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.

"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."

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....

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.

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.

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

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....

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.

"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."