The Command Post - Global Recon

Director Theo van Gogh murdered in Amsterdam

According to a story here:

Film director Theo van Gogh was shot and killed in Amsterdam on Tuesday morning, his production company said.

[…]

Locals claim the assassin looked like “a Muslim” and that a letter was left on Van Gogh’s body. The letter allegedly had Islamic text, but this has not been confirmed.

Van Gogh, 47, directed the controversial movie Submission — written by Somali-born MP Ayaan Hirsi Ali — which criticised the Koran for sanctioning domestic violence in Islamic communities.

The assailant has been taken into custody, according to the story.

Florida, Georgia declare state of emergency

With Hurricane Frances bearing down on the Bahamas, Georgia and Florida have declared a state of emergency, ordering the evacuation of coastal residents by tomorrow afternoon. There are some computer models that show the storm skirting the coast around Cape Canaveral and sliding up toward Jacksonville, Savannah and South Carolina, but the main track lies right through Orlando again.

The Florida evacuation orders apply to 500,000 or more people living in coastal areas on Florida’s east coast. Authorities want them out of their homes by the middle of Thursday afternoon.

I’m getting too old for this…

Items Needed for Charley Victims

From Kat:

WWSB has an updated list of desperately needed supplies for the hurricane victims. The Salvation Army says the donations needed include duct tape, work gloves, plastic silverware, paper products, extra duty garbage bags, tarps, feminine hygiene products, water, diapers, canned goods, bread. They also need 4 giant freezers to deliver ice.

The Salvation Army also needs volunteers. You can call 941-954-4673 for more information.

You can drop off items right at the TV station if you live in the SRQ area and the SA will take them down to the people who need them.

The address to drop off is:
ABC 7
1477 10th Street
Sarasota, FL 34236

Orlando and Surrounding Areas

(This is cross posted at Road Warrior Survival)

I wanted to bring you what information I’ve been able to get on Orlando and the surrounding area’s. I did hear that the Orlando airport reported gusts of 145 mph while the storm was passing over. That is unbelievable considering how far that is from where the storm came aground.

Here is an article from the Orlando Sentinel. It gives a county by county breakdown of information. I’ll post the points that jump out at me.

*Also, hundreds of sewer lift stations, which pump sewage to treatment plants, are dead because of the power failures, and the sewage is beginning to back up and leak at the lift stations. More than 200 in Orange County are thought to be leaking already.

“With more than 400 [lift stations] out, that pretty much means sewage can be backing up all over the place,” said Bill Toth of the Orange County Health Department.

*There were also several structure fires blamed on careless use of candles.

Orange County:

*The estimated $3.2 billion in property damage in the county turns out to be more than the $2.7 billion estimated for coastal Lee County.

*“Several ice manufacturers have suffered damage as a result of the storm,” said Jerry Demings, Orange County public-safety director. “Ice is in short supply across the state, and we are just awaiting shipments.”

Seminole County:

*County officials estimated damage in unincorporated parts of the county at $250 million. The county’s seven cities are still assessing damage.

Osceola County:

*Anarchy ruled Sunday at many of the traffic lights that remained out, including along busy U.S. Highway 192. NOTE: This is the Kissimmee area folks - Disney. Disney is up and running, and there are a lot of tourists here, already unfamiliar with the area. Add all that together with no Traffic Lights! Yeah, I’m staying off the road unless I have to!!!

*Adding to the misery, raw sewage backed up into many streets Sunday because there was no electricity to power the sewage-pumping stations, said Brian Wheeler, general manager of Toho Water Authority, which provides water and sewer service in Kissimmee and some other parts of Osceola County.

Heavy storms Saturday and Sunday afternoons made things worse.

Polk County:

*Damage-assessment teams in the area have been able to get to only one-fifth of the area, slowed by tending to residents without food or water or imperiled by ruptured gas lines.

*The hurricane damaged three power plants in the county and downed transmission lines and county-service lines.

Volusia County:

*Up to 80 percent of Deltona remained without power, and Ormond Beach and South Daytona reported about 70 percent without electricity. In Lake Helen, where large trees cover much of the city, up to 90 percent of residents remained without power.

Go and read the entire article. I just pulled out information I thought might not be known outside of this area.

Ways to Offer Help

Here is a link to a Sarasota Blog My Single Mom Life with a list of local drop off areas for supplies and contact numbers if you want to help with the relief process.

More Information From Central Florida

(This is cross posted from Road Warrior Survival)

FEMA has now declared 25 counties in Florida as disaster areas. That’s good news for those victims further inland. Aide will be more readily available for the rebuilding efforts.

Storms rolled through central Florida this afternoon - 2000+ lightening strikes recorded in an hour with more than 3” of rain in spots. According to local news additional rain will coming in off of the gulf in the Punta Gorda & North Port areas now.

They are expecting to put a figure to the fatalities in Lee County sometime tomorrow. One optimistic thing is that many people in the hardest hit areas had left for the summer, so it is possible the number will be lower than expected.

The Bradenton Herald is a very good source for information, so I wanted to make sure you had that link available to you.

Still looking for grass roots charities that will be able to offer relief and aid to the victims. The Red Cross is still requesting monitary contributions and that information can be found HERE. They are still the quickest way to get water, food, shelter and comfort to the victims. I will update with additional information when it is available.

Local Update on Hurricane Charley Aftermath

(cross posted here at Road Warrior Survival)

Bay News 9, the local all news channel has been issuing updates. I figured since some many can’t get to this information I’d provide a link to their web page and give a brief run down.

The Lt. Gov had a news conference just moments ago. Points of interest:

1) 7M pounds of ice have already been distriubted. Food and water are also available to victims.

2) 1.1M are currently without power. 900,000 have been restored within the last 24 hours. A timeline is being constructed to layout the plans for the restoration of power. It’s important to note that it isn’t just a matter of down wires. Substations and transformers have been destroyed. It’s matter of reconstruction and that can take time.

3) No update on the damage to the Citrus Industry. (or other argicultural industries). This will be very significant. The majority of fruit supplied for OJ is grown and produced in this area. Also - Plant City and surrounding area is a large supplier of strawberrys and tomatoes. More info as that becomes available.

4) FEMA has already been distributing money to victims. If you or anyone you know needs to register for assistance the contact number is 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). For the speech or hearing impaired the number is 1-800-462-7581.

5) The state of Florida is serious about price gouging. It Will Not Be Tolerated. Violators Will Be Prosecuted.

Locally - Flager County, on the east close is also feeling the effects of Hurricane Charley. 50% of residents are without power and it will be approx. 1 week before they will see complete power restored.

The Orlando Airport is functioning now. There was sustained damage to the passenger transports to and from the terminals as well as the outer gates. The airport opened yesterday, but it would be prudent to check with your airline to verify scheduling and such.

Hardee County, is now experiencing flooding due to the large amount of rain that has been delivered. The town hardest hit is Springhill. No extensive damage at this time, just standing water. But with more rain in the forecast it bears watching. Also - please remember, in Florida we have snakes, spiders and gators. They have been uprooted and distrubed with all the havoc that has been wrecked and it is important to be watchful.

That’s all for now.

Tammi

Charley Bloggers

This is a partial list of blogs and bloggers who either reside in Florida or are providing coverage of the hurricane and its aftermath. If you have any additions to it, please post them in the comments section of this post.

Road Warrior, Boudicca’s Voice, Sekimori, On The Third Hand, Twisted Spinster, Hog On Ice, Babalu Blog, DeCloah Blog, and DebWire

I continue to think that Bush would be well served to go to the interior, and break the media myopia on Punta Gorda. As for me, I am going to turn things over to Tammi, Boudicca, and the other Bloggers who are on the spot. I also want to thank Alan and Michele for this opportunity, and for all the great work they do.

Two Posts You Need To Read

You are hearing a lot about Punta Gorda and the area around it. Word of advice to the news anchors: If you keep calling it Puta Gorda, don’t ever go to Florida again. What you are not getting is the news of the interior, the poor counties, the counties that count. If you want to know what is going on there, go read this and this. If Karl Rove and any of the staff has a brain in their heads, they will hit this area tomorrow. The damage to the economy from what has happened to the OJ area is huge, and being vastly under-reported. Never mind all the rest, which is huge in and of itself. And this is only the first storm of the season for all intents and purposes. More later.

30

Weathering Charley on Ocean Boulevard

[The following was written by Phillip Caston, who covered Hurricane Charley’s landfall in Myrtle Beach today for the Charleston Post & Courier. It was his first guest post at Backcountry Conservative and I’m also cross-posting it here for TCP’s readers.]

Weathering Charley on Ocean Boulevard
by Phillip Caston

I woke up at 5 a.m. at the Comfort Inn on Business Highway 17 in Surfside Beach. I had driven down Friday night on a short-minute’s notice with Post and Courier photographer Yolanda James. It was first-time hurricane coverage for both of us, and our inexperience as well as our youth probably prepared us to get a little crazy.

After monitoring the storm, we grabbed the continental breakfast and chatted with a man who is two days away from his 90th birthday. He lives in a mobile home and had to evacuate. His family had come down for his birthday and were not only forced to stay at the hotel, but had to postpone birthday plans for the day. He didn’t seem too bothered by the storm, though.

“What happens will happen,” he said.

Yolanda and I checked out before 7 a.m. and made our way to Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach. We parked at the corner of 3rd Avenue South and walked to the ocean. To our surprise, there were no surfers in sight. We think police had shooed them away. The waves were starting to get nasty. A woman stopped by to take a peek at them before she went to work at a towing company.

“It’s beautiful like this,” she said. “There’s no reason to be afraid. Every time I see the ocean coming in and see it going back, I know God is watching us.”

Good words to live by.

Yolanda and I walked up 3rd Avenue. I was dressed in a long-sleeve T-shirt, a light rainjacket, baseball cap, jeans and tennis shoes. Needless to say, I was quite unprepared for what was coming. We stopped at the Chip Inn and talked with the owner, who was tossing pool furniture into the water. His 7-year-old daughter, who was experiencing her first hurricane, admitted she was scared.

Next door, we met one spectacular couple that owns the Venture In (yes, spelled correctly). If you ever want somewhere quaint to stay on Myrtle Beach, hit up Davis and Brittie Edge. Aged 70 and 69, respectively, they are two of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Don’t be fooled, though, they’re one tough pair. They’ve weathered Hazel and Hugo and just scoffed at Charley. Amazingly, their motel has never suffered anything more than light exterior damage through all hurricanes. Brittie refuses to evacuate unless forced by police.

After saying goodbye to the Edges (we would be back, though), we drove out in my Jeep Grand Cherokee to Carolina Forest Elementary, one of the shelters in the area. The principal showed us around and we met up with dozens of Irish college students working in Myrtle Beach for the summer. They were forced to evacuate and had nowhere to go. I felt bad for all of them hunched up in the hallway and experiencing their first hurricane, yet also kind of envious that they had a close group of friends to snuggle up with during the storm (plus, some of the girls were cute). All of them were in awe since they never thought they’d experience a storm like this.

With Charley less than an hour away, we stopped at a Thrifty Car Rental to photo some last minute window boarding. A Romanian employee who had just moved to the U.S. two months ago said, ““I’ve never seen anything like this, but this is the life sometimes.”

Back at the corner of 3rd and Ocean, the waves were pounding. Traffic was scarce except a few officers, who paid us no attention. At about 10:30 a.m., Yolanda and I began to walk down Ocean to see what the police were up to, but suddenly the rain went horizontal and the wind smacked us right upside our heads. I insisted that we retreat to the car and drive for a bit rather than get stuck on the street.

By the time we got back to the car, our rainjackets had grown useless… and Charley was here. We drove to a parking garage and went to the very top to shoot photos. The force of the wind up there was incredible… I almost fell over a couple of times. I called my editor to tell him where we were. He joked later that he said three hail marys for the two of us after that phone call.

We ventured back to the street in my Jeep and drove down to a beach access. As onlookers in a van stared at us in disbelief, we pushed through the wind down to the beach. It was impossible to face to our left because of the sand, wind and rain. As Yolanda took some shots on the beach, I looked down at my feet. My shoes were already completely buried in sand and I had only been standing there for about half a minute.

After retreating to the Jeep, two Horry County deputies pulled up and shooed us away. That was the only real interaction we had with police for the day.

We stopped at the Firebird Motor Inn after spotting our first pedestrian in the storm. He was a supervisor at the motel. A super nice guy, he told us how the wind literally lifted him in the air and knocked him down. He had been carrying a sign, but the wind whipped it out of his hands and sent it flying away. He stood outside the motel in the wind, peeking around the corner now and then. Just another person who wasn’t going to let it faze him.

Before going back to the car, we intercepted two locals and another Irishman heading to the beach to videotape the waves. The Irishman wants to be a journalist as well and was absolutely enthralled by the storm. He didn’t even wear any protective headwear… whereas Yolanda, the other two, and myself were trying to cover every bit of our faces from the wind.

We returned to the Jeep (and stupid me, I parked in ankle-deep water) and ventured north on Ocean. One motel was losing all its shingles in the wind. It was so bad we had to stop until they stopped flying across the street.

As we passed the Holiday Sands North hotel, we saw a large group (full of large men) yelling and drinking beer in the parking lot. We pulled in. They told me I had just dodged a large metal sign that flew behind my Jeep. These jovial folks had come down from Virginia for a golf trip—and had no intention of canceling due to weather. They were howling and screaming with joy at any piece of debris that flew between the hotel’s two buildings… including trashcans, luggage carts and metal signs. They kept cheering for a mini-van to flip over as it shook back and forth.

Finally, three hotel employees tried to carry a large garbage bag full of towels from the other building to the one we were standing at. We knew it spelled disaster. The wind knocked one of them down, causing the other two to drop the bag. Towels flew everywhere as Yolanda snapped shots and the onlookers squealed with laughter. When the towels (what was left of them) were finally recovered, one of the employees angrily shouted for everyone to go back inside.

After they retreated and Yolanda got names for her photos, I heard a loud boom. A huge metal trashcan flew across my path and slammed into the mini-van, shattering a window.

Yolanda and I ventured further up Ocean as the eye arrived. Damage near the Pavilion was much more significant. Downed powerlines, shattered windows, smashed satellite dishes and overturned portajohns littered the streets and parking lots. The Schooner II had a five-foot chunk (I counted em) torn out of its side and you could see into the units. There was another large chunk torn out of the other side. Stucco, wood and insulation were scattered for two blocks. The Poindexter had several decks and railings destroyed, as well as the “R” in its sign bent backwards.

Folks who ignored the evacuation ventured out to survey damage and look at the waves, which were at their highest (they’d tame even the best surfers, IMO). That was shortlived, though, as the eye passed and the winds returned. However, this blast was much shorter with less rain as Charley began to die down.

We returned to the Venture In where Brittie and Davis let us change into some warm clothes. Again, the Venture In had survived… it only lost a gutter. Powerlines and large, fallen signs surrounded it, but it was pretty much unscathed. That place must be blessed.

Finding a meal, let alone a hot meal, was impossible. Power was out from Myrtle Beach to Awendaw, so almost all restaurants were closed. Portions of Highway 17 was closed in Georgetown due to flooding—made evident by a stuck Ford F150 swamped up to its doors. We finally ate at 4 p.m. in Mt. Pleasant—our first meal since 6:30 a.m.

All in all, it was a harrowing experience, even if a only a Cat 1. I don’t know how anyone could survive being outside in a Cat 4. We were swamped, cold, battered by winds and exhausted. Battling the winds was a physical trial in itself.

Would I do it all over again? You better believe it.

[Cross-posted at Backcountry Conservative.]

Charley hits S.C. Coast (UPDATED)

Initial news reports are hitting the wires now.

The Associated Press reports that, “The National Weather Service says Hurricane Charley has made landfall in South Carolina with winds of 85 mph.”

Other wire reports below in the extended entry.

AP/Storm Watch:

Hurricane Charley made its second landfall in South Carolina on Saturday and, with winds of about 85 mph, was not nearly the deadly storm that trampled Florida a day earlier….

…But it was a downsized Charley that rolled into South Carolina, still potent enough to spawn tornado warnings and flood watches in its wake. Charley, moving at 28 mph, was expected to quicky pass through the Grand Strand and move further north along the Eastern Seaboard.

Charley found a largely empty Grand Strand when he arrived. One of the state’s biggest vacation spots was mostly abandoned after Gov. Mark Sanford ordered a mandatory evacuation for Georgetown and Horry counties east of U.S. Business 17. Many of the area’s 180,000 tourists and residents rolled out of town Friday night and early Saturday….

…Horry County spokeswoman Lisa Bouchier said the region expected winds of 50 to 60 mph through the early afternoon.

The main roads out of the Grand Strand were clear Saturday morning, very different from about eight hours earlier when bumper-to-bumper traffic stretched for about 60 miles as people evacuated from Charley’s path….

…Sanford told several hundred National Guardsmen across the state to get ready just in case he needs them.

And Attorney General Henry McMaster warned businesses that a new state law targeting “unconscionable” increases in prices for goods, services and temporary housing would be used to curb storm-related price gouging.

Myrtle Beach Online:

Hurricane Charley is beginning to make landfall along the S.C. coast, with the storm’s eye wall grazing Georgetown County. According to Weather Channel and National Weather Service reports, the storm is packing 85-mph winds and its center will be near Bucksport by 10:45. Tropical storm force winds are being felt across the area, with the worst of Charley still to come for most areas.
Gov. Mark Sanford is on his way to the Georgetown County emergency operations center, spokesman Will Folks said. He’ll be there to assess local needs, Folks said. Sanford is scheduled to arrive around 11:30 a.m., said Georgetown County spokesman Greg Troutman.

There were no reports of damage, flooding or road closures in Horry County as of 10 a.m. The county was under a flood warning from the National Weather Service. Restaurant signs were reported blown down on the Murrells Inlet Marshwalk around 10:20. Georgetown County had removed its emergency vehicles from the road around 10 a.m., a move associated with winds reaching 40 mph.

Power was reported out in some areas of Georgetown County, although the extent of the outage was unclear. This is the county’s first real test of its new 800 megahertz system, which went online about months ago….

Hurricane Charley was churning up the southeastern N.C. coastline, with turbulent weather already affecting eastern counties by early morning. About 100 people decided to stay on the island of Sunset Beach despite its bridge being closed. Heavy rain was pelting Brunswick County by 10:45 a.m., with water starting to accumulate on the side of some secondary roads.

Myrtle Beach International Airport was open as of 8 a.m., but airlines had canceled most morning and afternoon flights. Late-evening flights will depend on Charley’s path and impact. Passengers are advised to check directly with airlines concerning flights.

…Horry County meanwhile moved to its Disaster Operations stage. The county said residents can expect to see tropical storm force winds (40 mph) between 8-9 a.m. and hurricane force winds (50-60 mph) around noon. Gusts are forecast to reach 80 mph.

All 10 Horry County shelters are open, with 1,600 seeking refuge from the storm there. Charley is expected to be gone from the area by late this afternoon….

…Flooding possibilities were increased following rains Thursday from Tropical Storm Bonnie that dumped from two to about five inches of rain on parts of the Grand Strand.

The storm could deliver winds up to 60 mph, gusts to 80 and storm surges up to 6 feet in Horry County and 8 feet in Brunswick County, N.C.

“The peak winds will happen about the same time as low tide and that should help,” Hawkins said. He also said isolated tornadoes will be a threat until the storm passes.

Horry County residents may get hurricane updates by calling the county’s automated hurricane information line at 915-5005. Updates also are available on the Web at www.horrycounty.org.

Georgetown residents may listen to the city’s radio station for updates and information. The station is WGEO-FM, 105.7.

Cross-posted at Backcountry Conservative.

More Ways To Help

This from contributor Jay Caruso, who lives in Palm Coast, FL:

Here are some numbers for anybody that wants to help out the people on the Gulf Coast who were really hit hard by Charley. There’s also some numbers for information.

• 1-800-HELP-NOW – Red Cross
• 1-800-SAL-ARMY – Salvation Army
• 1-888-835-9966 - Governor’s Information Hotline
• 1-888-786-7601 – Donations Hotline
• 1-800-427-4661 – National Flood Insurance Program
• 1-877-368-4968 – Department of Transportation (Road Closings)
• 1-919-715-9679 – Animal Air Lift

Current Track: Charleston Next, Then Command Post Central

The current track from the Tropical Prediction Center (click to see full-sized):

Looking at the track, it seems Michele (Long Island) and I (Philadelphia) will have some tropical weather tonight … she’s under a tropical storm warning, and we a tropical storm wind warning, so we might have some candlelight blogging tonight ourselves.

Dominoes, anyone?

More On Punta Gorda

It’s looking like things are quite bad in Punta Gorda, Florida. There are (were) over 30 mobile home parks in the area, and many people in the region expected Charlie to make landfall 70 miles north of where he ultimately came ashore. It had also been some time since the last hurricane in the area.

15,000 people live in the area, and most are seniors and retirees.

You can visit Punta Gorda’s government website, which is still online, here. At the site, they offer this update (issued Thursday):

Important telephone numbers

• 575 5580 – Punta Gorda Emergency Operations Center
• 639 4111 – Police Non-Emergency Calls
• 911 – Emergency

Emergency Shelters will open at 3:00 PM today at the following locations:

• Port Charlotte Cultural Center
• Liberty Elementary School
• Port Charlotte Middle School

At present no shelters are open within Punta Gorda City.

Lake Wales Airport Completely Destroyed

Florida’s Fox 13 in Tampa is reporting that the airport in Lake Wales is “completely destroyed.”

CNN TV: 60 Body Bags Ordered In Punta Gorda

CNN TV has a reporter on the ground in Punta Gorda, FL, reporting that local emergency management officials have ordered 60 body bags for the area (although he hopes not all will be needed). Most of the loss of life seems to be in mobile home parks, although damage is widespread.

The same reporter noted that a weather station at the local hospital, which is now closed, reported wind gusts of 180 miles per hour.