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Disaster Information from US Senator for North Carolina
Friends and Neighbors,
This week, North Carolina will be experiencing severe weather, including strong winds and a large amount of rainfall as Hurricane Florence makes landfall. There is potential for power outages and major flooding in low-lying areas, and the most important thing you can be doing is to start preparing for a direct hit. This includes:
- Having emergency supplies in place at home, at work and in the car, including bottled water, nonperishable food items for three to seven days for each family member, prescription medications, first aid kits, flashlights, and extra batteries.
- Creating an emergency communication plan with your family before the hurricane. Know where family members will be during the storm and how to get in touch with them.
- Checking your insurance coverage and gather important documents.
- Knowing your local evacuation plan and how to receive alerts.
Instructions on how to plan and prepare for severe weather as well as access to real-time weather, flooding, traffic and shelter information can be found at ReadyNC.org. I also want to make sure you have important contact information available if you need to deal with power outages or any emergencies.
- For life-threatening emergencies, call 911.
- For a toll-free hotline to speak with a trained specialist, call 211. They can provide you information on shelters, evacuation routes, storm clean-up, volunteer needs, and locating food and water. The service is available 24/7.
- For road closures, call 511.
- For Coast Guard search and rescue, call 1-757-398-6700.
- For help finding fuel/gas, visit gasbuddy.com or download the app.
- For shelter locations, visit redcross.org or call 888-892-1162.
- For volunteer opportunities, visit nvoad.org.
If you have trouble contacting emergency officials, my staff can be reached at (704) 589-7493.
Below is additional information I hope you find helpful, please pass it along to family and friends.
Stay safe,
Power Outages
Customers may also report an outage or view current outages using the online outage map. Duke Energy also will provide updates on Twitterand Facebook to keep customers informed if significant outages occur.
Crews will work as fast as possible to restore power. Please call your local power company for more information (See below).
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Prepare For The Coming Storms by Bill Parlatore
Our thanks to Bill Parlatore for permitting Cruisers’ Net to post articles from his excellent blog, Following Seas.
Prepare For The Coming Storms by Bill Parlatore
Get ready for some nasty storms on the U.S. East Coast. Pam Wall shares some good information about how best to prepare. And take these storms seriously.Be the first to comment!
Shared Photo – Sunrise at Great Bridge Bridge, Great Bridge , VA
Great Bridge Bridge – Now Open
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Cruisers’ Comments on ICW Navigation Post-Florence
Katrina Greenwood
Drifting sands/shoaling will change inlets and on the ICW, creating maps to be inaccurate.
Docks won’t have power. No pump out. Marinas may be closed completely. Stores may not open again and be stocked with supplies you needSally Grant Grave
I came down after Hugo and we had to go outside quite a bit. Difficult passage, but the places that had managed to open back up were so very grateful to see us!Kathy Kelly Kennedy
Bridges on the ICW are already closed in SC. we are stuck in Myrtle Beach.Clarkson Rollins
I always go outside at Beaufort NC. Plan it right seas decent and wind good for a broad reach. Then come in at Jacksonville St Augustine or Coco.Roger Long
I just heard the head of the Katrina recovery task force say to expect everything east of interstate 95 in NC and SC to remain largely uninhabitable for at least weeks and possibly months. I’m trying to imagine ICW conditions 6 – 8 weeks from now and wondering where we will be. Wilmington at Thanksgiving was the plan but that looks subject to change. Bridges and inlets will be big problems. The swing bridge at Isle of Palms was blown off its mounts in Hugo and I can imagine places like Lockwood’s Folly and Shallotte being filled right in.Comments from Cruisers (1)
- Reply to Laura
We moved our boat from Jarrett Bay to Spooners Creek Marina yesterday with no problems. We went slow but saw only a little debris in the water in the port turning basin in Morehead. All Nav aids seemed to be in the right place.
Power is quickly being restored in most places and people are helping their neighbors clean up. We aren’t New Orleans. Eastern NC is resilient and will be back in business soon.
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Unhappy with NC ICW Bridge Restrictions!
Laura, you are not alone in your sentiments. I doubt if there is a single boater among our readers who has not felt exactly the same frustration at one or more of the old bascule and swing bridges along the Waterway, not just in North Carolina. In our navigation of the Ditch, we always tried to make bridge and lock schedules a game testing our on-water planning against tides and boat speed. We also became very adept at dropping the hook to wait for an opening when arriving early. We do not want to lose Laura as a Waterway cruiser, so, if you have suggestions for her that might make bridge schedules less stressful, let us hear from you!
And don’t forget that all bridge schedules are listed by state on our Homepage.We have absolutely nothing against the State of NC, we love some of their cities and very dear friends abide in that state, but we do abhor their ridiculous ICW bridge restrictions. They open only on the hour and then we have to call to awaken the bridge tender to remind him it’s time to open. A few of these bridges are 4 miles apart so only the slowest sailboat would find that beneficial. Opening takes less than 5′ for traffic to stop, yet we wasted almost 2 hours of our day as well as fuel, just treading water awaiting the ‘appointed time’. There are lots of places we can spend our money, but it won’t be traversing NC’s ICW again.
Laura Lane Bender
Kindred Spirit III
Grand Banks 42 ClComments from Cruisers (2)
- Reply to Mike
We always review the bridge schedules and set our speed to arrive close to scheduled openings. It’s not a big deal and simply good seamanship. We always call every bridge to let them know we wish to pass. They do not always assume every boat wants to go through and some keep track by name of all boats. Therefore, it’s not because they are sleeping. It’s because they don’t open at the appointed time if no one requests an opening. We’ve found nearly all bridge tenders to be professional, helpful and courteous. Mutual respect works both ways.
We feel very fortunate in our lives that we can boat at our leisure and thus we lack the sense of entitlement that causes some to think bridges should open at their sole convenience. There are thousands upon thousands of vehicles crossing those same bridges every day with people commuting, working, on emergencies, making deliveries and myriad other important and necessary things. That somehow recreational boaters should be the center of the bridge universe inciting a tantrum is self-centered.
Waiting a few minutes because I erred in my TSD calculation is a small price to pay for not occupying one of those thousands of vehicles on the bridge who need to be there.
- Reply to Dave
I agree with Laura, the bridges in NC cause the most trouble on the trip from VA to FL. As noted, a few open on the hour only. Do not be late, even a minute in one place will have you waiting for the next opening. I have never had to remind one that it is time to open but sometimes you can tell that they are having a real bad day.
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Must-Have Hurricane Supplies
Our thanks to WPTV of West Palm Beach for this information
CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE LIST OF ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES
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Monday Minute – Where Do Old Boats Go? by Bill Parlatore
Our thanks to Bill Parlatore for permitting Cruisers’ Net to post articles from his excellent blog, Following Seas.
Monday Minute – Where Do Old Boats Go?
I attended the annual boat auction in St Michaels, and wonder about the fate of old boats that no longer have a meaningful purpose.Be the first to comment!
Fire at the Gulfport History Museum – Here’s how to help, City of Gulfport, Fl, Boca Ciega Bay
After this tragedy, the Gulfport Historical Society can certainly use our help to keep their important educational and environmental work going, see https://cruisersnet.net/173192. See below for how to help. Gulfport Municipal Marina, A CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, and the City of Gulfport always have a full calendar of events for all ages. The marina and harbor, found on the northern shores of Boca Ciega Bay, are easily accessible from the Western Florida ICW, just north of Tampa Bay.
Click Image to Enlarge
What a day this has been.
This morning, we had a fire at the Gulfport History Museum.
Most importantly, no one was hurt. This is the thing we must bear in mind as we move forward. No. One. Was. Hurt.
It could have been far, far worse. The quick actions of the Gulfport — and St. Petersburg — fire department spared most of the building as well as paper records and photographs. They risked their lives to save our town’s history this morning — if they hadn’t been so quick to act, everything would be lost. As it stands now, it looks like our main historic losses are the historic Shuffleboard Club sign and the Gulfport Historic Register sign (we’ll know more after the investigation is complete and we can conduct a full assessment). These things are not replaceable, and their loss is real and tragic.
Thanks, too, to the Gulfport PD for being on hand, assisting and apprehending a suspect.
We also want to thank everyone who stopped by to tell investigators what they saw, extend their sympathy and join with us in our communal heartbreak. We also want to thank representatives from Gulfport Beach Bazaar and Stella’s, and councilfolk Paul Ray and Christine Anne Brown, who wanted to see how they could help — along with countless others we’re probably too addled to properly thank.We were touched by all of your support, and also by the number of people asking how they could help. Thank you for the special trip you made to tell us you wanted to help; your kindness to us and reverence for our history touches us.
Finally, we want to thank the city staff who came in before 8 a.m. on their day off to help us with debris clearing and securing the museum. Your dedication to this community means more to us all than you will ever know.
We don’t know what lies ahead, but we’re still here. We’re just a little… charred… right now (here are some photos of what the inside of the museum looks like, and for those of you not in town, what damage the outside suffered).
We’re seeing a lot of talk on social media right now, about arson and who it might have been. Please remember the important things: no one was injured, the losses could have been far greater, and mental illness is a disease. It is our most sincere hope that if it was arson, whoever set the fire — for whatever reason — is able to get the help they need in a safe place. Our hearts break for them and what must be happening in their head.
While we can’t replace the historical items that were lost, we can take steps to further protect our records. Since Hurricane Irma swept through town almost one year ago exactly, we’ve had some big discussions on how to safeguard our town’s history.
What we know we need to do: We need to digitize all our photographs and records — which include historic maps, charts, property information, historic records of construction, property tax records, the Seabreeze and Gulfport Tribune… the list goes on and on. Quite frankly, it’s overwhelming to think about what needs to be done, in part because it’s beyond our immediate ability to do so.
There are, of course, services that can do this — Olive Software has met with us (along with the head of the library, David Mather) about digitizing the collection. They’ve done this for other local groups — take a look at how they’ve archived Dunedin’s records and made them searchable.
This is the most prudent course of action for the Gulfport Historical Society. It will keep our history preserved in perpetuity, safe from any act of nature (or person), and it makes it accessible to people not within striking distance of the physical museum. That means those of you who don’t live in Pinellas County would be able to look at all our records and pictures — and search them to find exactly what you wanted to find — anytime you wanted.
So what’s stopping us?
Excellent question.
Money. It’s all about money. To take the whole of our paper records and images, digitize them, give us a digital copy and maintain an online searchable database of Gulfport’s history is the best possible thing we, as a society entrusted with safeguarding the town’s history, could possibly do. However, the price tag is somewhere between $25,000 and $30,000.
Right.
We’d discussed hiring someone to do development to raise the money, but that’s not something to be taken lightly and the board hadn’t yet voted on this. So many people have asked us today, “What can I do?” it seems the best response we can give you is this:
Donate so we can afford to digitize our history. Insurance money will replace the porch. We can find great porch furniture somewhere (the last set was donated), and there’s nothing we can do to replace the two artifacts we lost today (and, again, how blessed were we to only lose two? Thank you so much, Gulfport and St. Pete firefighters), but we’ve now dodged two potentially devastating bullets: Hurricane Irma and the Labor Day Fire.
The third time, as they say, is the charm. That’s why we’re asking you to donate in case we aren’t lucky one more time. We don’t care if it’s $20,000 or 20¢; every penny helps.
Every. Penny. Helps.
You have trusted us with your history but we need your help to keep it truly safe. Please help preserve Gulfport’s history. Donate here.
We cannot do this without you.
I’m certain, in a week or two, our brilliant board will come up with donor gifts and rewards, but right now, tonight, it’s important we get your donation. It’s important we start to move forward on what we need to do — save Gulfport’s history for the future. This is why I’m asking you — without artifice, and without any glossy sales pitch — to please, please help us avoid losing everything.
Thank you for your support. As we say so often — and we mean it — we cannot do this without you.
Thank you, Gulfport.
Cathy
Cathy Salustri Loper, President, Gulfport Historical Society.
Copyright © 2018 Gulfport Historical Society, All rights reserved.
is is a new mailing list independent of the city. You may unsubscribe from this list at any time.Our mailing address is:
Gulfport Historical Society
5301 28th Avenue South
Gulfport, FL 33707Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Gulfport Municipal Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Gulfport Anchorage/Mooring Field
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ACTION ALERT – New Comments! Tell EPA How Much Ethanol Should Be In Your Fuel
The deadline for comments has passed, but you may still register your thoughts and read your fellow boaters’ comments on this page.
August 9, 2018
Dear BoatUS Member:
The battle to protect your boat’s engine is not over. Right now, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is asking for comments on the amount of ethanol that must be blended into the nation’s fuel supply for 2019. We urge you to Take Action now and tell the EPA to lower the amounts required to avoid harm to your boat’s engine.
Under the current proposal, boaters can expect to face higher-level ethanol fuel blends, such as E15 (15% ethanol), at more gas stations next year. The use of gas blends greater than E10 (10% ethanol) can cause significant damage to boat engines, and as a result can void boat engine warranties.About the RFS:
The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is the 2005 law that requires the blending of biofuels such as corn-ethanol into our gasoline. To meet this government mandate, in 2010 the EPA permitted E15 (fuel containing up to 15% ethanol) into the marketplace, but only for automobiles made in 2001 or after. The use of E15 in marine engines as well as snowmobiles, motorcycles, and small engines such as lawnmowers, chainsaws, and leaf blowers is prohibited. It has been proven that E15 will damage boat engines, making it vital that E10 and ethanol free gasoline is readily available.
The EPA recently published a report noting the significant potential for negative environmental impacts as a result of increased ethanol blends.
E15 and higher ethanol blended fuels can now be found in at least 29 states and sold at over 1,400 stations, often at the very same pumps as E10 gasoline. A single sticker on the pump mixed in with all the other labels is the only warning for E15 gasoline. This creates a dangerous potential for misfueling and puts boaters at risk of using fuel that will damage their engines and void their warranties.
Please take a few moments to urge the EPA to lower the ethanol mandates and ensure an adequate supply of fuel suitable for your boat is readily available. Take Action Now!
If you have any additional questions, contact BoatUS Government Affairs at GovtAffairs@BoatUS.com
Thank you for being a BoatUS Member!
David Kennedy
GovtAffairs@BoatUS.com
703-461-2878 x8363
Advocacy.BoatUS.comSpeak Up Now to Reduce the Chance of Putting Harmful E15 Fuel in Your Boat
Boaters need a safe supply of approved E10 and ethanol-free gasoline
WHAT: The battle to protect your boat’s engine is not over. Right now, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comments on the amount of ethanol that must be blended into the nation’s fuel supply for 2019 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is asking all boat owners to Take Action Now to have their voices heard.
WHY: E15 (15% ethanol) and higher-level ethanol fuel blends can now be found in at least 29 states and sold at over 1,400 stations, often at the very same pumps as E10 (10% ethanol) gasoline. Under the current EPA proposal, boaters can expect to see a greater volume of higher-level ethanol fuel blends dispensed at more gas stations, significantly increasing the chances for misfueling. Gasoline fuel blends greater than 10% ethanol are prohibited by federal law for use in recreational boat engines, will void many boat engine warranties, and can cause significant motor or fuel system damage.
Today, there is just a single, small warning sticker required on a fuel pump (among all the other pump labels) to prevent misfueling with E15. Combined with the EPA’s 2019 RFS proposal for more ethanol in the nation’s fuel supply, BoatUS believes these actions put boaters at greater risk of using fuel that could damage their boat’s engine and void the warrantee, and burden boat owners with expensive repair bills.
HOW: BoatUS asks recreational boaters to urge the EPA to lower the ethanol mandates. Take action now by clicking on: https://bit.ly/2vNZYB9
BACKGROUND: The RFS requires the blending of biofuels such as corn-ethanol into our gasoline. When it was passed in 2005, it assumed that America’s use of gasoline would continue to grow. Since then, however, gasoline usage has not increased as forecast, which today forces more ethanol into each gallon of gas. To meet this government mandate, in 2010 the EPA permitted E15 (fuel containing up to 15% ethanol) into the marketplace, but only for some vehicle engines. For more information, go to https://Advocacy.BoatUS.com.
Comments from Cruisers (18)
- Reply to Bill
I was under the impression that members of Congress were there to represent the people off the United States?
When is this going to commence? - Reply to Ken
Not only should we eliminate Ethanol in all gasoline, we should reduce the number of fuel blends that the energy companies have to create.
Get rid of all the political/EPA BS. - Reply to Bobby
Eliminate ethanol completely. It’s something we don’t need. One of the other posts said feed folks with the corn. I’d add one thing to that, don’t try to feed the public on the BS that ethanol is helping the environment. Do away with it in all fuel now!!
- Reply to Art
Corn is for consumption not to be burned in combustion engines. Stop this foolish charade about protecting the environment. How about feeding the hungry in our country and around the world.
- Reply to nick
ethanol is and has been a boondoggle from the start . I have run tests in my car and found that the gas mileage goes up considerably when running non ethanol gas. You should try it yourself, you would be amazed at the difference. I agree, that the price difference between non ethanol gas and the ethanol junk makes it hard to justify, but if you are driving in certain areas of the country it makes sense.
- Reply to )ohm
I’ve had to have my Honda outboard as well as my chains saws and weed eaters reworked from ethanol fuel probleso many times it’s unreal. This crap is creating. Boat engine problems with all our Boat inboard engines that can’t be easily replaced. Please repeal this money grabbing waste of a fuel additive as few if any other country in the world is doing so.
- Reply to Steve
You’d think there would be at least a few boaters in the EPA. If there are, they must be on the big diesel-powered yachts (without dinghies powered by gasoline outboards). Like many other problems we endure (i.e.health care, social security, etc), if members of congress were subject to the same rules and restrictions as ordinary citizens, none of these issues would exit.
- Reply to Prue
The use of ethanol is dangerous to boaters, destroys marine engines, and actually consumes more energy in its production than it provides as a fuel. Thus its use is environmentally unsound. There has even been talk of adding it to diesel fuels which would render them as ecplosive as gasoline. Ethanol – a total sham in the name of environmentalism. Shame!
- Reply to Timothy
None
- Reply to Steve
Zero is the correct amount.
- Reply to Steve
Zero ethanol in marine and small engine fuel. Ethanol is costing boaters and anyone who uses seasonal small engines millions of dollars in needless repairs every year.
- Reply to Cara
I agree!
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Ethanol is destroying marine and small enough engines. Enough is enough.
- Reply to Danny
Got one in…..
- Reply to Danny
This junk in my fuel has cost me over $1,100 in carb repairs last year alone. Inefficient fuel and completely unnecessary with all the oil we have.
Using corn in this fashion has driven up the feed costs of livestock and made food prices higher than necessary.
Terrible program needs to go away! - Reply to G.
I agree. I can’t even use my dinghy outboard. i have to row!
Editor’s note: Skipper, your email inbox is not responding. My emails to you have been returned. Larry
- Reply to Cruisers'
Hey Danny, I think that “form” was a re-post from a BoatUS submission. In any event, we appreciate your taking time to try to comment and for letting us know of the difficulty doing so.
- Reply to Danny
Dumb form. Lost my whole comment when I didn’t fill it out just right.
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