Tom,

>Hope all is well with you and your family. When you can give us an update. I saw some clips on the television news. Having been stationed at Orlando Air Force Base in 1960-61, I "enjoyed" Hurricane Donna. I could write a book about that experience!!!

Thanks for asking. Yes, everything at our house in St. Petersburg is just fine. Since the storm came ashore about 150 miles south of Tampa Bay, our worst fears did not come true. The devastation in Punta Gorda and other areas near Ft. Myers, however, is very bad. Also, all across the state there are areas of severe damage, and there were deaths in over 6 counties -- not just in Punta Gorda.

We rode out the storm in our motel in Orlando, with my son and I standing out in the wind and rain with a few dozen others until it reached probably 30 MPH. Then, as the eye passed to our east, we watched out the motel window as winds whipped up to 80-90 MPH -- hoping that the small tree bending down over our car did not break and hoping that the high-power lines over the parking lot didn't come down.

I began to get more concerned when I could feel the windows flexing in and out during the worst of it, so we hunkered down until it passed (about an hour of very strong winds and rain).

Amazingly, we didn't lose power or internet service during the entire episode, although the cable TV kept losing its satellite signal again and again.

The two-hour drive back home took about 6 hours on Saturday, because the interstate was so clogged with everyone else who had also fled to Orlando.

Punta Gorda and other areas hit hardest will need lots of help to get back on their feet.