FL - Should we go or cancel?
 

All of us with travel plans need help! Should we go to FL (Nov 12) or cancel? Reports here say power may be out "for weeks". We're staying on Singer Island. Was there widespread damage on the east coast in that area? FL people - let us know what the situation is there if you can.

Power out for weeks???

You got to be kidding......

On the news last night they said that some sections of Florida may be without electricity for three or four weeks!

If you believe that, then I have some BIG items to sell...........

Brooklyn Bridge
Eiffel Tower

and many, many more....

please make an offer :-D

Actually, a family member lives near Palm Beach county, and was told power could take a month. Doesn't mean it will, but I guess that's what the power company(ies) is reporting.

My brother lives in Lantana. Entire city is without power - they are being told 3-4 weeks for everyone to have power. No gasoline anywhere in area. Some businesses are open (even one supermarket). Some phones work, but most relying on cell phones - until the power runs out on them.

Not my idea of a good vacation spot.

ok folks, let's get the facts straight,

The report says that <b>it's possible</b> that <b>some parts</b> of Dade County <b>may not</b> have power until 11/15.

The report also states that most, if not all of Dade County will have power in 3 days or less.

palmbeachpost.com has been a good source of info in that area - I have been reading online version to my brother. They promise to have area-by-area info on power later today.

As one planning a trip to Florida next week, I found the Florida Power website (fpl.com). They list outages by county. Not encouraging. They also explain that it takes a long time to first fix the generators, transformers, stations that have been knocked out. Then they get to fixing downed lines so you can see it will take some time.

With that said, our hotel website gave some good (although conflicting) information. Telling guests they are closed until November 1st. Then there's an employee notice saying that their power is back on but that the hotel was closed &quot;indefinitely&quot;. So you don't know.

We'll go anyway since it's a business trip--if they say it's a go we go. And then on to the Bahamas which had no trouble.

Here's what happens in those instances.

The power company immediately puts out a report that power could be out for a month. That sets everyone up for the long haul. Then, no matter how long it takes to get power back, anything less than a month mkaes the power co. look good.

I'm betting 90% of people have power within a week. That's what happened last year on FL's east coast when the two hurricanes hit there. The power co. put out the one-month warning and had everyone on line in about 7 days.

As someone who went through this last year when we were impacted by feeder-bands and the southern edge of hurricane whats-is-name (how quickly we forget), the power situation is dire. The best that can happen is the power companies have to rely on phone calls and visual sightings of trees on lines to know where the problems are -- this is not easy. Anyway, with a much minor storm having hit here last year, there were still parts of our city that did not have power for weeks.

I posted this earlier on another posting:

At present time, one-third of Florida's entire population is without power, 3.2 million of those are in Miami-Dade, Broward, and south Palm Beach counties. Headline today's SPTimes: &quot;S. Florida Could Stay In the Dark for Weeks&quot;. There is an 8P-6A curfew -- for adults too! Gas station can't pump w/o elec. There is no ice, people stood in lines yesterday up to 6 hrs. to get ice. There were police barricading and pushing people away from the stadium who were trying to get in to get ice. FLL &amp; W. Palm airports were sclosed yesterday.

Stay away for your own safety and well-being. Naples seems to have faired better but honestly, who wants to travel in an area where trees are down EVERYWHERE? There are more pleasant areas in Florida and if you must come to Florida, go where that storm did not go.

With all due respect to AAFreqFly (whose posts are always informative and accurate) - the situation in Palm Beach and adjacent counties really does seem that bad. For some reason having to do with specifics of damage, it appears that power-related problems are far more severe than the 3 hurricanes that area endured last summer/fall.

Virtually all of Palm Beach county is still without power - and while OP asked about 2 1/2 weeks ahead and I would hope things will be approaching electric normalcy by then, who knows.

I am living in Miami and as I understand it, the eye of the hurricane exited between Palm Beach County and Broward County, hence they got hit the hardest. We were hit pretty hard and got our power back this morning. However, the dates they give are estimates.

I had to wait 5 hours for gas and that is getting there in the middle of the night - and I am not in the HARDEST hit areas. We bounce back fast, but lack of power, gas, eats, and things like that are beyond our control. Imo, Palm Beach won't be back by the 12th of November. The East Coast was actually hit HARDER than the West Coast of Florida (for some reason) However, check fpl.com and call the hotel you were going to stay in. Good luck!
Here is the latest from fpl.com as of this date and time:

Palm Beach
Out: 578,700
Restored: 84,800
Affected:663,500

Miami-Dade County
Out: 635,300
Restored: 321,200
Affected: 956,500

Broward County:
Out:709,800
Restored: 153,000
Affected: 862,800

Last I knew, Broward County (Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood, etc;) there was no water yet.

The East Coast was hit harder, because Wilma did something most hurricanes don't....she <i>picked up</i>speed and strength as she traversed the state.

PS Tandoori...that was Francis!!!!

Cira,

My heart goes out to everyone who was affected by Hurricane Wilma (and all the others previously as well). But we have a debate raging here at the office about why so many people seemed to be unprepared for this storm, when there was notice given several days in advance. We saw news clips of people screaming for food and water, but doesn't everyone (and especially those in hurricane-prone areas) have at least a 3-7 day supply at hand? It seems to us that many people who have been affected by these emergencies are now depending on government assistance as soon as the storm has passed and perhaps never felt the need to be prepared for a crisis.

Again, our thoughts &amp; prayers are with you.

We saw news clips of people screaming for food and water, but doesn't everyone (and especially those in hurricane-prone areas) have at least a 3-7 day supply at hand?

That's a nice thought Leona but most assuredly not true. There seem to be two types of people, those who feel it's their responsibility to take care of themselves and those who feel someone else, particularly the government, should take care of them. And before I get slammed for that statement, I do realize there are those who cannot provide for themselves.

I have lived in hurricane country most of my life (although we left for good this year) and it is evident after each storm that some people will simply never prepare, no matter how many times they are warned to do so. They complain two days after a disaster that they don't have food, water or medicine and they expect someone to provide it to them. And let's face it, someone usually does, whether it be volunteer organizations or FEMA.

This brings to mind post from a few days ago asking what disaster preparations has everyone made.

I agree that few should be crying for supplies 24-48 hours post-disaster unless they have some severe disability or their house blew or washed away.

My sympathies to those living thru this - no electricity gets very old after a few days.

Hoping Cira will respond...

We are to be at the Trump Sonesta Sunny Isles beginning next Tuesday for a business conference. Would you be concerned? They have power and water and they're open. My concern is more for taxis, rental cars, food, etc. I know they need the revenue but do you think they'll be able to do for us what we would expect from a business conference? Seems trivial compared to your inconveniences. I'm just trying to figure out if my husband's firm is just contributing to the problem by sticking to its original plan--and some good marketing on the part of Trump's staff.

There is no excuse to not be prepared for AT LEAST 72 hours. When you are disabled and/or immobile, just like any other day, you can call someone or tell someone and they can do the footwork for you. Miamians/Floridians had almost six days to prepare. The ones going for water and ice, imo, want a handout OR they just plumb ran out of water and their ice melted. Simple as that. Judging from the people who go to SOME of these places, seemed to me, that they want something for nothing and either could not afford it at all EVER, or they wanted something for nothing.

Any info., as to when the Fort Lauderdale Airport will re-open ? Thanks for any assistance.

FLL is open, subject to the nightly curfew:
http://www.broward.org/hurricane/portairport.htm

Forgot to add that there are still plenty of flight cancellations to FLL, though. If you've got a ticket, check your airline's website.

CCrosner, hi! When is your husband going to be coming? There was an article in the paper today, www.herald.com where taxis were having problems getting gas. It all depends on the area and whether they have had power restored. If he needs a taxi, I would venture he would be okay, as they should have their tanks filled already. In terms of food, if mini-marts are open in the area, your husband should be okay. I suggest he call the Trump Sunny Isles and see what their situation is in the area, and inquire about whatever area your husband is going to. The worst problems right now is that some people are waiting 12-15 hours for gas, and that many people cannot go to work (including Air Traffic Controllers) because they have no gas. The majority of our Publix and Winn-Dixie supermarkets are open, but many are not selling anything like ice or cold meats. Good luck. If you need anything else, I will try to help best I can. :-)

Thanks, Cira. He's going to the Trump Sonesta on 11/1 and I'm arriving on 11/3. I was guessing that transportation would be the toughest part. And I can't figure out how the hotel could get food for its restaurants if others are having trouble. The hotel would be motivated to tell us that there are no problems since they want the revenue....are there restaurants open in the Sunny Isles area.

Thanks for that Herald.com link. The message board on it is very helpful!

Almost all the big problems are in the South Florida area. This is where the power outages and gas shortages are. More power is being restored each day, that means more gas stations are pumping and stores are opening. I understand from the news most Wal-Marts in the south are open.
The remainder of the Sun Shine State is ok. All the Parks in the Orlando area opened the afternoon of the storm, by three PM the sun was shining and the sky was blue. Most of the damage in the south was on the east side (Miami), the storm came in from the west moving to the east, well south of the Naples area. The Everglades took the biggest hit when it came on shore. If you are going to the southern areas, call to check on any problems in the immediate area you are going to visit. If no answer, oh well!!!!

Ccrosner, while I understand that if you call Trump Sonesta they MIGHT tell you that all is well, I doubt it. Tell you why, if things are THAT bad there and in the area, they are not going to want conventions, business-people, or visitors going to an area that they know will provide only hardships for them. Here is the information for the Sunny Isles Chamber of Commerce, we can only hope they provide enough and good information for you to make a decision. Also, you might try Sunny Isles Fire Rescue Department. They can probably provide the best info, imo.

Here is their website too:

Miami-DADE Fire Rescue
(786) 331-5000 (As for sunny
isles fire rescue # if applicable.
[email protected]

The place your husband and you will be staying at:
http://www.sonesta.com/SunnyIsles/


http://www.flgoldcc.org/
Florida Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce,
Serving the Communities of: Surfside-Bal Harbour- Bay Harbor Islands - Sunny Isles Beach -North Bay Village- Golden Beach
1100 Kane Concourse #210
Bay Harbor, FL 33154
Phone: 305-866-6020

I know you may have accessed or thought of some, if not all of these places, but I wanted to provide the 411 just in case. Good luck! Have a safe trip and please touch base and let us know how it went. If you need more information, please feel free to ask. :-)

CCrosner: This is what their website says:

http://www.sonesta.com/SunnyIsles/page.asp?pageid=31910

Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort:
HURRICANE WILMA UPDATE

(Friday, October 28, 2005 - Miami, FL) -- Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort Sunny Isles Beach did not sustain any structural damage from Hurricane Wilma. We're happy to announce that full power has been restored and the hotel is operating.

For reservations, call 800-SONESTA (766-3782) or locally, 305-692-5600.

Many thanks to our guests, clients and employees for your support and cooperation during this situation.

Nonnigrace, I looked up a Singer Island website for you. However, as I told Ccrosner and others have suggested, it is best to call the place you are staying at, and even the non-emergency number for Singer Island Police or Palm Beach County Police Department and ask THEM how damaged (or not) the area you are going to is in. Don't forget to ask if they have a BOIL WATER order in place. Some counties have had it on and off.

Here is another number or website you may want to call or access respectively which may help.

www.singerislandtrolley.com
1-888-826-9046
561-881-8116
[email protected]

http://www.singerislandflorida.com/mainframe.htm

Hopefully by Nov. 12, things will be a bit better, however, it is best to call ahead. Here is the FPL.com information on Palm Beach County where Singer Island is located.

cira,
Thanks for all the good info. I had checked out the Sonesta website and the convention organizer has been told all will be fine (including food). I will check out those other suggestions later today but you are great to offer the help.

My husband leaves tomorrow so I'll have more info then. I was able to rent a Hertz car to pick up at FLL and am now just hoping to find a gas station to refuel. If worse comes to worse, we'll just pay the exhorbitant amount Hertz will charge to refuel themselves!

I'll let you know how we make out. Thanks again.

&quot;Trump ... did not sustain any structural damage from Hurricane Wilma. We're happy to announce that full power has been restored and the hotel is operating. &quot;

Somehow, I don't find this completely reassuring. A hotel with &quot;no structural damage&quot; could still have all its windows broken and a foot of water in the lobby.

Hi CCrosner!

Did your husband go down to Miami today? Please update us with his observations. Are you still going to join him?

How about you NonniGrace - is your trip on or off? We're trying to make the same decision, but I'm leaning toward going.

My brother is just outside FFL, and although he still has no power and the lack of traffic lights is wreaking havoc, he says routine is taking hold and &quot;life&quot; is returning to &quot;normal.&quot; I did call some South Beach establishments, as well, and the curfew has been lifted (according to them), and they are supposedly fully operational. Would love to hear some first-hand reports from travelers!

Things are starting to get back to semi-normal, with the exception of traffic, which is worse, because of traffic lights still being out. Miami Shores Publix just got power yesterday. The further north of Miami you go, the more uncomfortable it is, for now. Reports are, the hardest hit areas are: Pompano Beach and Coral Springs. However, NO area of South Florida was spared. EVERY area was hit in some way and damages vary. I encourage people from visiting our beautiful area, but, depending on where you are going to go and stay and roam around to, unless you like sitting in traffic for 2 hours, Dec. 1 would be a much better time, seeing as by then, imo, things will be more comfortable for visitors. Remember that road signs and expressway signs have been blown away and may not be replaced for months. Hard to navigate around cities (if you are doing it yourself) with proper signage. Good luck.

THanks, Cira.

We are staying at the Mandarin Oriental at Brickell Key... Have you heard anything? I know their pool is open and operating, but I'm not so sure about the beach.

It would be nice to delay, but it's hard if you have kids' schedules and babysitters, as well as your own, to juggle around. Plus we are coordinating with another couple - so who knows when we could all put it together again! :)

For us it's just a &quot;weekend away.&quot; I'm so sorry for all the people who have had their lives disrupted by this dreadful hurricane season. Thank you for being such a big help to all the travelers here. Hope you have good luck with the recovery.

Called Palm Shores Resort on Singer Island yesterday (RCI) and they are CLOSED til at least the END of November. RCI has been USELESS with the situtaion!! Did not notify us and is charging us an additional $150 to find another place - -IF they have any other places - which they DO NOT!!
Don't EVER get involved with RCI !!

Dreamer, I haven't heard anything about the MO having any damage other than minor vegatation. I also beleive they have full power and are up and running. Have you called?

Dreamer2--
My husband flies to Miami later today so I'll have a report tomorrow. We are still going as his business trip is on.

Heard from our Delray Beach friend finally today. She had left after the storm to spend the week in Daytona. Now back and says it's still a bit chaotic (lots of cleanup still, traffic, etc.) but that much of the power is on and that is helping the gas line situation (fewer people need gas to power their generators!). She says it's very sad to see all of the vegetation damaged. I'll post tomorrow.

Do any of you know if the Ritz Cartlon in Key Biscayne is nice and a good SPA? Trying to plan a 3-4 day stay for Xmas week with a friend who is sick..any feedback would be appreciated.

Hi CCrosner!
How was your trip to Miami?! Anything I should be aware of before we go?