opus88 Posted September 13, 2004 Report Share Posted September 13, 2004 Hi, All!This time the hurricane is heading my direction. We thought we were pretty much in the clear until yesterday. We're putting up our shutters today and have plans to evacuate tomorrow to a friend's house. We even have hotel reservations farther inland in case it becomes severe here.Please keep all of the people in the northern Gulf Coast areas in your thoughts and prayers, and mentally hold a vivid picture of Ivan dissolving before it reaches land. Frances was projected to have been much worse than it was, and we'd love Ivan to follow that trend.Whatever positive vibrations you can send this way will be soooo appreciated by all!Thanks, Gang! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan617 Posted September 13, 2004 Report Share Posted September 13, 2004 sending, prayers and positive thoughts your way. what a terrible season this has been! will pray that it swerves and heads to the ocean . morgan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corina Posted September 13, 2004 Report Share Posted September 13, 2004 Hi Opus,really hope Ivan doesn't hit you (or anyone else) too hard. Even in the netherlands we follow the news to see what all those hurricanes do in the US. I was in Florida with my family 9 years ago and we saw the routes that are planned when you people need to evacuate. It's something we really don't have (and certainly don't need) overhere. Wish you and your family all the best and will keep my fingers crossed.Corina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DancingLight Posted September 13, 2004 Report Share Posted September 13, 2004 i am using all of my hot air to blow ivan away! and tell him to go back out to sea and stay there! he-he.sorry, trying for a bit of levity in a miserable situation...i hope you are all okay.i really cannot imagine the stress of a hurricane, more or less 3 in a row this season!ugh.emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GayleP Posted September 13, 2004 Report Share Posted September 13, 2004 Sending positive thoughts your way for Ivan to die before he reaches Florida. Good luck. You guys in Florida deserve a break from hurricanes.Gayle Pikna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MightyMouse Posted September 13, 2004 Report Share Posted September 13, 2004 I hope you're all fine and ride it out without any difficulties...sending good thoughts Nina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethansmom Posted September 13, 2004 Report Share Posted September 13, 2004 I hope all our wishing and hoping down here in Tampa didn't blow him your way, doh We are pretty darn sick of all these hurricanes, and I know exactly what you are going through. We've done a lifetimes worth of boarding, evacuating, stokcing up on supplies, packing, and repeating the process in the past month. I wish you the very best and please let us know how you fare after the storm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackwolf Posted September 14, 2004 Report Share Posted September 14, 2004 I hope all of you are safe and I send you all of my prayers. Keep safe, stay calm and don't try to get to up set. I was just told by my Great Aunt that this is her 97th hurricane in her life time, she just turned 82 by the way. I hope no one has any trouble.Blackwolf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbo Posted September 14, 2004 Report Share Posted September 14, 2004 Please trust me when I say that you do not want to be anywhere near this hurricane of this magnitude. I lived in Tampa, Florida for four years. I know you are planning on evacuating, but some people get fascinated with a hurricane and decide to stay.I remember hearing about a hurricane expert in Miami who couldn't stay away so he and his family stayed in their home during Hurricane Andrew and only one wall was left of their house when it was over. Lucky for them, they survived.This hurricane is worse than Andrew. I am sorry if this is redundant, I know you plan to leave, forgive me if I am being a nag, I just don't want to see you get hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opus88 Posted September 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2004 Thank you all for your support and well-wishes. I can't tell you how much that means to me and to everyone in these coastal areas. We decided early Tuesday morning to skip the friend's house and instead head to the Carolinas to stay with my husband's sons & their families. The packing was done in 2 hours, our shutters were already up Monday, and the traffic could not have been any easier for the entire drive - we truly expected it to be a nightmare of a trip, filled with continual traffic slowdowns.We're hoping that's a good omen, but it isn't looking that way from the projections as of Tuesday night. This Ivan is more than nasty! It looks like the eye is expected to go in only about 30-60 miles from us. We are mentally preparing to return to a pile of rubble that used to be our house. And if it truly is catastrophic, it could very well put my company out of business, meaning I'm out of a job and we have no health insurance. (I work for a tourism publisher and our area covers the coastal areas and beyond of all 4 of the to-be-affected states.) But I'm trying not to get ahead of myself. Actually, I've done amazingly well so far, both physically and mentally. and I'm soooo hoping that will continue. We just keep reminding ourselves that no matter what happens, we are safe, and that's all that really counts.Anyway, please continue to keep strong positive thoughts for everyone along the coast. We will all need it during the storm and for long after.Many, many thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernestine Posted September 15, 2004 Report Share Posted September 15, 2004 opuss, where do you live? I live in pensacola, about 45 to 50 minutes from Moblie.About the second exist from ala line. And I eant to tell you I'm am very very scared. Should have left. Please keep me in ya'lls prayer for me and my family. I wish I would just got out and stay that way until it is over. Love to yall ernestine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernestine Posted September 15, 2004 Report Share Posted September 15, 2004 I is me again you can tell I am full of brain fog. ern Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opus88 Posted September 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2004 Hurricane update:We are physically fine, as we did not stay in the area. But we are still trying to find out how things are with our house. We took the direct hit at landfall, but the immediate eye area didn't get the very worst of the damage. Nobody can get to our part of town due to flooding and roads being wiped out, so we're hoping like crazy that we'll see an aerial view soon that incorporates our neighborhood. While that will not give us the detailed answers we would like, it will at least show us whether the house is still standing or not.Gena, Ernestine and all others affected by Ivan: Please let us know how you are doing. (I realize everyone may be caught in power outages, but I hope you'll update us soon.)Please, everyone, continue to keep all those affected in your thoughts and prayers - it will be a very long time before life becomes routine again.P.S. Dancing Light/Emily - obviously you are not as full of hot air as you think you are! Thanks for the humor during this stressful time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DancingLight Posted September 17, 2004 Report Share Posted September 17, 2004 opus, that was funny! you found humor in this craziness too!thank you for your update...please continue to update us, as i hope other folks will too.i am glad that you are safe....i honestly cannot even imagine what you are feeling though. i know people always say, being alive is what matters...but that doesn't minimize the emotional trauma of the hurricane, and whatever damage it may have done to your home...i am not sure i am making much sense right now...already took my ambien!but, hopefully you get the idea...basically my heart goes out to you. i really can't imagine. i live in a valley...not much for crazy weather here!emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opus88 Posted September 22, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 Here along the AL & FL northern Gulf Coast areas, we have seen incredible devastation. I know that most of the country was watching the storm or at least aware of the destruction, so I won?t bore you with more descriptions of that.We returned to the area to see that clean-up had begun, many places already had power, FEMA and insurance representatives were settled into the area, and the most wonderful outpouring of assistance from Red Cross, churches and other groups of very caring & energetic people. The 2 of us have been eating at one of the ?soup kitchens? since we returned Monday evening, but we should be able to fend for ourselves after tonight.We are temporarily relocated as of this evening. Our home remained standing and the storm surge did not rise high enough to enter our main floor (we are on stilts), although our upstairs bathroom suffered a collapse of the ceiling, the front and back outside stairs floated away, the under-house storage area is gone along with the jet ski and most of the tools, and much siding and many shingles are missing. The foundation is still strong, thankfully, so the moment we are given the go-ahead to drive vehicles to our area, our builder is ready to begin on the roof. The house then will be mostly gutted and started over - all ceilings and all flooring must be replaced, as well as some sections of drywall.We have to move everything out of the house within the next few days, except the grand piano - they will cover it with mover?s blankets and tarp, then build a box over it. We have rented the last storage unit available nearby for our furniture. Someone I work with has offered us her in-town rental condo thru Nov. 14. The construction can be completed in about 4-5 weeks, but there is a required ?drying time? that could be months. We?ll know more as the builders start tearing out the ceilings. Heck of a way to finally get to redecorate the house! :-)As the stress of all of this continues, I am seeing a return of some of my symptoms that haven't been around for a long while. Lack of sleep, I know, isn't helping matters, either - I've been awake 4-8 times a night and sometimes completely unable to sleep past about 3 a.m.We are very thankful for so many things: that we remained safe, that Ivan wasn?t worse than it was in our area, that we have a dependable and honest builder who also happens to be a friend, that we have a place to call home until we can move back to our house, that I still have a job after 1/5 of my company was laid off yesterday, and for the wonderful prayers and generosity of so many who have helped us and thousands of others as the recovery process begins.Please continue to keep everyone in the Gulf Coast areas and the Charley- and Frances-affected areas in your thoughts and prayers. This is just the beginning of the recovery process, and patience and resources will be wearing thin as the immediacy of the situation dies down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 Hi Opus,I feel for you. It must be difficult to get home and see all the devastation. You are very courageous. I will continue praying for you and for the others .Ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethansmom Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 I am so glad you are safe- I have been thinking about those affected by the Hurricane so much lately. However, I am very sorry to hear about the damage to your home and neighborhood. I hope that you can rebuild and get your lives back to normal as soon as possible. We came so close to this level of devastation ourselves here in south Florida, and I can't count enough blessings right now. It sounds as if you are coping as best as can be expected, and I really hope that your symptoms don't give you too much trouble much longer. Your positive attitude shines through, as always, and I wish you and your family the best in getting the pieces put back together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merrill Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 Oh, m'gosh, Opus! Amazing! Thanks for sharing your news--I've definitely been wondering what happened--and I'm so glad that you did the safe thing and moved inland to wait out the storm. You have such a beautiful, positive attitude--I admire your strength as you tackle each new challenge as it comes. It's so great that you have a place to stay for the next couple months as you rebuild your home...I'm sorry to hear about the layoffs at work; it can be hard to carry on when friends and colleagues have been forced out... surviving layoffs, like surviving a hurricane, can leave you picking up the pieces and wondering what's next. None of it's easy, that's for sure. But as you say, you have so much still to be grateful for...Keep counting those blessings... It's no wonder really that your symtoms are worse right now. This is an awful lot of stress to endure! But keep the faith; things will get better in time--your health, your home, your work... all of it will be OK. Take 'er easy in the meantime. And keep us posted as you can!Merrill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wareagle Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 Hello All! I live in Orange Beach, AL..we actually rode out the storm here at a resort on the beach. Fortunately we are all okay and our home is actually still here..we were blessed. There is alot of devestation..Opus my thoughts are with you and your family. It has been frusterating for me b/c I'm unable to help more with the clean up..etc. How did other fair in the P-cola area..I know you guys got hit hard too! Just keep your chins up..and be thankful we all made it through with our lives! Things will get better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corina Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 Opus,I'm very sorry to hear all this, but I'm glad you and your family didn't get hurt or anything although it must be terrible to see what this hurricane did to your house and neighbourhood. Hope you and your family are feeling alright and wish you the best with "redecorating"your house.Corina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DancingLight Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 opus,that is definitely a lot of stress...i don't think i could handle it all as well as you are! you have quite an amazing spirit through all of this...i am such a homebody it is so completely unimaginable to me to lose my home and be uprooted like that...i know you are looking at all the things that you have to be grateful for...and that is really amazing....still, i cannot imagine all that you are enduring. thank you for keeping us updated...keep letting us know how you are doing.i can definitely see that this would all trigger pots symptoms! just a wee bit of stress!emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.