"Gene Kearns" wrote:
On 19 Sep 2004 09:45:22 -0700, (anchorlt)
wrote:
The hurricanes to hit both Florida coasts and the eastern Gulf Coast
have left undetermined damage to channel markers and unknown areas of
shoaling in the ICW (and some areas offshore), along with severe and
widespread damage to shoreside facilities.
Any cruising plans for the Florida ICW and eastern Gulf Coast ought
now to be reconsidered and postponed for at least several years.
The only area still good for cruising in Florida is the Keys, at least
for the timebeing.
I saw this same kind of crap when Fran and Bertha hit us here in
NC.... the media picked this up and carried the banner of nothing but
devastation, floating bloated pig bodies, and human and industrial
wastes fouling the coastal area.
True, my small local community lost 52 houses on the oceanfront and
there was widespread damage. The water flowing down the Cape Fear
didn't look all that clean, but the ensuing fishing was the best in
years.
Before the next tourist season rolled around, all of the significant
repairs were made and business was back to normal.... it'll be the
same an FL. As someone else noted, the hurricane(s) didn't hit
*everywhere*.
Last fall (Sept 2003) when Isabel came through a lot of coastal areas
were devastated in the Chesapeake and NC. When we started south in
October, I asked about it on the way down.
The Corps of Engineers had worked like fury to clear the trees from
the Dismal Swamp canal, the free docks in Elizabeth City had been
rebuilt, although it took awhile longer for there to be any fuel
available there and the insurance adjusters were still there (Fred the
Rose Buddy had a giant pecan tree down in his yard.)
The Helmsman restaurant in Belhaven had a new 'notch' on their door
post for the height of the water in Isabel, and Robb's marina docks
looked like that bridge that shook itself apart. The free docks in
Oriental had been rebuilt although the tidal surge had been up 10 feet
over them.
Put it was still possible to go down the ICW even though the damage
was far more widespread IMHO than it has been in Florida.
grandma Rosalie