Nicky and Stephen, Met June 8, 1998, Married June 8, 2000

 

 

The first of the feeder bands are just beginning to approach. We are optimistic that Ernesto will remain a tropical storm and not intensify into a hurricane again prior to landfall.



Stephen putting up the shutters...again.

 

Tropical Storm Ernesto continues to move toward South Florida. The center came off the coast of Cuba in the early morning hours. The NHC is still forecasting strenthening with a slight possibility that it may obtain hurricane status once again. That said, we will be putting up the shutters this morning.
The weather this morning is gorgeous. Beautiful blue skies and white puffy clouds. The calm before the storm as they say. The weather will begin deteriorating late this morning or early this afternoon, with the worst of it arriving overnight. Forecasters are predicting 5 to 10 inches of rain with a possibility of up to 15 inches.We had 21 inches with Hurricane Irene back in 1999. Hopefully the lake behind our home can handle all the rain.
The Fort Lauderdale Airport will be closing at 7 pm this evening. Port Everglades is closed now with the exception of ships and trucks handling petroleum -- gas and diesel. FEMA supplies have already rolled in and are being staged at a large hanger in Homestead. The State of Florida remains under a state of emergency. Tolls have been suspended on both the Sawgrass Expressway and the Florida Turnpike. There is a mandatory evacuation of all mobile home residents and homes that still have blue tarped roofs from Hurricane Wilma last October. Hurricane shelters are open this morning in Miami-Dade and Broward County.
Grocery stores have been emptied of bottled water and other hurricane supplies. Many gas stations have run dry with only a few offering premium gas. Seems despite eight hurricanes hitting the state of Florida the past two years, many people still wait until the last minute to prepare.

 

At 8 p.m. Ernesto was located near 21.4N and 77.4W. Over the past several hours Ernesto has been moving WNW near 11 mph. A NW motion is expected to resume tonight. Maximum sustained winds remain at 40 mph with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast after the center moves back over water.

South Florida remains under a hurricane watch and tropical storm warning. Mandatory evacuations are in effect for visitors in the Keys. The Port of Miami-Dade is closed. Cruiseship companies are diverting several ships to avoid the storm. Broward County schools are closed tomorrow. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport will close tomorrow evening. Tri-Rail has suspended service for tomorrow. NASA scrubbed the launch of Shuttle Atlantis and is preparing to roll the shuttle back to the VAB.

Long lines have appeared in area gas stations. Grocery store shelves are beginning to empty. Some houses have storm shutters up already. There will be more tomorrow. We'll do ours tomorrow.

 

With the 5 AM forecast Ernesto officially became the season's first hurricane. Now for the bad news for us in Florida...the official forecast track has been shifted significantly to the right or east of the previous track...and now takes Ernesto across the Florida Peninsula. The NHC track is similar but still a little west of the consensus models. This will probaly require another adjustment to the track bringing it more to the right or east. This move to the right each time only brings it closer to us. In the meantime our hurricane supplies are ready and we will just keep a close eye on the movement of Ernesto.

 

At 8 p.m. the center of Ernesto was located near 16.5N and 72.2W. The minimum central pressure is at 997 mb. The storm is moving WNW at 14 mph with maximum sustained winds near 60 mph. Ernesto is expected to be a hurricane on Sunday or Monday. The center has been relocated twice more to the north and east. It will be interesting to see the next model runs. In the meantime we'll just continue to watch and wait.

In the Central Pacific we have category 4 Hurricane Ioke. It recently underwent an eyewall replacement cycle taking away its category 5 status. It is expected to regain category 5 status. It might set a world record for the longest-lived Category 4 or higher storm if it keeps its act together for another 4 days.

 

 

Typhoon Saomai (08W) and Tropical Storms Maria (09W) and Bopha (10W) in the Philippine Sea. Image taken August 7.

 

A scene from "Allegro non troppo" a 1977 animated movie by Bruno Bozzetto. Music : Sibelius - valse triste (sad waltz).

 

The third tropical storm of the season has appeared overnight. Tropical Storm Chris is expected to reach hurricane strength by Friday. Currenty winds are at 60 mph, gusting to 70 mph. Chris is moving WNW at 10 mph with a minimum central pressure of 1003 mb or 29.61 in. As you can see by the chart above, South Florida is in the "cone of death" for now.

I guess it wouldn't hurt to beat the crowds and get more water and hurricane party supplies.

 

A big shot attorney who spent a couple of days in the hospital was a royal pain to the nurses. He bossed them around just like he did his office staff. None of the hospital staff wanted to have anything to do with him.

The head nurse was the only one who would stand up to him. She entered his room and announcing, "I have to take your temperature."

After his complaining a while, he finally settled down, crossed his arms, and opened his mouth.

"No, I'm sorry," said the nurse "For this reading, I can't use an oral thermometer."

This started another round of complaining, but eventually he rolled over and bared his behind.

After feeling the nurse insert the thermometer, he heard her announce, "I have to get something. Now you stay JUST LIKE THAT until I get back!"

She leaves the door to his room open on her way out. He curses under his breath as he hears people walking past his door, laughing. After a half hour, the man's doctor comes into the room.

"What's going on here?" asked the doctor.

Angrily, the man answers, "What's the matter, Doc? Haven't you ever seen someone having their temperature taken?"

After a pause, the doctor confesses, "Not with a carnation."