Hurricanes and Tropical Storms are a necessary evil that helps replenish what is lost during drought.
Most Floridians take the good with the bad - giving thanks for desperately needed rain - no matter how it arrives.
8 p.m. Intermediate Barry update:
BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM BARRY INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 1A...CORRECTED
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL022007
800 PM EDT FRI JUN 01 2007
..COR FOR WIND SPEED IN THE REPEAT SECTION...
...TROPICAL STORM BARRY BRINGING HEAVY RAINS TO FLORIDA...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA
FROM BONITA BEACH NORTHWARD TO KEATON BEACH...AND A TROPICAL STORM
WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM NORTH OF KEATON BEACH TO ST. MARKS. A
TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND A
TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
AT 800 PM EDT...0000Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM BARRY WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.3 WEST OR ABOUT 320
MILES...520 KM...SOUTHWEST OF TAMPA FLORIDA AND ABOUT 235 MILES...
375 KM...WEST OF KEY WEST FLORIDA.
BARRY HAS BEEN MEANDERING DURING THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS BUT IS
EXPECTED TO RESUME A GENERAL NORTHWARD MOTION NEAR 12 MPH...19
KM/HR TONIGHT. A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST WITH AN
INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
DATA FROM A RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT THE MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 50 MPH...80 KM/HR...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS ANTICIPATED
BEFORE BARRY REACHES THE COAST.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 90 MILES...150 KM
MAINLY TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE CENTER.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY A RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS
997 MB...29.44 INCHES.
COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF UP TO 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE
LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...ARE
POSSIBLE IN THE WARNING AREA NEAR AND TO THE RIGHT OF WHERE THE
CENTER OF BARRY MAKES LANDFALL.
BARRY IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6
INCHES OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS AND PENINSULA INTO SOUTHEASTERN
GEORGIA WITH POSSIBLE ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 10 INCHES.
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF FLORIDA.
REPEATING THE 800 PM EDT POSITION...24.2 N...85.3 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH NEAR 12 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...50 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...997 MB.
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT
1100 PM EDT.
$$
FORECASTER AVILA
If you recall, Swiftmud lowered the lake in anticipation of the 2006 hurricane season by about 5 ft. Had that not been done, given we had a mild hurricane season last year, the lake would be at it's normal level.
That said, we definitely need the rain. Dryer than a popcorn fart around here.