Living in a disater area...

[transplant99]

Yesterday the US government declared our entire region a disaster area, which will entitle many folks to compensation they so desperately need. Thank god.

My family got off easy in comparison to some that live no more than a mile away...a young couple we know had just purchased their first house and moved in on Sept 1. The house was built on the side of a mountain and was on "stilts" for levelling. Its gone. everything. Slid away and crumbled into thousands of pieces.

Many many people lost everything. Unfortunately a lot of animals were lost as well...very sad.

We lost power for 38 hours and lost water completely for 3+ days. We have water pressure again...but the stuff is brown.

I went through the flood in High River in 97, and lost my entire business. This dwarfs what i saw back then.

Here are some pics, the first one is a golf course i was supposed to play on Tuesday at a charity tournament.




This one is part of a major intersection/thoroughfare in the area.



And in this one, the building in the background has a roof 12' off the ground



Just brutal stuff...and to add to the distress of so many here...Hurricane Ivan's projected path is coming right at us again.

[Fuzzy McGillicuddy]

When you see the pictures (posted here and on other news sites) it really brings home the devastation.

I agree that it doesn't look good with Ivan bearing down again. This is an incredibly vicious storm. At this stage, it appears the hurricane may miss most of Florida until it reaches ground at the panhandle.

Of material possessions can be replaced, but that doesn't make it easier for folks who suffer the brunt of the storm.

[transplant99]

I agree that it doesn't look good with Ivan bearing down again. This is an incredibly vicious storm. At this stage, it appears the hurricane may miss most of Florida until it reaches ground at the panhandle.

Yup...compared to Florida we are looking like utopia.

I just heard on TV that Ivan is the 3rd strongest hurricane in recorded history.

An act from god would be welcomed right now for people in many states..as in veer this thing in another direction.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Take care of yourself and your family down there, tranny.

Hope the worst times are behind you.

[Cowperson]

Sorry to see stuff like that, wherever it is.

Hope you're pulling through fine.

The 1997 High River flood was something else too.

Cowperson

[Lanny_MacDonald]

That's terrible Tranny. I'm glad things are going half decent for you. I hope you get things straightened away quickly. Hey, the wife and I sure picked one helluva time to get out of Florida! Ivan is already scaring the locals there.

[KevanGuy]

Keep safe tranny.

I am actually kind of surprised I haven't heard more about the devistation on the News around here. Your updates have be more informative then anything I have heard/seen around here.

[JiriHrdina]

Wow. Brutal man. I have no idea what it must be like to be in the middle of something like that.

I hate to hear about the loss of animals. I think I could bare to lose all my material possessions but if I wasn't able to save my cat I would be truly devestated.

[TheCommodoreAfro]

Take care, tranny. Living in/near a disaster site is something I have only experienced at arms length in Kobe in 1995. I trust the community will come together and everyone will begin to get their lives together, though it will take some time.

Here's to hoping that Ivan will burn off or veer away to give everyone a chance to recover.

[Displaced Flames fan]

It's easy to forget that hurricanes that make landfall often have devistating effects long after the sky has cleared at the beaches and long after the storm is no longer officially a hurricane.

Some of the rain amounts I've heard are just unbelievable. More than half of what we get here (and we're not a dry climate) in an entire year on average. Hurricanes that have moved inland are usually dropping tornadoes left and right as well, which on a small scale can be equally or more devastating than the hurricane itself was when it made landfall.

My thoughts are with everyone in the SE and the Carribean. I have a sister in Orlando and they got pounded pretty hard with Charley. Frances was much kinder to them....I do hope Ivan misses them completely...and you too.

[Agamemnon]

Jesus, that looks absolutely awful! I wonder how the compensation works, do you have to fill out a claim from the state/federal government? Everyone get a lump sum (hopefully not)? I can't believe that 3(?) hurricanes have hit Florida, that's nuts!

[Wolfwood]

Wow, those pictures are just amazing. Makes me glad I live far enough away to be not affected by the hurricanes. (well we do get some rainfall but that doesn't count).

It truly must be hard having to lose everything because of such a vicious storm.