Posted on 08/02/2024 2:11:33 PM PDT by NautiNurse
Tropical Storm watches and warnings have been issued from the Florida Keys up the Florida Gulf Coast to Suwanee. The system is crossing Central Cuba, moving at 16mph. The disturbance is expected to develop into a tropical depression on Saturday as it moves across the Straits of Florida, followed by intensification into a tropical storm by Saturday night. Governor DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 54 counties, most along the Gulf Coast and in northern Florida, to move assets in preparation for the storm.
August 13 marks 20 years since Hurricane Charley made landfall near Punta Gorda FL.
The rapid strengthening of Charley in the eastern Gulf of Mexico caught many by surprise. Around five hours before its Florida landfall, Charley was a strong Category 2 hurricane predicted to strengthen its strongest winds to 115 mph upon its landfall in the Tampa–Saint Petersburg area. About two hours before landfall, the National Hurricane Center issued a special advisory, notifying the public that Charley had become a 145 mph Category 4 hurricane, with a predicted landfall location in the Port Charlotte area. As a result of this change in forecast, numerous people in the Charlotte County area were unprepared for the hurricane, although the new track prediction was well within the previous forecast's margin of error. National Hurricane Center forecasting intern Robbie Berg publicly blamed the media for misleading residents into believing that a Tampa landfall was inevitable.
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Tropical Tidbits by Levi Cowan
Local News:
FOX4 News Southwest Florida
WWSB Sarasota/Bradenton
WFLA Tampa Bay
WESH2 Orlando
Oh wow. You must be getting kicked with this one all over again. I still haven’t made my way there since (Michael?) hit your area.
Expect this to be an all-day affair. We’ve been through same since yesterday in Tampa Bay, with a heavy squall beating the windows at this moment.
Michael went right over the house. It flattened everything for miles around here.
This little storm has given only some light winds and rain.
How long did it take to rebuild after Michael? I can’t imagine the devastation. I’ve seen photos but that never compares to seeing things in person.
Hernando check-in. Some small branches down, a few shingles torn off the south side of the roof.
Thanks for your local report. Any reports of tornadoes in your neck of the woods?
Please check in...
The county has also rescued a total of 32 adults, 12 children and 13 pets rescued from 14 homes in high water rescues from the Center Lake area. Herald Tribune
I remember Agnes. I was 11.
Spent 2 days sleeping on a hay wagon, while our house had 4 feet of water in it.
I live in the Appalachian foothills now.
That's right... thanks for that reminder, FRiend. We are at 19 feet here.
I was 11 years old too at the time and living in Baltimore when Agnes came through.
We were supposed to have our 6th grade graduation and end of the school year picnic that day and I was so excited.
There were supposed to be all sorts of games, carnival games and prizes and a dunking booth with my favorite teacher inside, crafts for sale, and my mom even bought me a couple of cans of Coca Cola that she put in the fridge and wrapped in aluminum foil to keep them cold, to pack with my lunch which was a real treat as she rarely bought or allowed me to have soda.
And yes, she packed me lunch as she did any other school day, but when my dad found out, he slipped me a fiver which was a lot of money back then, for spending money.
FWIW, the picnic included grilled hot dogs and burgers made by the teachers and chips, but my mother thought I’d be happier with the bologna sandwich on the two heels of stale Wonder bread like she usually packed for my lunch most days except for the egg salad sandwich days, which I planned to ditch. LOL!
And back then the 6th grade was the end of elementary school, so it was to me, really a graduation of sorts.
I don’t remember why it took place so late in June, perhaps a lot of snow days earlier in the year? I really don’t remember.
But anyway, I woke up late and rushed to tell my mother she let me oversleep and I was going to miss the picnic and she told me, “there’s not going to be any picnic today, look outside, we’re having a hurricane”.
Agnes really wasn’t a hurricane at that point, but I do remember the torrential rain, hours and hours, sheets and sheets of pouring rain.
Keep in mind that back then there was no cable TV, no 24-7 news channels, no Weather Channel and even the local TV stations only occasionally broke in between commercials for the daytime game shows or soaps for only the most urgent of bulletins.
So my mother turned into the AM news station in Baltimore – WBAL and we were just close enough that she could dial into WHP in Harrisburg to get anything close to live coverage of the flooding.
Two things we don’t want:
1. center over water.
2. slow forward speed or stall.
If it keeps up the forward speed over land it should weaken,if not,won’t be good.
Debbie had a forward speed of 10 mph at NNE, will that continue?
not in Hernando County but a truck accident on I-75 in the Tampa area is suspicious.
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