Hurricane Frances : 2004-09-03 : Friday Targeting Alert

The Situation - BAHAMAS

Several islands of The Bahamas are still experiencing hurricane force and
tropical storm force winds at 5:00 pm.

Nassau – one person is confirmed dead. An 18-year old was outside in the height
of the hurricane attempting to service a standby generator and was
electrocuted. Roof of shelter at Bethsheda United Missionary Baptist Church
caved in. People safely moved to neighbours.

San Salvador – Hurricane Frances battered this island with 140 mph winds for 30
hours. 15 to 20 per cent of the housing stock has been damaged. Population is
1,000 people. Widespread environmental damage with fallen trees, power lines
and utility poles – much of which was cleared for initial damage assessment.
Health care facility is in good condition. A doctor, nurse, and official of the
Bahamian Defence Force were pre-positioned and are assisting residents. All
tourists at Club Med were evacuated and the hotel, which is empty, sustained
roofing damage.

New Providence is the headquarters of the Emergency Operations Centre of the
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) - At 5 pm tropical storm force
conditions were still affecting the island and expect to subside tomorrow.
Initial reports of environmental damage and storm surge affecting coastal areas
and cutting off coastal roads. Some homes have been flooded but assessment is
difficult this evening.

Acklins Island – Sustained damage to a marine docking facility and other
coastal damage from battering waves.

Acklins/Crooked Island/Long Cay - No major damage. Two Haitian boat people
detained.

Eleuthera – Winds in excess of 100 mph affected the island. Storm force
conditions still affecting the island. Power is out.

Harbour – Power out after island affected with winds in excess of 100 mph.
Storm surge and inland flooding reported. All evacuation shelters are occupied.
No reports of injury or death. Roads are impassable. Minor damage to health
clinic roof.

Inagua - Two vessels damaged.

Mayaguana – Road infrastructure damage. No loss of life. Power should be
restored by tonight or tomorrow morning.

Long Island – No damage

Exuma - Weather conditions improving. Water supplies restored.

Black Point – Telecommunications down.

Farmer’s Cay – Telecommunications down.

North Eleuthera - Winds reported in excess of 100 mph. Power out. Fibre optic
cable from North and South Eleuthera broken– no land-based contact with Spanish
Wells.

Central Eleuthera – No electricity and telecommunications down. No contact with
the island.

South Eleuthera – Tropical storm force conditions still exist. Damage
assessment not possible at this time.

North Andros – Tropical storm force conditions still exist. One property
reported damaged. Full assessment not possible at this time.

Central Andros – No known damage. Weather conditions mild.

South Andros / Mangrove Cay – No reported problems

Nassau International Airport - Heavy winds. Bahamasair Holdings Office roof
and front portion was torn off making it accessible to the public. Airport
Security is stationed at the site.

Berry Islands – Heavy rains continuing. Assessment not possible at this time.

Abaco – Winds becoming strong. 250 persons in public shelters.

East Grand Bahama – Winds becoming stronger. About 130 persons in public
shelters.

West Grand Bahama – Weather is good. 240 persons in public shelters.

Freeport Grand Bahama - Winds are picking up, continues to rain. 700 persons
in public shelters.

Ragged Island – No reported damage to any critical infrastructure.

Bimini / Cat Cay - Winds 35-40 mph. Four shelters are operational. No
significant damage, some fallen tree limbs.

Not being a vacationer in Bahamas, I had to look it up. I hate to think what pix we'll see in the morning.

That's the very one James "Hoss" Carville. Take my advice: never watch C-SPAN on election nights. You don't get Trash Can Head watching C-SPAN.

That's cool, where did you get it?
I'm always looking for info on how the Bahamas did during these storms.
I remember really wondering after Andrew, but not being able to find out.

I've both vacationed and worked in the Bahamas and am very fond of the islands and the people.

That's Carville eh? Very good!

'Course I don't have cable so, just as well I guess.

Federal Preparations Accelerate For Hurricane Frances

Release Date: September 3, 2004

Release Number: HQ-04-152

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is undertaking extensive preparations, including pre-positioning numerous emergency supplies and assets, in cooperation with state and other federal agencies to respond to Hurricane Frances’ expected landfall Saturday afternoon.

Residents of states in the hurricane’s path are urged to immediately take measures to protect lives and property. It is essential to follow evacuation orders given by local officials, including those currently in effect for the Florida East Coast from Florida City northward to Flagler Beach, including Lake Okeechobee.

While state and local agencies are the first responders in any disaster, FEMA and its partner agencies are prepared with personnel, equipment and supplies to respond to state’s requests for federal help. Voluntary agencies, important partners in disasters, are ready to augment local government services with shelters, mobile feeding units, water and clean-up supplies.

Although the hurricane is expected to make landfall in Florida, preparedness measures are also underway in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The FEMA Hurricane Liaison Team reported to the National Hurricane Center in Miami on Wednesday. Federal and state emergency management agencies charged with response activities are holding daily video teleconferences to plan and coordinate Hurricane Frances response.

The advance preparations include:

FEMA’s National Emergency Operations Center, Emergency Support Team and Region Four Regional Operations Center are operating around the clock, coordinating the pre-positioning of assets and responding to state requests for assistance.
FEMA has deployed an Advanced Emergency Response Team to the Florida State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee to facilitate state requests for assistance. In addition, three rapid needs assessment teams have been pre-deployed to Florida.
FEMA has deployed an Advanced Emergency Response Team to the Florida State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee to facilitate state requests for assistance. In addition, three rapid needs assessment teams have been pre-deployed to Florida.
An Advanced Emergency Response Team and a Rapid Needs Assessment team have also been deployed to the Georgia State Emergency Operations Center, to provide support as necessary.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, at FEMA's request, is coordinating the staging of 100 truckloads of water and 100 truckloads of ice.
A first shipment of 30,000 tarps is en route to Atlanta, Ga., to be pre-staged for delivery to areas affected by Frances once the storm has cleared.
FEMA is working to provide 10 trailers of generators at the request of Florida that will be used to provide power to critical facilities affected by the hurricane. Generators will be staged at Warner Robbins Air Force Base.
Four Urban Search and Rescue Teams on deployed. Two of the teams are based in Florida and the other two are being pre-staged in Atlanta, Ga.
Four Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT) and one Veterinary Medical Assistance Team have been deployed to sites in Georgia and Florida to support medical facilities and hospitals that are not fully operational following the storm.

An additional seven teams have been placed on alert, assembling teams and loading equipment in case they are needed. The DMATs comprise doctors, nurses and medical technicians trained to handle trauma, pediatrics, surgery and mental health problems. DMATs bring truckloads of medical equipment and supplies with them.
Five pharmaceutical caches, containing emergency medical supplies, are being pre-positioned, and are currently en route to Atlanta and Tampa.
FEMA's Mobile Emergency Response Services communications units are available to provide telephone, radio and video links in support of response and recovery efforts.
FEMA teleregistration centers are fully staffed and ready to register 20,000 disaster assistance applications for affected residents in declared counties. The Internal Revenue Service is providing additional operators to support FEMA’s teleregistration operations, which are currently operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
FEMA contract inspectors are ready for activation, with surge capability providing for up to 15,000 inspections per day within 14 days of activation. FEMA is working with the General Services Administration to analyze vacancy rates of various safe housing options (including apartments, homes, RVs, time shares, mobile homes, hotels and motels) as part of pre-planning temporary housing strategies for those whose homes are severely damaged or destroyed.
More than 350 shelter sites identified by the American Red Cross for those displaced by Hurricane Frances.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA’s continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.

FEMA Press Release re Hurricane Frances September 3, 2004

LOL, those two are looking in the wrong direction. Where is that photo supposed to be?

Like last night, it appears that someone has begun yet another brand new Hurricane Frances thread. Silly me, I kept posting updated information on the Thursday Hurricane Frances thread until it became obvious I was talking to myself.

Although it's a bit difficult to tell which day this new thread will cover by the title alone, here it is: "New Hurricane Frances FOrecast - Orlando May Be Spared"

Meanwhile, maybe it's high time this Californian researched my own neighborhood's emergency preparations. We're due for that so-called predicted big quake sometime before September 5th.

God Bless all in the path of Hurricane Frances and any new storms on the way.

Which thread is the place to post updated Hurricane Frances info?

Use the root domain for other locations :)

I've been going to the Bahamas since they were a British colony...haven't been in a few years though ..

http://stormcarib.com/reports/2004/bahamas.shtml

I have learned the hard way: post where it's most likely found (including after the fact). Having said that, it's a judgement call whether to keep posting on the original thread, vs. the "new" ones. Depends on the level of 'breaking,' I suppose. If it's rolling, stay with it. If it's shifting, move. I'm just Ms. Advice tonight eh :)

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=LKWF1

Idle conversation: where are they putting 2.5 million evacuees?

Good question.

As I recall upthread someone posted a list of shelters with phone numbers and their capacities, or maybe that was on Thursday's thread.

National Data Buoy Center Lake Worth Florida

That's a cool link you posted for conditions near Lake Worth Florida, Indie. It's great that one can phone the id# of a floating buoy to get current weather conditions or you can read current weather conditions as reported by ships in the area.

Lessee, rolling stay and shifting move... where do door frames come in then?

Old earthquake joke: San Franciscans at a wine tasting party are startled by a 5.9 shake. One yells out "I was born in Palo Alto, I'm going to stand in the doorway!" The visiting New York friend yells "I was born on Long Island, where do I stand?"

I've been looping the long range reflectivity from Miami. Frances is an ugly storm. No defined eye. Plus, it's either falling apart or accelerating almost due west. There are storms close to the center of circulation so it's hard to tell whether the center is moving or if new storms are being generated.

Thanks for the update, Mike and I agree. I'm guessing that no one can accurately predict at this point if it will break up or increase in intensity.

There's a lot of hope in the current forecast, but the risk for anyone to tempt fate and let down their guard is much too great, imho. The storm won't be over until it goes out into the Atlantic as a bunch of broken up dissipating clouds.

lol! Just two days ago I read that there were protestors outside Fox & Friends (FNC morning show in NYC) and a reporter asked them (on tape) what they were protesting. The reply was 'not sure, we haven't been told yet.' Wish I could find the link, but I know I read it here.

I say, door frames fall under the "roll with it" scenario. Unless they splinter and disintegrate, in which case, get the hell out. And be the first one, and say, "I'm from California. I expected this."


000
WTNT31 KNHC 040556
TCPAT1
BULLETIN
HURRICANE FRANCES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER  41A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
2 AM EDT SAT SEP 04 2004
 
...FRANCES NEAR GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND...

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA
FROM FLORIDA CITY NORTHWARD TO FLAGLER BEACH...INCLUDING LAKE
OKEECHOBEE. A HURRICANE WARNING ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE
NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS.  A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24
HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED
TO COMPLETION.
 
A HURRICANE WATCH AND A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAIN IN EFFECT FROM
NORTH OF FLAGLER BEACH TO FERNANDINA BEACH.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT ON THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA
PENINSULA FROM BONITA BEACH TO SOUTH OF FLORIDA CITY...AND FOR THE
MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS FROM SOUTH OF FLORIDA CITY TO THE SEVEN MILE
BRIDGE...AND FOR FLORIDA BAY.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA WEST COAST
FROM NORTH OF BONITA BEACH TO THE SUWANNEE RIVER.
 
AT 2 AM EDT...0600Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 26.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE  78.0 WEST OR ABOUT 45 MILES
...70 KM...EAST OF FREEPORT GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND. THIS IS
ALSO ABOUT 135 MILES EAST OF WEST PALM BEACH FLORIDA.
 
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS FRANCES HAS BEEN MOVING TOWARD THE
NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH...9 KM/HR.  A RETURN TO A WEST-NORTHWESTERLY
TRACK IS EXPECTED LATER THIS MORNING...ALTHOUGH SOME ERRATIC MOTION
CAN BE EXPECTED AS STEERING CURRENTS REMAIN WEAK.  ON THE FORECAST
TRACK...THE LARGE CORE OF HURRICANE FRANCES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE
SLOWLY OVER THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS OVERNIGHT...AND WILL BE VERY
NEAR THE FLORIDA EAST COAST BY LATE SATURDAY.
 
FRANCES IS A STRONG CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS
ARE NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  FRANCES IS
EXPECTED TO REMAIN A BORDERLINE CATEGORY TWO/THREE HURRICANE UNTIL
LANDFALL.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 110 MILES...175 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 200 MILES...325 KM.  
 
THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS  961 MB...28.38 INCHES. 
 
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 TO 12 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...
ALONG WITH DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR THE EYE
OF FRANCES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND.  STORM SURGE
FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED ON
THE WEST SIDE OF THE OTHER ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS.  COASTAL STORM
SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH
LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO
THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL IN FLORIDA.  STORM
SURGE FLOODING OF 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS IS EXPECTED
IN LAKE OKEECHOBEE.  ALONG THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COAST...STORM SURGE
FLOODING OF 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVEL CAN BE EXPECTED.
 
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 7 TO 12 INCHES...LOCALLY AS HIGH AS 20 INCHES...
ARE POSSIBLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH FRANCES OVER THE BAHAMAS.
 
SWELLS GENERATED BY FRANCES ARE AFFECTING PORTIONS OF THE
SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF THE UNITED STATES.  THESE SWELLS COULD CAUSE
DANGEROUS SURF AND RIP CURRENTS.
 
REPEATING THE 2 AM EDT POSITION...26.4 N... 78.0 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR  6 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...105 MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 961 MB.
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
 
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 5 AM EDT.
 
FORECASTER FRANKLIN
 
 
$$

Shortwave Hurricane watch net 14.325 - KA4EPS Deerfield Beach, Fl

When I click on that link, this is what I recieve; a new browser window pops open:

[playlist] numberofentries=2 File1=http://67.108.86.43:8000 Title1=(#1 - 9/200) Shortwave Hurricane watch net 14.325 - KA4EPS Deerfield Beach, Fl www.ka4eps.com Length1=-1 File2=http://66.54.65.166:8056 Title2=(#2 - 5/5) Shortwave Hurricane watch net 14.325 - KA4EPS Deerfield Beach, Fl www.ka4eps.com Length2=-1 Version=2