UH-OH! Hurricane Warning Just Issued For Florida!

[theHandpuppet]

Developing story from CNN.com

Hurricane warning issued for Florida

Monday, June 12, 2006; Posted: 12:22 p.m. EDT (16:22 GMT)

TAMPA, Florida (AP) -- Forecasters issued a hurricane warning for parts of Florida's Gulf Coast on Monday as the first named storm of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season quickly gained strength in the Gulf of Mexico.

The warning from Longboat Key near Sarasota to the Ochlockonee River south of Tallahassee means Tropical Storm Alberto was expected to produce hurricane conditions within the next 24 hours.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect for Longboat Key to Englewood. (Projected path)

"We're talking about powerful forces of nature," Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said. "People need to take this very seriously."

At 11 a.m., Alberto's winds had increased to 70 mph, up from 50 mph just three hours earlier. The storm was centered about 190 miles south-southwest of Apalachicola and was moving north-northeast at about 7 mph, National Hurricane Center forecasters said....

[MadHound]

1. Gulf is abnormally warm for this time of year

Already the ocean temp is in the eighties and climbing. Not suprising that a tropical depression will hit the Gulf waters and quickly blow up into a tropical storm or hurricane. And sadly, it's going to get worse as the summer goes on.

[theHandpuppet]

6. Wow --look at these maps

http://www.weather.com/

Just this morning they were saying it was still disorganized and would likely make landfall as basically a rain event.

I think Momma Nature is trying to tell us we don't know nearly as much about her as we think we do!

[station agent]

7. Jeb's reaction unacceptable--Who'da Thunk it?

Totally unacceptable reaction to be pretending that fast storm develpoment is a surprise. After Katrina? After Wilma? You idiot, Jeb.

[greenman3610]

2. wow, that was fast

this was not predicted to make hurricane strength.
From looking at the surface temps of the gulf, it
did not seem like things were nearly as warm yet
as they were last september. Obviously, they are
already warm enough...
Clearly something is causing this thing to fulminate
more than predicted.

[Boomer]

3. It's even stranger than you think

Not only were the water temps comparatively mild, but wind shear was so high that it was expected to tear Alberto to pieces.

As of last year, our hurricane prediction models are increasingly useless for forecasting hurricane intensity. It's not enough to calculate wind shear and water temp anymore. Some new factor -- one not included in conventional weather models -- is over-riding wind shear.

[Dr.Phool]

4. As of this morning, they were telling us it's just a rain event.

Then about 90 minutes ago it strengthened really quick. So, if it hit's a lot of people will be totally unprepared. A lot of people don't even know there's a Hurricane warning yet.

I was thinking about this last night. Remember a couple of weeks ago, that storm in the Pacific, maybe the South China sea, went from a 50 mph storm to a cat 3 overnight?

[Boomer]

8. Take ANY storm seriously from now on

I'm a weather junkie, so I follow every storm as soon as a tropical depression forms. Beats me how people who live in hurricane landfall zones can ignore any tropical storm, especially after last season and Katrina explosive growth.

Unfortunately, they're going to learn the hard way this season.

[Dr.Phool]

11. I started preparing 2 months ago

20 cases bottled water, lots of canned foods. extra propane.

What I didn't do was have a chance to clear off the pool furniture, and stuff around the yard. And it's been pouring since last light.

[stop the bleeding]

16. I got 2 cases of beer

just in case - you never know with these things and Florida power ;)

[theHandpuppet]

19. Dr. Phool, if you haven't already...

Please think of investing in the following items this season:

Hand-crank lantern, solar radio, solar cooker, solar generator. The more you can survive off the grid, the better.

[lala_rawraw]

5. yep... am trying to get more info from NWS as this affects me

directly... Florida folks, let's all huddle together.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. Be careful!

[stop the bleeding]

15. :)

:hide::grouphug:

[gratuitous]

10. Oh c'mon, hurricanes are just so 2005!

Really, who could have possibly foreseen that there would be more hurricanes in 2006? Nobody, that's who.

All inappropriate sarcasm aside, batten down the hatches, Florida, and if someone says evacuate, you should skedaddle at the earliest possible moment. Best of luck to all in the path.

[malaise]

12. See this link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1404242

[307 MMS]

13. DHS or FEMA

Anything coming from these folks? Oops, I almost forgot where I was!
"Browntoff, you're doin' a heckuva job"! Hehehe.

[porphyrian]

14. This won't be the "big one" this year, it's just the first.

Only people in flood plains and trailer parks will be seriously hit by this one, I'm pretty sure. Probably the worst that will come of it here in Tallahassee is we'll lose power for an hour or two (which happens consistently because the city is too fucking stubborn to put our utilities underground - they'd rather have the lines downed every single storm). This doesn't bode well for future storms, however. No rain here yet, just some wind and clouds. I'll check back in every once in a while, until the electricity goes out.

Here's a good weather site:
http://www.weatherunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=32301

[porphyrian]

22. Nothin' yet. - n/t

[tinfoilinfor2005]

17. Since I'm in the Keys and always the first one to get hit by

anything passing, I'll holler out a warning to you all up there on the meanland when I see 'em coming!

[nickgutierrez]

18. Oh shit.

Here we go again... x(

[lpbk2713]

20. I don't need this. I'm still trying to get over '04.

See me waving down there in Lakeland where the three of em intersect?


There are still blue roofs and trees down around here from that season.

[RagingInMiami]

21. I remember that Katrina was just a tropical storm when she was

hovering outside of Miami in the Atlantic Ocean last year. Then she turned into a hurricane at the last minute before pulling into Miami.

Nobody was prepared.

I remember sitting at my computer with my window open when a friend from California calls and asks how are we preparing for the hurricane. Hurricane, what hurricane, I asked him. It's nothing but a tropical storm.

How wrong I was.

Katrina was a category one hurricane when she entered Miami and knocked down hundreds of trees, poles and power lines.

Several people died in South Florida that night from falling trees because they had been walking around their neighborhoods not thinking anything of the incoming storm.

I was left without power for five days.

The Miami Herald's headline the next day said we had been "sucker punched".

And we all know that was only the beginning for Katrina, which ended up hovering in the Gulf of Mexico for five days, gathering strength, before barreling into the Big Easy.

Never underestimate these storms.

[shance]

23. Another perfectly timed hurricane heading towards Jebs state.

Why, (clasps hands together) what lovely financial resources that hurricane will bring in. Gee, its kind of like Andrew.

[Bake]

24. I wish no ill fate on Florida

But I sure as hell hope the storms all stay away from Mississippi.

Please.

Bake