>SNIP
>>I went through Hugo on the S. Carolina coast and that was the last time that will happen to me...I'll be far, far away next time...lucky to have survived it....
>
>Isn't that the way it goes? Too many want to experience a hurricane UNTIL they actually DO and then it's NO MORE HURRICANES. Having been through 4 of 'em, I completely sympathize! I'm tired of replacing shingles, cutting trees, and cleaning up just to be able to drive out of the driveway afterwards! No electrical power during and afterwards is no joy either. The worst was Fran which sent a nice big pine tree into my car and went right through my rear window! Enough of that!
>
>Tracy

Tracy;

I am with you!

Welcome to Orlando Air Force Base Florida. I was 18 and about to enjoy the experience of my first Hurricane – Donna. I worked at the Base MARS Station to provide communications. I immediately established myself as the Disaster Control Net control Station as I was a member of the Red Cross team in San Francisco and well trained. I had to wade through water five feet deep to activate the Diesel Generator to provide emergency power when all went black. The water was from the Hurricane.

I worked 72 hours without a break except for water – no food or sleep. I asked radio amateur and military stations all over Florida to give their barometric pressure so we could plot the course of the Hurricane. It seemed like a good idea and it paid off! We tracked the barometric pressure and established Donna was headed for Orlando – straight up the middle of the state. I never saw barometric pressure so low before or since that event!

My buddy at Homestead Air Force Base who was another military/amateur radio operator was in his shack when the hurricane hit him. The building he was in collapsed and he spent six months in the hospital being put back together.

After 72 hours I was given 4 hours off so I ate my first meal and slept. Then another 72 hour shift just like the last one. Our Air Force Base had up to date information about wind, barometric pressure, etc. The local radio station said, “Winds at 20 knots”! There were very wrong! The winds were 120 knots so I called them and they laughed at me. They told me, “Impossible”! A few minutes later they were off the air and called me back. They had lost their 400 foot tower! In my spare time I worked at that station and a local television station as I held an FCC Radio Telephone First Class License, which was required in those days to be a Broadcast Engineer.

Then Donna hit and hit hard! My NCOIC was from the Everglades and experienced when it came to things like Hurricanes. As I recall he had us open the west facing widows of our building about an hour before the eye hit us. Palm trees 40 feet tall went sailing horizontally about 40 feet above ground and landed about 150 yards away. I am talking about hundreds of trees sailing through the air. I remember saying to myself, “It looks like the Jolly Green Giant at work”! Pine trees went over and lost branches, which became projectiles. Due to the deep root structure of Pine’s most of the trees stayed anchored in the sand, which comprises the soil of that area. The concrete block steel reinforced building stood firm and our wood peaked style roof was jumping up and down about 3” off the walls but did not blow away.

When the eye of the storm hit it was so beautiful looking up and you could see the whirling clouds all around you. All was calm – for about 90 minutes. As soon as the eye was over us we closed the west facing windows and opened the east facing windows. The opening and closing of windows was important. You wanted to keep out the wind driven rain and not cause a problem between the outside and inside pressure, which could cause your building to collapse.

The Hurricane finally left and we remained on alert for another 48 hours. Then the fun of “Clean Up” began. We worked for weeks with axes chopping the remains of trees, which covered every inch of ground at the Air Force Base and were 4 feet high. When we finally got to leave the Base to go to town we saw new houses that were blown over like a house made of playing cards.

The worst thing I remember about the Hurricane was the fact we were on Red Alert for more than 72 hours before it hit. We did not know if we would be in the Hurricanes path or not. That feeling of anticipation and anxiety was horrific! I mentioned to those around me, “I would rather go through an Earth Quake, as there is no warning”! They thought I was crazy!

Having been through Hurricane Donna and the October 17th, 1989 Earth Quake in the San Francisco Bay Area, I still believe that not knowing disaster is about to strike has a positive side. Being in any disaster is not fun!

I promised to never return to Orlando, Florida. I took our son and daughter to Disney Land but never to Disney World!

Because of my action during Hurricane Donna, I was credited with saving over 2000 civilian lives. A few months later I received a Hardship Discharge to help my mother who was gravely ill, and my brother who was in high school. A few months after my Discharge from the Air Force I received three Accommodations from the Air Force. I remember the words, “We hope these Accommodations will help you in your Air Force Career”! The joy of being a civilian!

Two years later my mother was well and I went back to the Air Force and had many adventures which did not include Hurricanes!

Tom