26,000 Remain Without Power in Polk County

[madfloridian]

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

LAKELAND -- If the lights haven't come back on yet, chances are you're still days or even a week or more away from relief.
Since Sunday, Polk's primary utilities have restored power to most of the 194,310 households and businesses left in the dark by Hurricane Jeanne.

SNIP..."It could be another nine days before power is restored to all of Lakeland Electric's remaining customers without power, which numbered 17,000 Friday evening.

In other hurricane developments Friday:

School officials estimated the three storms caused a combined $11 million in damage to Polk schools. Polk officials expect it will take until Dec. 12 to remove 1.6 million cubic yards of debris now piled up around the county.

A private contractor will begin removing debris in Lakeland on Monday. It will take 30 days to complete the initial sweep of the city. (My question: The storm was last week-end...why wait a week to start removing the debris?)

For many people the most pressing concerns right now are lights, air conditioning and hot water....."END SNIP

This is debris piled along Havendale Blvd in Winter Haven. Look at the houses behind it. Some streets in Lakeland look pretty bad, too, though not as highly stacked.

[bandy]

1. Geez, I thought our street looked bad

that pic is incredible. How are you? Are you in Lakeland? The out of state contractors picked up our debrie from Frances yesterday. There wasn't much from Jeanne cause it was already in the street. Remember, I told you I was feeling fragile and didn't trust the power or phones. Seems I was right. Our power keeps going off for hours at a time and get this - we have no phone service except cell, however, we have DSL (with BellSouth). Go figure!!! This nightmare will just not go away. One lady in this area is a single mom with 6 kids -1. Daughter went to hospital during storm - she died and families home was demolished. Thankfully, people have come forward for her and kids, and funeral home is doing the burial. What next?

[madfloridian]

2. Still feeling vulnerable. Power mostly on, but still spells of flickering

I am in Lakeland. I found out someone who comes to do things around the house for us had her home completely demolished. She is staying with friends, but she is almost in shock. She seems unaware of her loss, and I think she is still in the denial stage. It was odd talking to her. We tried to see what we could do, but she does not yet know what anyone can do.

People are not themselves at all. They are anxious and relieved at the same time.

[lpbk2713]

3. I was very fortunate compared to many others.

I live in Lakeland. Power was out for two days at my house. Had a generator to keep the refrig going. Damage was minimal. Limited to trees and a couple of minor roof leaks. More elect contractors are coming in every day and power should be restored to all soon. Charley, Frances and Jeanne all came this way. We don't need another season like this one any time soon.

[Karenina]

4. Holding you and yours

next to my heart, madfloridian! :loveya:

[LuCifer]

5. Jeeeezus!

My uncle lives up there Lakeland, oh man, not good y'all. Hope that shiit gets back to normal ASAP.

I'm lucky that I'm on the same power grid as a fire station and like 3 traffic lights. Otherwise, hell, I might be in the dark too!

Lu

[madfloridian]

6. I think a lot of those still out are in outlying areas.

I saw today that weakened power poles keep tilting and falling. I think they have to do those in the city first. May be wrong.

We were lucky, and we were without power 3 days. It was so horribly hot.

[KoKo]

7. It's gone from the TV Screens I think....have you all seen anything? Just

like downtown Richmond underwater, Trenton NJ and many parts along the Delaware underwater and destroyed..Western NC where there was a MT Avalanch wiping out many homes and Ashville NC with so many businesses underwater and WVA with more folks killed and out of their home.

Florida and the rest...just "side notes" and "statistics?" Perhaps I'm to cynical or don't watch enough TV (I don't) but I'm not hearing stuff and I DO watch Weather Channel which tries...

We here more about Scott Petersen and the latest murder than we do about average Americans going through terribles times..IMHO...:shrug:

[madfloridian]

8. You are right. We are all over and done with...except we are not.

We are no longer newsworthy, but at least local TV is covering the needs. It has been a tragedy.

[KoKo]

9. I check the Palm Beach Post every day....and I think many folks who

have relatives in FLA are checking. I think the media is just ignoring it all because of Disney and worried the "Snow Birds" will head for other parts this Winter.

I don't know how this helps the Corporate Whores, because many of the prime Winter places for "Snow Birds" are gone or in devatation. I guess they think they'll just send them all to Orlando and other places when they call. :shrug:

My Mother-in-Law who just died used to spend her winters with three other widows in Vero Beach/Jensen Beach and "Barefoot Bay." They rented places there faithfully for 15 years switching between according to availability. Barefoot Bay is a disaster area according to PBP and so where would they have been "forwarded to" if they called?

It's hard to know what these faithfuls will do for the Winters. To say nothing for relatives we have in other places in Florida who have been suffering through so much of this...

I think media is making a mistake. FGS don't some of those reporters and fat cats even on CNBC have condos or relatives who live there or rent there? How can they keep quiet about this?

[madfloridian]

10. There are still people here in motels and hotels from that area.

We are in Central Florida, and all the motels here are full....they have been since Charley and Frances. Some of the people staying here for weeks and weeks are quite wealthy and from Palm Beach. They have been here a long time.

It really worried our kids around the country that we really could not evacuate if we had to. Hotels and motels are booked up through TN.

[rppper]

11. good luck my florida bretheren.....from daytona beach

daytona and volusia in general were hard hit, but polk county bore the brunt of all 3 storms...charley, frances and jeanne...and they have never got completly back on track from any of them. hang in there guys, my prayers are with you.....

although we were spared a lot of the home damage of polk county, volusia and daytona's economy is largely tourist orientated. we are down to something like 40% capacity for our beachside hotels...and it looks like it will be this way for 2 to 4 months. this is very bad news for us with 2 major events...biketoberfest, the 3rd largest motorcycle rally in the US and the turkey rod run, a huge hot rod show lasting a week, both happening within the next 60 days. over a quarter of a million people visit anually for these two events...each...these events are huge for the hotels and beachside and all the cities involved. many peoples livelyhoods depend on these events. this too seems to have missed by the national news.

the adams mark/boardwalk, the largest beachside hotel and development area in daytona, which the city spent billions creating for the tourists and events, are in shambles and will not be ready untill nearly february, when speed weeks happens(the daytona 500). and you can prety much count out all of the canadian and northern US snowbirds who come down in november and december as well. our beaches, once wide enough to drive on all day, are devestated and have been eroded to the point where high tide now laps at the buildings and low tide gives you about 20 yards of beach.

people outside the state have no clue about the long term effects these storms will have. thank god this weekend was storm free...it was the first in 6 weeks....a well needed break to say the least.