Questions about Hurricanes for Long Time SoWal Residents

[Miss Kitty]

Many, many years ago, when we lived on Okinawa, I can remember always filling up the bathtubs when on typhoon watch and having a salt water barrel on the driveway- maybe to manually flush toilets (?)- I was a kid but that's what I remember. Oh, and the adults playing cards and drinking all night!

Memories ...I remember when the adults finally got some ice and had hurricane beer!!! (beer over ice ) I also loved how my daddy used to get out in the car with his HUGE video camera and drive the neighborhood giving a commentary of the damage. He missed his calling to work at TWC!!!!

 

[yippie]

Many of us who are now locals, have not been here long enough to report on the storms which actually hit Walton County. I believe the last direct hit was Opal, back in 1995, which reportedly hit in Dune Allen. If you want to read about the mother of storms, I believe it was back in 1929, or sometime around then, and it was bad. I've heard some stories about that storm which sound a bit exaggerated, but who knows?

While the storms of 2004 and 2005 did major damage to the dunes and beach, and many homes built directly on top of the dunes, they didn't really affect most properties, nor did they actually hit directly in SoWal. Had homes not been built directly on the dunes, it is safe to say that the damage would have been nominal, and people wouldn't have spent millions of dollars for seawalls and sand, nor would we be paying for beach nourishment.

Smiling Joe. You said Opal hit Dune Allen Beach, but you don't mean the eye came ashore in that area do you? I saved newspapers from that storm that pinned it right west of Ft. Walton near Navarre.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Smiling Joe. You said Opal hit Dune Allen Beach, but you don't mean the eye came ashore in that area do you? I saved newspapers from that storm that pinned it right west of Ft. Walton near Navarre.

As I said, I wasn't living here when Opal hit and I was corrected by someone (BeachSiO2, I think) else about Opal directly hitting WalCo. I guess people say that we were hit by Opal, meaning they were "affected" by Opal. If Opal hit Navarre, WalCo would have been on the strong side of the storm, but not in the center of the storm.

 

[Smiling JOe]

ok, here's my stupid question on the subject- how do you store up on water?? I went out and stocked up on gallons of water last summer and within no time, they were leaking and shriviling up. I know this is a silly one but....

Mine did that, too, during the first year. Maybe the expiration dates on the water are really for the containers, and not the water. I scored some empty 5 gal. water jugs, like the big ones you see at drinking fountains. They are extremely durable, and when empty, they weigh nothing. No need to fill them with tap water until evacuation time. I also have one 7gal water container with a spigot for dispensing the water efficiently. That has solved my water problem. You can also make sure your bathtubs don't leak water slowly over time. Clean them thoroughly and fill those to the top when the storm is approaching, thereby giving you even more drinkable water, or water for flushing toilet.

I wouldn't mind getting a good water filter pump (for camping) to use if I ran out of water. A good one can filter out all the bad stuff and you could drink water right out of a creek. It would strictly be used for emergency.

 

[jodiFL]

Smiling Joe. You said Opal hit Dune Allen Beach, but you don't mean the eye came ashore in that area do you? I saved newspapers from that storm that pinned it right west of Ft. Walton near Navarre.

I think the most logical thing that could have happened to the DA area would have been a tornado. The damage there was far worse than the surrounding areas.

 

[Cheering472]

Memories ...I remember when the adults finally got some ice and had hurricane beer!!! (beer over ice ) I also loved how my daddy used to get out in the car with his HUGE video camera and drive the neighborhood giving a commentary of the damage. He missed his calling to work at TWC!!!!

Daddy Cantore

 

[jodiFL]

[/b]

Daddy Cantore

Funny you mention "CANTORE" .... I can remember seeing him on 30A once and telling him to "leave the area please" because I knew that if he was here we were ****ed.

 

[seacliffes]

Hurricane Opal brought in a surge of about 13 feet at our beach which resulted in the Gulf coming right through our house. Two of my neighbors' houses literally floated away. When we came back in, it appeared that a bomb had gone off in our neighborhood. We had to wade through two different debris lines and about a foot of standing sea water complete with eels! Thankfully our house was still standing thanks to a concrete subfloor and a great foundation. Overall about $65,000 in damage, but more importantly no one was hurt.

Unlike New Orleans, no looting, no riots, no shooting and overall no complaining. People were self sufficient and everyone pulled together to help others out. It took a little while, but we rebuilt.

Lesson learned: Life is more important than any material items. When they tell you to evacuate, get out. Error on the side of caution.
Be self reliant and do not depend on first responders to bail your rear out. They have better things to do....... Self responsibility is the over all principle that will get you through (as it is in general life)

 

[sandflea]

Funny you mention "CANTORE" .... I can remember seeing him on 30A once and telling him to "leave the area please" because I knew that if he was here we were ****ed.

We saw him down by the Back Porch as IVan was approaching...told my bro "we might as well bend over and kiss our ***es goodbye"

Course my bro used to work for NOAA and he rolled his eyes and said "whatever- he's a dork". Flea replied "Jealous?"

 

[Teresa]

Memories ...I remember when the adults finally got some ice and had hurricane beer!!! (beer over ice ) I also loved how my daddy used to get out in the car with his HUGE video camera and drive the neighborhood giving a commentary of the damage. He missed his calling to work at TWC!!!!

:funn:
I can just picture your Dad with videocam whopper... boy, they were fairly large way back when...