Tropical Storm Charley About to Become Hurricane

National Hurricane Center ^ | 8/11/2004 | Forecaster Pasch

[Pyro7480]

BULLETIN
HURRICANE CHARLEY INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 9A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
2 PM EDT WED AUG 11 2004

...CHARLEY BECOMES A HURRICANE...RAIN BANDS SPREADING OVER JAMAICA...

A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS FROM DRY TORTUGAS TO CRAIG KEY. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. ADDITIONAL WATCHES WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED FOR PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA LATER TODAY.

REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE INDICATE THAT CHARLEY HAS STRENGTHENED...AND IS NOW A HURRICANE.

AT 2 PM EDT...1800Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE CHARLEY WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 76.8 WEST OR ABOUT 90 MILES... 150 KM...SOUTH OF KINGSTON JAMAICA.

CHARLEY IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 18 MPH...30 KM/HR...AND A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO. ON THIS TRACK THE CENTER WILL BE PASSING TO THE SOUTH OF THE SOUTH COAST OF JAMAICA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HOWEVER...BANDS OF SQUALLS WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE LIKELY TO AFFECT MUCH OF JAMAICA TODAY AND TONIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 75 MPH...120 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES...185 KM FROM THE CENTER.

THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY THE HURRICANE HUNTERS IS 993 MB...29.31 INCHES.

ABOVE NORMAL TIDES...ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...ARE LIKELY ALONG THE COASTS OF JAMAICA TODAY...AND THE CAYMAN ISLANDS TONIGHT.

RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES ARE LIKELY IN ASSOCIATION WITH CHARLEY.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

[Howlin]

This ought to make your day:

[Libertarian444]

[Constitution Day]

GRRRR. Oh well, at least I am on the 'high' side of the Tar River.
We didn't get flooded last time, although my house is about 1/4 mile from both the river and one of its creeks.

[Severa]

Well damn. with this track it'll hit my husband currently stationed at NAS Pensacola and us up here in VA Beach...

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Home Depot Daytona is selling plywood like nuts, almost out. I went to Lowes in Pt Orange now and they are selling tons, along with other stuff. This is going to be nasty, no matter what it turns out to be strength-wise, since we have had such heavy rains the last few days and the ground is saturated wherever the water absorbs in and doesnt just run off. Nova Canal is topped off.

But we need the water, for sure.

It's all Bush's fault, anyways. He should have signed the abortion bill, put Marines around our borders, killed trade with China and kissed the Frenchies butts. Then none of this would have happened. Shall I ping the single-issue folks?

[RedBloodedAmerican]

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Does he have life insurance?

[Gabz]

What a peach you are!!!!!

[Howlin]

I can see your house from here? :-)

[Gabz]

And I'm just north of you in accomack county!!!!!

We don't need anymore rain............

[Gabz]

LOL!!!!!!!!

[WoodstockCat]

It's an conspiracy, you see Bush gets into the pandhandle for three campaign visits this week and then he unleashes the air force to seed hurricanes so Kerry can't campaign there. Oh sorry I thought I was on DU..

[Sender]

The timing of these two storms is suspicious.

Definitely. Two storms at once, just as Bush is frantically scrambling to avoid allegations of pretzel eating and right before the RNC convention?

This smacks of a GOP 527 weather influence PAC. Obviously a thinly-veiled attempt to circumvent campaign climate reform laws. We should put this on BuzzFlash and BartCop right away.

[Dog Gone]

Looks like Ft. Meyers, Florida is the bullseye for Charlie in the current forecast.

[zygoat]

Perhaps you could add Charley Reese to your montage. He's the biggest blowhard I can think of in the C-class.

[WoodstockCat]

+ Charles Rangle

[najida]

Oh great,

Just lovely.

~sigh~ looks like a really wet weekend.

[DocRock]

"Thanks for the info! This is our first time in Florida so we had no idea what to expect :)."

Just a word of caution. Respect the lightning in central Florida. It can be very deadly and usually tourist don't realize how fast our storms roll in. This is the lightning capitol of the U.S.A.

[GOPrincess]

Thanks very much for the tip.

[Freebird Forever]

Does anyone know if hurricanes adversely affect the orange crops?

This time of year the fruit is approximately "golf ball" sized. Heavy rains could knock a lot of fruit off the trees. Hurricane force winds can remove trees from the ground.

If an Andrew or Camille were to pass through orange grove land it could be devastating. Bonnie and Charley don't appear to be of that category, but weather outside the norm is never good for agriculture.