Fay Makes Landfall & The Problem With Squalls (videos)

Well, Fay made landfall at Cape Romano with strong Tropical Storm Force winds but not quite a hurricane. She wrapped up nicely for her landfall..she does love land. Loves it so much models predict she'll come back to Florida for another landfall. It is easy to see on this image where she is and how tightly wrapped she is even though the discussion explains how weak she is. She is what she is and she is a Tropical Storm and she is chugging her way slowly across the center of Florida and possibly on a date with the Lake which would make Floridians very happy and love her a lot. The Lake can use all the water it can get. Why we love Tropical Storms!

But this is about the Cape Romano one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Romano

Map of Wilma hitting the same spot. Different storm, same landfall.



Question is why does Cape Romano get hit so often and Tampa so little? They are in the flow? A question for another day..

As for me... boy is it blustery this morning. I woke up a few times last night to the sound of high winds, jalousie windows making strange noises (you'd think when I say shut them they would make sure they were shut all the way) but no they were rattling, the venetian blinds were slamming back and forth clattering loudly. A few times the wind howled. I went back to sleep after carefully shutting them tightly. Woke up this morning to stronger winds than I had felt the whole of yesterday. Pressure is still low, 29.65 and the winds are more constant. Imagine Fay is closer to me now than she has been as she is due west however her weather area keeps extending to the east as she moves NNE. Is she moving NE or NNE? Either way she is moving slow.

She didn't make it further north than Naples, I was right on that. It was the furthest north I could see and kept trying to remember without googling it where Wilma made landfall. Go figure. 2 for 2. Imagine they have seen their share of storms, but usually later in October.

As for Miami.. high wind, some trees down. Reports of Tornadoes all over that the NWS will verify or call straight line winds. Hallandale has been getting slammed with strong squalls. Reports of torn screened patios and tossed patio furniture. News coverage of a kite surfer who took off across the beach like he was Superman or Batman and slammed into some condos nearby. Luckily this video is not too clear because the close in video they showed on air immediately after it happened showed him to be really bloodied up. He kept saying he was fine but he is in critical condition for body trauma. Well, yeah.. probably a bit in shock too.



By the way, he had a release strap but it happened so fast he couldn't get oriented.

Which brings me to the problem with squalls. They hit really fast! You can't see them coming. The band that just blew through here complete with a report of a Twister to my NW in Carol City came through clocked at a forward speed of 35 mph to 40 mph.

The local news is giving reports of how fast the storms in the bands are moving. On the one hand if you get hit by one it will pass by fast. If you want video then I suggest you run outside by the front or back porch as soon as you hear the noise of a squall coming and start filming because by the time you get that blackberry or sidekick working the squall will be gone with the wind. I know... trust me. It's like lightning shots, just keep clicking or hitting record and look later to see what you got!

As for news from Cuba, my brother sent me this in email. I didn't realize it was online, they have been showing it here nonstop so people who have loved ones in Cuba can see what is going on there. Video from Greece in email, what a wonderful virtual world we live in.



As for the Keys and what a Tropical Storm looks like, well it looks a lot like this. Sounds like someone turned the hose on the house and then suddenly it howls and then it just rains. Looks pretty but pretty safe unless of course you decide to go kite surfing at a beach just across from condos... Ahhh, the folly of youth, oh what stories he will have to tell.



Poor puppy, cute ;)

As for news from Key West the city is almost open for business. Personally, the new mayor of Key West is not as good as the old mayor and truth is they didn't have to force the tourists to leave, they could have just suggested it and or told them to hunker down. Trust me, between Bed and Breakfasts securely boarded up and bars open in some places and well.. Key West is a very safe place in a small storm. I'd feel safer in Key West in a weak storm that could never find it's groove like this one than in Miami. Power comes on faster, shutters come off and it's all over. IF this had been some strong Cat 3 in the Carib I might say otherwise but this was no Killer Cane but it did kill the revenue the summer weekend would generate and Key West is hurting tourism wise. But, the new mayor doesn't care about the locals he cares about the construction industry that is knocking down old places like the Atlantic Shores and builds more ticky tack sort of resorts that will be sold as condo vacation places to people who live far away in places like Europe and South America who will never really spend money in Key West in the small shops and businesses on Duval and across the island that are having problems staying open and making ends meet. He looked real good on TV looking worried but truth is they didn't have to force everyone out for this storm. Just hunker down, a little rain, a brief few hours of high winds but nothing terrible. The only person injured so far seems to be someone boarding up and this was sadly, ironically not even a boarding up event. We need a touch of reality. One thing to be cautious and another thing to go overboard.

From Monroe County Emails:

Monroe County Emergency Management
Tropical Storm Fay - August 19, 7:30 a.m.

Tropical Storm Fay has passed the Florida Keys leaving few reports of damage in it's wake. The Emergency Operations Center in Marathon is still active, but will most likely move to partial activation later this afternoon. Emergency Management Director Irene Toner said the Center is getting few calls of damage, but crews will be in the field this morning to make sure there are no trees blocking the roadway or any other infrastructure effected by the storm.

Tourists are welcome to return Wednesday morning. Informal reports from deputies on the roadways say they all appear to be clear of major debris. There was only one report of a significant injury during the storm. An elderly man, making late storm preparations, was on his roof on Aviation Boulevard in Marathon when he was hit in the face with an object, causing serious injuries. He was taken to a mainland hospital by ambulance.

Shelters: Two closed last night (Monday) - Sugarloaf School and Coral Shores High School - because no one was there. The other two - Key West High School and Stanley Switlik School - will close later this morning so that the facilities can be readied for school tomorrow.

 County Offices and Sheriff's Administrative Offices and the Courts will open tomorrow.

 The County Commission meeting at the Marathon Government Center is on for Wednesday.

 Hospitals remained open during the storm.

 Firefighters and law enforcement officers were able to answer all significant calls for service before, during and after the storm.

 Airports will resume normal operations Wednesday morning.




As for me in Miami.. I am going to watch the storm on my porch with a cup of coffee, talk to my son who is home from camp and wants breakfast and enjoy my "day off" and hope I don't get the dreaded call to come back in. The AC is off, a few of the windows are open on the side of the house where rain is not coming in and the house feels cool. Fay always felt more like a cold core center or a cold front but she looks like a Tropical Storm.

This is exactly what Fay looks like down here. Where will she go afterwards? Hmmmnnn, seems like she might come back and do Florida again!



Enjoy the weather, as Bastardi says .. it's the only weather you got!

Hello Fay again??



Besos Bobbi