|
Rebekah plays near debris after
the storm. |
11/7/05 - Nearly all has returned to normal for us. Today, our satellite TV was repaired. We went grocery shopping and found a full supply of dairy and frozen food. Yesterday, the city came through our neighborhood and removed all the debris. Most intersections have working traffic lights now-- either the ones on the overhead wires or temporary light posts. Nearly all businesses have reopened, although 98,000 customers in Broward County are still without power. Broken trees and hedges are everywhere, but hopefully the lush landscape will return by next year.
10/28/05 - Here is our recollection of the event and a summary of the aftermath so far:
On 10/24/05, we were awoken at 5 AM by the sounds of wind. The storm made landfall as a Category 3 on the west coast of Florida near Naples at 6:30 AM. It then roared through the Everglades and right over top of us, remaining a strong Category 3, and exiting the state in West Palm Beach. Winds exceeded 120 MPH. The first half of the storm was blustery, but manageable. We walked about, video taped, and enjoyed our electricity and phones. Once we realized that the eye had passed and the second half of the storm was upon us, the whole house began to "breathe," creak and thump. I turned off my video camera, gathered the children and dove into our "safe room." We stayed there for two hours, electricity gone. Once things settled down and the storm passed, a cold front moved in. We had to put on warm clothes, which was a treat because if this had been earlier in the season, our house would have become unbearable without air conditioning. Water and ice distribution did not start for a day and a half due to government communication problems, which got a lot of people upset! We heard reports that Coral Springs suffered "catastrophic damage," but when we took a ride in our car two days later, it seemed like much less-- just some wrecked pool screens, twisted traffic lights & signs, a few trees fallen on houses, roof shingles ripped off, electric poles down, and about 25% of trees down. This was nothing like Hurricane Andrew, which was catastrophic!!
Hurricane Wilma hit us Monday morning, the power was restored late Wednesday night. Phones, Internet and mail delivery were back online by Thursday. The newspaper was delivered on Friday. Our satellite TV will take up to a month to fix, few gas stations are open, supermarkets are open but cash only and not selling perishable items. Banks are closed. A mandatory curfew continues. So, we're just sitting tight for the next few days. Leah's school supposedly resumes on Monday. Plenty of Dade, Broward and Palm Beach county is still without power, and many traffic lights are not working. Lines for supplies are LONG! We hear the sounds of sirens outside often.
Watch
Our Hurricane Wilma Video This video features the first half of Hurricane Wilma. The second half of the storm was too intense to film. We were hiding in the bathroom! See Wilma's path in animation. |
 |
10/23/05 9 PM - No winds or rain yet, but they say it's just on our doorstep. We're backing up our computers and preparing to hunker down now. If the power doesn't go out, we'll report more tomorrow.
10/23/05 6 PM - The hurricane looks like it'll make landfall as a Category 2 or 3 and then move over us as a Category 1. Wilma is progressing at 14 miles per hour with sustained winds of 105 MPH (which combine to make 129 MPH winds). Tropical force winds are expected to start in four hours. Landfall is expected at daybreak.
10/23/05 7 AM - Most of Florida is now under a Hurricane Warning. Wilma's maximum winds are 100 MPH (Category 2). Hurricane force winds extend 70 miles from her core. Tropical Storm winds reach for 200 miles. The storm is moving towards us at 8 MPH and is expected to pick up speed and strength. Isolated tornadoes are expected in Florida today.
10/22/05 - 5 PM - They showed flooded neighborhoods on CNN with the caption “Broward County, Florida." Oakland Park and Ft. Lauderdale got hit with a wet outer rain band from Wilma this morning and parts of those cities are under water. Here, it's been overcast, but not rainy. Wilma is 200 miles wide. Hurricane winds extend 85 miles from her core. Three people have died in Mexico so far. Wilma is now a category 2. They think she’ll become a 3, then a 2 before hitting Florida Monday. A Hurricane Watch for all of central to south Florida has just been issued.
We have officially entered the
busiest hurricane season on record!
Hurricane Alpha (#22) just developed in the
Caribbean, but won't affect the United States.
10/22/05 - 10 AM - Hurricane Wilma is STILL punishing the Yucatan peninsula (near Cancun & Cozumel), but now she's decreased to a Category 3 storm with highest sustained winds of 115 MPH (down from 145 MPH just a few days ago). The Florida Keys are under a Hurricane Watch. Broward County schools are closed Monday, Oct. 24th, for the hurricane.
10/20/05 - With Hurricane Wilma, we have reached the end of the alphabet for named storms this season. If any more come, they will start using greek letters (Hurricane Alpha, Beta, etc.). There are six weeks left in the season. A few days ago, the forecasters started talking about Wilma-- her hugeness, ferocity and uncertain path. She was born in the Caribbean and now fluctuates between a category 5 and a category 4. At one point, she was the STRONGEST, LARGEST hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin! It's not the first time we've heard that said this season. The computer models vary, but the average consensus brings Wilma into Southwest Florida on Sunday. It is not clear what category Wilma will be when she hits. Stay tuned for more information.
Hurricane Rita (# 18)
Missed us!
9/23/05 7:00 AM - Hurricane Rita made landfall as a Category 3 storm and did not wreck as much havoc as expected. There were nine deaths.
9/22/05 3:30 PM - Hurricane Rita is a mammoth Category 4 storm churning towards Texas! Over one million people have been ordered to evacuate.
9/19/05 8:45 PM - Rita became a Category 2 hurricane as she swept below the Florida Keys this morning. While it was blustery all day, we had little rain and no sustained wind in our area. Miami got more. Hurricane Rita is now packing winds of 105 MPH and she's intensifying. They expect Rita will become a major hurricane (Category 4) and make landfall in Texas by Friday/Saturday (in four days)! It's like Hurricane Katrina all over again.
9/19/05 8:30 AM - We are still under a Tropical Storm Warning for our area; although, there's barely any activity outside and the hurricane is supposedly over the Florida Keys now. There is a tornado warning issued for south Florida as well. I awoke at 4:30 AM to some heavy wind and rain, but that was the last I heard of it. This morning has been gray and quiet. The storm has not become a hurricane yet.
9/18/05 11:30 AM - Tropical Storm Rita has moved north, putting the storm much closer to us now. A tropical storm warning & hurricane watch have been issued for Broward & Dade county, and our public schools are closed tomorrow. Maximum winds are currently 65 MPH.
9/18/05 10 PM - Tropical Storm Rita is expected to pass near the Florida Keys and Cuba; however, Dade & Broward county is now under a Tropical Storm Watch (conditions expected within 36 hours). The Florida Keys are under a Hurricane Watch and Monroe County schools are closed Monday. Keys visitors are under mandatory evacuation orders.
9/17/05 - I just heard about this on the news. It’s forming east of the Bahamas, just like Katrina. They expect it to become a hurricane. It is potentially headed to South Florida –estimated Monday or Tuesday. It’s moving fast.
Hurricane
Katrina -
Category 1
(August 25, 2005 - brushed past us!)
(August 29 hits Louisiana, Alabama & Mississippi - Category
4)
8/28/05 - Category 5 Hurricane Katrina takes aim at New Orleans. |
Hurricane Katrina turned out to be one of the worst natural disasters in US history. Over 1,000 people died. New Orleans was 80% flooded and three states were hit. The head of FEMA stepped down after a pathetic national response. The army and national guard were eventually brought in. It will cost billions to rebuild the gulf coast.
8/29/05 6:10 AM: Hurricane Katrina makes landfall just south of Buras, Louisiana. She is a Category 4 storm with winds of 145 MPH. Catastrophic damage and flooding is expected.
8/28/05 11:00 AM: Katrina's winds have climbed to 175 MPH with gusts to 210 MPH. The mayor has just issued a mandatory evacuation order for the entire city of New Orleans. Roads are grid locked as people try to get out. They compare this to Hurricane Camille which hit the area in 1969 with 200+ MPH winds and killed 250 people.
8/28/05 8:45 AM: Hurricane Katrina has intensified to a Category 5 storm and is headed straight for New Orleans! The storm is expected to deliver a 20-foot storm surge and 160+ MPH winds on Monday morning. A massive evacuation is taking place right now. The South Florida death count is up to nine.
After striking Florida, Hurricane Katrina heads north.
8/26/05 9:15 PM: Today, it's been mostly cloudy with occasional rain squalls. Hurricane Katrina finally stopped battering the Florida Keys and moved offshore tonight. She is now a Category 2 storm. Katrina is expected to head north and make landfall near the Florida panhandle in a few days as a Category 4 storm!
8/26/05 9:45 AM: We dodged a bullet! Hurricane Katrina made landfall as a Category 1 storm around 6 pm last night. She entered 30 miles south of us on the Dade/Broward County line, and proceeded on a southwest path through Miami and Homestead. As the evening went on, we had less wind and rain as the storm moved southwest towards the Florida keys. The only damage we've seen on our property is a large tree limb resting on our front lawn. One million customers are without power this morning, and four people died when trees fell on them.
8/25/05 4:30 PM: Hurricane Katrina is almost on top of us now! As of the 3 PM advisory, it was 35 miles east and approaching. Her maximum sustained winds are up to 75 mph with gusts of over 85 mph. Within the last hour, the rains have become steadier with occasional bursts of sideways rain against our windows. The trees are rustling like crazy! Our power flickered half dozen times already.
8/25/05 10:45 AM: The latest advisory says maximum sustained winds are up to 60 MPH and the storm has slowed a bit, which will give it more chance to pick up strength. It's still headed right for us. We just went to the local store (which they were boarding up) to buy milk and hurricane toys for the children. It's almost time to bring our patio things inside.
8/25/05 8:00 AM: Tropical Storm Katrina is forecast to make landfall at 5 am Friday over Pompano Beach-- exactly due east of us! Maximum sustained winds are currently 50 MPH; however, the storm is expected to strengthen to a category 1 hurricane later today. We are under a hurricane warning.
8/24/05 5:00 PM: Broward County Public Schools will be CLOSED August 25th and 26th (Thursday & Friday).
8/24/05 3:30 PM: A Tropical Storm Warning & Hurricane Watch is in effect for South Florida.
8/24/05 11:00 AM: We just found out that Tropical Storm Katrina (Tropical Depression #12) is nearby and on the way! They say it formed near the Bahamas, which is why we got such a short notice. Thankfully, it's just a Tropical Storm and may not require shutters and other preparations.. but who knows?
September 26, 2004 (Sunday)
3:00 p.m. - It's sunny and breezy now. Hurricane Jeanne made landfall last night around 11 p.m. in Stuart, about 100 miles north of us. This is near where Hurricane Frances came in just three weeks ago! Our area experienced 60 mile-an-hour winds and stronger gusts. This morning, half a million Palm Beach and 60,000 Broward residents are without power, and the electric company has warned that power restoration could take up to three weeks. Thankfully, our power stayed on. So far, we see little damage, except for one leaning tree in our side yard.
September 25, 2004 (Saturday)
3:45 p.m. - It's getting gusty outside! Check out the local doppler radar to see Hurricane Jeanne coming ashore.
11 a.m. - According to Accuweather, "Wind gusts around 30 mph are already affecting the coast of Palm Beach and Broward Counties. Wind gusts of tropical storm force will affect the coasts of Palm Beach and Broward Counties by early this afternoon." We've got all our shutters up and furniture in, so we're ready for whatever Hurricane Jeanne has to offer! The hurricane is expected to make landfall tonight, somewhere between West Palm Beach and Cape Canaveral. Jeanne is now a category 3 with sustained winds of 115 miles an hour, and she's expected to strengthen. Hurricane force winds extend 70 miles, and tropical force winds extend 205 miles from the core.
September 24, 2004 (Friday) - Nearly the entire eastern coast of Florida is now under a Hurricane Warning, which means that Hurricane conditions are expected within 24 hours. Forecasters say that the weather will start to deteriorate tomorrow. Hurricane Jeanne is expected to make landfall as a Category 3 storm.
September 22, 2004 (Wednesday) - We've just learned that Jeanne has been UPGRADED to a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 100 miles an hour. Further strengthening is expected. She's turned back around and is heading in our direction!
September 17, 2004 (Friday) - Tropical Storm Jeanne has been downgraded to a Tropical Depression and is forecast to spin north towards the Carolinas.
September 16, 2004 (Thursday)- Tropical Storm Jeanne has sustained winds of 70 miles-an-hour with hurricane strength gusts. If it aims at us, they expect it will be here on Sunday.
September
15, 2004 (Wednesday) - Hurricane Ivan tore
a path of destruction through the Caribbean, killing 68 people along
the way. Thankfully, it passed South Florida, but now
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida
panhandle prepare for Ivan's landfall late tonight. Winds of 140 miles-an-hour
extend 105 miles from its core, with tropical force winds reaching
out for 260 miles!
September 11, 2004 (Saturday) - It looks like we may be spared! The latest storm trajectory puts Hurricane Ivan somewhere to our west; however, depending on how close it passes, we may experience tropical force winds and rain similar to what we felt with Hurricane Frances. Meteorologists warn that the "cone of uncertainty" (the white area) can change quickly, so not to let our guard down. Currently, core winds are 145 miles-per-hour and extend out 45 miles. Tropical force winds reach outward 175 miles.
September 9, 2004 (Thursday) - They've upgraded Hurricane Ivan to a strong Category 5 with sustained winds of 160 miles per hour. The Florida Keys began evacuating today.
September 8, 2004 (Wednesday)- South Florida is a potential Monday target for Hurricane Ivan. In their latest advisory, the National Hurricane Center wrote: "Ivan is an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane ... with maximum sustained winds of near 140 MPH ... with higher gusts. Some strengthening is possible during the next day or two." Strengthening? YIPES! It's a good thing we've still got our shutters up. Tomorrow, we are going out to replenish our supplies.
September 5, 2004 (Sunday) - As Tropical Storm Frances fades over Tampa, we now watch Hurricane Ivan, which strengthened to a category 3 storm today. Prediction models suggest it could make Florida landfall next weekend. Stay tuned for more information!
September
5, 2004 (Sunday)
(6:30 p.m.) - It's gray, windy and humid, but the storm has passed. Ever since I stepped outside this morning, my eyes have been itchy and watery. Combined with my other symptoms, I'm starting to think this isn't a cold, but an allergic reaction to whatever the storm kicked up.
(9:45 a.m.) - According to the AP news out of Melbourne, "the slow-moving storm finally lumbered ashore near Juno Beach shortly after 10 PM Saturday, after lashing the coast with gusts of well over 100 miles per hour and slamming residents with driving rain." They also wrote, "While Miami-dade was relatively unaffected by the full fury of Frances, feeder bands of rain continued to whip the county. In Broward county, higher winds caused more damage, while in Palm Beach and Martin Counties, Frances unleashed her full fury." We live on the southwest border of Palm Beach county and I believe that we shared rough conditions with them. The first band of sustained winds rolled in around 11 p.m. Once that quieted down, we fell asleep, only to be awoken at 2 a.m. by louder howling winds. I turned on the television to get a radar update (yes, we still had power and satellite television!) and cringed to see reporters still standing in rain ponchos, in the dark, being pelted with sheeting rain, whipping winds and occasional debris. At least three reporters were hit by something on live television! At this mid-morning hour, we are under a tropical storm warning. Millions in Florida are without electricity, including half of Broward County. Thankfully, we're okay. Wind and rain is expected to continue throughout today. We peeked outside the house this morning and did not see any damage. The worst is some large, but manageable branches in our driveway. We've decided to keep the shutters up for now since we've been warned that Hurricane Ivan is next. I feel awful today, like my cold is turning into a sinus infection. Perhaps it's because I kept the house extra cold in case we'd lose power and air conditioning. Weh!!
September 4, 2004 (Saturday)
(1:15 p.m.) - About an hour ago, our power flickered, but didn't go out (thankfully!), so we were able to have a hot lunch. Hurricane Frances is starting to have a big affect on the weather now. It's been steadily blustery, with bursts of wind that rattle the exposed windows and howl through the bathroom vents. This will be my last report for a while as it's time to turn off the computer, scoop up the kids, and go downstairs to a safer room. Use the links at the top of this page to stay on top of the storm, which is expected to make landfall tonight.
(10:00 a.m.) - Hurricane Frances is slow-moving. It's positioned 60 miles directly west of us. The latest advisory says it's going west northwest and it's core has widened, so even though it's expected to hit slightly to our north, we could experience hurricane force winds, which are 105 miles-an-hour sustained. The left side of the storm has picked up moisture and organization, so south Florida is getting lots of rain and wind today, with slight breaks in between. It's quite gray and blustery outside. The hurricane is expected to make landfall tonight.
September 3, 2004 (Friday)
(8:00 p.m.) - Hurricane Frances has just been downgraded to a Category 2 storm with 105 mile-per-hour sustained winds at it's core. At least one TV station has dropped round-the-clock coverage, although the others are sticking with it (and honestly, it's getting a bit boring, but I continue to watch anyway). The first strong band of wind and rain came through at 4:30 p.m. today. It's been quiet ever since. They're predicting tropical force winds and rain tonight, tomorrow and the next day. The hurricane has slowed progression to four miles an hour. There are tens of thousands of people who have lost electricity. So far, we're okay.
(12:00 p.m.) - We've done as much as we can do with the shutters. It turns out that we're missing two slats plus a "bag of nuts" for the patio door shutters (damned previous owners!!). We decided to leave one upstairs window exposed because we couldn't safely reach it with our 21-foot ladder and no one had a bigger ladder to lend. So, now we wait. The hurricane has weakened to a category 3 with highest winds of about 115 mph, but it's got to travel over warm water yet, so it could intensify. It has also slowed down a bit, so they're predicting landfall in the wee hours of Sunday morning, probably to the north of us, but they're just not sure because there's a high pressure ridge out there. We're still in the "cone of uncertainty," so hurricane warnings remain in effect. The weather is a bit funny now. We get bands of wind and rain, followed by bright sunshine.
September 2, 2004 (Thursday)
(8:30 p.m.) - We've been installing shutters all day. It sucks! We finally had to stop because of exhaustion and night fall. Tomorrow morning, we need to shutter much of the second floor. We'll do the patio door last, and then tighten all the shutter screws downstairs. Hopefully we'll finish everything before the winds and outer bands come tomorrow. Channel Four news just reported that the hurricane is expected to make Florida landfall shortly after midnight tomorrow. That feels like a short time away.
(10:30 a.m.) - We have just been put under a "Hurricane Warning." According to the National Hurricane Center, "Hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion." Highest winds are 145 miles an hour, and the storm has shifted closer to us. Yikes!!
(7:45 a.m.) - I awoke this morning with a cold. Weh. According to the latest map from the National Hurricane Center, the predicted path of the hurricane has inched closer to Broward County. Rats! That means that we will be shuttering the house today. All patio furniture and loose items will come inside as well. A few homes in our neighborhood are already boarded up.
September 1, 2004 (Wednesday)
(10:30 pm) - A "Hurricane Watch" has just been issued for the entire east coast of Florida. According to the National Weather Service, this means that "hurricane conditions are possible within the watch ar ea... generally within 36 hours."
(4:30 pm)- Our county (Broward) is under an official state of emergency and Palm Beach County to our north has ordered evacuations for 300,000 coastal residents. We bought additional supplies this morning, and we're all set now. We will decide on whether to put shutters up tomorrow morning. Stay tuned. They're saying this storm is much larger than Charley and will affect more of Florida.
August 31, 2004 (Tuesday) - We noticed Hurricane Frances, a Category 3-4 storm, out in the Atlantic three days ago. We watched patiently as model after model tracked it to go to our north, as high as the Carolinas. This evening, however, the latest data suggests that it's headed our way. The news warned that this hurricane will likely make landfall in Florida on Friday, and that there's little chance that it will spin out to sea. Whether we get a direct hit or not, they're saying that we're going to have some wicked weather because we're "in the cone of risk." Based on tomorrow's information, we'll decide whether to put up shutters and pull in the lawn furniture. Either way, we're going out in the morning for supplies. Stay tuned for more information!
5:15
PM Friday - August 13, 2004
Hurricane Charley reached landfall at 3:50pm just southwest of Fort Myers, and about 160 miles southeast of the Tampa Bay area that includes Tampa and St. Petersburg. Tornado and flood watches continue for Southeast Florida. It hasn't rained here yet today!
2:45 PM Friday
Channel 4 news advisory: HURRICANE CHARLEY STRENGTHENED TO A CATEGORY 4 STORM & IS NOW EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL THIS AFTERNOON IN THE SANIBEL ISLAND AREA. CHARLEY HAS SUSTAINED WINDS OF 145 MPH. At 2pm Friday, A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM OCEAN REEF TO JUPITER INLET. Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties are also under a Tornado Watch & Flood Watch.
1:45
PM Friday
According
to an 11:37 AM Associated Press news report out of Tampa, "Hurricane
Charley zeroed in on Florida's west coast Friday as a major
Category
4 storm
packing 145 mph winds, and state officials urged almost 2 million
people to evacuate as this city's downtown and other neighboring areas
could be submerged under water pushing
ashore." Channel
4 indicates that "Mainland South
Florida is under a Tropical Storm Watch. This
includes Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties,
up to Jupiter Inlet. Also, a Tornado Watch & Flood
Watch are
in effect."
10:00 PM Thursday
Hurricane Charley is heading north through Cuba tonight.
They expect it to brush past the Florida
keys and Southwest
Florida
on it's
way
to
the
Panhandle
tomorrow. Tornado
and flood warnings are expected for us. According
to News Channel 4's Web site, "Hurricane Charley grew
in force Thursday as it churned toward
Florida's Gulf Coast, and about 800,000 people
from the Florida Keys to Tampa Bay were urged to evacuate
as the state
braced
for
100 mph
winds, heavy rain and swirling tornadoes...
Charley was expected to pass west of the Keys early Friday
before hitting Florida's
western
mainland with 95-110 mph winds, said Hugh Cobb,
a meteorologist
at the National Hurricane Center in Miami."
Hurricane
Michelle - Category 4
(November 6, 2001 - missed us)
|
Hurricane
Michelle on 11/9/01, one day |
They tell us it's rare for a hurricane to develop this late in the season. When we first heard about Hurricane Michelle, it was a category 1 heading north to Cuba. It was developing in what forecasters said was perfect weather to grow a hurricane. Within one day, it increased to a category 4. Even though Cuba was in trouble, there wasn't the usual fanfare on the news or mad dash to the stores to stock up on plywood and supplies. Some people boarded up homes and buildings, but generally the forecasters just told everyone to sit tight. Soon, tropical storm warnings were issued from the Keys to Jupiter Inlet. Weakened to a category 2 by the time it passed under South Florida, Michelle produced just a few squalls, rain and overcast skies for us. Plus, it eroded many of our beaches. Only one emergency shelter opened. As the hurricane swept away into the Bahamas, we were left with cooler temperatures and sunny blue skies.
 Here is the 5 PM strike probability of Hurricane Irene. We live in the red area, which means we were hit dead on! The next day the newspaper showed the eye passed right over us. |
Last night, the newscasters mentioned something about a tropical storm in the gulf that had strengthened to a hurricane, but we didn't think much of it. They predicted it would cross diagonally through the Florida Keys up to Tampa, which are both to our west. So, this morning, when we saw none of the usual news hysteria, we went to work as usual. As the day wore on, though, the weather became increasingly worse with a darkening sky, strong rain and wind. Outside my office window, thin palm trees sharply rustled while fronds from taller palms broke off into the water. By around 4 PM. they let us go home. Claire and I left work and drove to my house with little difficulty, but soon the wind and rain began to really kick up, so we brought in our patio furniture. An hour later, Claire left during a dry spot between rain bands and got home okay. It's 8 PM. now, and I can still hear rain against the window, although they expect it to move out of here within the next hour or two. According to newscasters, 250,000 homes are without power tonight. In our house, the telephone cannot ring, although we can make outgoing calls. The phone company told us it was because of a downed cable, and it may take until Sunday at 6 PM to fix. Hurricane Irene caught most of South Florida by surprise. Although a hurricane warning went up on the west coast of Florida, we were only issued a tropical storm warning, which is not enough for employers to close businesses or for the media to deliver round-the-clock coverage. So, on a day we all went to work, we received 18 inches of rain, 75 mph winds and wide spread flooding. What a mess!
Introducing Hurricane Floyd, a strong "Category 4"
hurricane reminiscent of Hurricane Andrew (which hit us in 1992). Some
forecasters personify Floyd as Andrew's big brother because it is three
times as large and equally brutal. The photograph to the left shows the
storm's path as of 8 A.M. this morning. All work, schools and government
are closed today under a "Hurricane Warning" as we brace for
introductory tropical force winds within the next few hours. All coastal
areas have been evacuated. However, forecasters have noted a northwesterly
trend that may send Floyd on a northern track parallel to the coast,
making
this more of an issue for central and northern Florida than for us. That
would make this the second near miss in a year (to learn about disappointing
Hurricane Georges, see below.). Don't get us wrong-- we don't want to
have 155 mile an hour winds ripping through our un shuttered home, it's
just that with the round-the-clock media coverage and hype, we'd like
to see at least a little wrath of nature. The latest report indicates
that we may only get 35-85 mile an hour winds, but the hurricane can
still
make a skip to the left, so they won't lift the warnings. Either way,
our weather is supposed to deteriorate over the next 12 hours. Stay tuned
as details unfold today. By the way, there is also a category 2 (strengthening
to category 3) hurricane, Gert, on Floyd's trail which could pose a threat
to us later. Forecasters have not revealed any further information because
it is too early to tell.
6 P.M. update: The hurricane missed us altogether. The "hurricane" warnings in our area were reduced to "tropical storm" warnings at 5 P.M., although it appears unlikely that we will get any tropical winds or rain tonight. This hurricane, which battered the Bahamas and now spins north towards Central Florida and the Carolinas, amounted to nothing for us.
Hurricane
Georges - Category 1
(September 25, 1998 - Missed Us)
 |
Hurricane Georges raked the island of Cuba as it churned towards South Florida two days ago. Since we were unprepared for the wrath Hurricane Andrew in 1992, we thought we should get ready for this one. Following suggestions from family and round-the-clock television media, we photographed our personal property, bought supplies and moved items away from our windows. We did not nail up shutters like some of our neighbors did, although I would have felt safer if we had. Fortunately Georges traveled south, giving us only bursts of rain and tropical gusts. The first band of sideways rain came Thursday night. We fell asleep a few hours later. The next morning, we experienced more bursts which ebbed away by late afternoon. We suffered no damage. The Florida Keys, on the other hand, did not do so well. Waves crashed over the southern highway while trees twisted in the wind. This large hurricane has been brutalizing the Keys all day, and at last news report, it's not over yet. |
 |
Hurricane
Andrew - Category 5
(August 22, 1992 - Hit us!)
This
radar map shows Hurricane Andrew making landfall in Miami. We were
riding out the storm in the blue area (see blue smudge on map), which
means we were the welcome mat for the beast! Tamara's family
lived just southeast of us and suffered even more damage because
they were near the water. The storm was unlike anything we had ever
experienced. The winds kept building and building as roof tiles peeled
off and tumbled loudly across our roof. "It was a dark and stormy
night..." is certainly true. We lost power early on, and sweat
under the blankets designed to protect us. It was just us, our pets,
the dark, the howling wind and Bryan Norcross, the faithful weather
forecaster on the radio. According to the Miami Weather Forecast
Office, Wind gusts were recorded as high as 212 miles per hour just
before the equipment broke. To date, Hurricane Andrew is the most
devastating hurricane to ever hit the United States. Click here for
our shocking pictorial of the Hurricane
Andrew Aftermath.
