Due mostly to the great creator, and partly due to strong building code enforcement.... it appears the eye passed over our town with little major damage to buildings.

It's a landscaper's paradise though. Can't imagine more than a handfull of trees that aren't damaged or toppled.

Power just came back to our section (I'm near a hospital, so probably on a priority grid). It may be weeks before the outlying areas (the "estates" on 2.5 and 5 acre lots) get power. I think Port Royal where the blue blazer crew live has their own secret power station... built underground/underwater...

Two gas stations just opened up with power. Waits are over an hour. I suspect they'll be out of gas shortly. The Tesla stations are screwed for now.

Amazingly, the boat was parked across the street from the airport (where wind gusts to 145 mph were measured) and suffered no damage that I can see. Didn't even move the trailer. The wind must have been from just the right direction to be blocked by adjacent storage buildings. Can't get in the yard yet (no power to gate), but kid ran in there and snapped photos.

There was a kayak on a trailer (couldn't have weighed more than 100 lbs) that didn't get moved, either.... talk about dodging the bullet!

Despite how lucky we were, I'm still happy I evacuated across the state. Only had 80 mph winds there... But I had to be close enough to make it back on one tank of gas... There were no gas stations open south of Orlando until today.

Not sure how Sebring fared as they probably got whacked with the toughest part of the storm winds. My folks had a tree branch poke through their bedroom wall on the second floor, but nothing major.

The utility company kept the water flowing (even when power was out) which was key, but the sewer system was out of power and started bubbling up from the manholes. Kids were playing in the water on the street.. Can anyone say "cholera"? Did they NOT notice it smelled like Burbon St. in New Orleans after Mardi-Gras?

Lots of cars on the side of the road out of gas. Even more huddled in little spots where the internet is working.

If the power/fuel situation continued for a few more days, I suspect the orderly recovery would be much less civil.

Thanks for all the prayers and positive energy! Hope all points north fared as well as we did....

Jay


Jay