Posted on 08/30/2006 8:57:49 AM PDT by IrishMike
KEY LARGO, Fla. (Aug. 30) - Floridians checking for damage from Tropical Storm Ernesto on Wednesday didn't find much, as the weakening storm moved north across the state without much punch. Ernesto surprised forecasters by failing to strengthen Tuesday before reaching the southern tip of the state, where it delivered drenching rain but none of the heavy winds or damage that had been feared. And even rains weren't that bad -- about 2 inches had fallen in Fort Lauderdale as of early Wednesday.
Phil Brooks, 67, of West Palm Beach, sat with his wife, Priscilla, on a bench along the beach in Palm Beach.
"Beautiful, just beautiful," said Phil Brooks, while watching the churning ocean and sipping his coffee. "I'm glad it didn't get as bad as they said it would, but it's such a beautiful thing to see now."
State emergency response team chief David Halstead said initial reports indicated a relatively minor storm had gone through the Keys. But he cautioned that it was early and full damage assessments weren't likely to be completed until later in the day. Then, there could be dangers such as power lines down and road flooding.
Briefly a hurricane Sunday, Ernesto lost much of its punch crossing mountainous eastern Cuba. The decaying system made landfall at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday on Plantation Key with 45-mph winds. It was expected to continue over Florida as a weak tropical storm and head toward the Carolinas and possibly strenghten. Its top sustained winds decreased to 40 mph and one of the highest wind gusts recorded was 58 mph in Key Biscayne.
"Fortunately it didn't get too big," said David Rudduck of the American Red Cross. "It was the little train that couldn't."
That was good news for a storm-weary state hit by seven hurricanes since 2004.
(Excerpt) Read more at articles.news.aol.com ...
Gotta feel sorry for the MSM; they wanted so much to blame another hurricane on President Bush
Karl Rove needs to get the weather machine fixed.
Damn hurricane machine was made in China.
There's not millions dead in an election year? *sobs*
-The Unbiased Left Wing Media
So, Bush and Rove turned the hurricane into a tropical storm? I thought sure the boys would steer it right toward New Orleans so we could have another black hurricane!
Well, maybe the next one will be Bush's fault!
Looks like global warming took the year off from it's scheduled Category-5 hurricane.
I thought they "predicted" that this year there would be more hurricanes and of greater stregth - due to global warming?
I was waiting for this- ooooooooooooh I knew they made a big mistake making an actual prediction instead of the vague terms they usually talk in.
Of course it is still early in the season...
Jeeze looks like the Weather Channel will have to go back to showing rehashed Katrina devastation footage!
I ran into cold drizzle driving in to work today. Maybe they can come and cover that.
Castro's fault.
In other words, every summer, somewhere, there are bad hurricanes. We just happened to have them all in the Atlantic last year - the Pacific was VERY quiet across the board. But the enviroweenies never notice the big picture, they just see what they want to see.
They were so geared up for a busy hurricane season.
Now, they have to hyperventilate about a tropical depression.
Wait... I'm watching Fox, they're jumping into the fray... there is a hurricane, cat 4, hitting Mexico... and a typhoon in the Pacific.
They're going to find some weather, somewhere, darn it!
The global-warming crying envirowhackos are deeply saddened that Ernesto is a "fizzle".
The prediction has been that there will be 17 tropical storms, 9 of which hurricanes, and 5 of which Category 3 or higher.
yeah, cover global colling, i doubt it. lol
It's Global Cooling....WE'RE STILL DOOMED!
colling = cooling
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