Posted on 08/12/2004 10:14:32 AM PDT by PinnedAndRecessed
APALACHICOLA, Fla. — A disorganized Tropical Storm Bonnie (search) came ashore near the central Florida Panhandle on Thursday afternoon, bringing with it lighter-than-expected wind and rain.
By noontime Apalachicola looked as if nothing happened. The sun was shining, the surf was calming with the Bonnie having bypassed the area, heading east.
Meanwhile, some 380,000 Tampa Bay area residents have been asked to evacuate from coastal or low-lying areas because of Bonnie's stronger brother, Hurricane Charley (search). It was the largest such evacuation in the history of Pinellas County, which includes St. Petersburg.
As a strengthening Charley neared southern Florida with 90 mph winds, Bonnie's disorganized center came ahore with winds near 50 mph. Bonnie was expected to bring the possibility of heavy rains and flooding to already-soaked areas of the Panhandle, which was under a tropical storm warning.
The bridge across Apalachicola Bay to the barrier island of St. George remained open. The island was mostly deserted of tourists, though some businesses and restaurants remained open. Owners of many oceanfront homes and businesses decided not to board up windows as the storm approached.
The prospect of the back-to-back storms — the first since 1906 — led Gov. Jeb Bush to declare a state of emergency for all of Florida. Schools and government offices also were closed, and Bush activated the Florida National Guard. The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (search) regional operations center in Atlanta was also put into operation Thursday morning.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I transplanted last October. I escaped from New York (Binghamton).
Great discussion on Charley from a Pro Meteorologist in NYC here:
http://www.easternuswx.com/bb/index.php?showtopic=3635
Lots of weather posts at the site, in general.
http://www.easternuswx.com/bb/
Be Safe! I heard that 20,000 customers lost power?
Keep us informed were thinking of you all!
Here is a website:
http://tampabays10.com/
That has the most info on TB's storm stuff. It has maps and zone of mandatory evac areas.
Local media is reporting this is the largest evacuation in the history of the U.S.
Pinellas County Emergency Management:
http://www.co.pinellas.fl.us/BCC/hurrprep.htm
Good discussions as well at www.WxChat.com. It's run by some Air Force Met's.
Just curious. My folks had a condo at Redington Shores. I managed their motel in Madeira Beach. Are these areas impacted?
In 1963 (I think; it's been a while), there was a little storm associated with a cold front in October. It was not a tropical system, but water was four feet deep on Bayshore. In 1985, Elena stayed off-shore for better than 24 hours before going to Biloxi. Water was several feet deep on Bayshore again.
If this one comes in on the Pinellas peninsula as a Cat 3, it's gonna be a helluva mess.
Right next to JU?
We had tornado warnings tonite but so far as I know there wasn't actually one, just favorable conditions on the radar.
Thanks! )
Hope everyone will be safe...
Yes, If storm follows project path that area is expected to have up to 16 feet of storm surge.
If this stays on the projected path and increases to a Cat 3, Redington Shores and Madiera Beach will get the brunt of it.
You're right about that, there's no other place for that Bay water to go if swept from the south...prayers for everyone in that area! And IMO the President needs to get there ASAP after it passes...IIRC his father took his time getting to S. FL after Andrew and no one liked that one bit!
HURRICANE WARNING
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-130400-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE CHARLEY LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
817 PM EDT THU AUG 12 2004
...INTENSIFYING HURRICANE CHARLEY MAY BE A DANGEROUS THREAT TO THE
SUNCOAST FRIDAY...
...HURRICANE WARNINGS FOR AREAS SOUTH OF BAYPORT...
A HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS IN
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA:
CHARLOTTE
DE SOTO
HERNANDO
HILLSBOROUGH
LEE
MANATEE
PASCO
PINELLAS
SARASOTA
INCLUDING...
THE COASTAL WATERS FROM BONITA BEACH TO BAYPORT...CHARLOTTE HARBOR
AND TAMPA BAY.
A HURRICANE WATCH CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS IN WEST
CENTRAL FLORIDA:
CITRUS
LEVY
INCLUDING...
THE COASTAL WATERS FROM BAYPORT TO THE MOUTH OF THE SUWANEE RIVER.
AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING
LOCATIONS IN WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA:
HARDEE
HIGHLANDS
POLK
SUMTER
...STORM LOCATION...
AT 8 PM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE CHARLEY WAS LOCATED NEAR 21.7
NORTH...82.3 WEST...OR ABOUT 425 MILES SOUTH OF TAMPA. CHARLEY WAS
MOVING TO THE NORTH NORTHWEST AT 17 MPH...AND IS EXPECTED TO
GRADUALLY TURN TO THE NORTH OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH...AND ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS
EXPECTED AS THE STORM MOVES OUT OF THE CARIBBEAN AND INTO THE GULF.
CHARLEY COULD BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE LATER TONIGHT OR FRIDAY.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 976 MB...28.82 INCHES.
...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
WITH CHARLEY EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY...THEN ACCELERATE...ALONG THE
SUNCOAST...THE THREAT OF A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING STORM SURGE IN THE
STORM'S SOUTHERN SEMICIRCLE IS GREAT. CURRENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST
THE HIGHEST SURGE WILL OCCUR FROM THE COUNTIES NEAR TAMPA BAY SOUTH
TO LEE COUNTY.
A STORM SURGE OF 10 TO 13 FEET IS POSSIBLE TO SOUTH OF WHERE CHARLEY
MAKES LANDFALL.
...WIND IMPACTS...
CHARLEY IS FORECAST TO INTENSIFY AND COULD BECOME A CATEGORY THREE
HURRICANE AS IT APPROACHES THE SUNCOAST ON FRIDAY...WITH WINDS IN THE
INNER EYEWALL PERHAPS AT LEAST 130 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
HOWEVER...NO MATTER WHERE THE CENTER CROSSES...CURRENT FORECAST DATA
SUGGEST TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH WILL AFFECT ALL
AREAS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA BETWEEN FRIDAY
EARLY SATURDAY.
...VERY DANGEROUS WINDS WILL PRODUCE WIDESPREAD DAMAGE...
...DESTRUCTION OF MOBILE HOMES NEAR THE CENTER OF THE STORM IS
POSSIBLE...
...STRUCTURAL DAMAGE...
THE MAJORITY OF MOBILE HOMES WILL BE SEVERELY DAMAGED NEAR WHERE THE
STORM MAKES LANDFALL. HOUSES OF POOR TO AVERAGE CONSTRUCTION WILL
HAVE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE...INCLUDING PARTIAL WALL COLLAPSE AND ROOFS
BEING LIFTED OFF. MANY WILL BE UNINHABITABLE. WELL CONSTRUCTED HOUSES
WILL INCUR MINOR DAMAGE TO SHINGLES...SIDING...GUTTERS...AS WELL AS
BLOWN OUT WINDOWS.
PARTIAL ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED AT INDUSTRIAL PARKS...ESPECIALLY TO
THOSE BUILDINGS WITH LIGHT WEIGHT STEEL AND ALUMINUM COVERINGS. OLDER
LOW RISING APARTMENT ROOFS MAY ALSO BE TORN OFF...AS WELL AS
RECEIVING SIDING AND SHINGLE DAMAGE. MUCH OF THE GLASS IN HIGH RISE
OFFICE BUILDINGS WILL BE BLOWN OUT. AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL CAUSE
DAMAGE...INJURY...AND POSSIBLE FATALITIES.
...NATURAL DAMAGE...
ALL TREES WITH ROTTING BASES WILL BECOME UPROOTED OR SNAP. NEARLY ALL
LARGE BRANCHES WILL SNAP...AND MAJOR DAMAGE IS CAN BE EXPECTED TO
CITRUS GROVES...INCLUDING NUMEROUS UPROOTED TREES...MOST COMMON WHERE
THE GROUND IS SATURATED.
RESIDENTS IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD RUSH TO COMPLETION PREPARATIONS
TO PROTECT THEIR PROPERTY...THEN MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.
IN RURAL LOCATIONS...SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS WILL SURPASS BANK
FULL FOR MORE THAN 6 HOURS.
URBAN AREAS WILL SEE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING AS RAINFALL OF 3 TO 6
INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED AND THE STORM SURGE WILL LIMIT EVACUATION OF
THE WATER.
HEAVY RAIN WILL CAUSE RIVERS TO SWELL LONG AFTER THE STORM PASSES.
PERSONS LIVING ALONG RIVERS SHOULD MONITOR EVENTS THROUGH EARLY NEXT
WEEK.
THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT FROM THE TAMPA BAY AREA FORECAST
OFFICE WILL BE ISSUED AROUND MIDNIGHT EDT.
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS
DANGEROUS FLOOD. HEED ALL EVACUATION ORDERS FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT OR
MILITARY PERSONNEL.
$$
SOBIEN
You're getting FReepmail!
bttt
They always do that.....they won't force you out.
uncle in Hudson north of Clearwater...looks like they are in a warning
If he is west of 19 in Hudson he has to get out. Hudson is one of the area classified as an "A" zone which is mandatory evac. That area is very low and and had canals everywhere. Mostly older style Florida houses sitting on the canals.
He is a rich guy in a condo right on the beach.
No doubt he is gone.
The mayor and Sheriff are giving an update now stating that the damage is much worse than initially thought. At least 100 homes damaged. They said please don't stay in your home if it was damaged by the storm and you're not sure if it's safe. I think they said 4 hospitalized nothing life threatening to their knowledge. Police have secured the areas which received the most damage. There is one main intersection closed due to tornado damage.
City is on level 2 alert, Emergency Operations and City officials will meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow to discuss plans for Charley. They'll have a press conference afterwards.Whew! Fairly nerve wracking but we've been praying for safety. If Charley does what they think then we'll be looking at more of the same when it hits.
These are the links to some Jax stations and paper
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