Jump to content
Hamer Fan Club Message Center

Sheltering people and Hamers from the wrath of Flo


Biz Prof

Recommended Posts

As most residents of Eastern NC clog the highways in compliance with mandatory evacuation orders, I have the sober realization that many might return a few days from now to not much more than a debris field. A sad prospect and totally out of their control.

I am located south of Raleigh, largely protected from Flo's fiercest energy, but certainly in the path of tropical storm winds, a biblical deluge, and flying debris. Earlier, I began contemplating how to best protect both my family and a few cherished items from the gales and a few massive pines that loom within reasonable striking distance from my house. The wife, kids, and I will hunker along the interior wall of the living room, away from any windows. Three USA Hamers will pulled from my upstairs music room stash and placed in an interior closet, where they should (theorectically) be protected from any roof damage. In the end, my family's safety is paramount, but it will do my soul good to know my favorite guitars will emerge unscathed even if my roof doesn't. Turns out, I really am sentimental about them.

Good luck to the rest of you in Flo's path. She appears to be in a take-no-prisoners posture and is coming to call in the next 24 hours. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All the best to all of you in harm’s way this week.  I had tickets for  Dillon Fence/Connells show in Raleigh on Saturday and was going to drive down from DC...they postponed it by noon today.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have always tried to stay out of Flo's way......

Okay, seriously, be safe out there! I hope this is less damaging than predicted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Flo is projected to be a real monster of a storm at landfall.   I'm hearing a handful of typically calm and rational folks invoke the term "biblical flooding" from this storm's surge which will be hitting an already saturated coastal area.

For those in the path - please get to somewhere safe. 

Prayers to all in the area.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

** If you live in an area that is vulnerable to inland flooding, elevate your guitars in the closet. Put a bureau or a dresser in the closet and stack them on that. Storm-associated flooding kills more guitars down our way than hurricane force winds or flying debris.

** Your dishwasher clamps closed, it's likely bolted to your cabinet top and it is watertight. So utilize it as an oversized vault for safekeeping of important documents, heirloom photos, Klon Centaurs and original TS808s and TS-9s.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On a pseudo related note, here's a rare bird restoration from my shop's Facebook page from just last week ... just to show you the resiliency of storm-damaged guitars ...

A cleanup volunteer fished this from a muddy debris pile somewhere here in town during the massive city-wide floods in 2016. The flooded out, sludged guitar then sat in the volunteer's open garage in St. Bernard Parish for the last two years, baking, festering and warping ... until a couple weeks ago when it was gifted to yours truly. It is spit-shine clean compared to how it looked when it walked in - there were live spiders under the pickguard. Oddly enough, the electronics still work and the pickups meter strong at about 8.9K each. Anyway, 99 percent of the Western guitar playing world would see this is as a hopeless heap. Fans of Hofner Guitars of Germany, however, see it as an insanely rare 1964 Hofner Model 188 28" scale six-string BASS. Pot codes date 44th week of '63. Yes, a mid-60s tremolo-equipped and baritone scale response to Fender's rare-in-its-own-right Bass VI, by Europe's equivalent of Fender and Gibson in that era. It's fair to say not many of these were made nor sold worldwide in the eight years they were shown in the Hofner product catalog. These things are so rare, I had to make up a "set" of mixed bass and guitar strings just to get proper tension on the neck. On that note, we've completed the hardest part of the job - a week-long steaming and clamping out of the worst neck warp I've seen in three decades of working on guitars. The neck was as bent as a long bow, backwards, and I'm still working on it. But it appears this thing is going to come back to life. Our next challenge ... finding suitable keys and bridge (the originals were MIA) and finding an amp upholsterer who can restore that lipstick red faux gator vinyl body wrap and eggshell white seam piping.

40910876_1914198465548995_88702002132942

41051515_1914198835548958_86400077602781

40903484_1914198535548988_32136389706173

40823343_1914198648882310_39139765998961

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am in the same general area as Biz Prof. Fortunate to have a walkout basement where we can hunker down. Will case everything up and put it in an unfinished area of the basement at the front of the house. Trees could be a problem. 

It is looking like our prospects are improving with the updated forecast track but better safe than sorry. Stay safe, y'all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Prayers and positive thoughts go out to you and your family Jon.

Hopefully this hurricane isn't as bad as Harvey that hit us last August 25th.

We had a little damage,but Port Aransas and Rockport got destroyed.

I'm still doing glass work that is a result of last years damage.

Hope all goes well for all those in Flo's path.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hey..   good luck and prayers to all of you in Flo's path.  I'm in South Louisiana (Baton Rouge) and the combination of Katrina, Rita, and Gustav dealt their blows to my house (esp Katrina).  All was well in the end save a lot of repairs and lots of trees gone.  Hurricane season for me = anxiety.

Flo looks like a serious bitch.  Lot's of good advice above.  I always have my shit & git kit ready if I have to evacuate, including an idea of which fiddles I'd stuff in the SUV.  (much harder decision these days as I have added quite a few more since those storms!)   The rest are always tucked away in an interior walled storage closet.. large enuf for what I have, and elevated. 

Stay Safe!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I tell people about Charley, Ivan, Frances and Jeanne.  August 13th to September 26th in 2004.  All four hit me pretty hard.  I'm in between the Atlantic Ocean and Orlando.  I tell people about how my giant oak tree fell the morning after Charley.  It wasn't a huge gust of wind.  The tree just had all it could take the night before.  The stump circumference was 53 inches wide.  It was the only time I remember standing next to my bed and having no idea how I got there.  My dog was shaking on my bed.  How it missed my house is a mystery.  That morning, my faith in God was reaffirmed.  

Don't mess with hurricanes, my friends.  I'm in a high spot that doesn't flood.  And I'm not leaving my homestead for any storm.  But I'm 20 miles from the coast and I'm not that bright.  Irma was vastly overstated on my street last year.  But I did get a new roof for the cost of my deductible.

Florence is the latest "bitch".  I wish all in her way safety and resilience.  I hope the weather folks are overstating the threat, again.... 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a live camera from a North Carolina lighthouse: https://www.cnn.com/specials/live-video-3

The Atlantic has a very, "I want to harm you" vibe to it. I'm glad my daughter is stationed in the Pacific.

I know all of you in harms way are being careful and doing what needs to be done, hopefully it won't be as bad as its been made out to be and everyone will be safe when it has passed and faded. We're keeping a good thought for all of you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was all set to write a term paper here on why storm surge is such a little bitch, but y'all know that.

I'll just say that I worked Hurricane recovery operations for the Navy in my last job. I was at the shore in Biloxi two weeks before Katrina and again two months later.

My professional advice to you if you are in the path of the surge, get out. Get out now.

Water weighs 62.4 pounds per cubic foot multiplied by 10 feet of storm surge multiplied by 5280 feet per mile multiplied by however many miles across the stormfront (100, 200, ?)  multiplied by however many feet (miles) the surge extends out to sea...

all moving at 10+ miles per hour.

If you have ever belly-flopped off a hi-dive, you know water doesn't change direction very easily, exacting a heavy toll for any change in inertia. It will exact its toll on the way inland, but even more so when all the debris from the incoming wave gets trapped up in the flow and works like a giant bulldozer to sweep everything back into the Ocean.

Sound like fun to you?

GET OUT. GET OUT NOW!

 

 

#okaysoitwasalittletermpaper

#ifuckinghatehurricanes

#youknowhowcajunboyfeelsaboutsnakesandmustard

#itslikethatonlyworse

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...