Well, the storm is supposed to be headed right at us. In contrast to Louisiana in 2005, Florida’s governor declared a state of emergency before the storm hit. It is now projected to head out into the Atlantic, but because there is a subtropical high over the eastern US, the storm is projected to turn back into northeast Florida or southeast Georgia sometime tomorrow. It’s still a tropical storm at this writing, but it may develop into a Category 1 hurricane by the time it makes landfall. That has Jacksonville’s mayor putting the city’s emergency center on full alert as of this morning.
This storm, however, has not exactly done what was predicted. It should have been out in the Atlantic by now, but the latest storm tracker shows it still over land near Melborne. Winds are at 50mph – far below hurricane level. The farther north it moves before going over the Atlantic, the colder the water it will move over – meaning the less likelihood of developing into a hurricane. At this point, it’s looking like a big rainstorm.
Weather in Jacksonville this morning is raining, but not a lot. As I drove in, I still had my windshield wipers on intermittent. Wind is gusty. My biggest concern at this time is that someone with the city will panic and order the bridges closed, meaning I won’t be able to get home. I don’t relish the idea of having to sit through a tropical storm in my car.
And the Jaguars play the Bucs in Tampa Saturday night. I hope this thing clears out by then.
We had a ton of rain and wind last night, just to the south of you. It’s always breezy on the marshes, but the low howl of the building winds woke me up last night.
Thus far we are getting some rain bands coming across..not much but it is the welcome kind of rain..the kind that soaks in instead of washing a way my pine bark drive way