I'm driving a little more than 210 miles a day back and forth between the hotel and "home". Have distributed several hundred pounds of ice, about 300 D cell batteries, more than 50 roast chicken dinners, I don't know how many gallons of chicken soup, many cases of canned foods, couple dozen battery powered lamps, a dozen coolers........more. Have also started with the chain saw. Still no electric.
Met the insurance adjuster after my lawyer called them. ( I doubt I would have seen an adjuster if I didn't start pushing buttons). They authorized a 10,000 "pay some bills check" while awaiting estimates of repairs which I now guestimate in the 40K range.
We lost most of our beloved giant oaks. They WERE MS-70's. Not net grade Exf40 damaged.
Missed the ANA.
Still alive. Phones on today but they don't ring "in" yet.
Many people lost everything. I think the next round will be speculators coming in to buy houses at a discount.
Extremely exhausted. Catch you all in a few days and hopefully will at least be back in the house next week.....
No, but they say it should be restored early morning on the 30th to houses that are safe enough to have it. We should have no problem from an electrical standpoint.
It's early tuesday morning and getting ready to leave for another 200 mile and as many hours as I can stand with the chain saw day.
Meeting with an arborist today or tomorrow as well. We just hope that something can be done to save the twin oaks, although they'll never be what they were. I just hope they can get them decent enough for me to sell the place next year.
Tom......I live over in Orlando, but I am going to be making a run over to Clearwater in a week or so. If you need anything....and I mean anything, you call me and I will drive to your location to bring it too you.
I'll PM you my home Phone so don't be a stranger if you need someone or just need to talk about the Hurricane.............after all I lived through it as well
From Punta Gorda, obtained electric on Thursday night 8/26/04 (my birthday - best present I received). However, I am still having trouble with the insurance company.
call a lawyer. There is absolutely no reason to get jerked around by the insurance company. I called a client of mine in Merrit Island and miraculously had a $10,000.00 advance check within 48 hours and thus far a claim which they are waiting to pay me on as soon as I supply the balance of everything I am getting estimates on.
Don't hesitate to call the state insurance commission either. I'm hearing all kinds of stories from neighbors here in Port Charlotte and it's not right and legally the insurance companies can be held accountable.
Biting our fingernails in Port Charlotte and hope we don't lose electric or see too much by way of winds here.
Tom.....I feel a little better about your guys chances this time since it is going to hit the East coast first. Now as for my chances........well let's just say I feel like we are going to be holding steel rods in a lightning storm over here in Orlando. I still hold out hope that this things is going to turn, but so far it's not looking good.
I hope for your sake all you get is a lot of rain and moderate winds, but that doesn't seek likely for the east coast. We are all set to just ride this one out again since we were unable to book hotels over in Tampa
So sorry to see it going to hit Fla. We're biting our nails as who knows how well the new elec wiring will hold up. Emergency management is predicting up to cat 3 forces here even if it does hit central east coast. With the millions of pounds of loose debris in the streets and weakened homes here, we could have a lot of flying projectiles around.
This one looks like it's even cutting off evacuation northbound.
Take care Daniel and everyone. Please try to make sure your car is filled with gasoline and do squeeze as much into the tank as possible. You can generally get another gallon or two into it even after you reach full and that could be the difference as it was for us when we got out of Port Charlotte afterwards.
Residence Inn in Tampa is a reputable place and was the ONLY hotel that didn't try to gouge us. Embassy suites in Tampa definitely tried to gouge us as did quality inn and quality suites whose prices are generally a notch below marriot and yet they all tried to nail us between 50 and 100% MORE than what we paid at marriot. ( Hey Monica at embassy suites, remember I told you we wouldn't forget?)
That was also the closest I could even find a hotel by the way.
Rgrds Tom
P.S. By the way, thank you to all the good people here who helped us all in sw florida. I spoke with another member of the forum on the phone tonight about it and we think you're all top pops!
Comments
Here's the latest http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/082404/tp1ch1.htm?date=082404&story=tp1ch1.htm
I'm driving a little more than 210 miles a day back and forth between the hotel and "home". Have distributed several hundred pounds of ice, about 300 D cell batteries, more than 50 roast chicken dinners, I don't know how many gallons of chicken soup, many cases of canned foods, couple dozen battery powered lamps, a dozen coolers........more. Have also started with the chain saw. Still no electric.
Met the insurance adjuster after my lawyer called them. ( I doubt I would have seen an adjuster if I didn't start pushing buttons). They authorized a 10,000 "pay some bills check" while awaiting estimates of repairs which I now guestimate in the 40K range.
We lost most of our beloved giant oaks. They WERE MS-70's. Not net grade Exf40 damaged.
Missed the ANA.
Still alive. Phones on today but they don't ring "in" yet.
Many people lost everything. I think the next round will be speculators coming in to buy houses at a discount.
Extremely exhausted. Catch you all in a few days and hopefully will at least be back in the house next week.....
Rgrds
Tom
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
Pam
No, but they say it should be restored early morning on the 30th to houses that are safe enough to have it. We should have no problem from an electrical standpoint.
It's early tuesday morning and getting ready to leave for another 200 mile and as many hours as I can stand with the chain saw day.
Meeting with an arborist today or tomorrow as well. We just hope that something can be done to save the twin oaks, although they'll never be what they were. I just hope they can get them decent enough for me to sell the place next year.
Rgrds
Tom
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
I'll PM you my home Phone so don't be a stranger if you need someone or just need to talk about the Hurricane.............after all I lived through it as well
Jim
call a lawyer. There is absolutely no reason to get jerked around by the insurance company. I called a client of mine in Merrit Island and miraculously had a $10,000.00 advance check within 48 hours and thus far a claim which they are waiting to pay me on as soon as I supply the balance of everything I am getting estimates on.
Don't hesitate to call the state insurance commission either. I'm hearing all kinds of stories from neighbors here in Port Charlotte and it's not right and legally the insurance companies can be held accountable.
Biting our fingernails in Port Charlotte and hope we don't lose electric or see too much by way of winds here.
Rgrds
Tom
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
I hope for your sake all you get is a lot of rain and moderate winds, but that doesn't seek likely for the east coast. We are all set to just ride this one out again since we were unable to book hotels over in Tampa
So sorry to see it going to hit Fla. We're biting our nails as who knows how well the new elec wiring will hold up. Emergency management is predicting up to cat 3 forces here even if it does hit central east coast. With the millions of pounds of loose debris in the streets and weakened homes here, we could have a lot of flying projectiles around.
This one looks like it's even cutting off evacuation northbound.
Take care Daniel and everyone. Please try to make sure your car is filled with gasoline and do squeeze as much into the tank as possible. You can generally get another gallon or two into it even after you reach full and that could be the difference as it was for us when we got out of Port Charlotte afterwards.
Residence Inn in Tampa is a reputable place and was the ONLY hotel that didn't try to gouge us. Embassy suites in Tampa definitely tried to gouge us as did quality inn and quality suites whose prices are generally a notch below marriot and yet they all tried to nail us between 50 and 100% MORE than what we paid at marriot. ( Hey Monica at embassy suites, remember I told you we wouldn't forget?)
That was also the closest I could even find a hotel by the way.
Rgrds
Tom
P.S. By the way, thank you to all the good people here who helped us all in sw florida. I spoke with another member of the forum on the phone tonight about it and we think you're all top pops!
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870