Hurricane Charlie takes lives that won't be tolled

Speedy · 08-19-2004, 11:25 AM

Hurricane Charlie did quite a number in my area. Although it caused little damage to my personal home, or my families. It did trigger a chain of reactions that caused my much pain.

I have lost almost all my coral life in my tank. My Clownfish and Neon Goby made it. All my Grape calerpa is more than alright.

Everything else is not doing so good.

I completely lost all my mushrooms, all my ricordia, my two Acropora frags (light brown, and white with blue tip table). Lost my Cactus coral, frag. My star polyps, my zoo polyps, and my sun polyps haven't opened since. Although there are remains of them seen and with some color.

Just posting out my grief. Now just waiting for new beginings. Stupid Hurricane Charlie!

Matt Rogers · 08-19-2004, 11:28 AM

Glad about you and your family David, but that's a bummer about the tank.

How long was the power out?

Karma to you!

Speedy · 08-19-2004, 11:43 AM

For about 4 days. But I won't let it happen again. I'm designing a solar panel kit to keep aquarium appliances rolling during blackouts. Look out for it in the DIY section.

reefman_MC · 08-19-2004, 05:48 PM

My power was out here for 3 hours and as soon as I was getting the generator plugged up, which I hat fooling with, the power popped back on. Sorry to hear about your tank David. Don't give up.

Birdlady · 08-19-2004, 05:53 PM

So Sorry!! Karma to You!

David, do you know if Rotunda West, FL was hit bad? I have friends there and they are not replying to e-mail. I suspect they had damage....it is in Charlotte county right near Punta Gorda ..I don't know if you are familiar with that area or not.... Thanks.....

Jason McKenzie · 08-19-2004, 06:13 PM

Glad to hear you and your family are OK. And to see you on the site it sure has been awhile. Hang in there

J

Speedy · 08-20-2004, 03:04 AM

Punta Gorda got hit the hardest. Rotunda West didn't make the map, but the eye entered by Punta Gorda. It's a good thing that Rotunda didn't make the map, I'll illustrate it, Punta Gorda made the map, because it devastated every mobile home in the area, Arcadia made the map because Charlie ripped the roof off of a shelter keeping 1,200 refugees, leaving some lifeless, many injured, and 60 missing... In Charlotte county it devastated. Leaving ironic looking homes untouched, while crushing all the homes around it. They won't have power for quite a while. Cell phones as well are still out of order in the area. Next week I'll be accompanying a group of volunteers to help rebuild roofs and homes. PM me with you're friends information, if I have a chance I'll see what I can do. They'll be in our prayers.

Birdlady · 08-20-2004, 03:26 AM

Thanks so much for the info Dave! Hopefully they are OK, they have a house, not a mobile home so that should help.
You are a wonderful person for going to help! Thankfully, you and yours are OK! You will get the tank going again!!

Birdlady · 08-20-2004, 03:58 AM

Hi again..

I was finally able to get ahold of my friend in FL, her work set up a command post

She did get a little damage to her home but she says it is devastated around her. The firemen that came to help went back to their firehouse to find it completely looted....no equipment, no computers, no nothing!! >

She is coming back to her place up here in DE for a week or so....they have no gas, no water, no power....and are being charged $12 for a bag of ice down there!!!!!!!

She also says she has seen hundreds of body bags that are not yet being reported on the news :'( Apparently, they have some process they have to do before numbers can be released so the death toll is sure to rise from what we are hearing now.

Dave, you are one of the many, many persons who are showing true American tradition and going to help. She has had some people drop food off for her patients where she works...and they are missing both employees and patients..... and she said along with the bad, there is amazing humanitarian efforts being shown as well ....persons with great generosity and kindness!

Speedy · 08-20-2004, 04:26 AM

Yes it's true. For example, Sunday, the day after the hurricane there were about 3000 Jehovah's Witnesses in the Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte area. Volunteers from as far as Texas that showed up the day right after the hurricane to help with the relief. My brother and father took off on Sunday morning around 6:00 am from Miami and they laid tarp to about 5 homes. A friend of the family that went with them, got heat stroke and ended up hospitalized that night. He however, assisted in laying tarp, aside from purchasing the tarps, 4 gas burners, 2 generators, and a sweet 30" chainsaw. Not to mention all the bottled water and ice. That is a great example of good volunteer work.