8:22 PM (10/13) At about 3 o’clock this afternoon the water came on We will be drinking bottled water for a few days just in case there is a purity problem
11:30 AM (10/13) Electric restored Water still off.
8:08 PM (10/12) worked all day clearing brush and raking ours and our neighbor’s lot Most of them are up north. The park will do some of the work but they are overwhelmed so the Florida residents pitch in and take up some of it. Leg pain is no better.
Water was on for awhile but something happened to the generator running the auxiliary pump so no water again
Some groceries stores open but not much fresh meat or veggies A few gas stations are operating and even a restaurant or two Yet there is little activity on the road
Electric is still out here but it is coming back in the county Scheduled to be back on by Monday
2:41 PM (10/11) We now have about 30% of the mess cleaned up and we have the generator running and this computer operating in the studio. Believe me it is a lot easier to post on the computer than the phone. Many generators buzzing in the neighborhood. People are cleaning up and repairing minor damage but it will take carpenters and contractors to fix all of it. Our outdoor space is getting shaped up but the lawn and our neighbors place still has many branches to be stacked up awaiting someone to haul it off. Slowly electric is coming back in town but not everywhere including here. Other parts of Florida are in much worse shape but thankfully we are blessed with a governor who is showing appropriate leadership and whipping the bureaucracy into action otherwise nothing would be getting done. Weather is lovely, about 79 degrees and cloudy and not near as humid as our hideout in Clewiston.
The coach battery on the Bullet was unrevivable after two years of no real use so it was kaput. Fortunately Wal Mart in our town reopened this morning and I was able to purchase a replacement. Hooked it up and it is doing its job. Even though our fridge will run on propane you still need electric to run the onboard computer and igniter. So we had to plug into the van overnight to keep the fridge cold. That little hack worked ok. No city water yet but we have quite a bit in our fresh water tank as well as a jerry can full. Now I believe all systems are operating on “emergency” camping mode until the utilities make an appearance
My tendinopathy/sciatic nerve curse continues but it is mostly a workaround until 3 o’clock in the morning 🙁 .
6:15 PM: Arrived home about noon and have been cleaning up every since New photo shows part of the mess The electric and water are out Officials say 97% of the county has no electricity At least 2-3 days before it is restored Lots of damage to our town but not catastrophic Our park has many trees down or damaged Several homes are damaged as well We have water on board and electric Our generator will take up the slack so it will be a camping trip in a disaster zone
10:54 AM:we are rolling our way back home
8:37 AM: Electric is out here at our RV park We have our generator but we can run on battery for awhile Don’t need a/c now Water is still on
7:38AM: (10/10) We are ok Wind is not a factor No rain I’ve done a walk-around and our van looks fine, no visible damage to the camper Early reports from our neighborhood are sketchy Avon Park area has damage but we don’t know to what extent
1:56 AM: (10/10) wind low 30’s gusts low 50’s no rain electricity is out
8:36 PM: Change of plans Milton makes landfall at Sarasota just south of the entrance to Tampa Bay. It has a mind of its own Cat 3 Now what? This is exactly why we bugged out We did not trust the early predictions that it would stay north .We are camped ~100 miles from the landing 25 miles less than where it was projected . I’m glad we figured in some cushion
8:06 PM: The thick blanket of night now covers the area Winds are in the 40’s with gusts above that Only an occasional spit of rain Our camp is quite noisy with the clattering of tropical leaves and the hissing of disturbed air rushing across the landscape
7:00 PM: we are getting backwash winds now Some gusts are strong but little rain as twilight is changing to night Palm trees are still rather nervous as they flutter randomly swirling and turning in the pink and gray sky
The experts are claiming landfall will be ~9:00 PM hours early than predicted Hitting Pinellas Country a bad omen for Tampa Bay
5:30 PM: Here’s a photo of our bug-out, run from the storm, chariot of deliverance See pic below 🔽
4:35 PM: we are monitoring the NHC as well as the Tampa media and Vantusky tracking data With all their tech, gizmos, and gadgets they can’t decide what this storm will do hours from landfall Billions$$ for weathermen and very little for the poor people of the southern United States where Helene just ravaged
4:04 PM: Milton is about 120 miles due west of here
3:45 PM: The tornado that went over us landed in L Okeechopee and became a water spout 🌪️ Wow
3:34PM: As many know I suffer from a chronic lateral hip tendinopathy a very painful condition that was stirred up by working my brains out getting ready for an art show then shifting gears and preparing for this hurricane then traveling All these events add up to a miserable flare up plus the low pressure from the storm It’s just one more challenge 😉
3:00 PM: I think a tornado just went over us 🤷♀️ Seemed like a really bad cell at any rate
2:07 PM: First serious rain band just went through
1:43 PM: The Art Festival we were supposed to be at this weekend is now officially canceled 👋🏻$$👋🏻 October income goodbye
1:25 PM : Another tornado warning for Clewiston
1:11 PM: Tornado warning for NW Highlands county (Avon Park) yikes can’t catch a break
12:02 PM: Rain bands drift past and in between I went out and put down the rear leveling pads leaving the camper hooked to the van in the front creating extra stability
11:41 AM: (10-9) Tornado cell passed to the west Milton continues to snarl its way to Tampa pushing 10-12’ of water ahead of it The wind has picked up here It is blustery but not really threatening yet Starting to get very dark in the western sky
10:30 AM: Yesterday 10-8 we bugged out (evacuated) from our hometown and drove about 70 miles south to Clewiston because I did not trust the vacillation of the National Hurricane Center that spends billions $$ and can’t advise a credible storm path until 48 hours before it hits. All the technology seems to get in the way.
We are now under a tornado warning and early rain bands rolling through. Milton chugs away just offshore.
