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Awaiting an unwanted guest...

Rockin' Doc Sep 12 2018 12:34 PM

We have "battened down the hatches" as we await the arrival of that blow hard, Florence. My son came in from Wilmington, NC with a dog, a friend, and her cat in tow last night. We are stocked up on water and supplies as we prepare to ride out another major storm. It sounds as if hurricane Florence is still a few day from hitting our area, but forecasters still aren't sure of the eventual path of the storm. Some forecasters are calling hurricane Florence a "storm of a lifetime". I hope for all residents of North and South Carolina that Florence subsequently weakens and fails to live up to her projections for historic levels of destruction and flooding.

Fman99 Sep 12 2018 12:48 PM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

Thoughts and prayers, stay safe Doc!

MFS62 Sep 12 2018 12:50 PM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

Stay safe. If it isn't your home, get to some place that is secure. Later

Benjamin Grimm Sep 12 2018 01:05 PM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

How far are you from the coast?

Frayed Knot Sep 12 2018 01:31 PM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

Doc is in Rocky Mount, about 100 or so miles inland depending on what part of 'the coast' you measure to. RD, did I ever tell you the story of my (distant) uncle and Rocky Mount during a hurricane? He had just retired and moved to somewhere on the outer banks when a storm hit only months later putting him under mandatory evacuation and so was put up in a motel in Rocky Mount for a few days -- I forget which storm/year that was but obviously one that wasn't coming inland like Florence is expected to. So when he and his wife get to the room they're greeted with an odd smell. It took some searching but they eventually discovered its source: a stiff underneath the bed with a needle in his arm. Apparently a couple of on-the-move junkies had been in that room last and when the one guy OD'd his cohort shoved his partner under the bad then silently took off leaving the body to be stumbled upon by the next renter. Now fortunately this relative was not only a retired cop but had spent some time as an undercover narc as well (Long Beach, NY during the 'City By the Sea' era) so this was unlikely the first corpse he had ever encountered with a spike in his veins and was therefore probably a lot less rattled than the rest of us would have been ... but still.

seawolf17 Sep 12 2018 01:31 PM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

These storms only seem to get worse every year. Stay safe, Doc. I have a bunch of friends down there all up and down the coast. Someone's going to get hit, it's just a matter of who. Also OMG that story.

Lefty Specialist Sep 12 2018 03:00 PM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

Even if they don't get the wind, the amount of rain that's going to fall in the southeast will be biblical.

Rockin' Doc Sep 12 2018 03:52 PM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

Leftfield, that story is like a local, urban legend around here. That hotel is less than a mile from my house. It is far from the nicest hotel in the area, but it is as safe a location as possible for riding out a storm as there a no big trees nearby and it is a long way from any of the lakes, streams, or the river that cuts through the city. That was likely during either Hurricane Fran in 1996 or Hurricane Floyd in 1999. The current storm track for hurricane Florence is good news for our area and bad news for the people of South Carolina. The current projection is that Florence will make landfall at Wilmington, NC area, then gradually turn southwestward into South Carolina. It is currently projected that she may slowly churn her way toward her namesake of Florence, SC. Of course, the projected path could totally change by tonight. Right now is is beautiful outside (84 degrees, sunny, with a slight breeze). We have been through several major hurricanes (Hugo, Fran, and Floyd) in the past. All we can do is prepare as best we can, wait, and pray.

d'Kong76 Sep 12 2018 04:01 PM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

Hopefully this won't be nearly as bad as they're forecasting. Be safe, and update us when you can.

smg58 Sep 12 2018 05:26 PM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

Stay safe. I think you will be OK, outside of the possibility of losing power. Your son might be staying with you for longer than either of you will like, however.

Frayed Knot Sep 12 2018 11:43 PM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

Rockin' Doc wrote: Leftfield, that story is like a local, urban legend around here. That hotel is less than a mile from my house. It is far from the nicest hotel in the area, but it is as safe a location as possible for riding out a storm as there a no big trees nearby and it is a long way from any of the lakes, streams, or the river that cuts through the city. That was likely during either Hurricane Fran in 1996 or Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Nice to hear that that story still lives on, even if the story-teller doesn't. Hank was my aunt's brother (mom's brother's wife's brother) so an uncle to my cousins but not to me and someone I'd see once or twice a decade at extended family events. A decent guy even if a Yanqui fan. I believe he told me that story the last time I saw him which would have been October 2003 during the weekend of my cousin's wedding outside of Charlestown SC -- he was reveling in that year's just completed ALCS results although the WS which was just getting started as the reception was going on wouldn't turn out so well for his side. I got the idea that the incident was only a year or so before that telling but I suppose it could have been during Floyd or possibly a more recent but lesser storm that still was a danger to those barrier islands. Now that I think about it he was probably still just vacationing in that area when it happened and he didn't retire and move down there permanently until a year or two later. Unfortunately it was only a year or two after that when his lifelong smoking habit caught up with him and he died of a heart attack. But his tale lives on and I have no reason to believe it wasn't true.

Rockin' Doc Sep 14 2018 11:44 AM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

Well, so far so good; at least in our locale. There has been intermittent rain here since late yesterday afternoon, but the winds have been rather light (25-30 mph). Wilmington, where my son lives, has thus far taken the brunt of the storm. So far, flooding caused by heavy rains and storm surge is causing far more damage than the winds. The fact that this is such a very slow moving storm (5-6 mph) will cause widespread flooding in coming weeks. Much of eastern NC is under a tornado watch until 9 PM this evening, which I find more alarming than the actual hurricane.

41Forever Sep 14 2018 12:03 PM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

Hang in there, Doc. Been thinking about you and your family!

MFS62 Sep 14 2018 12:08 PM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

Stay safe and dry. Later

Rockin' Doc Sep 16 2018 04:21 PM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

Most of the southern coast of North Carolina has been decimated by Hurricane Florence. As of this morning, reports are that my son's home has not been flooded, but many in his neighborhood have. A good friend of his, who lives a few blocks down his street, had to be evacuated by boat when the tide came in at 3:OO AM Saturday morning. I-95 has been closed from Rocky Mount to the South Carolina border. Record flooding is projected for virtually all of southeastern NC starting tomorrow afternoon/evening. Our town, Rocky Mount, has been spared thus far. We had several days of rain thus far, but I'm sure some mild flooding is likely along the river and low lying areas. Thankfully, the storm was only a Category 1 (rather than the Category 4) as initially had been expected. It is hard to imagine the devastation that would have occurred had the storm not weakened before making landfall.

MFS62 Sep 16 2018 05:22 PM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

Keep the updates coming, Doc. And we hope they stay that positive. Later

d'Kong76 Sep 19 2018 03:42 PM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

Hope everything is still going well for you and your family.

Rockin' Doc Sep 20 2018 02:43 AM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

we were essentially spared in Rocky Mount. We experienced peak winds of 55-60 mph and no significant flooding as we received only 9-11 inches of rain, depending upon one's location. Most of southeastern NC was not nearly as lucky. Wilmington received winds of 100-110 mph and 25-30 inches of rain. All of NC east of I-95, from Goldsboro southward is is experiencing record flooding. Swansboro, NC received 30.50" of rain in roughly the first 48 hours. My son left our home at 10 AM this morning and eventually made it safely to his home in Wilmington at 2.15 PM (it is generally a 2 hour 15 minute trip). He carried 65 gallons of gas with him on my trailer since most gas stations in southeastern NC are either flooded or out of gas. Even the US Postal Service has been stopped in its tracks by Hurricane FLorence. Mail delivery has not been re-established for most coastal regions. My son said that he has power and internet service where he lives. Water is available, but is not suitable for cooking or drinking. He said his home lost multiple roofing shingles and the 6 foot privacy fence around his back yard is only a memory now, but he had minimal water damage (leaking roof) so he considers himself lucky. He helped arrange a helicopter lift to rescue a friend and their elderly mother from the roof of their homes in a rural area outside Wilmington. Tomorrow, he plan to assist the elderly in his immediate area in removing fallen trees from the roofs and property. All classes have been indefinitely suspended at the University of North Carolina- Wilmington. Flood waters are expected to crest within the next 24-36 hours and then start to recede. It will be weeks before the southeastern coastal area starts to resume some semblance of normalcy. Thankfully, this hurricane was not as powerful (Cat. 1 rather than projected Cat. 4) as originally expected or there would be little left of southeastern North Carolina.

cooby Sep 20 2018 01:13 PM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

Your son is a saint. :) Glad you are all safe; I was worried about you especially when I heard tornado warnings for Rocky Mount

MFS62 Sep 20 2018 01:26 PM Re: Awaiting an unwanted guest...

cooby wrote: Glad you are all safe; I was worried about you especially when I heard tornado warnings for Rocky Mount Yes. I wouldn't want anyone to go through that. I know how bad that can be. Glad everyone is safe. Later