Charley Causes 'Significant Loss of Life'

[Nambe]

Associated Press

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. -- The death toll from Hurricane Charley rose early Saturday, when a county official said there had a been "significant loss of life" at a mobile home park and deputies were standing guard over stacks of bodies because the area was inaccessible to ambulances. ,,

A crash on Interstate 75 in Sarasota County killed one person, and a wind gust caused a truck to collide with a car in Orange County, killing a young girl. A man who stepped outside his house to smoke a cigarette died when a banyan tree fell on him in Fort Myers, authorities said. ..

Spared the worst of the storm was the Tampa Bay area, where about a million people had been told to leave their homes. Some drove east, only to find themselves in the path of the Charley.

"I feel like the biggest fool," said Robert Angel of Tarpon Springs, who sought safety in a motel. "I spent hundreds of dollars to be in the center of a hurricane. Our home is safe, but now I'm in danger." ..

Use your Head

Put a Lid on It!

[saigon68]

1. stepped outside his house to smoke a cigarette died

obviously no second hand smoke at his house

[arcos]

2. Yeah... I'm sure in the next 5 posts someone will say he deserved to die

the smoking police has been hard at work lately...

[NewYorkerfromMass]

8. better to go quickly than die agonizingly slow death of lung disease

if pain is a concern.

[TeacherCreature]

3. Stacks of bodies?

That can't be good.

[Bok_Tukalo]

7. No dark humor?

"I told Ed that smoking would kill him."

[Cooley Hurd]

4. CNN is reporting damage is more extensive than after Andrew...

...and the sherriff of Punta Gorda has ordered at least 60 body bags. To put this into perspective, Hurricane Andrew killed 26 people.:(

Damn...

[lebkuchen]

5. Why have only 1,300 NG showed up??

The news said they called up 5,000. Are there still that many NG in FL? If so, where ARE they???

[eridani]

6. In fawking IRAQ, obviously n/t

[kayell]

9. I wonder if the media will bother to mention that there aren't enough NG

to do the jobs they are intended to do HERE. After all, that is why they are called the National Guard - they are supposed to be guarding the nation.

Nah, what can I be thinking? *slaps head* Our "lib'rul media" actually bring up something like this?

No doubt we will soon find out how the democrats are responsible for Charley.

[mefoolonhill]

10. florida

I'm expecting that the Bush admnistration will play this for all it's worth. Watch for photos of Dear Leader wearing blue jeans and a bomber jacket, with a crowbar in his hands, prying desperately to free a mother and her child from the wreckage of their mobile home.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

11. If Bush can do serious damage with just pretzels and mountain bikes

I'd hate to see what he looks like after trying to use a crowbar.
(Well, maybe I wouldn't really hate it.)

[Jawja]

14. I think so, too -

Andrew hit during Poppy's term and I remember some critism about his slow response.

I'm sure Junior won't want to make the same mistake.

Did Rove plan Charley on purpose?

[KittyWampus]

15. If Not Enough NAtional Guards Show Up- Junior Needs To Be Held Accountable

and the GOP in Florida need to be held responsible if their allowing over-developement and unsafe living conditions contributed to the deaths down there.

[Ripley]

16. The number one problem is "trailers"

I posted this in GD, but it applies here, too.

Here in Alabama when an F4 tornado hit one mile from my house it destroyed a grocery store and many brick homes, but only injuries no deaths. It continued on to the mobile home park and killed 10.

Actually the Senators here DID something. They made sure some of the federal disaster money was used to build this community a storm shelter.

Frankly, I think all mobile home parks in the south should be forced to provide an underground shelter for the residents. There is not always enough time to drive to a community shelter, since a lot of these parks are out in the country. And besides no one can predict with absolute certainty where a tornado or hurricane will hit.

I haven't heard from my aunt in Orlando, hope she's okay. Now my sister in Myrtle beach and parents in Wilmington are getting slammed. I can't reach anyone!

Damn Charley!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

17. An underground shelter would be a bad place in a hurricane

unless it was on high ground and/or bermed.

[Ripley]

18. The trailer park that was hit in FL was on higher ground

than coastal towns, so I don't see why they couldn't use underground shelters. Anyway, perhaps it wouldn't work in a hurricane with all of the flooding, but it sure as hell would save hundreds of lives in the south every year from tornadoes. They are always the ones that die.

[lapfog_1]

20. Underground is not necessary

steel reinforced concrete is more than adequate provided the
roof is attached correctly and that there are minimal (as in no)
windows or glass.

http://www.fema.gov/hazards/tornadoes/npc_ts.shtm

[mom cat]

22. My heart goes out to you. I hope that those you lovve will be ok!

:hug:

[Ripley]

33. Thanks...it is so frustrating...

Not being able to contact anyone. I just have to wait for them to call, or keep trying all day!

They all live in sturdy homes so hopefully they are okay.

Thanks again.

[shanti]

35. the pukes didn't hold florida when poppy was in charge

they do now...probably the main reason for the quick response, yes?

[Obamarama]

12. On the Weather Channel last night, Jim Cantore said...

When daybreak comes and we get ariel shots of the devastation "people will be shocked."

[DoYouEverWonder]

13. I posted this last night

but the mods moved my thread to the Lounge. I really don't see what's so funny about people getting killed that my thread was moved to the lounge.


CNN: Number of casualties in Punta Gorda, FL

This topic has been moved by the moderator of this forum.
It can be found at:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=749673&mesg_id=749673

[Nashyra]

19. Just heard on CNN that * has left the campaign trail to go to Florida

Even though we know it is a political photo op where in the hell are the statements from Kerry and Edwards? And where the F*&^ is Edwards anyway?

[TeeYiYi]

26. I've noticed . . .

. . . a few threads that have been moved to the lounge recently that didn't belong there. Yours especially! How irritating. I was looking last night for news on Punta Gorda. I had heard on the radio that there were dead bodies stacked in the streets. I guess I should have known . . . to look in the Lounge.:grr:

TYY

[Moderator]

32. Your thread was moved

to GD because there was no link and there were other Charley discussions. What happened after that has to do with the GD mods.
You may wish to take it to Ask the Admin.

[geomon666]

21. As an Andrew survivor I can simpathize

By the way, where is that jackass who in another Charley thread showed his true form and asked "Who cares"? If you're out there loser you should be ashamed of yourself.

[Ripley]

36. Wow, I missed that, but it doesn't surprise me.

It's sad but true there are more than a few like that here at DU. It especially is true when natural disasters hit the south...they seem to come out of the woodwork screaming how the south deserves it because they're red states, and they don't deserve the federal aid they get for it.

Wonder how much sympathy they'd expect if the natural disaster were to hit their area?

My family survived this one okay...in Orlando, Myrtle Beach and NC. Just downed trees in driveways, minor house damage. Lucky this time...

[funkybutt]

23. AP: At least 10 people dead from the storm

Unfortunately that was the first round of speculated numbers. :(

[54anickel]

24. Check this pic from weather.com - Are the parents of these kids THAT

stupid?

[Zynx]

25. WTF?! When a storm surge comes my way, I would run.

[SemperEadem]

29. in a word? Yes

in fact, they'll sue the city or whatever entity which owns that concrete barred throughfare they're standing on for not having someone there telling their kids that they should be at home with their parents and not out high-fiving Charley's storm surge.

Those kids should be taken from their parents...their parents aren't responsible.

[Retrograde]

37. the parents might be out there with them!

On last night's news I saw an interview with a woman who brought her kids down to the shore because "we've never seen a hurricane before". Can't remember exactly where she was from - Tampa area?

[Tsiyu]

27. Thanks for the news.

[IndianaGreen]

28. Let's hope none of our friends in Florida were harmed

Crewleader, I hope you are okay!

[davsand]

30. I think I saw where she had posted in the Lounge.

She said they didn't have a LOT of damage--that a tree had fallen on the sun room and had bent the frame--but that she was OK.

I'll go look for the thread and come back with a link for you.

Laura

Added on Edit a link to Crew's thread in the lounge: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=1533811

[IndianaGreen]

31. Thank you very much!

I am relieved to hear that Crew is okay!

:loveya:

[barb162]

34. Anonometer on top of a hospital

in Punta Gorda area registered 173mph before it was blown away per CNN this morning. That is the hospital that is now closed.