Tammi's World

Orlando and Surrounding Areas

I wanted to bring you what information I've been able to get on Orlando and the surrounding area's. I did hear that the Orlando airport reported gusts of 145 mph while the storm was passing over. That is unbelievable considering how far that is from where the storm came aground.

Here is an article from the Orlando Sentinel. It gives a county by county breakdown of information. I'll post the points that jump out at me.

*Also, hundreds of sewer lift stations, which pump sewage to treatment plants, are dead because of the power failures, and the sewage is beginning to back up and leak at the lift stations. More than 200 in Orange County are thought to be leaking already.

"With more than 400 [lift stations] out, that pretty much means sewage can be backing up all over the place," said Bill Toth of the Orange County Health Department.

*There were also several structure fires blamed on careless use of candles.

Orange County:

*The estimated $3.2 billion in property damage in the county turns out to be more than the $2.7 billion estimated for coastal Lee County.

*"Several ice manufacturers have suffered damage as a result of the storm," said Jerry Demings, Orange County public-safety director. "Ice is in short supply across the state, and we are just awaiting shipments."

Seminole County:

*County officials estimated damage in unincorporated parts of the county at $250 million. The county's seven cities are still assessing damage.

Osceola County:

*Anarchy ruled Sunday at many of the traffic lights that remained out, including along busy U.S. Highway 192. NOTE: This is the Kissimmee area folks - Disney. Disney is up and running, and there are a lot of tourists here, already unfamiliar with the area. Add all that together with no Traffic Lights! Yeah, I'm staying off the road unless I have to!!!

*Adding to the misery, raw sewage backed up into many streets Sunday because there was no electricity to power the sewage-pumping stations, said Brian Wheeler, general manager of Toho Water Authority, which provides water and sewer service in Kissimmee and some other parts of Osceola County.

Heavy storms Saturday and Sunday afternoons made things worse.

Polk County:

*Damage-assessment teams in the area have been able to get to only one-fifth of the area, slowed by tending to residents without food or water or imperiled by ruptured gas lines.

*The hurricane damaged three power plants in the county and downed transmission lines and county-service lines.

Volusia County:

*Up to 80 percent of Deltona remained without power, and Ormond Beach and South Daytona reported about 70 percent without electricity. In Lake Helen, where large trees cover much of the city, up to 90 percent of residents remained without power.

Go and read the entire article. I just pulled out information I thought might not be known outside of this area.

Posted by Tammi at August 16, 2004 01:55 PM