GainesvilleMoms.com

Oh, I am guess that I maybe the only mom here that is currently living in the panhandle of florida. With that being said, I would like to tell everyone EXACTLY what is going on up here. We are getting panicky up here because every local new broadcast keeps telling us how much this storm is like Hurricane Katrina paths was. Price gauaging has already started, gas rose 12 cents a gallon here because of the threat of the storm. We have been told that tomorrow is our decision day-meaning where and if we need to envacuted. People have stocked up on food, filled up there cars,trucks, and extra gas cans. It is a strangest just hearing this afternoon that there is another storm behind this coming as well. I will keep Gainesville posted and cann't wait to move back there. Debi

Wow, Debi. I'll be praying for your family's safety. Hopefully the storm isn't that bad, but after Katrina I can see how everyone would rather be overprepared. Were you living in the panhandle during Ivan? I know that one was pretty bad up there as well. Good luck to you and keep everyone posted.

On that note, is everyone watching Hanna? Seems like she could come right at Florida as well next week. Hope everyone's still got all their water and batteries from Fay!

Hi Sarah, I wasn't here with Ivan but have lived here in the past with other hurricanes. Ivan was bad here in the panhandle of florida. Here in Gulf Breeze, we are just outside of Pensacola. It is an island just 3 miles wide. After Katrina, many of my friends lost everything here, it took over a year for some just to get back into there homes. Then came Ivan, I drove down here about 2 months after Ivan. I was shocked at how much trash was still piled on the side of the roads. The trash companies took forever to get it picked up because of the amount of trash. Housing went threw the roof, a $99,000.00 house before the storm then costs $179,000.00 because of the demand for housing. There were price gauaging on repairs of roofs. For example a basic roof should have cost $5,500. to $8,000. for a small house around a 1000 square feet, then it costs were more in the $12,000.00 price range. This was sad to me and hard for me to believe that the insurance companies paid it.
Since moving here last year, I have been wanting to go to New Orleans and see the town again. I haven't been able too because my daughter has been so sick and having to make so many times to Shands Hosptial. I am praying for us here along the Gulf Coast, so many systems let them down. So many people died because of the storms. Tonight, as we put our children into bed lets us all pray for all of us to be safe during the storm.
As for Hanna, wow back to back storms so early in the season. There are still so many areas in florida that are still flooded from Fay. What is going to happen if Hanna dumps more rain into those areas? I just hope everyone stays safe.

New Update

While we are and have been under tropical storm warning for over 24 hours now. Our weather should be changing about late this afternoon with winds picking up and heavy rain falls. We are suppose to be getting around 60 miles per hour winds from this storm.
In my subdivison, it as quiet as a mouse. On my street, there are only 3 people including myself who haven't left because of the storm. We have our supplies and we are going to wait it out. Wish us luck Gainesville. On a better note, I will be in town this week looking at property! And yet we have 3 other systems heading towards florida. This is truly an active season.