Looking into the eye of danger.... a killer hurricane....Charley

**Cudaman** · August 13th, 2004, 06:34 AM

Hurricane Charley is bearing down on us in Florida, after coming back from a great business trip in Australia of collecting plants/seeds with professors of University of Florida and the curators of the world famous Fairchild Gardens of Florida and other nursery owners. I came back after spending 10 of 20 days planed trip to run at the last second, the Ohio V-10 Nationals. The thing that is strange is...... If I did not come back early, I would be trying to fly in to the USA from 1/2 way around the world into a major hurricane today (Friday) at 5:00pm.

As of 5:45 am on Friday they are predicting winds of 115 per hour and storm surge of 13-15 feet above the high tide mark. The last direct hit was in 1921. I personally have much to risk, my nursery will sustain major damage to my trees in the fields(40 acres).

I fear for not only my nursery, but for my family, Jesse(11), Justin(14) and my wife. But I also fear for my friends in the area, my mother and brother who also live in the area.

I also fear for others in the Viper community. I live in a high and dry area, but Chad Williams (BAD VPR) has just moved from this "safe area" into a low lying area on the water just 6 days ago. Other Viper owners that live in this area are Vern Hill and Goddfadda down the road from me. In Tampa are Chuck "2 Viper" Babel, Gerald, Mike 99 ACR, Elite Viper.

They are predicting the hurricane will hit land in the Bradenton/Sarasota as well as Tampa/St. Pete aprox 5:00-6:00 pm. I hope and pray everything will turn out well for all of us in the Viper community.

From ground zero,

Cudaman

**jkracer** · August 13th, 2004, 07:53 AM

Cudaman
be safe my friend, we all wish hope and pray for the safety of your entire family and your entire extended family.

Come to Houston, bring your family I have plenty of room.

God Bless, safety first
Rohn
jkracer

Chip · August 13th, 2004, 08:14 AM

My thoughts are with you. My 10 year old son is in Orlando with his mother. This is his second hurricane in 6 years. He rode out the one that hit Gulfport Mississippi in 1998. His mother has a problem in leaving when this shit comes.

**Toby** · August 13th, 2004, 08:24 AM

Our family has beach front property on Siesta Key and office property in Lakewood Ranch. We are not looking forward to the clean up.

Hold on tight guys! This is not going to be a walk in the park.

**StreetKing** · August 13th, 2004, 09:24 AM

Ward, I have been watching that storm and thinking about you and all my buddies that live in the area. If I can do anything for you, please let me know. Get out of there!! Like Rohn said, your always welcome to stay with us here...

Be safe,

SW

JT · August 13th, 2004, 09:30 AM

Be safe. We'll be thinking of you.

**getbit** · August 13th, 2004, 12:39 PM

My family from Florida evacuated and is here with us. We have room here is if anyone is in need. Get out now while you can and take care of you and yours!

NY Nick · August 13th, 2004, 12:56 PM

Hey guys, just got down battening down the hatches around the house. We moved everything inside and taped our windows. I've drained my pool about half way to compensate for the flood. We've already been hit with a few bands and it is about to get worse. I'm gonna take footage of before and after, to show just how powerful these perfect storms really are.

Thanks for the kind words & offerings, and will be hopefully online soon for the updates :thumb:

To the other Florida guys, good luck, be safe on this Friday the 13th !!!

Captain Bli · August 13th, 2004, 10:52 PM

Good luck.

**CHAD** · August 14th, 2004, 08:58 AM

WE MADE IT!!!

Others were not nearly as lucky. I hope everyone is doing ok out there.

Thanks for the well wishes.

Chad

**jkracer** · August 14th, 2004, 09:40 AM

Has anyone heard from (Ward) Cudaman, wondering how he is doing and if his business is still in Florida.

rohn

**CHAD** · August 14th, 2004, 10:07 AM

Ward's fine, I just talked to him. Wondering about Larry, John, Bindy, etc over in Orlando now.

Chad

99 RT/10 · August 14th, 2004, 11:24 AM

I tried to call Larry again this morning no answer so far. Cuda or Chad, have you been able to get up with either Larry or John?

**V10 MOJO** · August 14th, 2004, 11:31 AM

I truly hope all the florida guts are OK. Im sure i speak for many; if theres anything I/we can do dont hesitate to ask.

**CHAD** · August 14th, 2004, 11:41 AM

Ward said he talked to Larry and all was fine. And I hear Bindy is fine as well. Last I heard, no one has heard from John yet.

Chad

**Cudaman** · August 14th, 2004, 12:00 PM

Some pictures of what we almost looked like:

[image]http://www.bradenton.com/images/tallahassee/tallahassee/9401/88386010567.jpg[/image]

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (right) joins other officials in the Governor's Briefing Room at the Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee, Florida Friday, August 13, 2004 as Class 4 Hurricane Charley is minutes away from hitting the shores of southwest Florida.

[image]http://www.bradenton.com/images/tallahassee/tallahassee/9401/88386226790.jpg[/image]

An emergency official examines the interior of the Turner Center in Arcadia Friday afternoon after it partially collapsed from damage cause by Hurricane Charley. The center was being used as a hurricane shelter.

[image]http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/02/06/25/image_825062.gif[/image]

Steve Brooks looks out the window from what's left of his mobile home at the Biehl Slip-Not mobile home park in Punta Gorda on Friday after Hurricane Charley passed by destroying most of the park.

[image]http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/05/99/24/image_824995.gif[/image]

A fallen house looking west onto the Gulf of Mexico lies damaged by Hurricane Charley after the storm passed through Fort Myers Beach on Friday.

[image]http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/08/98/24/image_824988.gif[/image]

Cheryl Prather, of Fort Myers Beach, holds her cat, Lestat, and watches as a home next to hers burns down after Hurricane Charley passed through the area on Friday.

[image]http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/07/98/24/image_824987.gif[/image]

A renter bows his head as a fire from a home next door approaches his apartment after Hurricane Charley passed through Fort Myers Beach on Friday afternoon. He evacuated his belongings along with four other people. Witnesses said they heard explosions inside but were unsure what caused the fire.

[image]http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/03/09/24/image_824093.jpg[/image]

A massive storm surge washes across the grounds of the Diamond Head Resort on Fort Myers Beach, the waves crashing into an outdoor bar

[image]http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/01/09/24/image_824091.jpg[/image]

Debris from a rooftop, downed power lines and upended street signs litter Estero Boulevard on Fort Myers Beach after Hurricane Charley waded ashore Friday, packing 145 mph winds.

[image]http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/07/07/24/image_824077.jpg[/image]

Smaller airplanes at the Charlotte County Airport were left heavily damaged Friday by high winds from Hurricane Charley

[image]http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/09/81/23/image_823819.jpg[/image]

Visitors at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista crowd Main Street USA to exit the park after it was announced that it was closing due to Hurricane Charley on Friday.

[image]http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/03/70/23/image_823703.jpg[/image]

The roof of a garage is blown off onto Charlotte County Sheriff's cruisers from winds of Hurricane Charley Friday in the parking lot of the Charlotte County Airport.

[image]http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/07/63/22/image_822637.jpg[/image]

Traffic on northbound I-275 in Tampa moves slowly Thursday as coastal residents and visitors flee the path of Hurricane Charley.

[image]http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/08/63/22/image_822638.jpg[/image]

A waterspout drops from the clouds over the Gulf of Mexico prior to Hurricane Charley reaching land near Sanibel Island in Fort Myers on Thursday.

[image]http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/08/71/22/image_822718.jpg[/image]

Tropical Storm Charley, lower right, over the Caribbean Sea, and Tropical Storm Bonnie, upper left, over the Gulf of Mexico, are shown in this NOAA satellite image taken at 7:45 a.m. EDT, Wednesday, Aug. 11.

[image]http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/00/16/25/image_825160.gif[/image]

An elderly man walks by a destroyed mobile home in the Harborview Park Saturday morning in Port Charlotte, Fla.

[image]http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/07/15/25/image_825157.gif[/image]

Mickey Pariseau pulls a friend's belongings out of the Windmill Village mobile home trailer park on Saturday in Punta Gorda, one day after Hurricane Charley passed through the area.

Many were not as lucky as us!!!!!

Cudaman

**Minivan Man** · August 14th, 2004, 12:09 PM

I never understood the wrecked small planes after these storms. If you have a plane--or even if a club owns a plane--you would think that someone would have flown it out of the area before the storm.

**jkracer** · August 14th, 2004, 12:52 PM

Schillinger
I don't know but can you buy insurance for hurricanes?, maybe a way to sell the plane that no one would buy.

rohn

**Cudaman** · August 14th, 2004, 01:30 PM

Dr. Roof is on his way to Florida ...to help out with our roofs.

Cudaman

**Cudaman** · August 14th, 2004, 01:31 PM

Just an update ...finally got a hold of John Canal, he,family and his business are OK.

Although I talked to Gary Sautis(Vern Hill's driver) who lives in south Daytona he and his wife are OK, BUT when Charley came thru it spawned a tornado. His house has numerous trees on it and into the roof. He has not had power since midnite and they do not except it restored for a week. His neighborhood is described as a "war zone". he has been saw up trees off his house since sunrise and we spoke to him at 1:00 pm.

Gary, I am glad you made it thru with your health, Good luck to on your cleanup.

Cudaman