Carolinas watch for Hurricane Frances

Bakersfield Californian ^ | 8/30/04 | Bruce Smith - AP

[NormsRevenge]

[NormsRevenge]

Gaston

[Gabz]

The rains of Gaston are starting to hit us right now.

Richmond got hammered with the rains from it all day today.

[corkoman]

The Carolinas??? That thing is headed straight for ME!!

[jolie560]

Back-to-back storms are not uncommon. Southwest Louisiana last year. Bonnie and Charley in Northeast Florida last month. Frances could hit anywhere in Fla, coastal Ga and coastal SoCar. A second shot at central Florida is not out of the computer models yet.

[smonk]

I've lived in Charleston since '92, and this scares the hell out of me.

[Archangelsk]

Current forecast track (96 and 120 hours) is for Florida, but the error in these long range forecasts is several hundred miles. Two causes for concern are the stubborn high pressure ridge that keeps Frances well south of where is should be and the TROF on the 500 mb constant pressure chart that is stationary off of Florida's west coast. If the TROF moves off the east coast within the next 24 - 48 hours then Frances will follow its track, if not, central Florida will take a crushing blow.

All bets are off after Thursday as we are evacuating that day.

[Libloather]

Carolinas watch for Hurricane Frances

During the GOP convention? I LAUGH at mother nature!

For the rest of you in the path - duck...

[section9]

I'm here in South Florida in the Fort Lauderdale area. I am taking no chances. I remember what Charley did. It was supposed to go to Tampa. It didn't. And I would hate to think that this thing was going to skirt the coast and then make a beeline due West for my house.

Tomorrow, I'm up early to get plywood.

As for Florida itself, I must concur. If I live in the area between, say, Ft. Pierce and St. Augustine, I am not a happy camper. Indeed, after boarding up, I intend to work out an evacuation plan for me and my family. If you're in mid-Florida, it's almost a must with a Cat 4 or 5 storm.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[Gabz]

Good luck, FRiend.

[southernnorthcarolina]

I'm probably stating the obvious here, but I hope that folks who went through Gaston or a similar storm aren't lulled into complacency. Don't think for a minute that a wind velocity of, say, 140 mph will be twice as damaging as a wind of 70 mph. Closer to a hundred times as damaging, I'd venture.

If I remember my physics correctly (it's been a long time), wind pressure on a surface increases as the square of wind velocity. So a wind twice as strong exerts four times as much force on a wall or window. Still, a solid structure can withstand a wind of 100 mph or more -- if it's just wind. But debris flying at 100+ mph is something else entirely. And once the debris starts flying, breaking things and creating more airborne debris, it becomes a maelstrom feeding upon itself.

And that's just the effects of the wind. Flooding and the storm surge are something else entirely.

As my father used to say... use your head for something besides a hat rack. If you're in the path of this storm as it gets closer, be smart.

[Mentos]

Lighten up, Frances

[smonk]

I'm probably stating the obvious here, but I hope that folks who went through Gaston or a similar storm aren't lulled into complacency . . .

yes, it's obvious, but it can't be overemphasized. but generally here in the carolinas, we take hurricanes very seriously.

[SC Swamp Fox]

SC Ping

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[Jonah Hex]

We had some wild times yesterday afternoon and last night on the Peninsula, with funnel clouds reported all around us.

We won't know until the weather folks survey the damage today whether there were any actual tornado touchdowns.

[Sam Cree]

Going to start boarding up here in Miami today, and generally making preparations.

We were here in South Dade for Andrew and haven't forgotten.
I hope with all my heart that we can avoid her, though.

[Brytani]

I'm in Homestead and paying serious attention to this storm. While the weather service is saying it will move N. of us, isn't that what we were told about Andrew? I'm in Homestead and do not want to live through Andrew II.

I keep hearing it's coming on land at Ft. Pierce or Port St. Lucy. Yet if the high doesn't weaken as forcast the damned thing isn't going to move N.

Strange time in our area - I think I'm going to take the safe route and begin boarding up also.

[Sam Cree]

Yeah, get some cash and water, too.

[JRPerry]

My wife, all three of my little girls and I were living on the IOP when Hugo hit in '89. It was a bugger bear and the eye passed right over our home on Waterway.

We moved inland in '96, now here on Lake Murray with another home up in the mountains. But as luck would have it our second oldest is now a sophomore at the College of Charleston. I called her yesterday and told her to pack her bags, gas up the SUV and prepare to evacuate. We almost didn't get out of Charlietown in time in '89 and my girl is not going to wait until the last minute for this one if it is tracking for Chuck City on Thursday. I'll go get her and drag her out of there Thursday night if she tries me. Hugo taught us a lesson.

But FWIW Mr. Hugo took his privledges with the Queen City too. Charlotte was raped by Hugo - few realize the damage that bad boy did to her. It's hard to run from the really big ones if they are headed dead inland. Where getting the preps ready just in case up here near Columbia and we'll go all the way to Hendersonville to get out of Francis' way if she decides to come stomping in via Hugo's path.