Hurricane Charley

[Betsy]

Folks,

The Bodies Like Ours site resides on a server in central Florida. As you probably know, there is a bit a hurricane coming through that state this afternoon and evening. While the data center is secured against hurricanes--hurricane shutters, etc., generators, and has multiple network redundancy built-in, there is a slight chance that connectivity may be lost at times over the next couple of days. While I doubt this will happen, it is a possibility depending upon where the hurricane comes shore and the path it takes across the state.

If you should see times where the the site is unavailable, please be assured it is only temporary and everything is being done to keep us and the thousands of other sites they host online and functioning.

Betsy

[Betsy]

The data center where Bodies is hosted came through just fine but is running on generator power since shortly after 9pm Friday night. I learned a short while ago that they expect full power back on there within 24 hours. Thankfully, the connectivity (data lines) was never affected, or at least I don't think it was---I had Bodies up full time on Friday on my desktop where I was working that evening and never saw an interruption.

My dad lives 18 miles north and west of where Charley hit and is grateful it didn't hit there (as am I---after learning Friday afternoon of the Cat 4 strength along with the potential for hitting where he lives began to make plans to travel to FL).

One very scary reflection on Charley for me personally is how close to home it hit. I worked in Punta Gorda at a radio station a million years ago. It was my first job out of college and I was an announcer and news reader at one of the radio stations there. For a short time I lived off of Kings Highway and that area was extremely devastated when the eye wall of Charley passed right over it. After PG, I moved to Norfolk, VA and last year learned that my old home there was badly damaged by Isabel. In Norfolk, I used to do hurricane duty at the teevee station I worked at and recall vividly the emotions of packing a bag and heading into work with my pets wondering if my home would still be standing when I returned. While it always was, I know now I was very lucky. It's kind of the way my Dad is feeling this weekend.

Betsy

[Betsy]

Power is back on at the data center where Bodies is hosted. There was a time today when there were concerns about the fuel supply to keep the generators running (the gas supply in FL is approaching critical levels due to electricity issues and demand---without power it is difficult to get it out of the tanks)

I was almost at the point of asking everyone not to use smilies to conserve :help:

Betsy

[Dana Gold]

not to use smilies to conserve

Now that would have really constituted a "disaster" (for me) :mouth_clo

:rolleye13