Angel's Hurricane Watch

Wordle

2011-09-29T08:40:00.003-04:00

False Alarm

2011-08-23T06:20:00.002-04:00

Florida is no longer in the Cone of Uncertainty for Hurricane Irene.

Hurricane party cancelled. *sigh*

Hello, 2011: Tropical Storm Irene

2011-08-20T23:21:00.000-04:00

Long time no blog! There's really been nothing in the way of any kind of tropical system worthy of blogging about. Um. For a long time.

But I'm back to tell you about Tropical Storm Irene, which at her current track, may make landfall in South Florida by Thursday evening.

Photo courtesy of Bay News 9

Currently Tropical Storm Irene has maximum sustained winds of 50mph, moving W at 22mph. Pressure is 1006mb. Irene is predicted to become a hurricane before it crosses over land in the caribbean. By the time it gets to Florida, if the track doesn't shift, it will be a tropical storm. Usually, crossing over the high parts of Cuba will weaken it. Still, it could bring some very beneficial rain to Florida by the end of next week.

Yes, I am a bit giddy, seeing us in the "cone of uncertainty". We've had our share of wild weather that wasn't tropical: our area was hit by tornadoes and we think one hit our tree out front, twisting and tearing out the top and replanting it in our front yard and porch.

Now that I have a webcam, should anything tropical get to us, I will try to do a live webcast so you can see the storm as it hits us (internet connection permitting).

Stay tuned!

Hurricane Ida...late for the party!

2009-11-08T05:46:00.003-05:00

To this weather junkie, the 2009 Hurricane Season has been a DUD.

As if to rub it in, here comes Hurricane Ida, who is probably going to fizzle before giving us anything remotely exciting.

As of the 3 a.m. CST advisory, Ida has winds of 90mph, moving NW at 12 mph, with pressure of 984mb. She is expected to move towards the Yucatan Peninsula today, head into the Gulf, and then possibly towards the Northern Gulf Coast.

Between the cooler water temps and a cold front, it should weaken Ida and push her back towards Florida. A few of the spaghetti models show it crossing Florida, but it's too soon to say.

I wouldn't mind a day or two of stormy weather ;) More later if the news warrants.

A, B, C...

2009-08-17T02:30:00.005-04:00

And just like that! 3 Tropical Systems! Love the energy from all this weather excitement!

First off, ANA has been downgraded to a Tropical Depression from a Tropical Storm. As of the 2 am advisory, winds are at 35 mph. Movement is WNW at 26mph, pressure is 1008mB. She is expected to become just a Tropical Low perhaps by Tuesday morning. Still keeping an eye on her, hoping she brings us some rain!

TD Ana (2 am Advisory from NHC)

Tropical Storm Bill may very well be a Hurricane by tomorrow, the season's first! At 11pm, winds are 70mph, moving WNW at 20mph, pressure is 990mB. Right now, TS Bill is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane--CAT3-- by Wednesday evening. We are keeping a close watch on him! Tthe current track looks like it will miss us, but as we in FL know, tropical systems can do some very wonky things! The East coast of the US should tune into their local weather and/or The Weather Channel for updates.

TS Bill (11pm Advisory from NHC)

1 a.m Advisory for Tropical Storm Claudette--formed rapidly in the Gulf off the coast of Florida and made landfall near Fort Walton Beach in the Panhandle. Winds are 50mph, moving NW at 12 mph, pressure is 1006mB. First Tropical Storm landfall of the season.

TS Claudette (1 a.m. Advisory from NHC)

Be safe this season--stock up--and remember this blog is not to be used as a substitute for your own local and national weather alerts.

Right behind Ana...

2009-08-15T11:50:00.001-04:00

Here's Tropical Depression #3! It's expected to become Tropical Storm Bill in the very near future. Season is firing up! Squee!

Better Late than Never--Tropical Storm ANA!

2009-08-15T07:03:00.002-04:00

Talk about appearing fashionably late! Hurricane Season starts June 1 and here it is, August 15th. Though the Tropical Depression was originally predicted to fall apart, TS Ana pulled herself together, at the 5 a.m. Advisory from NHC.

Winds are 40 mph, Pressure 1005mb, moving to the W @16mph.

Here is the latest information, along with forecast models and my favorite, spaghetti plots!, courtesy of the Central Florida Hurricane Center (@CFHC on Twitter, tell them @HeadacheSlayer sent ya!)

http://flhurricane.com/cyclone/stormspotlight.php?year=2009&storm=2

Next Advisories will come around 11 a.m., 5 pm, and 11 pm.

Am I the only FL weather geek excited? :D

Get the Party Started Already!

2009-07-23T06:22:00.003-04:00

Most boring hurricane season EVER.

Don't get me wrong. I think it's horrible when something like Katrina or Andrew cause catastrophic devastation. The 3 storms that hit us in 2004 made me nervous whenever the wind blew really hard after that.

But there is something undeniably electric that comes with watching a storm develop, tracking its path, getting updates, and watching weather forecasters and The Weather Channel get whipped into a frenzy (oh come on, you can see the glint in their eyes. It's like CHRISTMAS).

Heck, JudoMan and I have even talked about retiring to the Keys. I'd be the first to evacuate if they gave the orders, but the idea of riding out a storm there....yeah. Electric.

I think it would be cool to go out with the Hurricane Hunters. It would be worth the barf. They are flying out today to check a system--which would be the first Tropical Storm. And it's nearly August. Hurricane Season begins May 1. BORING.

The Orlando Science Center has a hurricane chamber, like a phone booth, that you go into, and the winds go up to 75 mph. It's AWWWWWWWWWESOME. I did it several times. Got windburn from my hair whipping into my face. But when I see the Hurricane guys nearly getting knocked over, yeah, I'm a little jealous.

It stinks being 39 and just discovering what a cool job a meteorologist could be. But that's why this blog exists ;)

Bye Bye Ike

2008-09-09T04:10:00.002-04:00

Well, forget about Ike visiting FL. Phooey (that's the hurricane junkie talking).

My sister lives in Texas so I hope that Ike spares her any misery.

On a related note, my husband bought me The Hurricane Almanac for our anniversary :) When it gets here, I will be sure to give a review of it! Cool gift, huh? I have my eye on a hurricane textbook on Amazon as well.

Still some time left in the 2008 season for us to see some action.

Ay-yi-Ike!!!

2008-09-04T17:41:00.004-04:00

Hanna is going to bring us some welcomed breezes and nothing more in the way of stormy weather. It's kindof cool to look up at the sky and know the clouds I'm seeing are from a tropical storm. I said hello LOL.

But Ike. OMG there's a whole nother story. This monster storm is making a beeline towards Florida, with impacts possible by next Tuesday (I'm sure bands will start coming onshore well ahead of the eye). Of course that's some time away and we're across the state from where the current landfall might be. But part of me knew he was going to nail us. So this weekend will be a Hurricane prep & shop weekend.

Still you have to admire the sheer awesomeness of this photo from space (courtesy NASA):

Hurricane hunters will be flying out tomorrow to get some hard data which will enhance the forecast models.

It's been a wild year and it's not over. More later if Ike decides to vacation in FL.

Stormy update

2008-09-02T03:56:00.002-04:00

Sorry about worrying anyone about my lack of updates on Fay. The only effect we had in our neck of the woods was that Fay killed our cable modem.

I feel for all those affected by Fay and now Gustav, literally. All these storms are not this girl's best friend. The rain and changes and pressure wreak havoc on my chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and chronic daily headaches. Oh and it totally freaked out my dog, Willow, with Fay despite the extreme lack of weather. She was a nervous wreck for hours. The cat is an old pro, so she just slept.

But Fay was a big disappointment here, we got more wind and rain a few days later than we did with her hanging around. Though the kids were happy to have a day off from school, but JB was disappointed he didn't get to use his flashlight for a "hurricane party". More wind and rain from Gustav too, even with us being in FL. Glad to see that Louisiana took him seriously. I fell in love with New Orleans when we visited back in May, I hope the damage is not too severe (and hooray for the heroes at Tulane University Hospital for staying open!! The staff there was *awesome*--you can read about my gall bladder attack over on my main blog).

So here come Hanna and Ike, and possibly TD10 (Josephine). This storm season is so much like 2004/2005, it's eerie.

My chronics are affecting my blogging so I will probably only post sporadically, more when we are being affected. Just keep in mind we have very fickle internet service during storms--don't freak out if you don't hear from me..... you know who you are, I have your phone numbers and won't hesitate to let you know if all heck breaks loose. ;)

Hurricanetrack.com has an awesome book they are hyping, "The Hurricane Almanac"....this weather junkie is probably going to buy it since I can't go to meteorology school just now LOL. I learn more every season, but I am craving for more.

Stay safe, stay dry, stay tuned ;)

Here comes Fay!

2008-08-17T07:59:00.002-04:00

I'm firing up the blog so I can give you a play by play of Tropical Storm Fay, which by all forecast models, will be visiting Florida this week.

And school starts tomorrow. Heh. My daughter is thrilled at the notion of having a day or two off already (that's a teenager for you).

I will be blogging through the storm--which is forecast to strengthen into possibly a Cat1 hurricane. That is, as long as we have power and internet access. Plus photos and video as I am able.

TS Fay has maximum sustained winds of 50 mph with higher gusts, and the pressure is 1003 mb. Exact measurements will come later as the Hurricane Hunters can't fly into it, with the center being over Cuba.

There are already TS warnings and Hurricane watches/warnings being issued for the lower coastline of FL and the FL Keys (take care, Meg Cabot!)

As a reminder, please use your own local forecasters for up-to-date information as I am just a weather junkie ;)

Be safe! More later.

Welcome to Hurricane Watch 2008!

2008-07-05T14:02:00.003-04:00

To start off the 2008 season, we give you......Tropical Storm Bertha! (I know, I know, I missed Storm A at some point, sorry about that).

Bertha is WAY out there and though she is predicted to become a hurricane (maybe by Tuesday), there's a long time before she may be a threat to the U.S.

Bertha is located at 16.6 N, 37.3 W, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (gusts up to 65 mph). Bertha is moving W at 18 knots, pressure 1000 mb.

Satellite:

Bertha's Spaghetti Models:

Stay tuned!

Big Bad Hurricane Dean

2007-08-18T19:43:00.001-04:00

As of the 8pm update: Hurricane Dean remains a very strong Category 4 hurricane with winds of 150 mph. The pressure has dropped to 920mb. Jamaica and the Cayman Islands may take a direct hit, which would cause terrible damage at this strength. At the very least they are expecting 5 to 20 inches of rain.

Hurricane force winds extend 70 miles from the center, tropical storm force winds extend 230 miles.

The current forecast has it making landfall in Mexico, and avoiding Texas, but there is still a few days before anyone will know with any certainty--so everyone should prepare. I've seen hurricanes do some really crazy things since I started this blog in 2004.

More updates later.

Dean now a Major Hurricane

2007-08-17T19:42:00.000-04:00

We have our first Major Hurricane (Cat 3 or higher) of the season.

As of 5 pm, Hurricane Dean has maximum sustained winds of 125 mph, with gusts up to 155 mph. The pressure has dropped to 961 mb; he's moving W at 21 mph. Hurricane warnings have been posted all over the Caribbean.

The track has stayed pretty much the same as yesterday; an upper level low over Florida may protect us from this dangerous storm. Dean is projected to become a strong Category 4 by Monday, nearly a Category 5. Everyone needs to stay informed--this bad boy is going to go wherever he wants.

An eye is clearly visible now; earlier today, Hurricane Hunters thought there might be an inner eye, which indicates a much stronger, better organized storm.

8pm update--Dean is now 1 mph away from becoming a Category 4 Hurricane. Winds are up to 130 mph, and the pressure has really dropped since 5pm to 946 mb. The forecast track is edging ever so slightly to the North, where it is predicted to graze the Yucatan Peninsula. It looks like Jamaica will take a direct hit on Sunday. My thoughts are with those in Dean's path.

11pm update--Dean has strengthened to a strong Category 4 with winds of 145 mph, gusts up to 180mph. Hurricane force winds extend up to 60 miles. Pressure has dropped to 936 mb. Apparently Dean just broke some Atlantic storm records with the strengthening. And he's not done yet. The NHC has predicted he will become a Category 5.

2 a.m.--Hurricane Dean keeps growing. Winds are near 150 mph, and strengthening. Pressure has dropped to 930 mb. Hurricane Force winds extend 60 miles from the center; Tropical Storm force winds extend outward up to 205 miles. Scary.

Hurricane Dean

2007-08-16T22:20:00.000-04:00

Erin is no more--she came onshore today as a Tropical Depression, and has been dumping as much as 10 inches of rain on Texas.

Dean, on the other hand, has become a Category 2 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, and gusts up to 115 mph. Hurricane Dean is located at 14.0 N, 57.8 W (8pm advisory), and is moving W at 23 mph. The pressure has dropped to 969 mb. The current path takes it below Jamaica & Cuba, with possible landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula by Tuesday. It is expected to strengthen to a Category 4. After that, it will move into the Gulf of Mexico.

This hurricane is still far out, and many of the storm sites I gather my info from are debating the future track. It's more important for people to look at the area of possibility ("cone of uncertainty") than one straight line. We're checking our hurricane supplies just in case. Because really, even if Dean doesn't hit us, we're at the peak of hurricane season.

Dean is also a HUGE storm--nearly the size of the state of Texas.

Tropical Storms Dean & Erin

2007-08-15T22:24:00.000-04:00

Ladies first!

Tropical Storm Erin formed today and is headed towards Texas (they SO don't need the rain!). The 8pm advisory puts Erin at 26.5 N, 95.1 W with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. She is moving NW and is expected to make landfall on the Texas coastline sometime tomorrow afternoon (Thursday). TS Erin is expected to strengthen a little, but remain a tropical storm. TS warnings have been posted for the Texas coastline. The Weather Channel just reported that some areas are going to get 3 to 8 inches of rain. Hang in there folks!

Tropical Storm Dean is still WAY out there, but is expected to strengthen into possibly a Major Hurricane by Monday. The 5 pm advisory has Dean at 13.1 N, 47.9W, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. Gusts are up to 75 mph. He's moving WNW and expected to become a hurricane by tomorrow afternoon. The forecast models are all over, but everyone needs to keep an eye on TS Dean.

The Storms after the Quiet

2007-08-14T23:36:00.000-04:00

You know it's August, with Tropical Storm Dean out in the Atlantic, and Tropical Depression #5 (expected to become Erin) in the Gulf of Mexico.

TS Dean has maximum sustained winds of 50 MPH and is moving West at 18 mph. It's so far out there that where it goes is anyone's guess. But I'm definitely keeping an eye on him.

TD5 is moving northwest towards Texas with winds of 30 mph.

And how about that Hurricane Flossie? I don't normally post about Pacific storms, but I was really struck by a photo taken from Space Shuttle Endeavor. (I can't find it online, link anyone?) My thoughts go out to those in Hawaii.

Soggy TS Barry

2007-06-02T10:32:00.001-04:00

I listened to it rain nearly all night. Hopefully it was enough to put a damper on all the brush fires.

At 8am EST, TS Barry was located at 27.1N and 83.5W, with maximum sustained winds of 50mph and gusts up to 65mph. Movement is NNE at 17 knots.

The projected landfall has jogged closer to us, south of where predicted last night. We're traveling today, but I don't think we'll be affected too much other than more rain. By the time we get home tonight, Barry will nearly be across the state, exiting around Jacksonville, and not much to update unless there is some wild weather for us.

Current track here.

It's June 1st...Oh LOOK! TS Barry!

2007-06-01T20:51:00.000-04:00

And the 2007 Hurricane Season is now official with the appearance of Tropical Storm Barry in the Gulf. Current wind speeds are 50 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. He's moving N at 10 mph. The projected landfall is north of us, somewhere in the panhandle tomorrow afternoon.

The 8pm Forecast can be found here. More links in the sidebar.

We *really* need the rain, so Barry is welcome as long as he doesn't get too windy.

Early Bird Andrea

2007-05-09T20:08:00.000-04:00

It's not yet time for the start of official hurricane season, but Subtropical Storm Andrea has made an appearance.

The 8pm EST advisory: Andrea is barely moving, with maximum sustained winds of 45mph, with gusts up to 60mph.

We can hope that this system will bring us some much needed rain to put out all the brush fires in FL. The smoke has been so bad that we have to stay indoors.

More later, if she stays organized.

Tropical Storm Ernesto

2006-08-28T23:18:00.000-04:00

As of the 11 pm advisory:

TS Ernesto has been weakened by crossing over Cuba. Winds are 40 mph, but are projected to increase since the storm will be entering warmer waters. It is not expected to strengthen back into a hurricane, but make landfall somewhere on the Southern tip of Florida with winds around 65 mph Tuesday evening.

The track has been shifting back and forth, so the exact track is uncertain.

At this point, we'll probably "just" get lots of rain and some gusty winds, but I'm on edge anyway.

For official and up-to-date information, please check out the links in the sidebar, and tune in to your local news stations.

Ernesto takes aim at Florida

2006-08-27T18:29:00.000-04:00

We're having a sense of deja vu, 2 years later. Tropical Storm Ernesto (recently downgraded from a hurricane) is forecast to take nearly the same track that Hurricane Charley did back in August, 2004.

As of the 5 pm advisory--TS Ernesto has maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, the pressure has risen to 1007 mb. It is expected to strengthen back into a Category 1 hurricane once it gets past Cuba and into the Gulf. Then it may strengthen to a Cat2 as it heads for the west coast of Florida. The new forecast has it making landfall sometime Wednesday afternoon--much sooner than previous forecasts.

We have picked up some supplies (and I've already taken my first xanax LOL).

Abysmal Alberto

2006-06-12T12:24:00.000-04:00

Tropical Storm Alberto is giving us plenty of rain, much needed here in Florida.

However, Alberto has unexpectedly gained strength, and may reach hurricane strength before hitting Floriday sometime Tuesday. Hurricane Warnings have been issued on the west coast, from Longboat Key to Ochlocknee River.

The Current info on Alberto (as of 11 a.m. EST):

Maximum sustained winds of 70 mph
Gusts to 85 mph
moving NNE at 7 mph
Pressure at 997 mb

Game on! Tropical Depression #1

2006-06-10T11:50:00.000-04:00

TD1 formed this morning and is located in the NW Caribbean Sea. It is headed NNW at about 12 mph. While it is too soon to predict for sure, it is expected to become our first Tropical Storm of the season (Alberto), and may affect Florida (that's us!)

Quite frankly, as long as it's a nice, tame TD or weak TS, we sure could use the rain. My van read 104 yesterday!

Let the 2006 Season begin!

2006-06-09T20:26:00.000-04:00

The 2006 Hurricane Season is 9 days underway, with a potential Depression forming sometime in the next day or so. I'll be here to give you the information as the season progresses.

The National Hurricane Center released the predictions for this season in May:

13-16 named storms with
8-10 becoming hurricanes of which
4-6 would be 'major hurricanes', Category 3 or higher.

While this year may be more active than normal, no one thinks it will be anywhere *near* last year's season.

For current information on the tropical season, check out the links in my sidebar.

**Please keep in mind that this is a personal blog, with information culled from various sources. If your area should be faced with a Hurricane, follow information from your local news station.**

2005 Wrap-up

2006-02-26T20:29:00.000-05:00

My poor neglected hurricane blog. I just kept thinking that if I tried to do a 2005 wrap-up, Mother Nature was going to pull a fast one, like she did in December.

2005 by the numbers:

1 Subtropical Depression (Not named)
3 Tropical Depressions (Not named)
12 Tropical Storms (Arlene, Bret, Franklin, Gert, Harvey, Jose, Lee, Tammy, Alpha, Gamma, Delta, Zeta)
15 Hurricanes--FIFTEEN!!! (Cindy, Dennis, Emily, Irene, Katrina, Maria, Nate, Ophelia, Phillipe, Rita, Stan, Vince, Wilma, Beta, Epsilon)

1 Tropical Storm after the season was over (Zeta)

4 Major Hurricanes (Winds exceeding 110 mph--Dennis, Katrina, Rita & Wilma)
3 Hurricanes that reached Cat5 (Katrina, Rita & Wilma)

The 2005 season was a record-breaker in all aspects. Let's hope that 2006 is an under-acheiver!

Proof that Mother Nature's off her meds!

2005-12-30T12:45:00.000-05:00

TROPICAL STORM ZETA, folks. For the love of pete, it's DECEMBER 30th! 2 days away from 2006, and let's not forget that Hurricane Season ended a MONTH ago!

It's madness, I tell ya. Sheer madness.

And here I was feeling bad for not posting a recap of the 2005 season.

Crazy December Weather

2005-12-02T21:46:00.000-05:00

December 2nd and Epsilon has been upgraded to a *Hurricane*. This makes me want to laugh my head off at the absurdity of it all, and at the same time, dread next year.
I was going to have a great big 2005 Season Send Off, but looks like that will have to wait a few more days. Stay tuned.

Heeeeeeeeeere's Epsilon!

2005-11-30T20:49:00.000-05:00

Some of you may recall the duo of Shari Lewis and her puppet Lambchop. When my daughter was younger, the show ended with "The Song that Doesn't End." I'm starting to feel like that's the theme song to the 2005 Hurricane season which officially ends today. Though it's not a threat to the US, we have Tropical Storm Epsilon.

Bordering on the Absurd

2005-11-26T00:53:00.000-05:00

I think Mother Nature is just showing off now. Say hello to Tropical Storm Delta, which formed a few days ago. Delta is no threat to the US.

TD Gamma: Going, going.....

2005-11-21T11:32:00.000-05:00

Looks like we have something to be thankful for, just in time for Turkey Day. Gamma has fizzled and will not be a threat to Florida after all.

Holy Gamma Batman!

2005-11-18T23:23:00.000-05:00

Do we have Wilma deja-vu, or what?

Tropical Storm Gamma (GAMMA, FOLKS!!!) has winds of 45 mph and is projected to hit as a tropical storm.

I jinxed us. I just HAD to go and mention yesterday how many days were left in the Hurricane Season.

This is so bizarre.

Tropical Storm Beta

2005-10-27T16:46:00.000-04:00

Unbelieveable.

Tropical Storm Beta is bearing down on Nicaragua, with winds of about 62 mph. It is forecast to become a Cat1 Hurricane by tomorrow.

And we thought that last year's Hurricane Season was unreal. 23 named storms. 3 Cat5 Hurricanes. And a little more than one month to go in the 2005 Hurricane Season.

Waving Goodbye to Wilma

2005-10-24T14:06:00.000-04:00

Wilma turned out to be a non-event for us, except for alot of rain--almost a foot. We slept through the worst, and are now enjoying sunshine and cooler weather. I'm so relieved, the memory of Jeanne's howling winds last year was something I did not want to relive.
Wilma is still a Cat2 hurricane with winds of 105 mph as it enters the Atlantic. It has all but absorbed TD Alpha. I guess Wilma was hungry.

This hurricane made landfall about 20 miles from Naples, FL as a Cat3 storm. Things look bad, lots of debris and flooding.

Wet, but not too Windy (yet)

2005-10-23T20:18:00.000-04:00

Yes, I have more W words up my sleeve for future posts ;)

Hurricane Wilma is currently a Cat2 storm with winds of 110 mph--1 mph away from becoming a Cat3. We're getting one of the more substantial bands, lots of rain and tons of lightning from all directions. The wind will begin to pick up later this evening.

With tropical storm force winds expected, school has been cancelled--at least there is one silver lining to this storm, in my daughter's opinion.

Updates as our weather deteriorates.

In other news, Alpha has been downgraded to a tropical depression. You can see it in the lower right corner of the photo above.

Alpha on the horizon?

2005-10-22T14:15:00.000-04:00

Hurricane Wilma has caused so much devastation as it continues to pass over the Yucatan Peninsula. It has weakend to 115 mph, and the pressure continues to rise, but it is expected to reorganize somewhat as the eye moves into the Gulf. How much she will restrengthen is debatable (anywhere from a Cat1 to a Cat3) but Wilma IS headed towards Florida's west coast.

The eye's landfall will happen sometime Monday morning, but we will be feeling the effects sooner than that. The wind field is quite large; NOAA has forecast lower-end tropical storm force winds for us (greater than 39 mph). However, the Spaghetti models are still in disagreement where Wilma will actually go. So it is important for anyone in Florida to pay attention to your local news, and finish hurricane preparations now.

Tropical Depression #25 has formed in the Atlantic and shows promise to become the historical Tropical Storm Alpha. Thankfully, it is projected to get swept up with the same steering currents as Wilma, and move out to sea and not affect the US.

Wilma, Friday update

2005-10-21T17:42:00.000-04:00

We've been getting rain from Wilma today. Since it's just the outer bands, it's no different than any other rainshower. It's just a little more ominous.

Wilma is still a Cat4, with winds of 140 mph, and has slowed down enough that landfall will probably be sometime on Monday afternoon, in South Florida. We're expected to get some lower tropical storm force winds.

Drama Queen is waiting to hear if school will be cancelled for Monday.

Hurricane Wilma Strongest in Atlantic History

2005-10-19T11:55:00.000-04:00

Hurricane Wilma is now a deadly Category 5 storm, with sustained winds of 175 mph. The pressure is 882 mb, which makes it the strongest hurricane in Atlantic basin history. Let's put it into perspective--Rita is #4 on that list, and Katrina is #6.

While the track yesterday took Wilma over Southwest Florida (and possibly even missing Florida altogether), it has begun to edge slightly to the northwest. The good news in this is that it's supposed to weaken to a Category 2-3 by landfall, which should be sometime on Saturday.

All the stats aside......I don't know what this is going to mean for us for sure. We're going to be affected, at the very least by tropical storm force winds and lots of rain. But it's still 3 days away, so the track isn't set in stone. All I know is my stomach is in knots.

Wary about Wilma

2005-10-17T17:15:00.000-04:00

Tropical Storm Wilma gained strength this morning, becoming the 21st named storm of the season. We are tied with the record for 1933 (even though they didn't name storms at that point).

Even more ominous is the 5 pm forecast--it's taking a right hook and may be headed to Florida's west coast. This morning, the Spaghetti models were divided, as were the various storm sites I look to for my information. This afternoon, it's a different story.

More later this evening.

What's This? A Tropical Storm? (Tammy)

2005-10-05T08:54:00.000-04:00

::::Saying that with tongue firmly in cheek:::::::

Tropical Storm Tammy organized quite suddenly this morning. Winds are at 40 mph with gusts over 50. It's expected to strengthen just a tiny bit before making landfall somewhere along the Northeast Florida coast.

Stan & A Possible Tammy?

2005-10-04T00:17:00.000-04:00

Tropical Storm Stan is currently over the Bay of Campeche, and is expected to strengthen. It is not expected to hit the United States.

Meanwhile, a tropical wave has shown signs of organization near the Bahamas. The last I heard, they are sending out reconnaissance to check it out. If it develops further, it will be named Tammy.

The Hurricane Hunters
*******
I neglected to update that my sister in Houston was just fine during Rita. They got less than an inch of rain, and only lost a few tree branches.

Houston, we have a problem.....

2005-09-23T01:07:00.000-04:00

Hurricane Rita has weakened slightly, but is still a strong and dangerous Cat4, with winds of 140 mph, gusts over 165 mph. Currently, it is projected to hit Texas as a Cat4, though Louisiana is not out of the woods. Outer bands are dropping rain on the devastated town of New Orleans.

Rita is now a very personal storm. My sister and her husband live in Houston and have chosen to not evacuate. Their reasoning is that they have a new 3 story house, and with the backlogged evacuation in process, they have nowhere else to go. Needless to say, any good thoughts for them are appreciated.

The video of the evacuation from Galveston is unbelieveable. It's taking people 14 hours to travel approximately 70 miles. And of course, there is now more concern over the oil supplies in the Gulf. Rita won't be any kinder than Katrina was.

Radar image from earlier today:

Rita a Category 5

2005-09-21T22:17:00.000-04:00

Hurricane Rita is now a Category 5, with winds of 165 mph, gusts over 190 mph. By current predictions, it will hit somewhere along the Texas coastline by evening Friday. If Katrina taught us anything, I hope those along the coast are packing up and leaving now.

UPDATE: The 11pm advisory shows it has strengthened to 175 mph, gusts over 210 mph. Dear God. The current predictions do show it weakening, but it would still be a strong Cat4.
******
Sorry for the break in blogging. If you've been keeping up with my main blog, I've been dealing with some dizziness as a result of our cruise. We followed TS Ophelia back into port and the waters were pretty rough. I'm just glad we went when we did; 2 weeks later and we would have missed out on the Keys and probably the Grand Caymans.

Hard to believe it's the 3rd week in September and we are at letter R in storms. Should we run out (and with 2 months left in the season, and only 4 names left, that is likely), they will use the Greek alphabet; so the first 3 after Wilma would be Alpha, Beta, and Gamma.

How you can help

2005-08-31T22:17:00.000-04:00

The American Red Cross has designed web banners that you can put on your blog. Clicking on the banner above will take you to the donation page. Please be patient, it's taken me some time to get through to their main page. I take this as a really good sign that people are opening up their hearts to help out those hit by Katrina.

You know it's bad when....

2005-08-29T17:25:00.000-04:00

You know Katrina is a bad storm when Jim Cantori gives his reports for the Weather Channel by *phone*.

The Weather Channel Blog

Katrina Slideshow
Katrina Slideshow 2

Officially, Katrina made landfall as a Category 4 Hurricane. As of right now, it is barely a Category 1 with winds of 75 mph. But the damage has been done; the pictures in the slideshow give you but a glimpse of the devastation.
*******
TD #13 appears to have fallen apart, and was downgraded to an area of low pressure. While it is still being watched, it is not expected to develop any more. One big sigh of relief here.

Eye of the Storm

2005-08-29T01:45:00.000-04:00

According to an earlier hurricane hunter recon report, Katrina has a textbook perfect eye, and this infrared radar picture shows that:

I am in awe of the size of this storm. It takes up almost the entire Gulf of Mexico.

The hurricane has weakened just slightly (not that it makes a huge difference). The pressure has risen just a tiny bit, and the winds have gone down to 160 mph, but it is still a strong Category 5. Those on land are already feeling gusts of hurricane force winds (greater than 75 mph). And worse still, that this is all happening at night. The eye is supposed to make landfall around 8 a.m.

Still praying.

*********

Tropical Depression #13 has formed and is far out in the Atlantic. It is predicted to become a tropical storm (Lee) perhaps by Tuesday evening. One prediction is that it will just go out to sea (yes, please, we like that prediction). In any case, it won't be anywhere near the Florida coast by Saturday, when we leave on our trip.

What happens when you're out at sea on a ship and a hurricane threatens? You sail around it. My sister was on a cruise last year during one of the hurricanes that hit Florida. They wound up missing 2 of their ports (and another was substituted). Our cruiseline had been diverting to another port during Katrina's earlier days as it approached and crossed the tip of Florida.

Katrina a Catastrophic Cat 5

2005-08-28T13:26:00.000-04:00

I am absolutely horrified to discover how Katrina strengthened overnight. It is now a deadly Category 5 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph, with gusts over 200 mph. I have goosebumps just typing that. It looks like it will affect New Orleans, LA; Mississippi; and Alabama, no matter where the eye actually makes landfall. This storm is HUGE. The idea of going through a storm of this magnitude..... :::::shudder:::::::

I'm going to echo the sentiments of the Central Florida Hurricane Center: IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM, GET OUT NOW.

To my friends in Alabama, be safe--I will be praying hard for you and everyone else affected by this storm.

To the rest of my readers not affected by this storm--please consider making a donation to the American Red Cross.

Q&A: First Edition

2005-08-26T14:52:00.000-04:00

Reader Carlan asked in the comments:

"will be in your wonderful state sep 8 for 2 weeks what can we expect with the weather"

Weather.com has a great search feature--put in the zip code of where you'll be staying, and it will give you a 10 day forecast. There's also a Travel section with any delays the airports might be experiencing. I also depend on their website and tv station for tropical information, though admittedly, Katrina caught us all by surprise.

Florida is a pretty big state, but generally you can probably expect highs in the high 80's to mid-90's. Always bank on rain (so umbrellas and ponchos are handy). Unless there's a big storm, most rains are short-lived. So pack plenty of sunscreen! It's bright and very strong, and I see way too many people with that red lobster look. Sunglasses and hats are a must if you're going to be out long, and drink plenty of water--it's not uncommon right now for the heat index to be well over 100.

By September, the weather does improve, but aside from a rain-cooled evening, don't expect the lows to go below low to mid-70's. However, most places use the A/C liberally, so if you chill easily, bring a light jacket for indoors (restaurants, shows, etc). Also, if you're going to be outdoors at dusk/night, get some mosquito repellant (though I don't think I've ever had a problem at the Orlando theme parks).

Thanks for reading, Carlan, and enjoy your trip to the Sunshine State :)

Katrina Strengthens

2005-08-26T14:43:00.000-04:00

According to the Weather Channel last night, Katrina took the best possible path over the southern tip of Florida to minimize weakening. Apparently, the Everglades, being warm and swampy, is the closest thing to the warm waters of the Atlantic or the Gulf.

But that's bad news for the rest of Florida.

After being temporarily downgraded to a tropical storm, Katrina is back up to Hurricane strength (Category 1), with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph with gusts of up to 120 mph. The pressure has dropped significantly since last night (and don't my sinuses know it!)

Current projections predict that she'll grow stronger, possibly into a strong Category 3, with winds of 125 mph (gusts stronger). And it looks like the poor Panhandle is going to get slammed *again*.

Depending on how close she comes to the west coast, I think we're going to see some rain, but not much really bad weather.

The Thunder Rolls

2005-08-25T16:08:00.000-04:00

We're getting bands of showers today, another storm is threatening to rumble in. TS Katrina is moving a little faster than predicted last night, but still not expected to strengthen more than a minimal Category 1 Hurricane.

Just had to turn on the lights, it got really dark all of a sudden. The wind isn't too bad right now, I hear my windchimes playing out on the porch. Need to take them down--because (all together now) it's not THAT the wind is blowing, it's WHAT the wind is blowing LOL. I love Ron White.

Katrina and the Rains

2005-08-24T21:41:00.000-04:00

Needless to say, we're not walking on sunshine around here.

Tropical Storm Katrina is predicted to become a hurricane around the time it makes landfall. Currently projected to come ashore somewhere around Hollywood, FL. And that's about all we're sure of. Apparently there are a bunch of weather systems out there which are making the prediction models....unpredictable. Some have it exiting into the Gulf, then turning up towards the panhandle, others have it skim up the west coast and then crossing back over Florida before exiting into the Atlantic.

Normally I wouldn't be quite so antsy, but that was before I had 3 leaks in my house. And really, I am quite sure that all will be well for us. But still! Enough already!

I will be QUITE ready for our cruise next weekend, thankyouverymuch.

Margaritas, anyone?

What the.....?

2005-08-23T23:48:00.000-04:00

My daughter asked me something about a Tropical Storm tonight, and I was like huh? As I was in the middle of cleaning, I kindof forgot about it. Until now. And you could have knocked me over with a feather.

Guess who's coming to dinner?

Well. Better this week than next.

Looks like this blog is going to see a little action for the next few days.

The End?

2005-08-22T01:09:00.000-04:00

The whole roof fiasco seems to have been settled, and not to our benefit : /

Are you ready for this? THE DAMN ROOFER LIED TO INSURANCE. Told them that we didn't ask about hurricane damage, simply that we asked for an estimate to fix the roof. Told them there was no hurricane damage. And then said roofer would NOT return my husband's phone calls, and now we know why.

Insurance was kind enough to come out again, my husband got up on the roof too. Any shingles that previously were lifting have now resealed themselves. They found 3 torn shingles. The latest leak is being attributed to a lack of roofing gunk where our porch meets the main roof. We got a small check from insurance, enough to fix the shingles and regunk the porch seam, and possibly fix the ceilings in the 2 rooms (well, the leak spots anyway). Yeah, hurricane deductibles are *lovely* things. NOT.

So there, dear readers, is the end of the 2004 Hurricane Saga: The Roof Edition.

8 & 9: The Weather's Fine!

2005-08-06T23:23:00.000-04:00

Tropical Storm #8, Harvey, is no threat to us, or anybody else in the US. Whew.

Tropical Depression #9, well, that remains to be seen. It may strengthen to a Tropical Storm by Wednesday, at which point it will be named Irene.

The bad news--NOAA has revised the predictions for the 2005 Hurricane season. Including the storms we've already seen, they predict 18-21 named storms. The average is ten. TEN. And they predict that 9-11 of those will be hurricanes (average: 6), with 5-7 becoming major hurricanes with maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph (average is 2-3 major hurricanes).

2005 Hurricane Season so far:
7 Tropical storms (11-14 to go based on predictions)
2 Major hurricanes (3-5 to go).

********
Turns out the roofer didn't write down exactly what was wrong with our roof on the previous estimate :::smacking forehead::::: So we are waiting to hear from them to find out when they are coming out for another estimate on the roof, and when the insurance adjuster is going to come out to meet them. All hope is not lost. Yet.

Yep, still July....

2005-07-26T12:49:00.000-04:00

Franklin is still whirling around out there as a Tropical Storm. This week, Gert popped up and hit land as a Tropical Storm. SEVEN STORMS so far, and it's not even August. Ayiyiyi.

Our cruise is in a month, and I will depend on you, my dear readers, to help send lots of Hurricane Repellant Vibes when the time comes.

Insurance called today, dare I hope they are really taking it seriously this time? They want to get the roofer's description of the damage, and send out another adjuster to meet with the roofer ON the roof. They say third time's the charm.

That's right, Franklin, go towards the light....

2005-07-23T02:28:00.000-04:00

Imagine my surprise when I was watching the news last night, and realized there was a tropical storm off the coast. Ok, surprise is a bit mild. Anxiety perhaps?

However, he's headed out to sea. There was concern that he was going to pull a Jeanne and loop back around, but most of the models are in agreement now.

It's only JULY and we're on F. Are we having fun yet?

Emily

2005-07-16T03:30:00.000-04:00

Hurricane Emily has become a Category 4 storm with winds of 135 mph winds. While it is no threat to Florida (WHEW!!!) it is projected to hit near Jamaica, cross the Yucatan peninsula, and then make landfall in Mexico. While I hope there are no serious storms, my sister in Texas sure could use the rain from this system.
*******
We finally got a hold of an insurance agent who has reopened our file *again*. Someone should be out soon. Let's hope this person is more reasonable than the past 2 goons.

Dennis/TD Five

2005-07-11T01:51:00.000-04:00

Dennis made landfall this afternoon in the Florida panhandle, with winds of about 120 mph--much better than the 140 mph winds predicted earlier. But still...considering it's the area where Ivan hit, they did NOT need this.

We had a little rain today, but nothing major. The leak in the roof didn't get any worse, thankfully.

Tropical Depression #5 has formed, it's predicted to become a Tropical Storm by tomorrow evening, and a hurricane by Thursday.

We'll see how our phone calls go tomorrow with insurance, and the insurance commissioner's office.

"No hurricane damage" my.......

2005-07-09T17:49:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all the rain from Dennis we now have about a one foot spot on our ceiling that is leaking. Previously, the two leaks from the Tropical Trio were confined to the family room. But now a new one has graced us in the soon-to-be piano/craft/toy room (do we know how to multitask or what?).

Needless to say, insurance is getting *another* call from us on Monday.

The winds have picked up here, gusts up to 30mph.

Sending lots of good thoughts and prayers to those in the Panhandle, and big (((hugs)))) to my friend in Alabama. Be safe!!

The Big Picture

2005-07-09T14:40:00.000-04:00

It's raining. Not much else to report (aside from having a mini lightsabre battle with my son), and this blog needs more pictures, so here are some cool ones:

Rainy Night

2005-07-09T02:53:00.000-04:00

The rain has been coming down off and on since this afternoon. But we're starting to get more of the rain from the bulk of Dennis. The track did finally move more to the west, not that it's going to help those in the Panhandle or Alabama :(

Seeing Dennis strengthen to a very strong category 4 this afternoon (winds were 150 mph with gusts of 180) made me very thankful it wasn't coming our way. I really don't think our roof can take another hit from a hurricane, let alone the strong Category 3 it's supposed to become, once it gets away from Cuba and into the Gulf.

I think any stronger winds are supposed to stay off the coast too. It will be a bit breezy, and there's a threat of tornadoes with the rain we do get, but I'll take breezy.

I really hope that the Grand Caymans and Key West weather this storm well--we're due to take a cruise there in September.

Sounds like the rain has paused, though I hear a little rumble of thunder. The peace won't last for long!

Dennis a Category 4

2005-07-08T00:26:00.000-04:00

Today has seen Hurricane Dennis strengthen into a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 135 mph, and it's expected to strengthen before crossing over Cuba.

While the track keeps the eye off the coast of FL, it has edged to the east slightly. We're in for some wet weather.

Prior to last season, I think even I would be a bit nervous, even though it's supposed to weaken slightly when it's off our coast. But after the Tropical Trio, you can bet that I'm very antsy.

We've picked up a few supplies just in case......bottled water, toilet paper, non-perishable soymilk (my son has food allergies), and medications. Plus we have plenty of alcohol to make Godiva martinis. You know, the important things ;)

So long Cindy; Dennis the Menace (Updated)

2005-07-06T17:52:00.000-04:00

Cindy has been downgraded to a tropical depression. Let me tell you, she's been sucking the atmosphere over Florida dry--our heat index has been over 100 degrees here.

Dennis, on the other hand, is likely to be upgraded to a hurricane sometime in the next 24 hours. If the predictions are right, the 4-day forecast has it strengthening to a Category 3 Hurricane. Will we be hitting Walmart for hurricane supplies? Stay tuned.

Update: Dennis is officially a Category 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, and gusts up to 95 mph. Oh yeah, Walmart Supercenter, see you soon.

Three, Four, NO MORE! (Updated)

2005-07-05T00:48:00.000-04:00

Tropical Depressions 3 and 4 are out there--3 in the Gulf, 4 in the Atlantic. TD3 (which will be Cindy if and when it develops further) doesn't bug me, really. But TD4's 5-day forecast brings it too close for my nerves--and it predicts a hurricane, which would be Dennis (the Menace?).

TD3

TD4

Update: Both are now named storms, the above links will take you to the current forecast (you may need to click refresh). Dennis' path is forecasted to move further away from Florida than it was projected last night.

Bret not a threat

2005-06-29T22:27:00.000-04:00

And that's as clever as *I* get for today ;)

Tracking Tropical Depression Bret

Progress?

2005-06-15T14:24:00.000-04:00

Well, we finally spoke to a real, live person at the Insurance Commissioner's office. They have taken our information and are investigating it. Hopefully it won't be too much longer before we hear something (but you won't catch me holding my breath).

2004 Time Corrections

2005-06-14T21:13:00.000-04:00

I realized that in transferring my notes for this blog (from AOhelL) that the entries are time-stamped 3 hours later than when they actually occurred here. I corrected a few from the last few days in September 2004, and I'll get around to correcting the rest eventually ;) Yeah, that's me, a stickler for accuracy LOL.

Many giant ((((((Hugs))))))) to Chantal of Bread Crumbs in the Butter for plugging this blog. You SO rock and totally made my day :)

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog, where there are NO active storms in the tropics. :::::Happy Snoopy Dance::::::

Rain, rain, rain

2005-06-11T03:37:00.000-04:00

Finished out a second day of rain from TS Arlene. At least the kids enjoyed getting wet when their dad took them to the grocery store. Probably going to have one more day of it.

Looks like Arlene is going to hit Alabama. Lots of good thoughts going their way, especially to one of my internet buddies.

This is going to be ONE LONG hurricane season :X

Introducing Arlene

2005-06-09T13:04:00.000-04:00

It's officially hurricane season now!

Tropical Storm Arlene

I wonder if Chantal has sold her house in Canada yet.......think there's time to move? Yeesh. It's going to be a LONG time until November.

2005-06-02T23:07:00.000-04:00

Postcard from my sister's honeymoon

Wishing I was NOT here....

2005-06-02T15:26:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Hurricane Season 2005. Will another hurricane hit Florida? Will the Insurance Commisioner's office ever assign us a caseworker? Will we get our roof redone before 2006?

Stay tuned.

:::Whimper:::::

2005-05-18T14:38:00.000-04:00

With just 13 days until the beginning of the 2005 Hurricane season, we get an uncomfortable reminder of what may come.....

Tropical Storm "Adrian" in the Pacific

That 4 day prediction is just way too close for my nerves.

We are waiting for a caseworker from the Insurance Commissioner's office to call us back regarding our roof. Or rather, insurance's head-up-their-butt stance that we don't have hurricane damage.

Round 2 with Insurance

2005-04-13T22:00:00.000-04:00

Insurance: 2
Our Roof: 0

:::::Expletive deleted:::::::

Another adjuster came out who claimed to be up on the roof for 10 minutes. Asshat. What he didn't realize was that I WAS HOME and uh, no he wasn't. It may have been slightly more than 5 minutes, but no way was it 10. Because by the time I looked out the front window to see if he was in the front yard, he was already gone @@

He absolutely denies we have any hurricane damage. Tell me, how do you go through THREE hurricanes and not have any damage? Especially when there are LEAKS in the family room?

We've called the insurance commissioner and our agent *again*. At this point, though, with the roofers working overtime, we won't be able to get a new roof until after this hurricane season. Yes I know it's April. And yes hurricane season ends in November. We'll be lucky to get a roofer by January 2006.

And of course, all this depends on a settlement check from insurance. Unless I have a nice reader who'd like to send us $5000? ;)

Didn't it just END???

2005-04-01T23:07:00.000-05:00

And we're *still* battling insurance over our roof, which has hurricane damage.

Enough is Enough

2004-09-30T18:48:00.000-04:00

One last joke

Weird Week

2004-09-30T15:47:00.000-04:00

This has been a weird week. My daughter STILL doesn't have school, it's going to be Monday at least--a bunch of huge trees came down near her school, knocking down poles and power lines. Supposedly the county and city are arguing over who has to repair them @@ She's bored to death, has studied everything ad nauseum, but at least she's getting some extra reading done.

The city looks like a war zone. Trees down everywhere, in streets, in yards, on houses. There's a funky kind of vegetation smell in the air. Traffic lights were knocked down, most have power back finally, navigating intersections was interesting on Monday. Store signs were blown out, billboards are either stripped or lay twisted on the ground. Church steeples crashed down. Screened-in pools are now a twisted heap of aluminum. I think it would be hard pressed to find *anyone* who was not affected in some way.

And it's not over for some. With every gust of wind, or rainshower, trees that were weakened continue to come down. My inlaws are again without power.

We have some kind of line down in the backyard so we can't go out there until someone comes to check it out. Whenever that will be. I can't complain too much, seeing as how we HAVE power and some don't, and won't anytime soon....some people have been told *three weeks*. Ditto for the roof. We're waiting for someone to come check it out, but the leaks haven't gotten worse, and we still have a roof. The house may smell a bit funny, but we are blessed.

When we were out, we pulled up alongside a power truck--I yelled out the window "We have power--thank you, we love you guys!" The guys in the truck grinned and laughed.

Everyone is walking around slightly shell-shocked. Seeing your city like this is so disheartening. I'm still dreaming about storms and trying to outrun them.

The grocery stores are only half-stocked. I was lucky to get a carton of juice and some lunchmeat yesterday. Refrigerated and frozen cases are just empty, and some fruits & veggies are gone too. But there was bread and milk, unlike on Monday.

There are still 61 days in hurricane season. We're all twitchy when the tropical update comes on the Weather Channel. Here's hoping my blog will NOT be updated for the remainder of it.

Photos from Jeanne's Visit

2004-09-26T21:49:00.000-04:00

Poor Loquat Tree

2004-09-26T21:48:00.001-04:00

Backyard Debris

2004-09-26T21:48:00.000-04:00

Say goodbye to the fence!

2004-09-26T21:47:00.000-04:00

A neighbor's porch roof blew across the street

Sigh of relief & crossing fingers

2004-09-26T16:45:00.000-04:00

We lost power about 9 a.m. and got power back about 1pm (I shouted Hallelujia!!! lol). I apologize for not updating sooner, I crashed and was just exhausted, between the 3 hrs of sleep I got and the stress of the storm.

It does appear the worst of Jeanne is gone. We're getting wind & rain still, but nowhere near the intensity of this morning.

I consider ourselves incredibly blessed. We do have roof damage, best guess is loose shingles, because we're getting water spots on the ceiling in the family room. But it doesn't appear to be anywhere else. The loquat tree may be a total loss, our small tebebuia tree is leaning dreadfully, and I'm sure the fence is just wiped out in one section. But we have power. We have water. Heck, we have cable!!

During the eye, neighbors came out to check out damage. Someone down the street has a tree in their house now, and a snapped water main to their house :( Someone else lost a roof, and someone was having a roof replaced and it didn't get done before the storm. The aluminum roof I saw across the street belongs to a neighbor 2 houses down--it's their back porch roof. All of those so easily could be us.

So I'm grateful. I think if I see a person who works for the power company, I may kiss them lol. But if a hurricane ever approaches our area again I think I will throw up. I'm ready to move to Vermont.

I'm thankful for all my friends out here who have been praying for us. You all rock :) (((((((Hugs))))))))

Getting Worse

2004-09-26T10:11:00.000-04:00

We've lost part of our loquat tree

HOLY CRAP we just had a transformer blow in the back yard. Like someone set off fireworks. Loud and bright--happening all over the neighborhood. Miracle we still have power/cable

neighbor a few houses down lost their aluminum (porch?) roof

This is pretty scary stuff. I don't recommend it.

We're getting winds over 75mph up to 90mph with higher gusts.

Dear God

2004-09-26T08:57:00.000-04:00

It feels like this storm is not going to end. Ever. It's almost 9 a.m. and the eye is coming ever closer to us. Transformers, power lines, whatever, are popping like firecrackers every 30 mins or so. Power keeps flickering, I wonder if I'll be able to send this.

Frances is a Cat2 with winds of about 100mph. We just had the wind gust so hard and so loud I held my breath. Sounds like pebbles hitting the windows, horizontal rain and all that.

And when all this is past, we get the threat of tornadoes tonight.

I can see shingles fluttering on a roof across the street. It would be literally a miracle if our roof was fine. And I have a horrible sinking feeling it's not.

Well, just to say we're still here and we are physically fine, just scared.

Can't sleep

2004-09-26T08:45:00.000-04:00

After about 3 hrs of sleep, I'm back. The storm is just so intense outside, we all can't sleep. Doors are rattling, lights are blinking a bit. We were watching outside the front door and saw a transformer go a few streets away. It was like blue fireworks. Creepy and cool at the same time.

The path has changed so the eye is supposed to pass below us but that puts us on the worst side of the storm. And the worst hasn't even hit us yet. It also didn't weaken like they thought. It was supposed to be a Cat1, but it's still a Cat2. Maximum sustained winds are 110 mph. Gusts are approaching 130 mph. I've never been through anything like this before, in my 34 yrs of living here. I don't know what our winds are right now. This is going to continue for at least 4? 6? hrs.

We're getting our butts kicked here. I've heard a few weird things on the roof, so I'm sure we're looking at some repairs there.

Going to send before we lose power.

Hunkering Down

2004-09-26T04:28:00.000-04:00

Jeanne officially made landfall as a Cat3 hurricane, with winds of 120mph. We're getting steady rain, it's starting to get heavy, and the wind and gusts are picking up for us, at least 36 mph (inland). The worst is expected to start around 5 a.m. for us. Oh joy @@

:::::::Waving to all my friends out there::::::::::

Blah, blah, blah....

2004-09-26T00:50:00.000-04:00

The path now has the eye passing right near us, so we're pretty much going to get hurricane force winds for about 6-8 hrs. There have been wind gusts of about 32 mph. It's breezy and raining off and on. Earlier tonight, it looked downright creepy, with the fading sunllight and the dark clouds zooming by.

My poor cats. They have been basket cases since Charley. 11 1/2 yr old Allegro has lost weight and fur. 7 yr old Cassie wants to be around people so much she'll let our 2 yr old son squeeze her. Both of them are just neurotic furballs. The dog, 11 1/2 yr old Max, is blissfully unaware. There's no lightning or thunder, he's just annoyed he can't run around in the rain.

School has been cancelled, of course, for Monday. My daughter is just rolling her eyes about this. Yep, this is how storm-weary we all are, when the kids are tired of school being cancelled.

I'd go watch the rain but I think I'd be eaten alive by the mosquitos lol.

I'm burning a Pineapple Yankee Tart, so naturally I'm hungry now. Be back later!

There's a Storm Front Comin'.....

2004-09-25T17:27:00.000-04:00

Quick, name the album and artist my Subject Title comes from! And yes, the TV is always on here. Keeps my own 2 yr old hurricane busy while he's pretending he's Steve Irwin.

I'm on my first Hurricane (beverage). Hurricane Jeanne, despite my last blog, has become a big whoop. The projected track has edged ever closer to our city, so there's more than just a good chance of hurricane force winds, at least 85+ sustained, gusts over 100mph.

So what does one do before a hurricane? Buy fabric of course! I am doing a quilt for my daughter's school auction, and I figured as long as the fabric was washed, dried and ironed, I can cut fabric if we have no power. I haven't updated this blog in quite some time, but in case you're interested: Quilt-A-Palooza! I love trying to coordinate 10+ fabrics! But even the looming hurricane managed to take some of the fun out of it. Everyone here has "hurricane fatigue" and it really stinks.

Note to self--half-strength alcoholic beverages don't do diddly for hurricane fatigue :P
I'm thinking we will probably lose power in this one. I'll have someone post in the comment section if that happens.

More later if I haven't completely lost my mind or had enough drinks LOL (Before anyone worries, I really talk big about drinking but one glass of wine is enough to make me sleepy. I'd fall asleep before I could ever get drunk).

Jeanne

2004-09-25T01:16:00.000-04:00

I wish I could say that the only thing troubling my mind was this stupid hurricane but it's not.

My Mother-In-Law has cancer again. She had surgery back in May and was given the all-clear, but they've found more. She will have surgery next Friday followed by radiation. If any of you out there are the praying type, I'd really appreciate it.

Yes, Jeanne is still coming. Right now our area is supposed to get tropical storm force winds. Honestly? Big whoop. Hate to be cavalier and all, but been there, done that, got the tshirt.

Speaking of tshirts, I will be making up some tshirts for sale, part of the proceeds will be going to a friend who lost everything in Charley, the house got hit again by Frances, and will more than likely be battered by Jeanne. She's got 4 precious kids, and one of them is very ill. Part of the proceeds will also go to the American Red Cross for FL Hurricane Relief. More info coming soon.

At least I have my Godiva. This has been a very bizarre two months. You can't help but mention the hurricane and have someone chuckle. Everyone is at the "laugh or you'll cry" stage. Even my daughter is bemoaning the idea of missing another day of school (possibly Monday).

More of an update tomorrow. The very resigned hurricane watcher, signing out.

I hate to say I told you so......

2004-09-23T15:20:00.000-04:00

See? That's why I didn't delete this blog. I had a gut feeling about another storm paying us a visit. Ahhhh the hustle and bustle of hurricane preparation is once more upon us--Ladies & Gentlemen, here comes Hurricane Jeanne.

My hubby and I celebrated our anniversary 2 weeks late, courtesy of Hurricane Frances. We almost postponed it again since my Dad maybe had to work (we were dropping the kids off) but my mom wisely said "No, come, there may be another hurricane next weekend". Mother knows best eh?

So Jeanne has been sitting out there, going a bit loopy in her track, sticking to the westerly side of the projection path. The devestation she's caused out there is almost unimaginable--Haiti has been dealt such a horrifying blow by this storm.

Speaking of loopy storms, how 'bout that Ivan? Ivan's remnants passed back over the state of FL in his quest to reform. My sis in Texas may be saying hello to him this weekend.

I think the storm forecasters are both giddy and befuddled by this storm season. Though Jeanne's not the first storm to mimic an amusement park ride--some storm in the 60's I think looped 3 times before moving on. But I don't know they've seen anything like Ivan.

Right now, I think the effects of the storm will be minimal. I hate feeling so casual about a hurricane, but I'm just weary of these storms. I daresay the hurricane forecasters are too. They all need a well-deserved vacation.

Though I have to say, this season has reignited my interest in hurricanes, tracks, forecasts, etc. Heck I even think it might be kindof neat to ride in the hurricane hunter plane.

I must go pull in the welcome mat now....the hurricanes are taking it too literally @@

In the Clear???

2004-09-13T19:26:00.000-04:00

Unless Ivan does something wonky, I think we're actually in the clear. Sure we're going to get a little rain & wind from the edges of the rain bands, and there is an increased risk of tornadoes, but Ivan won't be so terrible for us after all.

It's weird, the adrenaline let-down. We got all prepared, hey I even got my Godiva Liqueur LOL. Not that I want a Category ANYTHING hurricane hitting us (hey, the odds were against us to escape a 3rd time!). But all that energy just went fttttt.

My daughter had today off from school, but is going back tomorrow. I think they realized they jumped the gun by cancelling so far ahead of time. Ah well, she had a nice 3 day weekend ;)

For now, I'll just report if something odd happens to Ivan's track (towards us) or we get some interesting squalls. Hurricane season doesn't end until Nov 30, I have a feeling this won't be the last time I use this blog this year.

My thoughts and prayers are with my friends in the Panhandle and Alabama!

Still Watching Ivan the Terrible

2004-09-11T05:27:00.000-04:00

Not too much to report for us, but I figured I should post anyway ;)

My daughter has no school on Monday. I daresay she won't have school on Tuesday either, possibly Wednesday as well? She's missed 3 days so far due to hurricanes.

My husband went to look at plywood for the windows.....if nothing else, so we could board up a window should one break. FOURTY FIVE BUCKS a sheet ::::thunk:::::::: Uh, no, we'll use a closet door instead @@

Jamaica is getting slammed right now, my thoughts and prayers are with them. It's a Cat5, 155mph, with gusts of about 200mph. Ivan the Terrible, indeed. :(

As for us, the track is staying off the coast of FL, though we will at least get Tropical Storm-force winds (up to 75 mph). Possible we could get a bit of Hurricane Force winds. But until Ivan crosses Cuba, where he will go is anyone's guess.

On a totally different note, RUN, don't walk, and rent Bill Engvall's comedy DVD "Here's Your Sign". I just got done watching that, and the stress from the upcoming storm was relieved for awhile. I laughed myself hoarse ;)

Tomorrow I must go buy alcohol for consumption LOL

My freak-out meter will probably start going up in the next day or so, but for now I'm just sortof resolved to the idea of another hurricane.

Ivan Humor

2004-09-09T14:32:00.000-04:00

Click to enlarge

Here comes Ivan!

2004-09-09T14:31:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Twilight Zone. Ivan is headed our way.

Ivan the Terrible is a monster right now. A strong Category 5 with winds of 160mph, and gusts around 190mph. Our only saving grace is that he's far enough away from FL and has to cross over Cuba, SO he should weaken, but the latest track has it making landfall as a strong Cat4.

And guess who's house it looks like it's going to cross right now???????

Here's my "Laugh or You'll Cry" humor for today (made on Paint Shop). Feel free to pass it around to your storm-weary friends.

Sick Hurricane Humor

2004-09-09T02:40:00.000-04:00

You have to laugh or you'll cry...

Ivan's projected Track

2004-09-08T13:56:00.000-04:00

Ivan's Track

Why I'm keeping this Blog active.....

2004-09-08T13:55:00.000-04:00

Latest forecast track for Ivan :::::Smacking head against my padded room::::::::::.

What IS it with the weather patterns this year??????????

I'm planning on buying some Godiva Liqueur to get me through this one, if Ivan is indeed paying us a call. Godiva shots, anyone? LOL

Leftover Rain

2004-09-06T03:00:00.000-04:00

We're getting alot of rain right now. The eye of Frances has moved into the gulf, so there's more moisture--and it's expected to strengthen. To my friends in the Panhandle and Alabama--BE SAFE!!!!

I'm sitting here in disbelief that we escaped yet another hurricane with no real damage. The picture just can't convey the storm (that's one of the tree branches down from the tree)

Whew we're getting some pounding wind & rain.....nothing like we were getting but still a little unnerving. I think it will be awhile before I will feel comfortable during a "normal" storm again.

Escaped Hurricane #2

2004-09-05T18:00:00.000-04:00

After Frances

Happy Anniversary to me :P

2004-09-05T17:17:00.000-04:00

Here she comes, Sunday 12:15 pm

The eyewall--where the strongest winds are located--is getting ready to hit us, so this may be my last update. The power has been flickering a bit.

The winds will probably be minimal hurricane force winds (75+) with higher gusts. So far we've only lost one section of fence. Hubby said everything else looked ok so far.

There's been a lone little lizard clinging to our kitchen window for the past 24 hrs. I was tempted to go save him, but maybe he's the forecaster for his clan LOL. I was going to take his picture but he's finally moved. Be well, Bob. (We name everything Bob around here lol).

Well I'm going to eat my anniversary cinnamon roll from Walmart while we still have power. Even in my sleep I couldn't get away from the storm, I dreamed about hurricanes and tornadoes all night. Noah is bouncing off the walls and one of the cats is freaking out a bit. Two year olds and animals know when something is amiss.

(((((Hugs)))))) to all!