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I hope those that live down in Florida and had to put up with the terrible storms last year....stay safe and wishing you people the best.
http://news.yahoo.com/fc/world/hurricanes_and_tropical_storms
MIAMI - The Florida Keys ordered an evacuation of tourists Thursday as Hurricane Dennis stormed through the Caribbean on a course that forecasters said might bring it to the state by the weekend.
As of Thursday, the Keys were under a hurricane watch, which means winds of at least 74 mph and storm surges were possible by late Friday, and a tropical storm watch covered the state's southern section, including Miami. Monroe County officials ordered that visitors begin leaving the low-lying Keys at noon and ordered the evacuation of mobile home resident beginning at 6 p.m.
Forecasters at the
National Hurricane Center in Miami cautioned all Gulf of Mexico coast residents from Louisiana to Florida to pay attention as Dennis, still hundreds of miles southeast of Miami, strengthened its winds to 105 mph Thursday.
Plywood sold briskly in coastal Alabama as property owners began boarding windows.
"I'm worried about flying trash cans and two-by-fours," said Nick Primozic, who lives in Lillian, just over the Florida line.
As Dennis moved through the Caribbean, the remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy dumped heavy rain in parts of the Carolinas on Thursday, and flood and tornado warnings were posted in far western South Carolina. Anderson, S.C., had 3.1 inches of rain by 9 a.m.
In Georgia, two people were reported dead and tens of thousands had lost power because of Cindy, which came ashore late Tuesday in Louisiana. There was also severe damage to an Atlanta Motor Speedway building that houses administrative offices and condominiums.
Four Atlantic weather systems — Arlene, Bret, Cindy and Dennis — reached tropical storm status by July 5, the earliest for so many named Atlantic storms in recorded history, forecaster Chris Lauer said.
Dennis was forecast to be between the tip of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and Florida's southern tip by Saturday morning. At 11 a.m. EDT, Dennis' center was about 80 miles east of Kingston, Jamaica, and moving northwest at about 13 mph. Some strengthening was expected, and forecasters said Dennis could become a major hurricane by lunchtime Saturday.
State officials cautioned residents to make sure they have hurricane plans ready.
"Reality in Florida, we have a hurricane problem," state Emergency Management Director Craig Fugate said Wednesday. "If you didn't know it from last year and you haven't got it from these four tropical storms, I don't know what it's going to take."
Oil prices hit record highs on disruptions caused by preparations of Gulf of Mexico producers.
Oil flow from the region was cut by 190,000 barrels per day, or less than 1 percent of daily demand in the United States. Traders fear a repeat of last year's Hurricane Ivan, which damaged oil platforms in the Gulf and caused others to shut down for months.
In Pensacola, also hard hit by Ivan last year, the Rev. Russell Levenson just this week had sent out a final batch of church pews for repairs, including some damaged by Ivan. He and his parishioners at Christ Episcopal Church talked about Dennis at a service Wednesday.
"One of the things that we prayed for was that Dennis would dissipate and if it didn't was that it wouldn't come with the force (of Ivan)," Levenson said. "It brings up all the anxieties again. And we're at least a year away from being back to normal."
The Panhandle took a glancing hit Wednesday from Cindy, with rain and winds of about 30 mph in Pensacola. Tropical Storm Arlene also caused little damage when it hit the Panhandle last month.
Georgia deaths from Cindy included an 18-year-old who drowned in a creek in Peachtree City. A woman died after her car hydroplaned on Interstate 20 in Douglas County, crossing a grassy median and colliding head-on with a sport utility vehicle.
Benita Glover of McDonough, Ga., said her dog, Queen, may have saved her life with a bark that sounded like a "scream" late Wednesday.
Glover, 41, said she woke up, grabbed the mutt and ran into a hallway moments before a tree fell into her roof, causing it to collapse.
"I haven't had her long, but, you know, she's very smart," said Glover, who spent the rest of the night at a neighbor's house.
About 34,000 homes and businesses lost power in the Atlanta area, though most had it back by midday Thursday, Georgia Power said. Earlier, authorities in Louisiana reported about 260,000 customers lost power, while Alabama had up to 35,000 customers out.
http://news.yahoo.com/fc/world/hurricanes_and_tropical_storms
MIAMI - The Florida Keys ordered an evacuation of tourists Thursday as Hurricane Dennis stormed through the Caribbean on a course that forecasters said might bring it to the state by the weekend.
As of Thursday, the Keys were under a hurricane watch, which means winds of at least 74 mph and storm surges were possible by late Friday, and a tropical storm watch covered the state's southern section, including Miami. Monroe County officials ordered that visitors begin leaving the low-lying Keys at noon and ordered the evacuation of mobile home resident beginning at 6 p.m.
Forecasters at the
National Hurricane Center in Miami cautioned all Gulf of Mexico coast residents from Louisiana to Florida to pay attention as Dennis, still hundreds of miles southeast of Miami, strengthened its winds to 105 mph Thursday.
Plywood sold briskly in coastal Alabama as property owners began boarding windows.
"I'm worried about flying trash cans and two-by-fours," said Nick Primozic, who lives in Lillian, just over the Florida line.
As Dennis moved through the Caribbean, the remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy dumped heavy rain in parts of the Carolinas on Thursday, and flood and tornado warnings were posted in far western South Carolina. Anderson, S.C., had 3.1 inches of rain by 9 a.m.
In Georgia, two people were reported dead and tens of thousands had lost power because of Cindy, which came ashore late Tuesday in Louisiana. There was also severe damage to an Atlanta Motor Speedway building that houses administrative offices and condominiums.
Four Atlantic weather systems — Arlene, Bret, Cindy and Dennis — reached tropical storm status by July 5, the earliest for so many named Atlantic storms in recorded history, forecaster Chris Lauer said.
Dennis was forecast to be between the tip of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and Florida's southern tip by Saturday morning. At 11 a.m. EDT, Dennis' center was about 80 miles east of Kingston, Jamaica, and moving northwest at about 13 mph. Some strengthening was expected, and forecasters said Dennis could become a major hurricane by lunchtime Saturday.
State officials cautioned residents to make sure they have hurricane plans ready.
"Reality in Florida, we have a hurricane problem," state Emergency Management Director Craig Fugate said Wednesday. "If you didn't know it from last year and you haven't got it from these four tropical storms, I don't know what it's going to take."
Oil prices hit record highs on disruptions caused by preparations of Gulf of Mexico producers.
Oil flow from the region was cut by 190,000 barrels per day, or less than 1 percent of daily demand in the United States. Traders fear a repeat of last year's Hurricane Ivan, which damaged oil platforms in the Gulf and caused others to shut down for months.
In Pensacola, also hard hit by Ivan last year, the Rev. Russell Levenson just this week had sent out a final batch of church pews for repairs, including some damaged by Ivan. He and his parishioners at Christ Episcopal Church talked about Dennis at a service Wednesday.
"One of the things that we prayed for was that Dennis would dissipate and if it didn't was that it wouldn't come with the force (of Ivan)," Levenson said. "It brings up all the anxieties again. And we're at least a year away from being back to normal."
The Panhandle took a glancing hit Wednesday from Cindy, with rain and winds of about 30 mph in Pensacola. Tropical Storm Arlene also caused little damage when it hit the Panhandle last month.
Georgia deaths from Cindy included an 18-year-old who drowned in a creek in Peachtree City. A woman died after her car hydroplaned on Interstate 20 in Douglas County, crossing a grassy median and colliding head-on with a sport utility vehicle.
Benita Glover of McDonough, Ga., said her dog, Queen, may have saved her life with a bark that sounded like a "scream" late Wednesday.
Glover, 41, said she woke up, grabbed the mutt and ran into a hallway moments before a tree fell into her roof, causing it to collapse.
"I haven't had her long, but, you know, she's very smart," said Glover, who spent the rest of the night at a neighbor's house.
About 34,000 homes and businesses lost power in the Atlanta area, though most had it back by midday Thursday, Georgia Power said. Earlier, authorities in Louisiana reported about 260,000 customers lost power, while Alabama had up to 35,000 customers out.
