Scary weather in inland Central Florida, Dennis still over Cuba.

[madfloridian]

We are having bands already, heavy heavy rains, dark as night at 6:15 in the evening.

My husband went to the produce stand, and the rain was so heavy he had to pull off the road.

This is one big storm. I have been through hurricanes, but this is very early on for this kind of weather.

I guess we could use the Florida forum. Hate to use GD, but this is strange stuff. :shrug:

[SoCalDem]

1. Batten down the hatches, and stay safe

:scared:

[Radio_Lady]

46. I can hook into your fears -- I remember the hurricanes of the 1950s

and 1960s all too well.

My husband even remembers a hurricane that hit New England in 1938. No forecasting was available them. He recalls big trees overturned -- he was just four years old.

May the Force be with you -- however you describe It -- God, Allah, Mohammed, Buddha, et al. Hope Florida survives yet another strike. We have nephews with families in Fort Myers and we're praying for them, too.

[KittyWampus]

2. sounds like a bear of storm. you all stay safe. hope your juice stays on

:hi:

[bigwillq]

3. Stay safe.

:hug:

[malaise]

4. loks like Havana will be spared a direct hit.

it is a serious storm - the eye never came over land but rain is still falling in Jamaica. Stay safe and put that beer in the freezer before you lose power.

[Emit]

5. Where are you?

My sis lives in Brandon. Where abouts are you?

[madfloridian]

7. We are inland about 40 miles from Brandon, approx.

Bands are coming from the southeast apparently. It is just dark here, like night.

[Emit]

29. Just talked with my sister

She said they, too, are beginning to get the outer bands, it's raining and windy. Her son lives in Pensacola, and it seems it's headed that direction. He's in Canada right now, but all of his belongings are in a cheap (college student) apt. and they're worried about damage. (Last time, his apt. complex suffered a lot of damage from Ivan).

Keep safe, Floridians! We'll be sending good thoughts your direction.

[KG]

6. screw this hurricane crap - i'm moving to california, where it's safe!

[madfloridian]

9. Any other time I would laugh out loud at that.

Right now I can only manage this: :evilgrin:

Guess we need to keep a sense of humor.

[SoCalDem]

10. Wanna buy my house?

:)

[LSK]

16. stop halfway to Cali = Colorado

There are no hurricanes, earthquakes, or tornados in the mountains of Colorado. Unless you build your house under a steep mountain slope, I dont know what could harm you there.

[Renew Deal]

19. You forget Yellostone (Super Volcano)

:nuke: :hi:

[LSK]

21. oh damn

I guess we are all screwed then.

[WillyT]

34. I Like The Fact That We Are All Screwed, er... In This Together !!!

At least when life is at its suckiest, we have each other rely on and care about.

Now... if we could just somehow create a government\society based upon those principles...

:hi::evilgrin::hi:

Oops Forgot: YOU BE CAREFUL MADFLORIDIAN!!! :hug:

:grouphug:

[seabeyond]

28. forest fires, lol lol. a month ago we had four hours of tornados

surrounding us. 7, 8, 9. alarms going off everywhere, four hours. had another family in our basement, turned into a party. lol lol. now my 7 year old wants to do it again

personally i take calif earthquakes, or the mountain fires any day.

[jim3775]

8. Latest computer models

[madfloridian]

11. And that just shows you how huge it is.

For our area to be hit with so much rain so early on in the storm's track.

[Mika]

12. Some serious squalls in Coral Gables. + Radar gif

http://www.intellicast.com/WeatherImages/RegionalRadarLoop/mia+icast.gif

[Midlodemocrat]

13. Stay safe. madfloridian.

This is a bad one. Best to you and yours.

:hug:

[madfloridian]

30. Thanks. Rain stopped for a while.

Supposed to clear off for a while, but still dark. Not much wind, just rain.

[dogday]

14. I grew up in Orlando-I have family there

and remember going to the produce stands on the side of the road. Stay safe, my thoughts and prayers are with you...

[madfloridian]

18. There are only a few of them now.

The city and big business saw fit to decide they were a roadside hazard. We have not seen the trucks with the GA peaches in a long time, and there is only one decent stand within miles of us. We get tomatoes from there especially, the really nice ones.

[dogday]

23. Yes, the tomatoes

and the Georgia Peaches and the Valdalia (sp) onions... Takes me back. That's a shame about the stands, when I was younger, they were all over...

[madfloridian]

25. Now they stick a Vedalia label on any old onion.

Vedalias have a flattened look to them, or at least I always thought so. We bought some the other day to grill, and they were too strong to be true Vedalia.

[dogday]

26. I also lived in South Carolina

they used to bake those onions with butter. They were so sweet...

[TheCentepedeShoes]

40. And Zellwood corn !

Miss that plus the Vidalias, although we get some here.

[Bluebear]

15. Live webcam from Duval Street, Key West-----

http://www.liveduvalstreet.com/live-duval-cam.htm

Batten down the hatches and be safe, Florida.

More Key West webcams:

http://webcam.keywest.com/

[Renew Deal]

17. It is too early for storms this big.

That's frightening.

[Wilber_Stool]

20. Here's the latest pic

from NOAA. This is a water vapor image.

[shraby]

22. All you people in Florida stay safe and

get out of the way of that storm. Looks like a baddie. The gulf is extra warm too, which may intensify it.

[likesmountains 52]

24. A hurricane question..

Do they always spin the same direction...clockwise or counterclockwise? Thanks

[jim3775]

27. Yes its called the Coriolis effect...

In the northern hemisphere hurricanes spin counter-clockwise in the sountern hemisphere they spin clockwise.

[likesmountains 52]

32. thanks, just like the water circling the drain in the bath tub...

[madfloridian]

31. Miami Herald: "The sky turned midnight black...it was still day."

This article exactly describes how it was here, eerie and strange.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12087996.htm

KEY WEST - "The sky turned midnight black and it was still day. Rain slashed in horizontal sheets and the streets began to fill. Wind came in great, screeching bursts and more was on the way.

The front half of Hurricane Dennis, a mammoth Category 4 hurricane that at one point developed 150 mph winds, arrived Friday in the Florida Keys and extreme South Florida, and the worst of it lurked just over the horizon Friday night."

[Scurrilous]

33. It's raining pretty hard...

...here in Miami. Windy and lots of lightning. Good luck to everyone in the path of this thing.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

35. Hi Central Florida!

I'm in the Keys and we've got a nice mess down here too. Awaiting a long night. My Pet Peeve...trying to get some actual weather news and having to watch "special interest stories on uprooted trees". If I see another uprooted Ficus tree, I'm gonna scream!

[im10ashus]

36. I just don't know what to say rather than...

...get the hell inside. That sounds so ominous and threatening. Get the hell to a safe place. Stockpile the liquor and food. We need you to be safe.

:-)

:grouphug:

[Tsiyu]

37. Seems like we went through this last year, eh?

And the season is only beginning...

Stay safe, and report back in your own delightful way. :hi:

I'm thinking of you up here in Tennessee, where the storm will hit Monday, though without all the wailing and gnashing of teeth.

[blue neen]

38. I flew down to Orlando from Pennsylvania on Wednesday.

I'm here to care for my mother who has Parkinson's Disease. I've never experienced this hurricane stuff before! I don't know what to expect!

[Pithy Cherub]

39. Please Be Safe All. Take all due precautions and quickly!

I am not sure which is more terrifying knowing something that huge is on its way or the jolting abruptness of a big quake? :shrug:

:grouphug:

[WillyT]

41. Yowza... Be Damned Careful Folks !!!

You all are in our thoughts.

:grouphug:

[WillyT]

42. And Another !!!

:wow::scared::wow:

[jim3775]

43. 12:30am EDT: Dennis leaves Cuba

The eye has passed Cuba and the storm has reduced to a cat2 but it will intensify in the gulf.
Latest sat:


Latest radar:


Latest computer models:

[Baclava]

44. A definite jog to the west - but is it enough for NOLA to worry?

I'm looking at that sheer line just to it's west on your IR pic - if it strengthens again rapidly it could blow right through that line and steer well west of most projected paths.

Bottom line- don't believe the chirpy Weather Channel heads - they're guessin right now too...12 more hours will tell the tale.

[derbstyron]

45. Nasty storms started here in Tampa Bay @ 2;00am

Although, it seems to have died down a little.

There are some tornado warnings to the southeast of us.

Tomorrow will be my big concern for tornadoes, as it passes up the coast.

Hold on for the good times.

[geomon666]

47. The feeder bands were vicious today.

It's going to get worse before it gets better.

Radar Loop: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/radar/loop/DS.p20-r/si.kbyx.shtml

[derbstyron]

48. Ugh. Thanks. This could get nasty.

I still think our (Tampa Bay's) biggest concern will be tornadoes. But with these damn things you just never know.

Tommorow should be interesting.