Friday, July 08, 2005

You stoned? We have a problem.

Three reporters from the incomparable St. Petersburg Times grabbed the quote of the year for today's newspaper:
"Reality in Florida: We have a hurricane problem," said state Emergency Management director Craig Fugate. "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."
Hurricane Dennis, now ranked as a Category 4 storm, was following the southern coast of Cuba this morning. Winds at the center of the storm are a sustained 131 mph and sometimes higher. Although the Cuban landmass may weaken the storm, particularly if it crosses the centeral mountainous region, hurricane experts say it will enter the Gulf of Mexico at the least as a Category 3 hurricane. Then it will strengthen again.

According to Jack Bevin, hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center, as reported in the Pensacola News Journal:
Dennis is expected to make landfall between Mobile Bay and Apalachicola as a Category 3 hurricane, with sustained winds of at least 120 mph and a Gulf of Mexico storm surge of about 10 to 15 feet... .
Dennis is looking very much like a twin of Ivan. Same size, same strength, same tracking path, same general target, and it's a good bet the same devastating results.

Yes, Houston. We have a problem.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What is going to happen to all those beach residents who haven't finished repairs from Ivan and those trailers out here all over the beach? I don't think tie downs can help if there is a 10 foot water surge.