Michael updates: At least 6 killed by storm in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina

[DonViejo]

Source: The Washington Post




By Mark Berman, Antonia Noori Farzan, Eli Rosenberg andJ. Freedom du Lac October 11 at 4:47 PM

Tropical Storm Michael continues to march through the Southeast, still packing powerful winds and flood-causing rains. Michael made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday as a “potentially catastrophic” Category 4 hurricane — the strongest on record to hit the area — and charged north through Georgia and into the Carolinas, wreaking havoc and causing emergencies. In the storm’s wake lay crushed and flooded buildings, shattered lives and at least six deaths, a number that officials worry could rise.

4:47 p.m.: At least 6 deaths in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina linked to storm, officials say

Authorities said Thursday they have linked at least six deaths in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina to the storm, a toll officials have worried could rise as search and rescue efforts continue.

In Florida, the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office reported four deaths related to the storm. A spokeswoman said that one man was killed when a tree crashed through the roof of his home in Greensboro. The sheriff’s office said that it also had three other “storm-related fatalities following Hurricane Michael,” although it did not immediately release further information about what happened beyond saying that all four deaths were “in relation to or occurred during the storm.”

Gadsden, a county in northwest Florida not far from Tallahassee, took a direct shot from Michael as it churned northward on Wednesday.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/10/11/hurricane-michael-live-updates-powerful-storm-clobbers-the-southeast/

[DemoTex]

1. Here, on the Blue Ridge Escarpment, it was pretty bad ..

I am still locked in by tree and power-pole blow down. I was without power until about 20 minutes ago. Ran my trusty 2 kW Honda generator (the one that I bought for the wilderness fire lookouts I worked from 2008 through 2016). That gave me 2 lamps, refrige/freezer, charging station for devices, and modem for AT&T phone, WiFi, and TV. What else does one need?

A north-ish wind is no problem .. blocked by the mountain. But anything from SE-S-SW is hell, since the escarpment magnifies it. This morning there was a special weather statement for the Blue Ridge Escarpment. They nailed it, and we got near hurricane force winds from the venturi effect. Limbs were still falling an hour ago, then the wind quit.

However, yellow jackets are out big-time. Not quite swarming, but everywhere. Several neighbors have been stung, including one guy in my driveway.

But Mexico Beach. My family used to vacation there, after Grayton Beach got too expensive for my dad. We loved Mexico Beach, and it had undergone a rejuvenation. I drove through Mexico Beach a year ago, for old times sake. The Wonder Bar was gone.

Now, all bars are gone. Even the sand bars.

[BeckyDem]

2. The video is stunning and the people who stayed all sounded terrified about their ordeal.

These storms just keep coming.

[Nitram]

3. Am I a cold-hearted bastard, or am I right to feel that the hourly updates leading up to SIX people

who died during a hurricane is news when the recent Indonesian earthquake and tsunami killed over a 1,500 people and made thousands homeless, The Haiti earthquake killed 230,000! Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines on 6 November 2013 killed 6,318 people, 28,689 were injured and 1,061 were still missing. It destroyed 1,140,332 houses. In India in 2017, more than 1,200 people died in monsoon flood-related incidents. I think we should actually be focusing on people made homeless in NC and FL, who we can actually help in the months to come. Again, sorry if I sound callous. I just think we should be thinking about the many, many people who have lost their homes who are in desperate need of help.