Thinking of you Harpgirl, and hoping you are safe.

We still don't have any word of my aunt,uncle and cousins. We assume they are safe. Uncle William & Aunt Cat, and one of my cousins all live in Satellite Beach/Indian Harbour. Both families evacuated to another cousin's house on higher ground in Melbourne proper. Guess we just have to wait for power or cell towers to go back up. My aunt and uncle in West Palm evacuated to cousins in Atlanta. The Sarasota contingent are, of course, all fine. So far, it seems, property damage, (thankfully) will be the issue in Florida, and not loss of life. Did my heart good to see so many people have the sense to obey the evacuation orders.

The potential flooding as Frances moves up through the southeast is probably a bigger threat to life. Poor southern West Virginia has been devastated repeatedly by floods the last few years (thanks to surface mining.) And it looks like the storm will track straight up through the southern Appalachians in Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia. The power of flash floods in all those hollows is mindboggling.

Annie & I spent the weekend in Williamsburg, Va, and were getting some rain and wind from the East, which was associated with Frances. The power and scope of the forces of nature is as awesome it is awful.

Makes ya' feel kinda puny, doesn't it?

Janie