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Posted on 08/19/2007 3:52:51 AM PDT by NautiNurse
Extremely dangerous Hurricane Dean is moving west-northwest through the Caribbean Sea. The current NHC forecast track indicates Dean's powerful center core will pass just south of the southwestern peninsula of Haiti, and should skirt Jamaica's southern shoreline. The storm maintained strong Category 4 wind status through the night during an eyewall replacement cycle. However, the minimum pressure supports Category 5, and additional strengthening of winds is likely.
Tourists in Jamaica crowded airports Saturday to leave the island nation. Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller addressed the Jamaican people, asking that everyone put aside their political differences and work together in advance of the imminent storm preceding Jamaica's general election scheduled for August 27. PM Miller announced that the Jamaican power grid and water would likely be shut down early Sunday morning in advance of the storm, and strongly urged citizens to seek shelter.
The United States and Barbados have pledged hurricane relief supplies and support to Jamaica as needed. No word yet from the United Nations...
Public Advisories Updated every three hours.
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TWC just said it’s 81 MPH winds in Kingston.
Lots of bad weather, all over.....
DATE: August 19, 2007
4:10 p.m.
TO: Governor Jim Doyle
Wisconsin Congressional Delegation
State Legislators
FROM: Johnnie Smith
Administrator
SUBJECT: SITUATION REPORT ON FLOODING #5
OVERVIEW – At a 2:45 p.m. news conference, Governor Jim Doyle announced a State of Emergency for Crawford, Richland and Vernon counties. He gave Maj. Gen. Al Wilkening, Adjutant General of Wisconsin, the authority to deploy National Guard assets as needed. Currently the National Guard has assessment teams in Viroqua and Gays Mills and Soldiers Grove and has soldiers and assets pre-positioned throughout western Wisconsin to respond, if needed. In addition, up to 200 State Patrol officers are available, if needed.
No injuries or deaths have been reported.
VERNON COUNTY
According to Vernon County Emergency Management, an additional dam – PRIMMER dam, located at the intersection of State Highway 56 and Maple Dale Road — is of concern. Vernon County Emergency Management is advising all people to stay out of the area for their own safety. Traffic will be rerouted around the area.
It has already been reported that 5 dams – Duck Egg, Runge Hollow, Raaum, Clockmaker and Seas Branch —are overflowing into emergency spillways. The Department of Natural Resources is concerned about erosion at the Runge Hollow and Seas Branch dams. Vernon County Emergency Management is evacuating areas downstream of both dams and is advising everyone to stay out of the areas around those two dams.
Hwys. 14 and 61 are closed in various locations.
The Red Cross has opened a shelter at Viroqua High School in Viroqua.
RICHLAND COUNTY
The Red Cross has opened a shelter at Richland Center Middle School. The residents of approximately 50 – 100 apartments in Richland Center are being evacuated to the shelter.
Hwy. 14 is closed in various locations.
CRAWFORD COUNTY
The Red Cross has opened a shelter at North Crawford High School in Soldier’s Grove.
LaCROSSE COUNTY
Highway 35 south is closed south from Hwy 14/61 in La Crosse County through Vernon County.
The Red Cross has set up a shelter at Central High School in La Crosse.
DANE COUNTY
According to Dane County Emergency Management, there have been reports of flooding throughout Dane County.
• As of 12:30 p.m., today, the Village of Dane reported 8 inches of water over Highway 113.
• The Village of Oregon has had multiple reports of residential flooding and is supporting sand bagging operations. An American Red Cross-Badger Chapter damage assessment is operating in the village.
• The Village of Mazomanie is supporting sand bagging operations.
• There is low-lying flooding in the Town of Windsor.
• Main entrance to Token Creek Park is closed due to water over the road.
• Highway 19 near Portage Rd. and Hwy. 69 near Sunset Road have been closed due to water over the road.
Department of Health and Family Services
The Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services will be sending well water testing kits and tetanus vaccine to Health Officers in Crawford, Richland and Vernon counties to distribute as needed.
That makes sense. I heard an interview with the met. guy at the airport about 45 minutes ago and he was reporting 55. Eye’s not there quite yet.
Thanks so much for the ping!
When this is over I won’t be surprised if they didn’t handle this just fine.
Check the NOAA “Tropical Floater One” loop. At 21:15 UT the center of the eye was already west of Kingston. The southwest coast looks like it will get raked pretty good, though.
FOX had more pictures of a guy running around in a red tank top at 4:46. The wind looked strong, but he was having no trouble standing. Of course, the wind could peak later than the closest approach as it comes directly on shore, but it looks like Kingston dodged the bullet.
Atlantic Floater 1 shows the eye passing 40-50 miles to the south ,,,heading generally west,,, watchin’ for a wobble...
I remember President Bush pleading with people to leave, but nothing from local government. Of course most people tend to forget that in their hatred for him.
Check out the link.
The track was to the West and off shore, so it ran sort of south-east to north-west. I’m listening to their local radio, and the met. guy at the airport says it’s just about even with Kingston from a north to south perspective. He’s watching it on the radar. They’re getting reports of significant damage on the south west end of the island, lots of wind and rain, but seem to be hanging in. I wouldn’t say they dodged the bullet, but they did manage to avoid a mortal wound.
Jerry Rivers (Geraldo Rivera) is now doing the “weather standup guy” on Fox Cable.
Ludicrous seeing him in front of the tracking map.
Move over Fox Weather Dude/Dudette, I am the star!
Interesting: On Kingston news radio a relief official was just complaining about how the US media was exagerating the situation. Then I read your Jerry Rivers post. Suddenly that all makes sense.
Oil and gas companies prepare for Hurricane Dean
****************8EXCERPT**********************
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Energy companies in the Gulf of Mexico were removing small numbers of employees from harm's way and preparing to shut down some oil and gas operations as Hurricane Dean barrels its way across the Caribbean towards the Gulf.
Yes, and he seems more concerned about Mexicans than Americans. I can’t believe they pre-empted Fox News Sunday (my local affiliate doesn’t carry it, so I have to wait for FNC’s replay) for this joker.
Remember to tell our government that when everyone cries for help from us.
do you see the huge font on Fox right now? Oh, of course, it’s drama king Geraldo
FT.com
Mexico clears oil rigs as hurricane nears
By Javier Blas in London and agencies
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/96593284-4e46-11dc-85e7-0000779fd2ac.html
Published: August 19 2007
Mexican state oil company Pemex on Sunday evacuated thousands of oil workers from the Gulf of Mexico and warned it might close up to 2.2m barrels a day of crude oil production as the powerful hurricane approached.
Pemex said it was evacuating 13,360 workers – most of its workforce in the area - and that it might order the ”total closure of the oil wells” in the Cantarell oil field and other fields.
Power’s off in eastern and southern sections of the island, and curfew has been instituted in a large number of commercial and industrial areas ‘til 6pm Monday. Kingston’s dark. Much of this was a planned shutdown to protect the system. Help promised by US, Brazil, Venezuela (yeah, right), Bermuda, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
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