Charley (ot)

[Chip_B]

Time to batten down the hatches and bring in the patio furniture. Charley's on the way.

MacDill AFB shut down most base facilities before noon and CENTCOM released us at 1PM, so after we put all paperwork and desk items in cabinets, unplugged everything we could get to, and placed our computers on our desks, we headed home.

The base is in very low-lying areas right on Tampa Bay, so it gets flooded out every time we have heavy rains (which is frequently)...I figure it'll be pretty much underwater by the time Charley 'breezes' through.

Pinellas County (St. Pete) is evacuating 380,000 people in anticipation of major storm surge; highest total (40% of the county population) ever to be evac'd. We're further inland so unless we're given a mandatory evac notice, we've decided to stay put. Homes here are built to hurricane specs, so we'll be safer here than stuck on the highway somewhere. We're stocked (water and batteries) and we'll make do when the inevitable power outage occurs.

Right now I'm just waiting for my wife and kiddies to get home...wish us luck!

-Chip