RE: [MV] Florida/hammered

From: Ziptar[MV (mil-veh@ziptar.com)
Date: Mon Aug 16 2004 - 05:47:02 PDT


Hi,
I live in Englewood in Charlotte County Florida. I am just a few miles north
of where the eye of the storm came on shore and a few miles east of Port
Charlotte and Punta Gorda, The areas hardest hit. There storm came within
just miles of doing heavy damage to our area. We are told that this area of
the county is the only area without severe destruction.

My Family and several others rode out the storm in the Building that my
wife's Real Estate Firm is in. We moved our supplies, water, food, generator
in at 7AM the morning the storm was to hit. During the course of the day as
the landfall area and strength changed I went from acceptance that
everything I own would be gone, to praying that We would just escape with
our lives.

For whatever reason these things happen, the eye of the storm came ashore
literally miles just south and east of us and our area received the weak
side of the storm. If the storm spent even just 10 minutes longer in the
Gulf, it would have been us.

Our house survived with just a downed Palm tree, a blown over Fence, several
Panels blown from the pool cage and some shingles missing from the roof.
Although I haven't been down there yet, I am told the section of sub
division just blocks to our south has homes that are completely destroyed.

In getting out and about over the last couple of days We have seen just how
lucky we were, we where only with out power for 13 hours and yesterday
people from the hardest hit areas came to our little town and waited hours
for 10 gallons of gas as two stations here in town we able to get trucks in
yesterday. The hundreds of cars many with broken glass waiting caused the
main drag to be a parking lot for most of the day.

But it wasn't until we drove out to the interstate on our way to visit
family north of us that we saw just how lucky we were. Literally just down
the road massive trees were down, power lines, roofs missing from homes,
trailer parks destroyed, cars smashed, and entire pine forest chopped off so
even it looked like a lawn mower had gone over it.

The last couple of days are a realization of how it could have been for us,
and that the worst fears we had as the storm approached have become the
reality of our neighbors. Schools here are closed for two weeks. My
daughters school which is only one of 4 in the county that was not damaged
is being used as a shelter for those that lost everything. They have put out
a plea for clothing, soap, and towels this morning we are bringing some
down.

If you even though of donating to the Red Cross, Salvation Army, etc Please
do, there are so many that have lost so much.

As for MV Content, The area is crawling with HMMWV's, Just about every
manifestation of M939 Series Trucks, M35's, M1008's with Utility Bodies,
M105 Trailers, Generators, Water Buffalo's, You name it. Basically
everything but AFV's.

Kevin

-----Original Message-----
From: Terry Lane [mailto:tlane@mobynet.com]
Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2004 10:25 AM
To: Military Vehicles Mailing List
Subject: [MV] Florida/hammered

Wow,
   I just saw the news about the storm destruction in Florida!
Are you guys alright over there? Looks like you got hammered.

terry

1977 416.114 Unimog with M105A2 trailer
1991 Freightliner SEE 419 with 3 color cammo M105A2

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