Please do not try to e-mail ATD or Darren at this point it is looking like it will take anywhere from 3-6 weeks before electricity gets back to normal in Pensacola. Right now his family is with out power and of course clean drinkable water is becoming a luxury item along with ice.

In the morning (Saturday) I will be taking a portable generator to the airport since right now access is limited from my side of the state to even get there so it has to be flown in. Biggest reason is both of the interstate highways leading in have been cut off literally (see picture 6 in the link towards the bottom of this post).

This being the Third deadly storm of the season has taken a toll on almost every resident and also resource in the south east, especially Florida.

The reason given on power outtages taking so long at this point to repair is not due to lack of volunteers from across the country but the lack of transformers which need replacing. They simply have to be built from scratch and shipped in, no company has any available.

Getting back to Darren, all of the guitars and guitar bodys are safe and sound. His house sustained a blown window with some inside water damage of course and his shop lost a small section of it's roof but both are repairable.

Again I'm in contact with him and some of the land lines are down for the most part plus the cell phones keep cutting out in the area, Please do not try to contact him via the net, you will not get a responce as he has absolutly no way of getting on it to check e-mail.

It may also be a long time before you can actually call him at the number published and be able to get through (Yes it does ring but that doesn't mean there is anyone there). If you find it absolutely necessary to get in touch for now contact me and I will relay the message. Trust me when I say this if it is about having a guitar body returned immediately that isn't going to happen.

After Charley then Frances it took UPS (through the state of Florida alone) 7 days to get the first supply package to me and my area was pretty messed up (still is actually) but not as bad as his. To see examples Click Here

Mother nature's definitely doing a lot of her own "swirls" this year... i'm glad everyone's safe!

Best wishes to all of you who've had to deal with the fury that Mom Nature put out this past month. I think you guys are gutsy for sticking it out and not living in a cave underground. I think I'd be digging in.

Bamm

I just e-mailed him a few days ago about my swirled UV body , to hear if it was shipped etc. Best of luck to you Darren!

Kind Regards

André

Yep I left coastal Baldwin County, Al (ground freakin zero) two years ago. My folks, sister and a few friends are still there and are fortunately all ok. I know (and have worked with) a few of the people who have been interviewed by CNN from the Gulf Shores area as I lived there myself.

My wife talked to a former co-worker last night who said that there were approx 15 or so people who decided to brave the storm on Ono Island. From what I understand they're still missing....

On to plan B looks like I'm driving the back roads since Pensacola Airport was going to try for monday but they pushed it back 7 weeks.........

Best of luck down in FL. Hopefully all can return to normal soon enough... glen

Ditto, Glen. I sure hope this next hurricane misses the States, like I've been hearing that it will. Those poor people need a break from this craziness!

we are ok . Brian thanks brother you are amazing . I will drop you a line if possible in the next day. phones and electric are still out im at Eric's house droping this note . no electric yet but hopeful in the next few days the shop is pretty decent but still clearing out the trees and rubble and no electric there either . The crews here are amazing coming in from all over even Canada ( thanks Jeremy) These guys are great I watched over the day one crew put up Four brand new poles to replace the ones that snaped like dry twiggs and replace all the wiring also and got this sub divission up with lights that night My God these folks are the best. Hopefully we will be right behind them shortly
Darren ATD
P.S. thanks for the kind words and prayers , I will drop a better thought on this blow job when im on my computer when we get our stuff back on line which (as I pray to the lighting Gods ) will hopefully be soon

Darren....Glad to hear you and your family are OK....best wishes to everyone who got hit by that unfortunate string of storms.

May the swirl gods keep everyone safe
Shad

And I always complain about not getting enough

Best wishes dude, Hope you can get everything sorted soon.

Keep on swirling dude!!!!!

Regards

André

Hey Darren,
I wondered about how you faired through all this, tried calling a few times and was hoping it wasn't the bad I was thinking.
Glad to see you survived through it all man.
I'll talk with you soon bro!
Jeremy

Glad your ok Darren, My hopes for a speedy return to normal are with you always dude

Good luck with everything

Rob & Kirst

I just joined the Forum!!

Anyway, I wanted to get a note to Darren and his family.

I hope everything is going well. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

Jeff