| This thread has been locked, it will not receive new replies. |
|
Locked on 08/21/2007 2:03:45 PM PDT by Admin Moderator, reason:
New thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1884459/posts |
Posted on 08/20/2007 8:12:21 AM PDT by NautiNurse
Extremely dangerous Hurricane Dean is steaming toward the Yucatan Peninsula today, packing winds over 150 mph. The Hurricane Hunter aircraft aborted its mission Monday morning due to equipment problems. The storm is expected to attain catastrophic Category 5 status today. The Cayman Islands have been spared the brunt of the storm's winds as Dean passed 125 miles south of Grand Cayman.
Jamaica continues to assess damage to its infrastructure after Dean uprooted trees, knocked down power lines, stripped off roofs, and dumped up to 20 inches of rain, causing mudslides in the mountains. The government of Jamaica has declared a month-long state of emergency. Haiti has reported four fatalities. The Dominican Republic reported a 20ft storm surge. Martinique lost its banana crops. Additional details are scarce at this point due to extensive power outages.
Alcoa suspended aluminum production in Jamaica. Mexico evacuated thousands of workers from oil platforms. Texas mobilized the National Guard, opened emergency operations centers and moved inmates inland from three prisons in advance of the storm.
Space shuttle Endeavour is returning home Tuesday, a day early due to Hurricane Dean.
In other storm news, the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin caused massive rains and flooding in Oklahoma Sunday. Two people have drowned, and three are reported missing at this time.
Public Advisories Updated every three hours.
Tropical Storm Discussion Updated every six hours
Storm Track Archive Nice animated progression of 5 day forecast tracks
Buoy Data Western Gulf of Mexico
Buoy Data West Caribbean
Storm Surge graphic
Satellite Images
Cancun Radar Caution- very prone to overload with high traffic
Additional Resources:
Central Florida Hurricane Center
Hurricane City
Cayman One Radio Nice music mix, and hourly news
Hurricane Dean Thread II
Hurricane Dean Thread I
| 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 |
We’ve had quite a bit out of Montego Bay; not as much out of Kingston. Of course, the fact I’m watching the Gorebal Warming Channel skews that a bit as their man Seidel’s there.
I would say that if you don’t evacuate to the mainland the place to be would be inside one of the structures at Tulum, which have persevered through countless hurricanes. I saw a tourism family on the Weather Channel bemoaning their fate and was yelling at the TV, “Why don’t you just rent a car and drive to Merida?” Dummies. Also, Steve Cantore kept referring to the palapas at the GW Marriot beach as “cabanas.” I kept looking for the cabanas, wondering how they could get a cabana on that narrow beach, until I figured out he didn’t know what he was talking about.
Been wondering more about Jamaica too. If you hear anything, please let us know. Been looking at go-jamaica.com. But, am only getting general info.
This thing looks more like it will make landfall in Belize to me, and then head straight across Southern Mexico.
It's just amazing, is it not. Unless something really bizarre happens, this isn't going to do any serious harm, but all I hear is EVACUATION, EVACUATION!!!!
The eyewall skirted the southern tip of Jamaica, passing about 50 miles to the south. The island was pounded by hurricane force winds and 20” of rain in some areas.
Dean took a last-minute wobble left. However, the entire island took hurricane-force winds, and Kingston had a 139-mph gust.
I wonder what that looks like from the space shuttle, it must be both spectacular and horrifying.
What worries me more than the storm is the destructive effect of all the hot air from Geraldo Rivera and Shepherd Smith.
Exactly. Geraldo was on Fox late yesterday having an absolute foaming fit about the floods in OK and WI, and Dean. He was hysterical and should have been nowhere near a TV camera.
It wasn’t a direct hit and it wasn’t a CAT 5.
The media sucks.
http://www.royalresorts.com/webcam.php
“It’s just amazing, is it not. Unless something really bizarre happens, this isn’t going to do any serious harm, but all I hear is EVACUATION, EVACUATION!!!!”
Maybe not in Texas. But elsewhere it almsot certainly will.
Line of the day.
Next landfall winds will be around 110 mph
That was some drama!
Shep Smith: “There are dead babies here. That is a fact.”
Later proven to not be a fact...
Yes, of course. I should have been more clear. I was listening to Patty Ann Brown talking to John Cornyn and the focus was strictly on Texas which, as of now, does not look like it is any great danger.
“It wasn’t a direct hit and it wasn’t a CAT 5.
The media sucks.”
Everything I read said it would be cat 4 at Jamaica, not cat 5. And that’s what it was as it passed just south after a last-minute wobble. Neither the Hurricane Center nor the media can predict a wobble (still has some cat 4 winds). Are you saying you would have been happier if it HAD been a cat 5 direct hit? Or should the media have played it down like it was a mild thunderstorm? Of course if they had done that and it had been a direct hit, you would now be jumping all over them not warning people.
Very impressive.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
