Katrina blogging

I've decided to do regular updates on the tropical storm and its path towards Florida. That's till it either passes or I lose power.

Note- I have continued updating in a second post. Click here.

10 a.m.- Rather calm but overcast in Lantana Florida. We've had some squall like weather periodically but nothing lasting more than five or ten minutes.

Power is constant. No flickering as of this time.

I rely on the National Hurricane Center, plus the PB Post and Sun-Sentinel for updates on the hurricane. Local television reporting gets to be repetative after a while. They are often misleading and spectacular when reporting also. I will trust what I get from the papers and the NHC above anything I hear on the tube.

The most recent 11 a.m. advisory is up.

AT 11 AM EDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM KATRINA WASLOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.2 NORTH... LONGITUDE 79.3 WEST OR ABOUT 55 MILES... 85 KM... EAST OF FORT LAUDERDALE FLORIDA.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 6 MPH... 9 KM/HR.

26.2 Longitude puts the storm about due east of Deerfield Beach(26n19, 80w06. Deerfield Beach High School is my alma mata) or 25 miles south of where I live.

That puts us close. Katrina could still drift north or even south but there isn't much room between the storm and the coast. I won't be holding my breath for any sudden change south. Besides, that would push it into the path of my sister-in-law in Pembroke Pines. (26n0, 80w13)

Right now the concern I have is the slow movement of Katrina. That's going to prolong and deepen the storm's impact on South Florida. Frances last year was a slow moving storm and did more damage than Jeanne did.

11:45 a.m. Update- Wind is picking up a little.

12:17 p.m.- If anyone is wondering, I'm still waiting for the results of my MRI. Boynton Beach Open imaging which is the same company as Concept another medical testing firm has had a history of infuriating me in the past. Right now they are still trying to find the report for my doctor. These people may be my next knucklehead winner.

Weather conditions are the same. Dreary, light or little rain. The wind is gusty at times.


1:45 p.m. update- Here is the latest advisory. They are coming every two hours instead of every three now.

AT 1 PM EDT...1700Z...REPORTS FROM NOAA DOPPLER RADARS AND A NOAA
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM
KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.2 NORTH... LONGITUDE 79.5 WEST ...OR ABOUT 40 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF FORT LAUDERDALE FLORIDA AND ABOUT 40 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF BOCA RATON FLORIDA.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 6 MPH.

plus

REPORTS FROM A NOAA RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 65 MPH...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.

Weather conditions are the same here. Location hasn't changed relative to where I live. We are in for a ride as I am not feeling confident about this storm.

2:50 p.m.- Another update coming soon but I'm not expecting anything dramatic.

How do we stand down here? Flat footed as the comedian said. No, not really. Our yard is secure except for a few last minute items, namely patio chairs. Shutters are pulled but awaiting to be secured. It's a two person job. Our car will probably be pulled into the garage so that will need to be worked on.

Dear wife is still working. The shutters need someone on the inside and outside to be done properly. Her boss hasn't seen fit to call work for the day. Ugh but what can we do. No office tomorrow.

Unfortunately our bank already closed. Too late for us to cash the wife's paycheck. That will probably have to wait till Monday. We do have cash on hand though, $300 plus dollars. Other supplies are fine, though if we lose power we may bug out similiar to last year. Either to my sister-in-law's(In Miramar not Pembroke Pines) or an apartment in Miami. We have a boatload of food in our freezer, I rather not have it all spoil. Last year we were without power for over a week after Frances.

530 p.m.- Katrina is a hurricane now. Maximum sustained winds of 75 MPH.

We're shuttered up now. The garage just needs to be finished then we move our car in.

The weather has definitely deterioated. Winds are up to the 40's now, rain comes and goes but there have been only short downpours. According to Channel 25 there are now scattered power outages in the County. So far so good in the Lantana area for us and our friends.

A 5 p.m. advisory put Hurricane Katrina at 26.1 N... 79.9 W. and moving at 6 miles per hour. About thirty miles off the coast of Pompano Beach. The storm has drifted slightly south in the last advisory. That's good for me here but not so good for Broward County. The slow movement of this storm is going to wreak as much havoc as the wind.

I got to try finding out when the last direct hit by hurricane on Broward County occured. It has to be before 1970.

Welcome to Michelle Malkin readers. Florida Cracker is blogging on Katrina too.

I got my MRI results. The post is here.

Katrina blogging continued here.

Breakfast- Basil's Blog