Hurricane Frances

eluwak

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2001
Location
Eustis, FL
TDI
2006 Jetta 5sp Pkg 2 Black/Anthracite
While Central Florida is currently the bull’s-eye the whole state of Florida is still a likely target for Hurricane Frances not much more than three weeks after Hurricane Charley swept through leaving devastation and debris across the peninsula. The center of the projected path currently leads the storm within 10-20 miles from my home and if it does there will be a severe loss of houses (and potentially lives) since many around Orlando are still removing trees and have roofs covered in tarps. The piled debris down every street will now become missile ammo for the winds.

I’m hoping it doesn’t travel any further South because those in the Charlotte County area up to Orlando don’t need to get plummeted again after what they’ve been through. Of course those that are going to feel it the worst are the linemen and debris removal workers that have been working non-stop for three weeks already and now they will likely have to continue on.


Best wishes to fellow clubbers here in Florida... Be prepared for the worst but hope for the best.

BTW... Anyone in Central Florida interested in a GTG Sunday Morning?
j/k

<edit> Doh.. Misspelled Frances again
 

eluwak

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2001
Location
Eustis, FL
TDI
2006 Jetta 5sp Pkg 2 Black/Anthracite
As it looks right now I may not make it... My pet sitter (3 dogs & 1 cat) is bailing to go with her family to evacuate Wednesday or Thursday. I'm checking into boarding them but it's gonna be expensive for four nights and the kennels are already booked for the weekend because of the storm and labor day traveling
 

MaryP

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Location
Mt. Pleasant, NC
TDI
2002 TDI, GLS, 5 speed
My thoughts are with you guys down there. I watch these storms closely also, since they tend to get us when we aren't ready, here in NC. Stay safe!
 

Route 66

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 17, 1997
Location
Minnesota
TDI
2005 VW
Eluwak are there pet services that you could call to come to your home and take care of the dogs and cats?
 

eluwak

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2001
Location
Eustis, FL
TDI
2006 Jetta 5sp Pkg 2 Black/Anthracite
There are a few pet sitting services in the phone book... I'm just not comfortable having strangers staying at my house. I called around looking for indoor kennels and they seem to be booked or want way too much money.

The projected path seems to be dancing around where I live and if it doesn't change in the next 12 hours I'm not going anywhere this weekend because I have to finish preparing the house. My parents are out looking for plywood for my house but every store they've been to so far has been out of any kind of plywood. Luckily they were able to snag some for their house early yesterday. Sure am glad I bought that generator on Saturday because those are gone too. My sister lost everything on her roof down to the wood in the back from Charly. They resulting water damage has pretty much totalled the inside of the house. Luckily it's a rental and she'll spend the storm at my parents house.
 

MaryP

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Location
Mt. Pleasant, NC
TDI
2002 TDI, GLS, 5 speed
I have an offer for ya....

Looks like they are expecting the storm to hit Friday night or Sat. morning. Get your home ready, pack up the animals and head north. Stop in Concord, NC (off I-85) and I'll board your animals for free at my husband's vet clinic.

I know I-85 is not the direct route, but I'd be glad to help if you decide it's worth it.
Mary

Hey! I just noticed that we registered here almost the same day! Imagine that!
 

eluwak

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2001
Location
Eustis, FL
TDI
2006 Jetta 5sp Pkg 2 Black/Anthracite
Thanks Mary... I do appreciate the offer but I will be spending friday trying to button up the house as best as possible (a lot of work ahead of me). Luckily my parents were able to snag some heavy guage metal roofing and some lumber to make frames which together will act as our shutters. I am fairly confident (not nearly a 100% tho) the house will survive with minimal damage with the current plan. We should start seeing the outer bands of the storm late Friday/early Sunday so by the time we finish boarding up it will really be too late to start heading out... I don't want to be caught out on the road with this one.

Really wish they'd let us out of work today and tomorrow but by the looks of it...
 

MaryP

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Location
Mt. Pleasant, NC
TDI
2002 TDI, GLS, 5 speed
I'm shocked that you will have to work tomorrow. Are you in some kind of medic or emergency field? Anybody else should be high tailing it out of that area! I'll be praying for you and your family to be safe.

The offer will stand if you change your mind. Heck, I've got plenty of room at the house too if you and your family need a place to run to!
 

eluwak

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2001
Location
Eustis, FL
TDI
2006 Jetta 5sp Pkg 2 Black/Anthracite
Actually I work in the defense industry... They did close work tomorrow finally. I ended up taking off early today to help my parents board up some of their house (my family is staying too about 15 miles away). Hopefully our house should be boarded up by early afternoon tomorrow. We're in for the long haul.
 

TheLongshot

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2003
Location
Burke, VA
TDI
Jetta Wagon '03 Reflex Silver
Actually I work in the defense industry...
That explains alot, actually. For contractors, it is hard to get days off that we don't have to take personal days for. I know for the blizzard that we got last year, it took a while to get the permission to get the day paid for by the government, and that was just for one day...

Jason
 

eluwak

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2001
Location
Eustis, FL
TDI
2006 Jetta 5sp Pkg 2 Black/Anthracite
Unfreak'n believable... Now we have Hurricane Ivan to worry about. Wonder when the last time 3 major hurricanes hit florida in about a months time was


Luckily the damage was minimal at our house mainly because the storm weakened so much last Friday while we were putting up shutters. The coast got beat up pretty bad and at one time there were up to 5 million customers without power across the state. My sister lost the rest of her shingles and her house is just a complete mess with major leaks in every room (bet that renters insurance is sounding like a good idea to her now... she has none now). My parents faired as I did with no damage.

If nothing else Frances gave us a good excuse to clean out the garage for two cars


I'm leaving the shutters up until next spring... At this rate we should get a hurricane every couple weeks till then
 

pepper10

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2004
Location
Manchester, NH, USA
TDI
:)2002 A4 TDI , 2006 A5:)
I was down in Port St-Lucie on vacation. Got there on Tuesday, had a few beers and went to work from Wednesday forth. I was putting up shutters for 3 days! The damn thing hit land less than 10 miles north of my cousin's house! We bailed out to Fort-Lauderdale for the duration of the storm. Drove north on the Turnpike and 95 on Sunday night to get back to the house. Devastation was all over the highway and that was 25 to 50 miles south of Port St-Lucie... When we got there, it was utter shock! Only road signs were bent. No other damage at all except for a small palm tree that was flat to the ground on the front lawn. Unreal...!

Because every one tanked up before the storm, no gas was available anywhere. I just wished I had my TDI with me as I flew down. There were cars every 10 miles between Port St-Lucie and Fort Lauderdale on the highway that were out of gas...
TDIs should be more popular down there but people want trucks to pull their boats... In the end, I'm just happy we are all ok... Now, back in New England, I will laugh when the next blizzard hits. At least homes don't get blown away...
 

PAPADUZA

Veteran Member
Joined
May 4, 2004
Location
St. Pete, Florida
TDI
PD Jetta Wagon, 2004, Graphite Blue
Trying to escape hurricane Frances, a ventectomied 2002 Jetta TDI with a manual transmission using A/C and recommended tire pressure left Miami on I-95 headed north doing an average of 14 MPH. At what city would he need to refuel before reaching TDI fest 2004?
 

LWB053

Vendor
Joined
Aug 5, 2003
Location
Tampa, FLA, USA
TDI
2000 Jetta, Dk Green
Anyone know of a snorkel kit for a 2000 Jetta TDI? That's looking more and more like a viable option around Tampa these days....
 

eluwak

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2001
Location
Eustis, FL
TDI
2006 Jetta 5sp Pkg 2 Black/Anthracite
They already started evacuating the keys for Ivan... With max sustained winds of 160mph I'd make sure not to be wherever it is.
 

PAPADUZA

Veteran Member
Joined
May 4, 2004
Location
St. Pete, Florida
TDI
PD Jetta Wagon, 2004, Graphite Blue
I noticed on the way home from the salt mine (Tampa
Bay) this evening that all the pumps at the local station were bagged EXCEPT the diesel pump...TDI the purfect hurricane escape vehicle.

(there should be a VW commercial there somewhere.)
 

LWB053

Vendor
Joined
Aug 5, 2003
Location
Tampa, FLA, USA
TDI
2000 Jetta, Dk Green
Yeah, it was kinda funny and kinda sad at the same time...I went to the BP station today to fill up the TDI...all the gas pumps were bagged, and the place was deserted. Long lines (all the way out into the streets) at the other stations.

So there I am, at the only diesel pump at the place (huge green pumps, covered with diesel residue...all the other pumps are white), just minding my own business. I look up, and there's a line of cars circling the lot like vultures, and a long line behind me. I noticed they were all gassers, so I took my time calculating my MPGs...the lady in the Mustang behind me was getting a little irritated, and one lady in an S10, parked right off my front bumper (like she was gonna try to jump in front of the Mustang) rolled her window down and shouted at me "Hey, you gonna move that car or what?" I politely said, "Yes, as soon as I'm done. But it won't help you, it's diesel." "Oh", she said, and drove off in a huff.

Keith
 

WolfTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2002
Location
Venice, FL
TDI
2000 Golf
That's funny, Keith. I believe the previous hurricanes blew away some of their brains. Yesterday, in North Port, I was refueling next to a Cummins. He had 5 cars in line behind him, I had 2 behind me. The whole time we were there, the pumps in front of both of us were vacant. There was plenty of space for the waiting cars to pull around us, but they simply didn't look past our bumpers. --- Same thing at Home Depot, the line at the contractor exit extended to the back wall of the store, wrapped around and made it half way back to the front. I got my 2x6's and cut through the line to the other side of the store, and had only 1 person in line ahead of me. I think I would have just let that lady try to pump diesel in her car!
 
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