Hurricane Charlie - August 2004

(6) Sticks stuck into Roof, from 2" diameter to as small as 1/2" diameter, yet they still penetrated my steel roof. This picture shows the tar I plastered around each, to stop leaks. Later, after the next storms and more leaks showed up I discovered many more small sticks stuck thru the roof over the indoor pool, bedrooms and dining room. Now, in Oct. I still have not had time to clear the rest of the pine needles, as waiting for an Insurance Adjuster, if they ever show!

2" Stick stuck through steel L.R roof, with hardly any loss of bark. It was the main source of water damage, as it had a stream of water the size of your thumb coming off the end of it, until I could get up on roof and buildup a tar dam around it. The carpet was extremely wet for 10 X 20 feet and we spent endless hours mopping up water with all available towels, until the power finally came back on Sunday and we could use the vacuum.

BMW only got a deep dent in the sun roof, a long skidding dent on the hood and a small dent above door, even though an 8" diameter tree top fell within a feet to left and (2) fell in front of the car (see below shot). The small branch on the left leaning against the mansard was the one I removed from the roof and was the cause of the obvious roof perforations.

A few of our (15) topless trees, our source of hurricane missles!

The closest call of the flying tops fortunately fell short of the roof, with the end up. Two others were stacked on the ground infront of and to the side of the BMW but not visible as I had started sawing them up so I could get the big one off of the mansard. When I had it cut down to just 5 support limbs (the scary part of which to cut without getting killed as it rolled over) 5 nice guys from an Emergancy Aid truck came and helped push it over to the ground.

Tree top fell across drive and neatly took off the bumper but no body damage to either car, except a flying stick did crack the windshield of the Olds. My Caddy did get a few skid dents as branches flew over it. In all, there were three trees across driveway and the yard so full I had to clear a path to drive out through the ditch.

Tall uprooted pine sliced my large plum tree in half, as it fell across the driveway. The winds broke most of the rest of the plum tree to the ground.

In all, an nearly harmless effect, due to lots of luck, considering over 20 trees either fell or were topped out by the 80 MPH winds. ( Our town later reported their wind gauge failed at 130MPH and blew off its mount)!The pines are about 40 years old so are close to 8" diameter below branches (where they snap off) and over 12" at the base. They lay all around the house yet only one small 4" branch actually landed on the roof (source of sticks thru roof) and an 8 inch diameter "top" fell and lended against the mansard, just in front of the BMW, with minor damage to the mansard. If it had landed on the roof, its weight would surely have crippled the roof beams and forced it all the way down into the carpet and slab! During Charlie, it sounded like a 6 lane bowling alley on the roof, as debrie rolled across it. The other storms just added more water for the leaks, so getting some serious mold at this time.

The cleanup will go on for weeks, inside and out, as I have piles of papers and catalogs that needed sorting and are now spread allover to dry - surely a lot can be discarded but they must be sorted out, as I did find a $295 check from 2003 that had never been cashed!

Well, here it is Oct. and still trying to get insurance appraiser out and stuff sorted! The front yard was cleaned up by my neighbor (heavy equipment contractor) but the back is still full of felled trees!

Fred Peschel, 3516 Delilah Drive, Cape Coral, FL 33993