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I have watched many news cast that show a HUGE migration going on in Florida. I have not noticed very many enclosed trailers moving the Pierce-Arrows to higher ground. Would those of you connected to Texas and Florida collectors please chime in. Here in the US west, we don’t worry so much about high water or hurricanes but I am sure concerned for our fellow enthusiasts who live in Florida. I have heard from a friend in the Houston area, he is lucky, no automobile damage. I hope all the Houston area enthusiasts were also lucky. Please share a report, if you can.
Al
With all the devastation due to weather events in the news I have also been wondering about our PAS family in the affected areas.
Alan stated it much better than I could have, so if there are any PAS members that suffered damage or have any tales to tell, please let us know.
Fellow PAS friends i know who are in the path of ‘Irma’ on the west coast of Florida:
Gary Doner, Naples Fl. ’26 S80 Runabout, ’27 S80 Runabout, ’28 S81 Club Brougham.
Lou Kerlikowske, North Ft Meyers Fl. ’30 Model B Sedan
Rick and Chris Diekman, Punta Gorda, Fl. ’26 S80 2dr Coach.
Dale Hellemn, Hudson Fl. ’27 S36 EDL
Wayne & Nancy Hancock, Brooksville Fl. ’26 S80 Runabout [Weis Trophy winner, 2014 meet in Warwick]
Marc & Nori Hancock, Tampa Fl. ’25 S80 Touring.
As far as I know, only Wayne and Nancy Hancock are not in a mandatory evacuation location.
The rest of the Hancock family [Marc, Nori, Nickolas, and Nori’s parents] will weather the storm
at Wayne and Nancy’s place. They are pretty far inland, and at around 150′ above sea level. and
are prepared with food, water, generator and fuel, etc..
Please put our friends in your prayers, along with all of those in the path of Irma !!
Greg Long
Per the current News, So. Florida is just seeing the first damage. I have a sister-in-law living in Largo, near Tampa, I fear for them!
Al
Our prayers are with the Hancock’s, other folks in FL and the states in Irma’s path.
Thanks for this discussion guys.
Luckily I purchased and brought my PA m81 from Naples,Fl. to St. Louis. I might have,unbeknown to me, saved my PA.
Mr. Minnie, how are you and the magnificent collection you work
for making out?
Tony Costa
Does anyone know how many significant collections are home based in the hurricane target area? I am sure many folks choose to enjoy antique autos due to the typical nice winter Florida weather, but the hurricane season is an upset, per the live news coverage that is shared on TV. Prayers are for those folks that may not have options to leave.
Al
Not much real communication coming out of Florida yet. Has anyone in the rest of the US been able to contact family or friends in Florida? I have tried, with no success, to reach our family in the Tampa area. I heard that Tampa only took a glancing blow, fortunately. Any word is good.
Al
Palm Beach and West Palm are without power in about half the residential areas. New car building is fine, has a few landscape issues, otherwise fine. We call it the vault. Only the apocalypse would put a dent in it. My neighborhood is called Flamingo, and it took a beating to the vegetation and power lines, but all the homes seemed to come out fine. Half the roads ar blocked by trees, as the neighborhood is over one hundred years old, and had quite a dense canapoy of trees. That’s why we locat d there. I expect about a forty percent loss of the major trees. Sad, but no one was injured that I know of. I think storm sure will be the biggest issue for collector cars. I have friends in the British Vergin Islands, and there has been no word from them, and the photos don’t look good. Tony, thanks for asking……..Mr. Minnie? 🤔
How about other areas of Florida. Thanks Ed for your “close to home”” observations.
Al”
Here is what I know about the PAS members I mentioned in my previous message:
Gary Doner: lots of ‘landscaping’ damage, but no damage to his house or cars. He and his family moved 20 or so miles inland before the storm ramped up the wind. No flooding,
No news from Louis Kerlikowske. but his area was not hit hard, and very little storm surge.
Rick and Chris Diekman have returned home, they only had a few bits of damage from flying debris hitting their house. No flooding.
No news regarding Dale, but i suspect his home and cars are ok.
Wayne and Nancy are without power, they have a lot of trees down, and one of their roads are blocked by some very large old trees down over the road. Wayne said they had 100mph+ winds. And of course a lot of rain. The house, cars and family are all OK.
Marc and Nori Hancock are doing well, Tampa has power, there was no flooding, and minimal damage, mostly branches down.
This hurricane ‘Irma’ shows just how good our forecasting can be and how far off the forecast can be with a very slight change in the storm’. Florida’s mainland was VERY LUCkY. With the slight shift inland. Irma’s power and mpact was significantly reduced. The dangerously high storm surge did not develop on the west coast. The wind velocity dropped and the dangerous high winds around the eye of the storm narrowed, limiting the time an area was exposed to the dangerous winds.
The east coast of Florida actually had more storm surge, Up north in Jacksonville, the storm surge caused a lot of damage. Further south along the east coast, the onshore wind velocity was almost as high as the winds on the west coast. Much of the east coast is without power, but should be restored in a few days. My Mother’s home, just north of West Palm Beach only had some minor damage, but the neighbors tell us the power will take 3-4 days to be restored. My Mother is with me here in Michigan.
It appears that the huge storm blanketed the entire Florida Peninsula with heavy rains and high winds, but other than the Florida Keys, damage was not as bad as expected.
I have not heard anything from anyone who has returned to their homes in the Keys..
Greg Long
Keys look like they took a very hard hit from wind and storm surge. US 1 is closed for bridge inspections, parts of the paved roadway are missing. It’s going to be many weeks before the keys are at semi normal. Probably a couple of years to put it all back together. Some of the photos ai have seen show total devastation. If there is no loss of life it will be a miracle. The storm shelter for the middle keys in Marathon was abandoned by the storm rescue team, it was a hurricane proof building, according to witnesses most of the cars and equipment were lost, and most of the building is no longer standing. Storm surge was seven feet on some islands, reaching inland quite far.
Hello Greg and Ed, Thanks for your responses and updates. I think Mother Nature thought twice before she played havoc with Florida! It sounds like it could have bee MUCH worse. Probably some areas did get hurt worse and I pray for the well being of those involved. We did finally hear from the younger sister of my wife. She couldn’t get out on a phone/cell until about 9:00 PM Florida time. She lives in Largo across the bay from Tampa and will be out of power for 3-4 more days. Not much serious damage for them, fortunately. If anyone has additional specific information or pictures to share, please do.
Al
It is now Thursday afternoon here in Vero Beach and we are getting back to normal. Damage appears modest despite extensive hurricane winds and driving rain for hours Sunday night/early Monday morning (which briefly fostered white caps over the lakes). Nuisance and danger remain on the roads from debris and reconstruction activity, like a tire picking up a screw or nail. It remains very quiet, the evacuation and the difficulty returning home is holding down activity. Further south, the lack of power has led to some curfews.
I do not think any cars are in obvious danger. The 1929 sedan once in the Middle Keys was sold ten years ago; the 1934 coupe once in Coral Gables left the state at about the same time. Florida’s most famous Pierces, the two Ringling cars, a Series 32 limousine and a Series 33 touring car, have never been in the Society’s Roster. They have been exhibited separately for the past two-three years – I notice the Sarasota Classic Car Museum is open, so that confirms good news about the touring car (but no word yet on how the Packard roadster parked on the roof is), which can also be admired on its website. The Ringling limousine was last in a museum near Gainesville.
They say electric power will not be back throughout the state for another week or so; sometime like October 1 may be a better time to ask how the Pierces are doing.
In the meantime, you might like to check out (Google) better weather via the camera atop the pizza shop at the Sturgeon Point Marina in Derby, New York, on the beach of what was George Pierce’s country place, for a look at the lake and the Buffalo skyline.
All the best from here
Brooks
Brooks