IRMA

[Travisma 1,317]

8 hours ago, PureTcrazy...rita said:

 That makes me feel better about them!  

I do get the money side also.  I just know it has been crazy for people trying to get home.  Even the two lane road that goes through my hometown has been bumper to bumper for miles moving at a snail's pace. I10 and highway 90 have been the same.  I can only imagine 75 and 95.  

Yes, that's the issue when everyone leaves, they eventually have to come back.

And if they are working stiffs and can't take vacation time, they have to get back to work ASAP.

Gas is still scarce here in Tampa itself, between stations not having fuel, or, not having power.

Exit 42 to the FL line on I-95 in GA are blocked off for the most part due to flooding and no gas.

Most posts I've read said people are having a hard time finding gas on their way back to FL, but one person claimed that they found gas every place they stopped.

It's going to be a mess for quite a while down here.

[djsamuel 322]

Finally able to check in now that I am at work.  The eye shifted east and went up through Clermont/West Orange County where I live.  We got hit with about 100MPH winds and are very fortunate.  No damage to the house and only some branches and a ton of debris.  I lot of water around.  We have no power or phone and very limited cell service.  They are anticipating 7 to 10 days for power with hopes that it will be sooner.  Down the road from me a very large oak fell through a home, essentially splitting it in half.  Been through several hurricanes over the years but nothing as loud as this one.

We went over to Port Orleans Riverside yesterday to get a hot meal and enjoy some air conditioning.  The drive over wasn't too bad except for some traffic lights out.  A lot of gas stations are closed or out of gas.  We did manage to fill our gas cans for the generator at a Wawa on 192.  We always use Hartzog Road to get to Western Way when we drive in.  I was glad we had the truck because Hartzog Road was flooded near Avalon Road; about a foot of water.  Western Way had several trees down and you could see a lot of tree damage driving up to Coronado Springs and then on Buena Vista Drive.  Port Orleans looked pretty good.  After eating, we walked around and there were some trees down and the cleanup still had a ways to go.  We were talking to some guests who told us that Disney did a great job during the storm.  They had characters there for the kids and more entertainment.  They increased what was available on the TVs.  Some also were in the parks yesterday and they said it was great; very short lines and empty.  We drove past Fort Wilderness and the retention pond in front was extremely full.  The Outpost looks fine.

 

 

[Travisma 1,317]

Glad you made out OK.

There was a pretty lengthy list of damages at WDW.  Lots of trees down and debris at the resorts.  WL had a tree come down and blocked the bus stop.

But still no public announcement of the assessment of Fort damage, and we will probably never hear exactly what occurred.

The eye shifted east and went up through Clermont/West Orange County where I live.

We had seen paths and reports that it went just east of Plant City and west of Lakeland? Guess they had a hard time pinning it down?

On the way back from Tampa I-4 was not moving, so we got off and went the back way past Championsgate/Omni to Deen Still Rd/RockRidge Rd to 98.

Trees had already been cut and removed off of Deen Still by Monday afternoon.  Lots of flooding on either sides of the road, and we went thru a lot of water flowing across the roads, but not so bad that I couldn't see the lines on the roadway.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

1 hour ago, djsamuel said:

Finally able to check in now that I am at work.  The eye shifted east and went up through Clermont/West Orange County where I live.  We got hit with about 100MPH winds and are very fortunate.  No damage to the house and only some branches and a ton of debris.  I lot of water around.  We have no power or phone and very limited cell service.  They are anticipating 7 to 10 days for power with hopes that it will be sooner.  Down the road from me a very large oak fell through a home, essentially splitting it in half.  Been through several hurricanes over the years but nothing as loud as this one.

We went over to Port Orleans Riverside yesterday to get a hot meal and enjoy some air conditioning.  The drive over wasn't too bad except for some traffic lights out.  A lot of gas stations are closed or out of gas.  We did manage to fill our gas cans for the generator at a Wawa on 192.  We always use Hartzog Road to get to Western Way when we drive in.  I was glad we had the truck because Hartzog Road was flooded near Avalon Road; about a foot of water.  Western Way had several trees down and you could see a lot of tree damage driving up to Coronado Springs and then on Buena Vista Drive.  Port Orleans looked pretty good.  After eating, we walked around and there were some trees down and the cleanup still had a ways to go.  We were talking to some guests who told us that Disney did a great job during the storm.  They had characters there for the kids and more entertainment.  They increased what was available on the TVs.  Some also were in the parks yesterday and they said it was great; very short lines and empty.  We drove past Fort Wilderness and the retention pond in front was extremely full.  The Outpost looks fine.

 

 

Thanks for the update and glad to hear you made it though ok!!  I saw the report of the power companies from all over the country (including a fleet from NH) headed that way.  Here's hoping the power comes on sooner than later.   

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

2 hours ago, djsamuel said:

Finally able to check in now that I am at work.  The eye shifted east and went up through Clermont/West Orange County where I live.  We got hit with about 100MPH winds and are very fortunate.  No damage to the house and only some branches and a ton of debris.  I lot of water around.  We have no power or phone and very limited cell service.  They are anticipating 7 to 10 days for power with hopes that it will be sooner.  Down the road from me a very large oak fell through a home, essentially splitting it in half.  Been through several hurricanes over the years but nothing as loud as this one.

We went over to Port Orleans Riverside yesterday to get a hot meal and enjoy some air conditioning.  The drive over wasn't too bad except for some traffic lights out.  A lot of gas stations are closed or out of gas.  We did manage to fill our gas cans for the generator at a Wawa on 192.  We always use Hartzog Road to get to Western Way when we drive in.  I was glad we had the truck because Hartzog Road was flooded near Avalon Road; about a foot of water.  Western Way had several trees down and you could see a lot of tree damage driving up to Coronado Springs and then on Buena Vista Drive.  Port Orleans looked pretty good.  After eating, we walked around and there were some trees down and the cleanup still had a ways to go.  We were talking to some guests who told us that Disney did a great job during the storm.  They had characters there for the kids and more entertainment.  They increased what was available on the TVs.  Some also were in the parks yesterday and they said it was great; very short lines and empty.  We drove past Fort Wilderness and the retention pond in front was extremely full.  The Outpost looks fine.

 

 

Glad you are safe!  Thank you for the update.  I hope the power comes back on soon.  So sad for your neighbors...sounds like a complete Lisa on their home.

 

Praying for the recovering of FL.

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

Power must really be a confusing mess. We got ours back at the "Tiny House" after about 6-8 hours just N of 192 on 27 and that crochety ex bus man got his back about 5 pm Mon in Kissimmee. Neither of us had any serious damage.

[Travisma 1,317]

8 minutes ago, Grumpy and Grandma said:

Power must really be a confusing mess. We got ours back at the "Tiny House" after about 6-8 hours just N of 192 on 27 and that crochety ex bus man got his back about 5 pm Mon in Kissimmee. Neither of us had any serious damage.

That is what's frustrating people the most.

They are sitting in the dark, and they look across the street and see lights on.

Power grids/feeds start and end somewhere, they don't go forever, just like water mains/service.

My house is the next to last on a feed that comes down from the N.

The side street just below my house gets their power from the S.  We go off quite a bit, they stay on.

Working cable TV and phone I know how things feed, but it's still frustrating.  Imagine those people that are clueless.

Most people assume that when a large area goes out, it will all come on at the same time. Depending on circumstances it just might.

In reality, that area might be getting fed from 5 or 6 different legs, and fixing one won't necessarily fix them all.

[ftwildernessguy 778]

When Sandy hit in 2012, we were without power for 7 days along with 3 of our neighbors.  Everybody else in the neighborhood was served by a different transformer and had power within an hour of it going out.  Every time I called the freaking power company, some bubble headed idiot would cheerfully say "I have great news for you!  Your power is on!"  I finally told her that was a pantload of crap since I was sitting in the dark talking to her.  I told her I was going to get my ladder and climb the pole and throw the switch to the fuse myself if she didn't get somebody out to turn on the power.  She kept telling me it wasn't safe and I said I didn't care and my widow would hold her personally responsible for my death.  Power on within an hour.

[Travisma 1,317]

There are priorities, then there is bureaucracy.

A few years back a co-workers power went out.

She lived in a small apartment complex, maybe 20 people.

The transformer pedestal feeding her complex was at the end of her street.

There was another transformer feeding a larger area about 20 feet away from hers.

She saw the power company working on that one and asked if they could check hers out when they finished up the larger one.

No can do, their work order only had them fixing the larger one.

It took an additional week before the same crew came back, opened her streets pedestal and reset the breaker.

 

[fladogfan aka Gretchen 259]

15 minutes ago, Travisma said:

There are priorities, then there is bureaucracy.

A few years back a co-workers power went out.

She lived in a small apartment complex, maybe 20 people.

The transformer pedestal feeding her complex was at the end of her street.

There was another transformer feeding a larger area about 20 feet away from hers.

She saw the power company working on that one and asked if they could check hers out when they finished up the larger one.

No can do, their work order only had them fixing the larger one.

It took an additional week before the same crew came back, opened her streets pedestal and reset the breaker.

 

So frustrating when rules are followed to the letter and no common sense is allowed.

[Specularius 102]

I see reports that I-75 is expected to be shut down due the flooding of the Santa Fe River. 

http://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2017/09/13/flooding-from-irma-could-close-i-75-stranding-thousands/

[Travisma 1,317]

53 minutes ago, Specularius said:

I see reports that I-75 is expected to be shut down due the flooding of the Santa Fe River. 

http://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2017/09/13/flooding-from-irma-could-close-i-75-stranding-thousands/

It's called putting all your eggs in 1 basket, or in this case 2 interstates!

I like how they say if I-75 gets too congested or closed down, continue on I-10 to I-95  WHICH IS ALREADY BACKED UP!!

Also utilize 511 which doesn't tell you that well if the roads are at a standstill or how long you will be stuck.

US 19 and 301 backed up on and off during the exodus, but that was spread out over multiple days.

Everyone is trying to get home in 2 days, and all are relying on GPS and map apps that usually only show you the shortest/fastest route or one with no tolls.

No one carries a road atlas anymore where they could look for alternative routes.

[keith_h 420]

A lot of power availability also depends upon whether you have above ground or buried service in your area. Our current neighborhood is all below ground, the older one we attach to is all above ground and we both attach to the same above ground mains. Duke is pretty good about getting the main line up although with all of the trees it can take a day or two. Once it is fixed we have power. The older neighborhood can take a week or two as they repair the street feeds then get to the individual houses. Our setup also means we get the other utilities that share the poles up an running faster since they can't start work until the electric is finished. I've never had power restored faster than our old neighborhood. We had the area supervisor as one of our neighbors and our feed always seemed to be first on the list.    

2 hours ago, Travisma said:

No one carries a road atlas anymore where they could look for alternative routes.

We do. I don't use GPS as it frequently doesn't pick the best driving route and phone web browsers are just too small to try and read on the go. There have been a couple of research articles lately saying that GPS appears to be having a negative effect on people's innate ability to determine direction and more or less know where they are. As an example there was a recent report of a woman in the UK who drove into a river following GPS. Seems the road is the same name on both sides but someone forgot to build a bridge.

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

2 hours ago, Travisma said:

No one carries a road atlas anymore where they could look for alternative routes.

That's why I love On Star, they can route you around all the "parking lots"..

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

2 hours ago, keith_h said:

A lot of power availability also depends upon whether you have above ground or buried service in your area. Our current neighborhood is all below ground, the older one we attach to is all above ground and we both attach to the same above ground mains. Duke is pretty good about getting the main line up although with all of the trees it can take a day or two. Once it is fixed we have power. The older neighborhood can take a week or two as they repair the street feeds then get to the individual houses. Our setup also means we get the other utilities that share the poles up an running faster since they can't start work until the electric is finished. I've never had power restored faster than our old neighborhood. We had the area supervisor as one of our neighbors and our feed always seemed to be first on the list.    

We do. I don't use GPS as it frequently doesn't pick the best driving route and phone web browsers are just too small to try and read on the go. There have been a couple of research articles lately saying that GPS appears to be having a negative effect on people's innate ability to determine direction and more or less know where they are. As an example there was a recent report of a woman in the UK who drove into a river following GPS. Seems the road is the same name on both sides but someone forgot to build a bridge.

I agree with what you said, but I'm one of the worse offenders. I do carry a road atlas, but only as a last resort. I often find myself talking to folks about upcoming camping trips. I often go on weekend gatherings with various teardrop groups. When I see a gathering announced, I look up the campground location on Mapquest or Google maps to see if it's a good weekend driving distance for me. If I think it's doable, I book the campground, put the dates on my calendar and forget about it. When I'm talking to my coworkers, they ask where I'm going, and I honestly can't tell them. When it's time to leave, I pull up my confirmation in my email, plug in the address on the GPS and on my phone, and head out. But as I said, I do carry the Atlas, and I've had to use it on a couple of occasions, especially once, when my truck didn't know where something was. (I haven't updated my maps in about 5 years). The campground changed ownership, the road name changed, and the name of the campground changed. My phone couldn't get signal where I was, so when that happened. I grabbed the Atlas, stopped in a convenience store, and did directions the old fashioned way.

 

[Cortezcapt (Derek) 156]

RUMORS, HEARSAY, & FEARS

 

Spoke with a CM in customer service today because we had a reservation for this weekend at the Fort (3hrs on hold). When she first answered she said the campground would not be open before the 18th of September, later in the conversation she said that she hadn't personally seen the Fort since Irma but a fellow CM told her there was severe damage and that the lobby had flooded. When I asked if they were going to fix and reopen the Fort for sure she said she thought so but that they were still waiting for inspectors to go through and deem it safe for CMs to re-enter and they didn't know how bad the damages were yet. Of course this was all from a CM sitting in a call center so.......

 

http://www.themainstreetmouse.com/2017/09/12/ft-wilderness-campground-disney-world-closed-temporarily-not-permanently/ 

This article kinda debunks the rumors I saw that the Fort would close permanently. But you never know with Disney.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I saw the original article that sparked TMSM's post last night. I won't link it here as I don't want to give them the traffic. (I did snag a screenshot)

When that other site posted it yesterday, the article was dated today (red flag #1).  Then I looked through some of their other recent articles, and I noticed they had copy/pasted a parody article from The Onion as if it was fact - word for word including the photos, no mention of the source. (red flag #2)

To me that adds up to the original source being totally bogus. But then when you figure that the Fort probably brings in $1M in a week of site fees (way more if you include the cabins) it seems ridiculous that even if there was $1M in damage at the Fort, they wouldn't hesitate to clean it up and reopen asap.

Throw in the fact that I know at least a couple of travel agencies have been told that the Fort is likely to re-open Sunday and I think it's just a matter of time before things are sorted out. (fingers crossed for sooner!!!)

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

19 minutes ago, BradyBzLyn...Mo said:

But then when you figure that the Fort probably brings in $1M in a week of site fees (way more if you include the cabins) it seems ridiculous that even if there was $1M in damage at the Fort, they wouldn't hesitate to clean it up and reopen asap.

And DISNEY just donated $2.5 mil to the relief effort as well.

[Cortezcapt (Derek) 156]

14 minutes ago, BradyBzLyn...Mo said:

I saw the original article that sparked TMSM's post last night. I won't link it here as I don't want to give them the traffic. (I did snag a screenshot)

When that other site posted it yesterday, the article was dated today (red flag #1).  Then I looked through some of their other recent articles, and I noticed they had copy/pasted a parody article from The Onion as if it was fact - word for word including the photos, no mention of the source. (red flag #2)

To me that adds up to the original source being totally bogus. But then when you figure that the Fort probably brings in $1M in a week of site fees (way more if you include the cabins) it seems ridiculous that even if there was $1M in damage at the Fort, they wouldn't hesitate to clean it up and reopen asap.

Throw in the fact that I know at least a couple of travel agencies have been told that the Fort is likely to re-open Sunday and I think it's just a matter of time before things are sorted out. (fingers crossed for sooner!!!)

I didn't see the original article, just a screenshot of it from someone and didn't pay much attention. It did give me enough of a nagging fear to do some searching where I came across the post I linked. I did some math on my own and figuring at lowest rates and half occupancy (rarely either of those happen) the Fort would more than make up the repair costs. Not counting BYBQ or Hoop Dee Do.  

 

I'll feel better when the Fort is back open!

[LONE-STAR 370]

1 hour ago, Cortezcapt (Derek) said:

 

 

I'll feel better when the Fort is back open!

You and me both and I hope it opens within a week.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

so proud of my nephew, sgt trenton richards.  He and about 2000 Oklahoma guardsman are down on Texas helping with hurricane relief.  They are in Sinton Texas just outside of Corpus Christi.  He made the evening news.  He sent us the raw footage and I posted it on my Facebook page.  Actually I shared his mom's post as I don't know how to post videos on any social media  

 

[Travisma 1,317]

7 hours ago, LONE-STAR said:

You and me both and I hope it opens within a week.

There were a couple of pictures taken from a Snapchat video of the campfire area. A tree took out some of the bleachers.  In the background it looks like the screen survived.

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

saw a pic on FB of the bleachers around the campfire with a big pine across one of them.

[Travisma 1,317]

31 minutes ago, ImDownWithDisney said:

saw a pic on FB of the bleachers around the campfire with a big pine across one of them.

I think that's the same one I saw.  One was just the railings smashed, then the other showed the tree across it.

Makes you wonder what the rest of the Fort looks like.

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

8 hours ago, h2odivers...Ray said:

so proud of my nephew, sgt trenton richards.  He and about 2000 Oklahoma guardsman are down on Texas helping with hurricane relief.  They are in Sinton Texas just outside of Corpus Christi.  He made the evening news.  He sent us the raw footage and I posted it on my Facebook page.  Actually I shared his mom's post as I don't know how to post videos on any social media  

 

That's awesome!!  Still praying for the rebuilding of TX...and now FL and other areas impacted by Irma.

10 hours ago, Cortezcapt (Derek) said:

 I'll feel better when the Fort is back open!

Oh gosh... me too.  We have a family trip planned for next month.  While our family (us four) and my folks are driving and staying at The Fort (meaning we could cancel/postpone), the other 8 members of the family are flying in and staying in hotels; they could not cancel.  Mercy... I pray it opens, soon.