Irma

[Vrede too]

Aerial Before And After Photos Reveal Sobering Extent Of Irma’s Devastation In The Caribbean
Hurricane Irma killed dozens of people and left thousands homeless on its path toward Florida.

Slide the center bars to get the full view of any before or after pics.

[Vrede too]

Truck Driver Says Giving Away Plywood in Irma's Path Got Him Fired: 'I Was Just Being an American'

... When he pulled into the Home Depot lot, it was past 9 p.m. and the store was closed and boarded up to ride out the storm. The night manager was just leaving, McCrory said, and told him he would have to come back Tuesday.

So the driver called his company’s dispatcher and delivered the news. He was told to take his load to Atlanta, he said. He decided to catch a few hours’ sleep in his cab.

He was awakened about 2 a.m. Saturday by a police officer banging on his window. McCrory explained the situation, and the cop said taking the rig to Atlanta was not a good idea.

There were also a lot of people in town needing the plywood, the officer said.

"I was ready to give it up, 100 percent," McCrory said of his load. "I got kids of my own. I’m a family man. If I was in their situation, I’d want somebody to do that for me."

About 20 officers and McCrory began unloading the unwieldy sheets by hand at about 2:30 a.m., he said. Police department employees contacted residents by phone in the suburban enclave outside Tampa.

“They said, ‘If you need plywood to board up your house, come and get it. It’s a small town and everybody knows everybody. They got the word out,” McCrory said. “There was just a line of cars. The storm was coming and it was coming fast.

“The wind was starting to pick up, you could see the clouds swarming, and it was just an eerie feeling,” he said.

For nearly four hours, with nary a cross word or pushing or shoving, the plywood was handed out to residents. “Nobody took more than they needed,” McCrory said. “We protected about 150 houses.” ...

GoFundMe: Support Tim McCrory

To: http://www.westernexp.com/contact-2/

Tim McCrory will be fine thanks to GoFundMe and there being way better employers than you out there. Meanwhile, the hit to Western Express' reputation will cost you more than the load did, especially since you could have just taken a tax write-off and promoted your compassionate deed to help the local police and community. Shame.

(Vrede too)

[k9nanny]

This year, a single hurricane thread might've been called for.
Keep a close eye on TD 15, soon to be Maria, most likely headed to the Lesser Antilles.