Monday, June 25, 2012

Panties in a Wad?

Wesley Chapel, Florida

The heavy rains let up last night around bed time, and didn’t start again until around 4 am, when the weather radio alerted us to a tornado warning.  

I realize many people do not take tornado warnings seriously, but we do.  When there is a tornado in the county we’re in, it gets our attention.  If the tornado is heading our way, it really gets our attention.

I got an interesting “anonymous” comment yesterday that I was getting my “panties in a wad,” about this tropical storm, and “creating hysteria.”

Well,  Mr. Anonymous, thank you for your comment, however I disagree with some of some of what you said. 

Yes, I believe our rig would be okay from tropical storm force winds.  We can take the rain and the area is in no danger of flooding.   But, we cannot handle any tornados that may be spawned from this storm.

We lived in Tampa when Hurricane Charley hit.   I remember it quite well because it was supposed to make a direct hit on the  Tampa Bay area.  We were preparing for it,  (in our concrete block house),  but it took a last minute right turn and made landfall in Port Charlotte instead of Tampa.  We were on the “good” side of the hurricane, so we didn’t get much wind or rain from it.

Hurricane Charley caused  7.5  billion dollars in damage and killed 25 people.  Yes, I realize it was a much stronger storm, than what we are experiencing now.  It made landfall as a Cat 4 storm.

You said it passed right over you and there were no rigs damaged in your campground.   I guess you were extremely lucky.  I distinctly remember many, many mobile home retirement communities that were destroyed, including one where the mother of a friend of mine lived.  

The following picture is the before picture of one of those mobile home parks.

Hurricane Charley before and after aerial photos   destoyed mobile home park just northeast of Punta Gorda.

The next picture shows the same park after Charley.

Hurricane Charley after aerial photos   destoyed mobile home park just northeast of Punta Gorda.

The fact that you took a direct hit from a Cat 4 storm and that  “no rigs were damaged in your campground”, was truly a miracle.

Remember, this storm made landfall on the west coast of Florida, went northeast  across the state causing damage all the way until it exited the state as a Cat 2 Hurricane.   Much of the damage was caused by tornados that were spawned from the hurricane.

So,  yes.  We are taking this tropical storm seriously. 

Yes, it’s currently  “going away” from us, and yes, it’s only a tropical storm.”    ……..for now………

 

I have lived in Florida long enough to know that:

1.  storms are unpredictable

2.  The weather forecasters are normally much better predicting where the storm is going than the strength at landfall.

3.  Tornados are frequently spawned from tropical storms and hurricanes.

 

So, in answer to your question.  Yes, I think our rig could sustain tropical storm force winds.  Do I want to ride out a tornado in a motor home?   No,  I do not.

I remember a very sad story about an entire family of 5, that was killed by a tornado last spring.  There were warnings days in advance that this was going to be a very bad system and that a lot of deadly tornados would form.     You are not supposed to ride out a tornado in a mobile home (or rv), but these people went to sleep in their mobile home knowing strong storms were coming their way.  The young mother, and father died right away along with two of their small children.  Their 15 month old was found alive in a field after the tornado.  She died in the hospital a few days later.   Did they take the tornado threat seriously?   I guess not.   I imagine they had time to realize their mistake before they died. 

I don’t want to be in that position.   

I’m sorry if you think I am trying to “create more hysteria.”   That is not my intention.

 

Enough said about that……

 

After our heavy rain this morning, the rain has stopped and we actually see the sun!   The storm is still here, but for now at least the feeder bands are to our east.   I hope they stay there.

21 comments:

  1. Well stated my friend. It's better to be safe than sorry, or worse dead. Being prepared and formulating a good plan is so essential. Glad to hear the weather is improving.

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  2. AMEN Karen!! We had the same thing at 4am. We moved everything around the coach away - bikes, kayaks, so they wouldn't turn into a missiles. A Tornado watch or warning is nothing to fool with.

    Glad you have sun. We still have rain and Hillsborough County as a watch until 2pm unless it is extended.

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  3. PS - forgot to say that I find it very interesting the way Mr. ANONYMOUS posted his criticism. I hadn't read it so I don't know if he signed his name but I would guess not. If you are going to criticize, IMO, then at least have the conviction to sign your name and own up to your opinions.

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  4. Good response to Mr. Anonymous, Karen. Only fools ignore the potential wrath of nature's fury.

    Anonymous, to me, sound like such a fool. You are much wiser to have taken the precautions you did even when it turns out not to have been necessary.

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  5. Karen,

    I get the "Anonymous" wack job to end all wackadoo's. Don't let him/her get you flustered, you did the right thing and better safe than sorry always. They post as Anonymous because they are afraid to let others know who they are.

    Ignore the person, they are clearly outclassed here.

    Be safe and send some of the rain to Illinois, our farmers are getting desperate.

    Erik

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  6. We have spent many hours in the middle of the night and during the day waiting out tornado warnings and watching computer screens. The tornado that ravaged Tuscaloosa missed us at Trackrock by 20 miles. We don't fool around either.

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  7. Yup, right on Karen. And Mr. Anon is a coward, with false bravado of riding out a storm (if he even did?) Those pics show it all. And there is no way whatsoever I would want to suffer that damage or take the risk by trying to do what he "claims" he did. What a FOOL!

    You are correct in oh so many ways....

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  8. well said Karen...I also take warnings seriously...we were packed up with necessities in Pensacola this past winter...and we didn't sleep until the warning was over...you just can't take the chance. Anonymous is either an idiot or a fool.....usually those who sign Anonymous are both...you did the right thing -sadly that family in the mobile home didn't...how sad...hang in there...

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  9. good morning, Karen. I am so glad you take the storms seriously. I woke up this morning thinking about you, and of course my friend Bel. On the news on CNN this am, even out west, there was a piece on some damage at my favorite little place Passe A Grille, and I wondered right away if you were ok. glad to see you are. Still waiting to hear from Bel, with the red bands right over Ocala at the moment. be Safe.

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  10. Replies
    1. Exactly Karen! It's not your fault if someone else can't hold themselves together when they are invited to consider the potential of a tropical storm!

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  11. I always say it is better to be safe than sorry. No need to ride out the storm in your RV if there is the potential for damage. When warnings are broadcasted, I head for cover! Stay safe

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  12. We are in Houston and when we thought it might be headed our way, I was making plans to move to a motel. I am not riding out a tropical storm or a hurricane in the RV. It's just not worth it.

    Stay safe!

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  13. I spent many years of my Coast Guard career risking my life to save people that didn't take the weather seriously and went boating.

    Mr. Anonymous is extremely lucky he didn't get his panties blown off!

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  14. Anytime your not confident enough with your opinions that you have to state them anonymously, it just shows the fool is also a coward. Wad your panties up and throw them at him as he blows by. LOL

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  15. hope the storm just blows over..but it is much better to be prepared and have a 'plan' in place!..

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  16. Mr. Anon sounds like a troll. Be safe and be well, that's all that matters.

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  17. Anyone who don't stay in formed and prepare is crazy. You did the right thing.

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  18. No, u r not "getting ur panties in a wad or creating hysteria". This person who did not have the courage to even sign their name is the same kind of person who sits ignorantly in the path of a huge storm after being warned...and then causes the potential loss of life of the ones who have to go out and "save" this person because they didn't have the simple common sense to heed the warning and move to a safer area. None of us can fight and win with Mother Nature, it just isn't possible so the best thing to do is stay alert, aware of any changes and move BEFORE it's too late. So glad u did all the right things. As long as I've been blogging I don't think I've run into this blatant ignorance before. Hope u continue to be alert, that way u and ur's will continue to be alive. God bless u.

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  19. Well spoken, and that is all I have to say about that.

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