Hurricane Jeanne

Well, here we go again.
Jeanne hit us dead-on last night, and early reports suggest the damage will be worse this time. We do not yet have any first-hand information on damage. As of 6:00 PM today, all bridges to the island are still closed, with both Martin county bridges out of commission due to damage. There is no estimate yet as to when they may open. If anyone remained in our buildings on the island, we have not yet heard from them.

If anyone has any first-hand information or pictures concerning our buildings, please contact me at ricklord@att.net so I can get the information out to everyone through this website!

Several people chose to ride out the storm on the island -- I've seen several postings on the discussion forums at TCPalm.com from people who stayed in the Atlantis and in the Dunewalk buildings. Reports from these sources indicate much more severe damage, with as much as 5 feet of sand in the first floor units. You can find the discussion forums by going to www.tcpalm.com and finding the Discussion Forum and Information Sharing box on the lower part of the page. Type "Island Dunes" in the search box to find any new news.

The following information is from the Martin County Emergency Operations Center:

HURRICANE JEANNE UPDATE – 6:00 PM

• The Stuart Causeway Bridge has sprung open and is elevated about a foot. The Jensen Beach Causeway Bridge is also springing about 6 inches. Both bridges are unsafe to cross. The Florida Department of Transportation has been notified and will inspect it after the winds die down.
• Fire Rescue reports that they are only responding to calls where the conditions are safe for travel. They will stop responding to calls when sustained winds reach 60 mph.
  Emergency Dispatch also reports that they are in the midst of assisting with the first baby delivery in Indiantown.
• The American Red Cross shelters are currently at 1/3 capacity, or just under 2,000 residents.
• Updates from the City of Stuart:
  o The City of Stuart has established a rumor control and public information phone number for its residents and employees to receive information.
  The phone number is (772) 221-3982.
  o The City of Stuart water system is currently on generator power, which has resulted in lower water pressure. No boil water notice is in effect at this time.
  

Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that we get through this one.