Sunday, December 16, 2007

Last Night's Storm - Worst of the Year


Hurricane Season officially ended over 2 weeks ago, however last night's tail end of the winter storm that crossed through the midwest and is now heading up the east coast, apparently spawned a tornado is a small portion of one of our northern suburbs in Pasco County. The tornado and the associated non-tornado winds created the most damage we've seen all year and has left up to 20,000 homes without power.

Unlike the ice storms, the power crews are working under sunny skies this morning and should have power restored today and of course, its more of TV, computer and refrigerator inconvenience than a life-threatening warmth related concern.

The rest of the Tampa Bay area was just happy to get some well needed rain (October 22nd was our last significant rain)and the cool weather that will come in today following last night's front related storm.

I didn't blog about last week's sub-tropical storm Olga that caused some damage & deaths in the Carribean, but her remnants put some moisture in the air over Tampa which brought some rain Friday night and may have helped us get some extra rain in last night's storm.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

"Tricky" Noel will pass roughly 50-100 miles east of Miami tomorrow morning


Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for South Florida. Those of you who know me know why I'm now keeping in an eye on Miami.

From Accuweather, the storm could intensify and push north northeast or could get sheared into much less of a threat. Halloween will be a windy affair for the ghosts & goblins down there.

What happens next?

From the Miami Herald: "''It's very complex, very tricky,'' said Robert Molleda, the National Weather Service's warning coordinator for South Florida."

Sunday, October 28, 2007

The First Noel....


....is a tropical storm that formed Sunday morning and is predicted to strengthen into Hurricane Noel as it soaks Cuba this week. Although it's supposed to make a right turn into the Atlantic later this week, with the current northwest path, we need to begin to pay attention here in Florida.

Noel, typically a given name for a French man or a reference to Christmas, reminds me that it still 'tis the season....

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Not over yet...

Season officially ends in about a month, however, the AccuWeather.com hurricane center continue to closely monitor a large cluster of thunderstorms and associated surface low over the eastern Caribbean that will bring heavy rain to Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Cuba and Jamaica tonight, tomorrow, and into the coming week. If the system does develop it looks like it will track northwestward. Interests in South Florida and the Keys should closely monitor the progress of this system.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Karen is born

Karen is out there in the Atlantic. Accuweather doesn't think she'll end up posing a threat to the US between the weather patterns & wind sheer. Meanwhile we're getting to the time of year that the Gulf of Mexico gets active and there's a bunch of noise going on in there (more towards Mexico) worthy of a watchful eye. We received several inches of rain Sunday from all the moisture activity in the area, but nothing of any tropical nature. Just a good lawn enhancing/outdoor activity ruining soaking.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Double shot ths week?



While they're talking about Subtropical storm Jerry (in the square), perhaps we should be more focused on watching the two systems in the circles that are headed west. Could be Karen & Lorenzo before the end of the month.

'Tis the season....

Thanks Congressman!

Not so much.....House turns its back on hurricane risk - St. Petersburg Times Op-Ed 9/22

Friday, September 21, 2007

SUBTROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMS IN THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO

AT 10 AM CDT...1500 UTC...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM
APALACHICOLA FLORIDA WESTWARD TO THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI
RIVER...INCLUDING NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. A TROPICAL
STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

Moving away from Tampa Bay....

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Instant Hurricane

Humberto was the fastest developing hurricane ever, this close to land. Somewhere between 14-18 hours from nothing to a hurricane! First US landfall since 2005. How quickly we forget that last year we didn't have a single storm make land. After 2004 and 2005, it's hard to believe.

Keeping an eye on TD 8 (now Tropical Storm Ingrid) out in the Atlantic. Headed this way but the experts think it will weaken.

We're right at the peak of the season. 45 more days to go.

Saturday, September 08, 2007

"Sub" Gabrielle debuts but there's activity elsewhere


While "Sub-tropical" storm Gabrielle makes North Carolinians nervous this weekend, this is what I'm watching:

From Accuweather .... "Elsewhere in the tropics, we are monitoring a large area of thunderstorms in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. Surface pressure over the south-central Gulf of Mexico has fallen slightly over the past 24 hours. If this trend continues we might have to consider the potential for tropical development in the central or southern Gulf of Mexico in a few days."

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Felix Makes History

Felix is the second Category 5 storm to rake the Caribbean coast this year, after Hurricane Dean — the first time two Category 5 Atlantic storms have made landfall during the same year.

And the National Hurricane Center in Miami said that Felix and another hurricane, Henriette, which simultaneously hit the southern tip of Baja California in Mexico, became the first Atlantic and Pacific hurricanes to make landfall on the same day since the center began keeping records half a century ago, The Associated Press reported.

Since reliable record keeping began in 1944, there have been 27 Category 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic. Eight of these have occurred in the past five years. That would be 30%.

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Felix prowling in the Southern Caribbean


From a disturbance to a depression to a Tropical Storm in just a couple of days. Felix should stay well south of the US and scratch the Yucatan at a Cat 1 or 2 hurricane Tuesday Night.


The storm name
"Felix"
was last used in 2001 and was the first named storm post 9-11. It reached Cat 3 in the Atlantic but died out before reaching any land mass.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Univ. of Miami Parent Orientation Spawns Lots of Hurricane Prep Questions

Plenty of out-of-state parents dropping their "most precious assets" off at school while Hurricane Dean is reported by all news media as a dangerous storm headed straight for Jamaica caused a fair amount of concern should the storm have tracked farther North. Fortunately, the University of Miami sounds to be very well prepared having learned valuable lessons from Andrew 14 years ago. I think the administrators did a real nice job reassuring parents that there is a plan, there is plenty of supplies, and there is an effective communication plan for students and parents alike.

Let's hope they don't have to implement it!

The plan is much more up-to-date than their public website on the topic which as of today still says 2006

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Tropical Storm Dean Headed Westward!

From Accuweather -- Tropical Storm Dean continues to track quickly westward through the central Atlantic. As of 5 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Tropical Storm Dean is about 1,170 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. Maximum sustained winds of Dean are near 50 mph with higher gusts. Dean is moving toward the west at 18 mph and is forecast to move into eastern Caribbean Sea later Friday or Friday night.

With the storm as far south as it is, the opportunity for a strike on the East Coast of the United States will diminish noticeably by the weekend. Presently, a track through the northern Caribbean seems most likely reaching Category 2 or perhaps 3 before interacting with the disrupting higher elevations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Meanwhile in the Gulf of Mexico a storm is expected to strengthen Wednesday, becoming tropical storm Erin over the next 12-24 hours. It is then expected to make landfall Thursday morning along the southern coast of Texas, between Corpus Christi and Brownsville.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Here we go...

Tropical Storm Dean will probably be born later today in the Atlantic and will begin to show up in the news as it approaches the Eastern Carribean this weekend. Conditions suggest that it won't curl up to the North Atlantic and if it becomes a threat to the U.S. it could be about this time next week.

Meanwhile there's activity in the Gulf of Mexico north of the Yucatan Pennisula that will be investigated today. Somewhat near the spot that Wilma got her legs in 2005.

We'll be watching all this as we are just now heading into the more active portion of the season.

Friday, August 03, 2007

Florida's 11 Worst Hurricanes

Over a quarter of these 11 storms have occurred in the past 4 years!




Of all the recorded hurricanes to hit the U.S. since 1851, 36 percent have made landfall in Florida. A look at the paths of the major hurricanes (category 3 and higher) that have passed through the state. The most affected counties are in the shaded area.

Who said you're safer inland?!!

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

3rd Named Storm?

As we approach the busiest 2 months of the season, a TD formed yesterday pretty far north in the Atlantic, that may become a named storm with a very short stay!

As of 5 a.m. this morning, the center of the tropical depression was about 380 miles north of Bermuda and 380 miles southeast of Chatham, Mass., according to the National Hurricane Center. Maximum sustained winds are around 35 MPH. Need to reach 39 MPH to be named.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Don't Let Your Guard Down Forecaster Warns!

Accuweather suggests that Florida may be most at risk!

Starting August 20th the chances typically increase.

Saturday, June 02, 2007

St. Petersburg Times Front Page

Clever!

Barry came ashore in St. Petersburg, FL around 11am (3 hours earlier than expected) with 5 inches or so of rain. Some minor wind gusts. TV said we may have made up 1/2 of annual rainfall deficit TODAY alone!

Photos

Good Morning! It's Raining!!!!!


I guess we needed it!

Friday, June 01, 2007

Here we go again!



My 2nd Anniversary of this blog and 3rd year of documenting life in Florida during Hurricane season.

So lots of hype about this season coupled with alleged complacency among us since last year was a dud.

Appropriate that as I post this, Tropical Storm Barry is 350 miles southwest of us. Should just be a rain event over most of the state, which I welcome after 24 days of no measurable rain in the Tampa Bay area and a major landscaping job starting next week at my house.

We are now under a Tropical Storm warning all along the west coast of Florida with expected "landfall" Saturday morning just north of Tampa.

We'll keep you updated sporadically this season when the Tampa Bay area is in play.