Tornado Damage

[DREAMJ]

We are safe and secure here in Winter Park.(NO DAMAGE in Orlando metro area.) We are praying for the families of the victims. So devastating to see on the local news. It has brought back memories for me of the hurricanes a couple of years ago. So sad. I counted my blessings today. Does any member need help? Everyone OK?

[av8rwyf]

My jaw dropped when someone turned on FOX news and they showed all the damage. DH and I used to live in New Smyrna. He flew charters out of the airport there! Emailed some friends down there and they are all ok. I had just been in a bubble the past few days and had no idea what they had gone through overnight!

[Kristie]

yeah... i got pretty concerned when doug turned on the tv yesterday morning and said "OH NO"... i was thinking it must be something pretty bad.

My sister's in the clermont area (southwest otown) and they said they're ok. My aunt is in Kissimmee and they're ok....I am wondering about my dad's house in Riverview (brandon/tampa area) since no ones there to look over or watch it..but i think it's probably ok too. it surprises me with the rise in tornados that they still don't have tornado sirens...

it was a pretty freak storm wasn't it? not like they get those types of storms during the winter!

[DREAMJ]

Thanks kristie for moving the thread, wasn't sure where to post it.
From the aerial views of the damage, meteorologists are thinking it was like an F3-4 tornado that just stayed on the ground a loooong time.
My df sister's inlaws live in the Villages (Lady Lake). They had some damage but 2 blocks away the homes are pretty well leveled. They feel extremely lucky. (Their home is not a mobile home but a middle-income solidly built home) I'm working now at Florida Hospital in Orlando and my co-workers and I sent some H2O, food supplies this a.m. We are praying for the families. One thing that I am going to research is they have weather radios now that when their is a Warning they automatically go off. I do not have one YET. Apparently from the local news here, The National Weather Service did issue warnings 8-15 minutes before the areas were hit, but the storms were moving at a speed of 65 mph. I've lived here since 99 and if we are going to stay, I really need to get one of those radios. Fyi, no damage in Tampa area that I have heard.

[Kristie]

no problem!! I figure the members only area is for the stuff that really is something you don't want the general public knowing..whereas this story, everyone already knows! haha

i've heard that too about the aerials, it's an interesting theory considering the the weather surrounding and provoking the storm!

I know a few people that live in The Villages as well, i thought it was further north like near Ocala or gainesville though? hmmm...

the problem with issuing weather alerts is that if they're late at night, your percentage of people hearing them are way down because most people are sleeping. I saw that one couple on the boob tube that talked about how she went to bed, he stayed up to watch as the storm came in and went to grab her when it was time...they were smart!!

one of the things doug and I do here at the house is have a few sets of wind chimes in certain locations. we don't get tornadoes normally but can get microbursts or hurricane like winds that can still blow our trees down or cause damage.

altho, i have also heard that the worst tornadoes do normally hit very early in the morning due to the climate changes from night to day.

great about no damage in the tampa area.. thanks for letting me know!!

[garnet1996]

It is pretty crazy. We are all in Orlando now and DH's grandma in Deland had a scary time, but we only had bad storms.

Very sad for the people who were not so fortunate.

[av8rwyf]

I lived in Port Orange (right S of Daytona) in '98. We had a tornado come thru just a 1/2 mile from our house on the ICW. It was about two in the morning. I'm from NC. When I moved to FL to be with him early on in our r'ship I told him I'd give it two years. After those Feb. storms in '98 (not to mention the fires that summer!), I swore I wouldn't stay one day over two years! ha ha! We moved in April 99 to NC (4 months shy of 2 yrs). I miss FL, I miss the sunshine, I miss our friends down there and even my job in Mental Health but I DON'T miss those winter time storms!

[Eastbayk]

We had heavy rain in Jacksonville, but missed the brunt of the storm. Some of the trees were down in our apt. complex, but as far as I heard, there was no major damage here.

We did have a tornado touch down at the airport where hubby works earlier this year. He was so proud that he got a picture of it on his camera phone. He called to tell me and all I could say was " what on earth were you thinking standing outside taking a picture of a tornado?" (that's the polite version...). We put together a hurricane tub shortly after we moved in and it is still in our closet should we ever need it.

Kim

[Kristie]

Hurricane tub?

[lucky81698]

Originally Posted by av8rwyf

I lived in Port Orange (right S of Daytona) in '98. We had a tornado come thru just a 1/2 mile from our house on the ICW. It was about two in the morning. I'm from NC. When I moved to FL to be with him early on in our r'ship I told him I'd give it two years. After those Feb. storms in '98 (not to mention the fires that summer!), I swore I wouldn't stay one day over two years! ha ha! We moved in April 99 to NC (4 months shy of 2 yrs). I miss FL, I miss the sunshine, I miss our friends down there and even my job in Mental Health but I DON'T miss those winter time storms!

Where did you live in Port Orange? I lived there too! In Lakeside Apartments, right off of Dunlawton, near the City Center. We were there in Sept. and I can't believe how much everything has changed, they are condos now, I loved it there!