TS/Hurricane/TS Ernesto

NWS/NHC ^ | 28 August 2006 | NHC

[NautiNurse]

Florida Governor Jeb Bush ordered a state of emergency in advance of Ernesto's anticipated Florida landfall as a hurricane. During his press briefing, Governor Bush emphasized the need to, "Have your family plan in place. Be prepared to be on your own for 72 hours. I know it sounds like a broken record." Jeb then repeated his message in Spanish.

All of the South Florida peninsula and Keys are under a hurricane watch, and portions of the watch areas may be upgraded to hurricane warnings later today.

NASA is moving Space Shuttle Atlantis from the launch pad back to its protective hangar, with the launch postponed until at least Sept. 7-8.

Hurricane Ernesto was downgraded to Tropical Storm status after battering Haiti and the Dominican Republic all day Sunday. The death toll in Haiti from Ernesto currently stands at 1 person; storm reports from Hispaniola are scarce this morning.

Ernesto has approached the eastern portion of Cuba, where the government issued a hurricane warning for six provinces, tourists were evacuated, and baseball games were played earlier Sunday than originally scheduled.

Public Advisories Updated every three hours.

Tropical Storm Discussion Updated every six hours

Three Day Tracking Map

Ernesto Storm Track Archive Nice animated progression of 3 & 5 day forecast tracks

Buoy Data Florida & Eastern GOM

Hurricane Model Tracks

Storm Surge graphic

Satellite Images

Visible Satellite Still Image

IR Image

WV Image

Additional Resources:

Central Florida Hurricane Center
Hurricane City

Category	Wind Speed	Barometric Pressure	Storm Surge	Damage Potential
Tropical Depression	< 39 mph < 34 kts			Minimal
Tropical Storm	39 - 73 mph 34 - 63 kts			Minimal
Hurricane 1 (Weak)	74 - 95 mph 64 - 82 kts	28.94" or more 980.02 mb or more	4.0' - 5.0' 1.2 m - 1.5 m	Minimal damage to vegetation
Hurricane 2 (Moderate)	96 - 110 mph 83 - 95 kts	28.50" - 28.93" 965.12 mb - 979.68 mb	6.0' - 8.0' 1.8 m - 2.4 m	Moderate damage to houses
Hurricane 3 (Strong)	111 - 130 mph 96 - 112 kts	27.91" - 28.49" 945.14 mb - 964.78 mb	9.0' - 12.0' 2.7 m - 3.7 m	Extensive damage to small buildings
Hurricane 4 (Very strong)	131 - 155 mph 113 - 135 kts	27.17" - 27.90" 920.08 mb - 944.80 mb	13.0' - 18.0' 3.9 m - 5.5 m	Extreme structural damage
Hurricane 5 (Devastating)	Greater than 155 mph Greater than 135 kts	Less than 27.17" Less than 920.08 mb	Greater than 18.0' Greater than 5.5m	Catastrophic building failures possible

Tropical Storm Ernesto I

Hurricane Ernesto

[dirtboy]

Perky Katie and her sexy waxed legs?;))

I've heard this is what she uses:

[shield]

I agree...Doc Frank, my local weather guy and former director of NHC, indicated earlier...there maybe nothing left when it exits Cuba...

[dirtboy]

There is a bit more convection around the supposed center, but, then again, it's also afternoon and you normally get some thunderstorms anyway.

I think it's quite telling that the folks on the ground in Cuba couldn't detect a circulation, so the NHC is counting on a hurricane hunter flying outside Cuban airspace to find it. If there is still a circulation, it's gonna take some time to re-develop, given it left all it's convection at Gitmo for the Talibangers to enjoy.

[dirtboy]

I think the NHC might not want people to halt preparations just in case it redevelops.

[Laverne]

I just looked at the 5-day forcast track on weather underground...it appears that they have shifted the storm more westerly now. Tampa is in the cone of uncertainty again, where this morning it did not appear to be.

[tiredoflaundry]

fook

[Raebie]

I'd say it's a good bet that it will redevelop.

[shield]

OH OK...that makes sense.

[Laverne]

??? fook? Look? fool? fluke? help! I don't understand your comment.

[Moonman62]

I remember the good old days when people totally ignored a storm like this. Lines at the gas station have been around the block all day.

[tiredoflaundry]

rhymes with duck.... I do not want to get banned! ;0)

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Thanks for the Link,,,The Flow looks like it comes off
CONUS and Hooks giving it a Push,,There is counter clockwise rotation in the Western Gulf givenin' it a Pull ???

[dirtboy]

They did shift it just a bit westward, ending a days-long trend of the forecast track shifting eastward. I'm still not sure I agree with the 5pm forecast position - there was nothing I saw to indicate a jump westward of 1.2 degrees of longitude in 3 hours.

[shield]

In Cuba at Gitmo...there was NO TS winds either.

[dirtboy]

If you were impacted on the current track, it would be coming at you from across the pensinsula, not from the Gulf like it was forecast early yesterday.

[Laverne]

LOL....I just never would have guessed that! Thanks for the clarification! HA!

[tiredoflaundry]

So it isn't going to be a Gulf storm?

[RDTF]

I know! I am still trying to recover. Still need the foundation repaired! pleeeeease stay away

[tiredoflaundry]

:-D

[gov_bean_ counter]

Regardless the NE quad basically stays over the Atlantic. Likely to wrap a heck of a lot of rain around but that is a lot better than the whirly jigs.