Hurricane Michael

[debrown]

I'm back, though I don't submit very often I have been missing since the 10th. No electricity, no cell phone, no land line, no internet, no water etc.
We live in the panhandle of Florida about equidistant from Panama City, Tallahassee, and Dothan Al. Michael's eyewall passed about 4-5 miles west of our home still as a Cat 4. winds were our problem. My wife and I along with our dog Freckles rode it out. Estimated gusts were near 90 mph, they lasted for over three hours. But we made it. Little damage to house, missing vinyl siding, television antenna (remember them?)gone and that was it. We lost a storages shed along with 40 - 50 trees, water Oaks and pines primarily. Also lots of fence damage.
There is a hole in the roof of my workshop but the water missed all my shopsmith's and my miter saw.
No real issues that can't be repaired once the insurance guy verifies the damages. Can't get to us until 9 November, almost a month after the storm.

Anyway we are alive, basically unharmed physically, mentally? Not so much. We are getting by on a 5500 watt generator for 2 refrigerators, freezer, lights, well, a few fans and of course the television. Word to the wise, make sure you have the 220 connector for your generator, ours did not have one and made it impossible to connect the well. It took me 8 days to get one!

We still have no electricity other than our generator 10 days after the storm. Projection is another 15 - 20 days before power restoration in our area.

Thanks for letting me vent. PS anyone want some Oak (water oak)?

[garys]

That is bad news, but it sounds like you are dealing with it as best you can.

I decided many years ago that I would never live near any large body of water, be it an ocean, lake, or river. Mother Nature likes to beat you up when she has enough water to do the job.

[robinson46176]

That is bad news, but it sounds like you are dealing with it as best you can.

I decided many years ago that I would never live near any large body of water, be it an ocean, lake, or river. Mother Nature likes to beat you up when she has enough water to do the job.

I live high and dry here about 25 miles south east of Indianapolis... Never any flood risk on this farm. But then again, yes, this is near the eastern end of Tornado Alley... Way to many of them have passed within a couple of miles of my house.

DEBrown: Good point about the 220 V for water pump. My pump is 220 here but I have a well at a barn just down the road with a 110 V pump and I have a basement strong room with its own well that I can pump by hand or a 110 pump.
Emergency power is one reason I kind of like having an electric golf cart (actually I have 2). If I need to I can intermittently pull three 12V taps off of the cart batteries using inverters and it doesn't require a lot of generator to run the 36 volt charger.
"They" keep telling us that we should expect a lot more power disruptions in the coming years... But then I don't have to tell you that. I keep planning for such things but it's hard to cover everything. Good neighbors can help a lot. My closest is one of our daughters about 300' away. She and her husband own a contracting business and always have heavy equipment at hand. The next closest is our son at about 600' away and he works for a company that does contract work for Indianapolis Power and Light. He has access to all manner of equipment too.
I have family at Pensacola and they get hit kind of often.
We will be thinking of you. Feel free to vent / share.


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