Donmac,Thanks for your prayers. I hope everyone will be safe in this one. Hopefully, it won't re-intensify into a Cat 3 or greater storm. Last year, you all in your part of Florida had your share of storms. After this one, I think we will have had our share as well; however, it's a long time until December.I agree completely about your assessment of our authorities. Most of their decisions are nothing more than big CYA exercises. Then, they whine and moan about nobody taking them seriously.I have learned to rely on the forecasts from the National Hurricane Center and make my own assessments and decisions. These state and local politically appointed emergency managers are practically worthless.DawgPaw

Take care Ken.We live in Fort Myers, Florida and it coming by us about 150 miles out and will miss us. Getting severe rain here and, as one who went through Charley last year, I pray for your, and everyone else's safety up there.Good luck.Bobby

Well, it seems the Mobile Co. government is now saying the mandatory evacuation is more of a voluntary one - they have stressed they aren't (and legally cannot) going to evict people from their houses for not leaving.

I guess they finally figured out that they didn't have a big enough paddy wagon or enough bologna down at the jail to take care of all of us who are still hanging around.

Hey Ken,Take Care down there, tie down the hatches, and make sure if you are riding it out, you have all the necessities, especially water, flashlight, batteries, portable radio, batteries, candles, and of course food. Oh yeah, and Beer. :-)Our prayers are with you folks down there, and hopefully the storm won't strengthen any more tonight.Best of Luck,JoeGrab My FREEWARE Voice recognition Profiles here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=58334]Cessna 172 Voice Profile[/a][a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=60740]FSD Avanti Voice Profile[/a].You will need the main FREEWARE Flight Assistant program to use it, get it here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=genutils&DLID=39661]Flight Assistant 2.2[/a]

Ken, stay low, buddy, and don't do anything foolish. You may well be better getting yourself and the family out of there. The only thing in the whole dam' house that isn't replaceable is the family that lives there. Anything else can be put back together.....No Humpty-Dumpty impersonations, please...Good Luck. Ed GreenKCLThttp://www.panelshop.com/DEV.jpg

Hi thereIn NZ, the worst weather springs from the Northern Tasman Sea, sort of between Australia and the Vanuatu Island group. They start as tropical depression, grow to tropical storms and if we're unlucky bthey'll become cyclones. Not heard them called willy-willy's over here. I hear you about the river flooding. NZ is a hilly place so all of our rivers are the sort that are a trickle until it rains, then they rise by 10's of feet when it rains in the hills. The flooding we got hit with was due to the stream out the front of our place being unable to drain into the (swollen) main river in the region.Yes, its not always practical to evacuate. My main precautions are 1) watch the weather forecasts closely (working on a PPL helps this interest!), 2) have a strategy in terms of stuff which I shift to higher level when I know rain is coming 3) if you do have do move, be ready with the stuff that you need to take (pet carriers / baby food / essential papers etc). Personally, I would leave evacuation to the last minute, but this is only practical for me because I have higher ground available nearby. Besides flooding, we are also in NZ's busiest earthquake zone and, being coastal, therefore there is a tsunami risk too.. Ah well, it all makes life interesting!Fingers crossed for everyone - I'm just off to check the news now.Cheersbb

Well, this will be my last post for a while. I am shutting down my equipment and locating to a better place.Everyone in the area take care and I'll see you guys on the flip side!

Ken,Roger that my friend. I'm up in Lauderdale MS, about 120 miles from you, and we're getting ready for it too . . . spent all day yesterday trying to shore up everything needed to make sure the house, barns and horses will be secure . . . good luck and God Bless.Clayhttp://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F...ers/Dopke01.jpgClayton T. Dopke (Clay)Major, USAF (retired)"Drac"

Hi Ken, and Clayton,Hope you guys are ok, and check in when you can just to let us know you're ok.BTTT (Bump to the top, for those that wondered what those initials stand for) :-)Take Care,JoeGrab My FREEWARE Voice recognition Profiles here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=58334]Cessna 172 Voice Profile[/a][a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=60740]FSD Avanti Voice Profile[/a].You will need the main FREEWARE Flight Assistant program to use it, get it here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=genutils&DLID=39661]Flight Assistant 2.2[/a]

Hi all, miss me?Well, Mobile has once again dodge a bullet. We were getting "doomsday predictions" on the local news this morning until Dennis decided to go North a little while.Of course what is good for me and Mobile, is not good for P'cola and Navarre Beach. If anyone from there read this, I hope you pulled through okay.As for me, I never lost power or internet (though I took my site down anyway). Bascially in west Mobile it was just a tropical storm.

Well, that's good news, glad to hear it wasn't worse. :-)Seems like it dropped a little before it hit. Hopefully the damage we learn about tomorrow won't be as bad as other storms.Regards,JoeGrab My FREEWARE Voice recognition Profiles here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=58334]Cessna 172 Voice Profile[/a][a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=60740]FSD Avanti Voice Profile[/a].You will need the main FREEWARE Flight Assistant program to use it, get it here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=genutils&DLID=39661]Flight Assistant 2.2[/a]

Glad to hear it Ken - we pretty much dodged the bullet here in Jamaica too - just a graze and flooding in the northeast.Sorry for all who died in Haiti/Cuba though - and the season is young...regards,MarkXPHomeSP2/FS9.1/3.2HT/1GIG/X700pro256

Just got through "unpreparing" for Dennis, dragging back out all the lawn chairs, grill, wife's pot plants, taking down the boarding, etc. We have been extremely fortunate in the last two major hurricane threats. I hope our luck can hold out until December, but I know we can't dodge 'em all.Yes, the folks in Pensacola/Navarre, as well as central Florida, have really had a tragic time with hurricanes last year and now with Dennis. I hope they get a big break from these things for a while.