the world are devastated,” Bush said. “It looks like Charley but my estimation is, it is a lot wider.”
Fugate said numerous water line breaks will keep Escambia County without water — even at critical facilities such as hospitals — for a long time.
President Bush was expected to visit Florida and Alabama on Sunday, the President’s third trip to review hurricane damage in Florida.
“This is the gem of the South,” Riley said. “We’ve got to clean it up as quickly as we can.”
Up until the last hours before Ivan’s landfall early Thursday morning, forecasters had predicted it would strike Mobile Bay, Ala. But then the storm jutted slightly eastward, missing the bay and unleashing its most destructive winds on the greater Pensacola area to the east.
Pensacola residents were so glad to see signs of normalcy.
NOTE .. this will complete our Hurricane Ivan Log .. we have added many photos to our ‘Hurricane Photo Album’ and we will continue to add photos for the next number of days ..
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