ENVR Idalia Check In Thread
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Power has been out since about 9:30 am ,running of gen, almost 6in of rain, trees down everywhere , None on my house but several around me are. Still windy but nothing like it was, so I will start cleaning and cutting trees tomorrow, hopefully. Could have been worse.
Main mass of the storm seems to be slowly moving north, while located W of Charleston... according to Weather radar LIVE 
Weather data & weather forecast! About a quarter of it hanging over the Hotlantic ...
Weather data & weather forecast! About a quarter of it hanging over the Hotlantic ...
Just found a place on US90 where I have signal. Live Oak, FL has no power. Lots of broken power lines. It took over four hours to cut our way up our road so we can get out.
I will obviously be out of pocket off and on until we can head out tomorrow or next day.
We lost a bunch of 100+ year old oaks, 20 year old pines, and I don’t know how much barbwire around our 40 acres and along our mile long road.
All our outbuildings came thru fine. Thanks for prayers. We have months of clean up ahead of us.
Firebird
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Wow, that was rough! Glad you came through ok. My sister is just to the west in Jefferson County, and she is being told 2 weeks before power can be restored
Giblin
Veteran Member
SC update, Myrtle Beach has been calm with a few downpours and some wind. It looks like the eye of the storm just crossed into Hilton Head Is. My biggest complaint has been the weather stations showing "old" radar from Fl and not much local. We have about 5 more hours till it's gone. Thanks for the prayers.
20Gauge
TB Fanatic
Aftermath is being checked now. Overall at our place we had power flickering all day, but it never went out. Several trees have snapped about 2/3 of the way up and where I part my truck several large limbs feel. Good thing I parked at the flood spot. Otherwise, my truck would have a few new dents.
My parents live in town and report they have been out of power for several hours and will still be out until 10pm at the latest. A transformer blew, lots of debris, a few power lines are down.
All in all the usual stuff.
We will have more when time permits us to do a decent walk around, we still have too much water at the surface to go wandering around. Too slippery.
My parents live in town and report they have been out of power for several hours and will still be out until 10pm at the latest. A transformer blew, lots of debris, a few power lines are down.
All in all the usual stuff.
We will have more when time permits us to do a decent walk around, we still have too much water at the surface to go wandering around. Too slippery.
Tristan
Has No Life - Lives on TB
PalmettoGirl
Senior Member
My son and I were both able to stay home today because our places of business closed for the storm. The kids had a half day and an e learning day tomorrow. So thankfully no one had to go anywhere today. Downtown Charleston floods with a full moon or heavy rain. So I think that was the worst of the storm for us. The winds weren’t very strong here. It did rain most of the day, but no flooding in our neighborhood. I heard of a couple small tornadoes. One flipped a car while driving in Goose Creek. But I haven’t experienced much here. Tomorrow looks dry and a high of 80. Looking forward to getting out. Hope everyone here is safe and well!
20Gauge
TB Fanatic
Wife had a meeting at work on Tuesday where the store manager ( Walmart ) out right told the employees that their responsibility was to Walmart and its customers and not their families. In fact, they would be safer working instead of being at home.
Yeah he said that......
7 pm last night we had a text from Walmart, there was a Tornado in the area of Walmart and you needed to seek shelter.....
Yeah, Walmart may have been hit with a Tornado......lol
Yeah he said that......
7 pm last night we had a text from Walmart, there was a Tornado in the area of Walmart and you needed to seek shelter.....
Yeah, Walmart may have been hit with a Tornado......lol
Doc1
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Many of you will remember my Hurricane Katrina odyssey. We evacuated in the "Bug Out Bus" I'd spent the previous year converting from a regular school bus. The bus really saved our bacon, as we were able to evacuate 80% to 90% of our valuables and had a secure place to sleep. We wound up in a state park near the Tennessee border.
I made a recce trip all the way back to the Gulf Coast (in my little diesel pickup) about three days after the storm to check on our destroyed residence and see what, if anything, my son and I could do to help. In the event we were able to rescue one of my stepsons who was stranded at his Gulfport home with no food or power. He had been sleeping on his front lawn.
Anyway, I'm getting off track here because the main reason I posted is to recommend that all of our members buy one or more inverters to use in emergencies. For those unfamiliar with them, inverters allow the 12 volt DC circuit in your vehicle to produce 120 volt AC current. That allows you to use your vehicle as a generator to power some of your appliances. Trust me. You'll find this to be incredibly valuable, as a limited amount of electricity is incomparably better than no electricity! I lived off inverter power exclusively for three months after Katrina. Living in a bus with limited electricity probably seems rough to many of you, but believe me; I lived like a king compared to 99.99% of Gulf Coast residents.
For those of you who've never used an inverter, they are simple to operate. You simply attach your inverter to the battery in your vehicle and then run an extension cord from the inverter to whatever you wish to power. You've got to keep your vehicle idling while using the inverter or you'll shortly have a dead battery. Inverters are currently very inexpensive compared to what they were twenty or thirty years ago. With inflation starting to roar and the inevitable (further) decline in the Dollar's purchasing power, I strongly advise you to buy your inverter(s) now.
Best
Doc
I made a recce trip all the way back to the Gulf Coast (in my little diesel pickup) about three days after the storm to check on our destroyed residence and see what, if anything, my son and I could do to help. In the event we were able to rescue one of my stepsons who was stranded at his Gulfport home with no food or power. He had been sleeping on his front lawn.
Anyway, I'm getting off track here because the main reason I posted is to recommend that all of our members buy one or more inverters to use in emergencies. For those unfamiliar with them, inverters allow the 12 volt DC circuit in your vehicle to produce 120 volt AC current. That allows you to use your vehicle as a generator to power some of your appliances. Trust me. You'll find this to be incredibly valuable, as a limited amount of electricity is incomparably better than no electricity! I lived off inverter power exclusively for three months after Katrina. Living in a bus with limited electricity probably seems rough to many of you, but believe me; I lived like a king compared to 99.99% of Gulf Coast residents.
For those of you who've never used an inverter, they are simple to operate. You simply attach your inverter to the battery in your vehicle and then run an extension cord from the inverter to whatever you wish to power. You've got to keep your vehicle idling while using the inverter or you'll shortly have a dead battery. Inverters are currently very inexpensive compared to what they were twenty or thirty years ago. With inflation starting to roar and the inevitable (further) decline in the Dollar's purchasing power, I strongly advise you to buy your inverter(s) now.
Best
Doc
Giblin
Veteran Member
Thanks again Doc for the inverter info. I got one over 10+ years ago when you first mentioned it. My friends and neighbors were amazed. But I got a "Battery Backup" 420 watts for 62 min at a yard sale for $2.00 and plugged it in yesterday and charged it up for the first time. We never lost power so didn't use it but it is another option. God was great and protected all of my friends from Fl to NC. No one lost power.
On my way back to primary residence. Managed to cut our way out. No lie. Happy freakin’ 57th birthday to me. 
No power. No signal. Not even cell service worked well, basically intermittently sorta.
Young guy who put some fencing in for us was driving by and saw our predicament and came back this morning with his equipment and crew or we’d still be there. God bless him.
We have months of work ahead of us. Below is just a sampling. There were a few times the last two days when I was feeling too old for this.
No power. No signal. Not even cell service worked well, basically intermittently sorta.Young guy who put some fencing in for us was driving by and saw our predicament and came back this morning with his equipment and crew or we’d still be there. God bless him.
We have months of work ahead of us. Below is just a sampling. There were a few times the last two days when I was feeling too old for this.
20Gauge
TB Fanatic
You survived and they can be removed. All in all a good day for you, despite the mess. Happy BirthdayOn my way back to primary residence. Managed to cut our way out. No lie. Happy freakin’ 57th birthday to me.
Young guy who put some fencing in for us was driving by and saw our predicament and came back this morning with his equipment and crew or we’d still be there. God bless him.
We have months of work ahead of us. Below is just a sampling. There were a few times the last two days when I was feeling too old for this.
View attachment 432879View attachment 432880View attachment 432881View attachment 432882View attachment 432883
20Gauge
TB Fanatic
Funny story time!!!!
Walmart has this "new" emergency text thingy for hurricanes in our area. You are to text a number if you have an emergency and they will send help. Seriously a nice thing for the times when you really need help. ( for employees only )
Well it didn't go so well for Walmart........ not well at all.....actually pretty badly......
Wife was called to a meeting where they were told that the "emergency" text was for when you had a life threatening emergency and not that your power just went out or you ran out of beer.........
Apparently, they were calling people bad on the "emergency" text line and not a single person had a real emergency, not a single one. Which makes sense as we got missed by the storm for the most part.
For a minute there Walmart was about to call 911 for these people....... I wish they had, as that would be really funny!!!
Walmart has this "new" emergency text thingy for hurricanes in our area. You are to text a number if you have an emergency and they will send help. Seriously a nice thing for the times when you really need help. ( for employees only )
Well it didn't go so well for Walmart........ not well at all.....actually pretty badly......
Wife was called to a meeting where they were told that the "emergency" text was for when you had a life threatening emergency and not that your power just went out or you ran out of beer.........
Apparently, they were calling people bad on the "emergency" text line and not a single person had a real emergency, not a single one. Which makes sense as we got missed by the storm for the most part.
For a minute there Walmart was about to call 911 for these people....... I wish they had, as that would be really funny!!!
Ragnarok
On and On, South of Heaven
After every hurricane I remember, the next day was cloud free and silent. We keep having rain and did you hear about any of this? ( The storm footage starts at about 10:40 ( 21:11 Run Time ), before that he is interviewing people on what they expect )
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0HljsI0bK8
Yes. It could have been worse. Our preps helped for sure.
Doc1
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Giblin, thank you for your post. I am always very gratified to learn that my post(s) helped someone.
Best
Doc
Feel very blessed considering the damage around me. We have power now, came back on late yesterday, only out around thirty hours. That's nothing compared to others around me that want have any for weeks. A few things I observed, with digital phone and internet using a router, no power, it don't work. Cell service was fine for me but others spotty as long as their phone was charged, have away to charge it, at least a car charger. Water have plenty, keep it on hand, just rotate it, we never lost our county water, they have generators at the wells. County or city sewer, you better have a way to block your line, many have had it back up into their homes. Food have it and away to cook it. I am glad i have a generator, that box fan was great with no ac, also keep my phone charged and router going. If you're able, get a chain saw with extra bar and chain, plenty of bar and gas oil, learn how to use it safely. I had friends that could not get out due to trees, that's what I did yesterday cutting up trees for them. Oh, and plenty of gas for everything that uses it, even though the power was back at I75 exit 5 in a couple hours, lines were long and businesses were running out or closed. There is more I could say but this plenty to think about, this is why we prep, you never know.
There are so many power lines down in Live Oak, FL that I am sure it will be days before everyone is back up. Perry and Steinhatchee, FL are in a very bad way according to local gossip. Word is Perry got flattened. Only gas station left in Cedar Key was taken out. I have no word on Madison, FL sad to say. Lee, FL barely a spot on a map but it is silent as well.
I put this on the other thread about Idalia, but for our members who may not see it ...
The extent of the damage done to SVEC’s electric distribution system is becoming clearer as repair crews make their way through the cooperative’s 2,100 square mile service territory. So far, about 2,500 instances of damaged lines and equipment have been documented, including 411 broken poles.
Service was restored yesterday to about 10% of the consumers who are supplied through substations that have transmission service. That includes both substations fed though transmission lines operated by Florida Power & Light and 3 of the 11 substations fed through transmission lines operated by Duke Energy Florida. SVEC and Duke Management are speaking by phone every day and it is hoped to have an estimated time of transmission restoration soon.
Meanwhile, help keeps pouring in. 591 lineworkers are already working out of our base camp in Live Oak, or will arrive later today to bring the total workforce to 756. That number is likely to grow even more tomorrow as workers are freed up from jobs with other utilities who suffered less damage.
“The damage done to SVEC’s system is unprecedented and so is the scale of our response.” says SVEC CEO Mike McWaters. “Never the less, it’s still impossible to predict when power will be restored to specific areas, and we strongly urge those who depend on electricity for medical equipment to continue with alternate arrangements for power supply or relocate until further notice. “We know this is probably not the news our members are hoping for," says McWaters, “but it’s important for their health and safety that we are as transparent as possible. We continue to ask for the patience and understanding of our members and thank them and the rest of Florida’s Big Bend community for the outpouring of support for our employees and aiding workers.”
Members are reminded to stay well away from downed power lines and not attempt to remove trees or limbs that are in contact with them.
Damage and Restoration Efforts at Unprecedented Scale
The extent of the damage done to SVEC’s electric distribution system is becoming clearer as repair crews make their way through the cooperative’s 2,100 square mile service territory. So far, about 2,500 instances of damaged lines and equipment have been documented, including 411 broken poles.
Service was restored yesterday to about 10% of the consumers who are supplied through substations that have transmission service. That includes both substations fed though transmission lines operated by Florida Power & Light and 3 of the 11 substations fed through transmission lines operated by Duke Energy Florida. SVEC and Duke Management are speaking by phone every day and it is hoped to have an estimated time of transmission restoration soon.
Meanwhile, help keeps pouring in. 591 lineworkers are already working out of our base camp in Live Oak, or will arrive later today to bring the total workforce to 756. That number is likely to grow even more tomorrow as workers are freed up from jobs with other utilities who suffered less damage.
“The damage done to SVEC’s system is unprecedented and so is the scale of our response.” says SVEC CEO Mike McWaters. “Never the less, it’s still impossible to predict when power will be restored to specific areas, and we strongly urge those who depend on electricity for medical equipment to continue with alternate arrangements for power supply or relocate until further notice. “We know this is probably not the news our members are hoping for," says McWaters, “but it’s important for their health and safety that we are as transparent as possible. We continue to ask for the patience and understanding of our members and thank them and the rest of Florida’s Big Bend community for the outpouring of support for our employees and aiding workers.”
Members are reminded to stay well away from downed power lines and not attempt to remove trees or limbs that are in contact with them.
20Gauge
TB Fanatic
We feel the same way. The wife was so so about it years ago, but really got into it after we lost power for a few days and did just fine. Now she is a maniac about getting ready.
Monday update from Suwannee Valley ...
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