Ivan

"David Herman" wrote in message
news:1095148214.989351@yasure...

"C J Campbell" wrote in message
...

"SelwayKid" wrote in message
m...
Gonna be interesting the next few days. I'm in Mobile, Alabama and one
of our airports, Brookley Field nearly sticks into Mobile Bay.
Elevation reported at 26' and for sure will be under water if the bay
gets pushed in like it frequently does. Can't help but wonder how its
gonna affect the aircraft that don't move out.... Part of the problem
is figuring out where to move them to?
Last reports show Ivan on a direct course for us.

Saw on the Weather Channel a report that the runway on Grand Cayman was
still under two feet of water this afternoon. We had planned to vacation
there next month. Our hotel's office in Florida says that they have not
been
able to contact the hotel at all; even cellular phones are not working.
It
may be a few days before any realistic reports of damage come out of
there.
The Caymanians are very nice people. Hope things are not too bad for
them
there.

From what I've seen on the scuba diving boards, the Caymans really took it
on the chin (reports coming on by ham radio sounded fairly grim - very
widespread destruction but at least no loss of life). I would think twice
about a trip there anytime soon.

Oh, there is no way. We were going to stay at the Grand Caymanian. The water
level is reported to have been to the top of the first floor and the admin
building and scuba shop floated away. The beach was man made. I doubt if
anything is left of it. The buildings are reported to be "mostly intact,"
whatever that means.

Church Street is said to be completely gone -- not just washed out, but
gone, along with all the buildings on the sea side of that street. That
would wipe out virtually all the dive shops in Georgetown, along with the
submarines, the fishing fleet, and dive fleet.

The Turtle Farm is also gone, along with the priceless research facility and
some species of turtles that were bordering on extinction.

Many big hotels are reporting crabs and other sea creatures inhabiting areas
above the fifth floor. Damage to the Marriott was worse than we first heard;
the lobby and fifth floor are sagging and will probably collapse completely.

I suppose even the tender docks for the cruise ships are gone.

I would guess that it will be six months to a year before the Caymans could
be ready to receive tourists again. Of course, if you want to volunteer to
help clean up, they can probably use you.

"C J Campbell" wrote in message ...
"SelwayKid" wrote in message
m...
Gonna be interesting the next few days. I'm in Mobile, Alabama and one
of our airports, Brookley Field nearly sticks into Mobile Bay.
Elevation reported at 26' and for sure will be under water if the bay
gets pushed in like it frequently does. Can't help but wonder how its
gonna affect the aircraft that don't move out.... Part of the problem
is figuring out where to move them to?
Last reports show Ivan on a direct course for us.

Saw on the Weather Channel a report that the runway on Grand Cayman was
still under two feet of water this afternoon. We had planned to vacation
there next month. Our hotel's office in Florida says that they have not been
able to contact the hotel at all; even cellular phones are not working. It
may be a few days before any realistic reports of damage come out of there.
The Caymanians are very nice people. Hope things are not too bad for them
there.

CJ
I've lost track of the number of big hurricanes I've been through
around the world. Was here in '69 for Camile which was a tough one.
Got pics of big ocean going barges sitting on the highway, an 85' tug
sitting on top of a motel at least two blocks in from the waters edge,
the huge rolls of paper that weigh in at about 2000# scattered about
the neighborhood along the beach highway, brick chimneys and nothing
else but trash where beautiful ante-bellum homes once stood. Pine
trees snapped off about 6' off the ground and leaning over like a
bunch of women doing stretching exercises touching their toes...miles
of them showing the extreme forces of the winds above 160mph...
Pictures of local airports from New Orleans to Pensacola with
airplanes sitting belly deep in water on the high ground..tops of
wings sticking up out of water in the low spots.. airplanes stacked
like cordwood where they broke tiedowns and flew all over the place.
We're prepared as best we can with all the supplies in, house battened
down,and hoping the wind doesn't topple some of the big trees around
us, and if it does, the trees will not fall on the house or cars.
There are a lot of folks who will lose everything and some will lose
their lives. We can only wait to see what happens next.
Ol Shy & Bashful

C J Campbell wrote:

Our hotel's office in Florida says that they have not been
able to contact the hotel at all; even cellular phones are not working.

Cellular phone towers are connected to the ground lines. When the trunk network is
damaged, they bite the dust just like any other phone. Satellite phones should still
be working over there.

George Patterson
If a man gets into a fight 3,000 miles away from home, he *had* to have
been looking for it.

More news on the Cayman Islands:

http://stormcarib.com/reports/2004/cayman.shtml

The news media have not been covering this at all. The devastation is near
total in many areas, in Georgetown there are reports that 90% of the
buildings have been damaged, Mariner's Cove has been swept from its
foundations, the West Side has been cut off from the rest of the island and
reports are difficult, damage on the North Side is extensive, and the sewer
system has collapsed. There is widespread looting and it looks like it will
take a month or more for power to be restored. Water is being rationed where
it is available at all. There is a widespread need for everything from
construction and rescue crews to blankets to paper napkins. The Westin has
had half its side torn off and the hallways are exposed. The Marriott lost
much of its roof and there are huge holes in the walls.

People describe the hurricane as a nightmare, with winds gusting over 200
mph (one report said 260 mph), and coconuts hurtling through the air like
bullets. There are places where boats are now sitting on top of cars. Even
now there are still 20 foot waves crashing into the seawall.

If Ivan is anything like this when it approaches the Gulf Coast, you should
get as far away as possible. If Ivan hits Brookley the airport will be
destroyed.

"SelwayKid"
Can't help but wonder how its
gonna affect the aircraft that don't move out....

I found out a few years ago when NC was flooded by Fran or ?. I took a
flight a few days later east of RDU. The flooding was concentrated east of
I-95. I set the GPS for KETC - Tarboro.

Determined to part of the problem rather than the solution, I flew around
watching rescue helicopters and National Guard relief aircraft doing their
duty. When I got to KETC, I couldn't find it. I circled at the GPS
coordinates and suddenly realized the entire airport was underwater (53
MSL). Half a dozen a/c were still tied down and fully underwater. The
runway was highlighted by a runway shaped oil slick floating nearby like a
shadow.

A few days later I learned that flights were prohibited over the area. Wish
I had a camera that day.