Good Lord look where Ivan is headed

[Cheswick2.0]

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ftp/graphics/AT09/refresh/AL0904W5+GIF/080318W5.gif

I know this path could change, but it looks like there is a good chance that Northwest Flordida is going to get hit again.

[RobertSeattle]

1. What did FLA do to deserve this?

:evilgrin:

[blueknight]

3. they elected a dumbass for gov.

[Brotherjohn]

18. Um, NO, we didn't. The Supreme Court did. (nt)

[Spinzonner]

5. We shouldn't even have to tell you

[Myrina]

6. Florida is America's penis ....

... Mother Nature's giving us a subtle lesson of who really is in charge and what W's raping of the rest of the world will get us, IMO.

[Misunderestimator]

10. I do NOT live in a penis!!

yikes, the thought

[Dookus]

2. Yup

let's hope it DOES turn over cuba as the map shows. If it hits New Orleans, it could be enormously catastrophic.

[demnan]

4. My brother in Naples, Florida is ready to quit his job!!!

Not really, but he works for the school system so everytime they need the schools boarded up he has to work 10 hour days at hard labor (and he's nearly 60). He is getting so tired of this!

[Frodo]

7. Isn't that the same course the "C" storm took?

I thought they said at the time it was the first major Hurricane to hit that part of the western Florida coast in 50-100 years?

Now two in three weeks? (plus the back side of Frances as it moved west).

[Cheswick2.0]

12. Amazing

Of course you can never know exactly what will happen, it could break apart or swing around and to out to sea. But this is a very active season for Hurricanes and Florida is getting all of them so far.

[Misunderestimator]

8. Good Lord! I mean... I was planning to move this year anyway, but please!

This is just ridiculous. And if I can't get a roofer here to fix the leak that sprung during Frances before Ivan arrives, it's gonna be a mess.

shit shit shit shit shit :mad:

[Cheswick2.0]

14. Are you going to California?

Have you called any roofers? One might be willing to come out and at least throw some tar on the roof before the storm. But if you do that you need a leak specialist. Not all roofers are good at finding the real source of the leak.
You might want to ask around and get recommendations from friends and neighbors.

[Misunderestimator]

15. Ding ding ding :)

And yes, I've got one guy who is going to "try" to get here on Friday. He and everyone else I've called are extremely busy, and he's the only one who could even say he might be able to get here this week... so I guess I'll keep my fingers crossed for now.

[underpants]

9. Oh man Key West is going to take it right in the teeth

Damn I love that place. I hope Boots is okay.

[carpediem]

11. i just saw an update that predicted strengthening to

sustained winds of 150-155 and gusts up to 185 by the time it reaches that 2AM Monday tracking point. That puts it right under a cat 5.

We are in the Tampa area - this looks really scary!

hurricane category info:

Category 4
Pressure 27.17 inches to 27.90 inches, winds from 131 mph to 155 mph, storm surge 13 feet to 18 feet, damage extreme.
*Hurricane Georges, when it went through the Caribbean in 1998, and hurricanes Andrew and Hugo were all Category 4 storms.

Category 5
Pressure less than 27.17 inches, winds greater than 155 mph, storm surge higher than 18 feet. Damage Catastrophic.

*Hurricane Mitch reached Category 5 strength in 1999. Only two Category 5 storms - the 1935 Key West Labor Day Storm, and Camile in 1969 which devastated Louisiana and Mississippi - have made landfall in the United States.

[RUSTY SHACKLEFORD]

13. How can they predict such a drastic change...

in the path four days from now? Something smells fishy. I don't buy this.

[Cheswick2.0]

16. they can't say with certainty...but they can predict

by looking at where other fronts are and how fast they are moving etc...

They were almost dead on with Frances this far out.

[RUSTY SHACKLEFORD]

19. It's fear mongering.

Who benefits? Follow the money. Are we sure these storms aren't being manufactured by insurance companies to justify premium increases??

:P

I bet the neocons have taken stock options on lumber companies.

[Misunderestimator]

22. You'd rather there be no predictions? I, for one, benefit from knowing

what might happen next week. And Cheswick is right, that Frances predictions were quite accurate.

[Dookus]

17. It's simply a best guess

there's little chance they'll be entirely correct.

[Brotherjohn]

20. This far out, it will meander back and forth within that broad swath...

... for three or four days before we really get a better idea where landfall will be (and then that can vary a few hundred miles on the same day depending on the angle of approach and other conditions).

Night before last, the predicted path took it over Hispanola and into the Bahamas. Yesterday morning, the path took it to the opposite extreme, over the far west tip of Cuba and making a bee-line for N.O. Now, it's in between. You can bet it'll waffle (the predicted path, that is) back and forth another time or two before getting closer.

The entire Gulf Coast AND East Coast of FL should be watching this thing.

[cmf]

21. Hurricanes are unpredictable

It's too early to say where it's going to hit the mainland US, if at all. People in Florida need to be vigilant, but I think it's too early to start moaning about it.

edited to fix stupid typo