The news story can be found here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3625252.stm)

I have a very dear friend who lives in Orlando and has been bracing herself for the hurricane. She didn't enjoy the last one and isn't really looking forward to this. I keep telling her to move to Sheffield as we don't have them....she is almost persuaded thanks to the hurricanes.

This is quite a selfish thread really, but I am not very good when getting latest news and I would like to know how things get on as I am really quite worried. So any help on finding them. BBC hasn't updated yet.

Moon Maiden

Funkee 88 would be our local member in Florida who could perhaps keep us up to date as it happens.
Funkee, if you still have a line then reply to this thread and keep us updated.

Cycleracer.

don't think she will be out on the beach today though do you?

Wonder if the hotel web cam thing is still working???

Moon

There is a view from the Crowne plaza Penscola hotel although it does not state a time and date so it could be an old shot, however the one over Hampton Inn is not working.

Weather looks ok at the moment

http://www.bamabeachcams.com/LiveCams/IslandHouseCam.htm

Hey y'all from sunny Florida.
Right now it's still 100 miles off the south east of Florida moving 6 mph. It'll be about another 12 hours before the eye of the storm makes landfall. We live in the northwest tip of Florida up on the panhandle close to Alabama. I actually work in Alabama and the beach cam on top of the hotel is showing a beautiful sunny day. We are 100s of miles away and the force of the storm will not be felt until at least Monday night. I am on call at work as if the movement changes and comes back into the gulf it may then move north west and slam into Pensacola Beach, Panama City area on the North Gulf Coast. Millions of people have evacuated. Petrol stations have run out of petrol. People are panicking. No kidding, a category 4 storm has up to 140 mph winds. Right now it has been downgraded to a category 2. However, that still packs winds up to 100 mph. South Florida is expecting up to 30 inches of rain. It is a flat state so flooding will be widespread. People in mobile homes will probably lose them. Trees and power lines will be down. It is expected to be worse than Charley. Right behind that out in the Atlantic is Hurricane Ivan and expected in the Caribbean next Wednesday. Disney and Cape Canaveral have already closed down.

Here up on the Gulf Coast people are enjoying the weather and guys are surfing the waves. The hotel is packed with people who have evacuated. They may have to move on again if it comes further north west.

Hurricanes build strength over warm water and the slower they move, the faster the winds herefore, more devastating. When it hits land it slows down. The Red Cross and other emergency services have been called in. People are going to get injured and god help them, die. This is horrendous for Florida.

If I am called into work tomorrow I will be moving computers and files up onto the third floor of the building. I experienced both Hurricane Opal and Hurricane Erin in 1993. The hotel where I worked at had 6 feet of sand in the restaurant and reception area. The windows were busted out from the storm surge. The force of the winds pushed the sea 40 feet inland. The hotel had to be closed down for 6 months while they gutted the building. I had to endure a power cut for about 10 days at home.

I have the Weather Channel on our cable tv and have it on all the time with minute by minute updates. I have a battery operated TV also. Today I'm stocking up on water, candles, batteries and canned goods. Tins of beans should do it. We have a gas BBQ grill so we can at least boil water and cook.

Thanks for thinking of us. It's not always paradise over here.
I'll keep you updated.

Mr. and Mrs. Funke
Live from Pensacola Beach

Thanks for that Funke.
Just be safe, but if and when you can keep us updated.

Funke, Has it arrived ?

I hear the hurricane hit last night (our time) it is due to carry on for about 12 hours in total through the night(their night) across Florida.

I haven't heard from my friend so concerned as I cannot make out if she is in an area of direct hit.

Good Luck Funke hope you don't get it!

Moon

My friend's parents are over there, were due home from holiday on Friday but no planes allowed out so they're there until at least Tuesday. Apparently, it's going to hit the coast and not the inland, so they're safe as they're 100 miles inland.

thought i would share this update from my friend in Orlando.

Ugh. Tried to post a reply... But I lost my connection. (I am checking the forum with my cellphone)

Just a quicl update. We lost power last night. But we've got a generator that powers our fridge and tv. So we can still watch the news. As I'm sure you all know, francis has quite a mind of her own. No weather forcaster has been able to predict any of this. We are still experiencing the outer bands, and she is slowley moving closer...and she has hardly lost any strength. I had to take the dog outside....and wow. The energy of the storm is amazing!!

Our niece in Deltona near Orlando, lost power last night once more. She lost power last week with Charley for about 5 days and now it's off again. Right now up here in the panhandle we are expecting the storm tomorrow morning. Winds are blowing at 95 mph and the actual storm is moving north west at 5 mph. It'll take all day to get across the main body of the state and back out into the Gulf on the other side. Tomorrow is a national holiday, like you had last week. I'm due in at work but I think I will call in. I have a 35 mile drive to down the coastline to Alabama where I work. With winds gusting along the beach there's no way I'm driving in all that. We are expecting tropical storm winds up here as the hurricane will have lost most of it's strength by the morning.

In south Florida cars have been washed away, houses too with trees down everywhere. About 2 million people have no power. 2 deaths in the Bahamas. Orlando airport was closed and Disney is getting slammed right now. We are battening down the hatches and hunkering down ready for tomorrow as the cliche goes.

Mum called me this morning all worried about us. She said it was all over the news and in the Star last night. I feel sorry for all the holiday makers who have had their holidays cancelled. This stormy season officially ends November 1st, so anyone coming to Florida should be aware of possible storms at any time in the Summer and Autumn. Last year we didn't have many at all.

Well that's me for now. I'm sure you will here about it in the news.

Ivan is our next unwelcome visitor!

Is'nt it an little early in the year for hurricanes Funkee.
Thought the season was October onwards.

Bay Girl Born in Hurricane (http://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/09/05/frances.vignettes.ap/index.html)

and other latest news stories

Moon

Originally posted by Cycleracer
Is'nt it an little early in the year for hurricanes Funkee.
Thought the season was October onwards.
Hurricane season starts June 1st through November 30th. They start to build in warmer water, so the active season is usually September and October after a hot summer.

100 miles inshore is no guarantee of safety from a storm thats travelled 000's of miles already and is unpredictable by its nature.

Also there is another one following in its path.

I'm looking for anyone with contacts for people out in Florida for a news story I'm doing today on the Hurricane.
What we're really looking for is someone with a South Yorkshire connection who's experienced what conditions are like out there.
If anyone out there can help - please let me know.
Thanks.

If you want to see the local radar for the north Florida area click
Here (http://wwwa.accuweather.com/adcbin/public/local_radar.asp?type=still&nxtype=r1&nxsite=KTLH)
You can put the screen in motion too and see the hurricane spin, Bands of green are rain and the darker they are the heavier clouds. Yellow and Orange are extreme weather with thunderstorms and tornado action. Arrow east on the map and see the center of circulation. I love this weather site and often dont leave home without checking it first.

Francis has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, but after being out on the water for a while will possibly increase back to a hurricane by tonight. Now set to make landfall again around Apalachicola on the panhandle of Florida. I'm in Pensacola, west of this map. Were have dodging another bullet. We have only high winds and rain forecasted today. The hotel is full or people who have evacuated and drove west to get out of the storm.

Tampa is now getting slammed by rain and wind. Orlando airport is now open and Disney, Sea Worl and Universal Studios are set to reopen soon. Total devastation and flooding in south Florida.

p.s. the baby born in a shelter, her middle name is Francis.

More updates frommy friend in Orlando -

I tried to post on bts using my cellphone but my connection kept going in and out. I just wanted to let everyone know we are ok. Lost power last night, but we still have our cellphones for internet (when they are working). This storm sure has a mind of its own. It has proven almost every meteorologist wrong.

Hopefully we will get our power back soon...but with how slow this storm is moving...and how powerful it still is, it could be anywhere from a couple days to a week.

I had to go outside so I could take my dog to the bathroom...and let me tell you, the energy of this storm is amazing!!! And the winds are so powerful. It was hard to keep on my feet.

You know...there is another storm heading this way too. Tropical storm ivan. *sigh* it is on the same track as francis. And strengthening.
I am beginning to think the gods have it out for us.

Well, ill talk to you all soon.

11 people dead
Millions without power
Thousands of people still living in shelters
Flooding and devastation everywhere in south Florida
High winds and heavy rain along the east coast.

Ivan on its way :(

With a bit of luck Ivan will have died down by the time it gets that far north - it's way down south at the moment.

I've been trying to tune into internet radio in Barbados, and they are all off line. Seems like Ivan may well be hitting them very hard. Most ordinary peoples houses are made of wood or tin and they aren't used to hurricanes - the last one was 50 years ago!

Could be nasty right now :(

Barbados Internet Radio (http://www.spiceislander.com/radio.html)

Thanks Funke, you might be a long way away but we all hope you get safely through it all.

Here's a better link

CBC Radio - Barbados (http://www.spiceislander.com/radio/cbc.asx)

Plays automatically in windows media player.

Originally posted by Tony
Here's a better link

CBC Radio - Barbados (http://www.spiceislander.com/radio/cbc.asx)

Plays automatically in windows media player.

Tony, try again the link wont work.

That's the point! :o

Looks like Ivan is coming right for you Funke

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3650682.stm#map

or at least the hotel.

Batten down those hatches girl:thumbsup: or you could end somewhere over the rainbow.