Hurricane Ike Moves Slowly NW.. NW not wnw - How & Where to Donate to Victims

Biggest story with Ike this morning is he is now moving NW not WNW and though they do expect him to turn back to the WNW soon he is officially moving NW. How that will mess things up track wise is hard to say at 8 AM but if the trend continues the models will change and so will the cone. But only IF it continues. Remember the models are driven by the storm itself and other features steering the storm.

One thing important to notice is the slower speed. The slower speed bothers me. It has dropped slowly from 10 to 9 to 8. Could steering currents start to collapse? Now over hot, hot water now is not a good time for Ike to slow down.

Watch the front, watch Ike.

Next... just want to mention how there is the bigger human tragedy of trying to get help to the Cuban people who have been storm battered this year and with the sugar can crop and the tobacco crop pretty much shot to hell they have a real problem down there.

In Haiti the US Navy is bringing food in and though the death toll is climbing there is a least a sense that help for those who survived can get in there.. not so with the Cuban problem.

One of the bigger problems in getting help into Cuba is the political mess where even when the USA agrees to put aside their issues Cuba refuses to accept help from US.

Maybe when they can move on past the Fidel brothers there will be "change" in Cuba but right now this morning there is more of the same denials of help.

So... the one way you can help is through the smaller channels that are allowed such as the Catholic Church. So, understand the money you send the Church there for victims is one of the easiest way of getting help directly to the masses who need. There are other agencies as well but theirs is one of the easiest and fastest as their network is set up and the government let's aid in that way.

A good list as been posted on Babalu Ziva's blog.

http://www.babalublog.com/archives/009491.html

The sun-sentinel gives a list as well.

http://www4.wsvn.com/news/articles/tracking_tropics/MI96720/

One of the beautiful areas in Cuba ravaged is shown below in a picture from more serene days. Note the rise of the hill and the slope. When there is flooding water races down that slope.



In Havana there are many old buildings that really are in "crumbling" conditions. Travel to Cuba now and you walk back into the past with old 1950s and 1960s American cars and buildings rarely changed by time. The government is beginning to fix up a few buildings in tourist zones but the average Cuban lives in poor conditions. They do however do a great job evacuating their people into strong built shelters. Got to give them credit where credit is due ..however they don't release too much information out so hard to find the true story of how these storms of 2008 have really damaged the island or the death toll.

It's a good thing this didn't hit Havana as a 4 but as a weakened storm.



so... donate when you can ..if you can... if you have the ability.

And, you can always donate to the red cross as they need help now and they will need help down the line where ever Ike goes.. whenever as I think timing may be a real problem down the road. NW at 8 is slow.. and is it really 8 or near 8?

Besos Bobbi

www.redcross.org