Hurricane Ivan

[Sharky]

Oh, this is bad. Jamaica is being pounded full-force with sustained winds of 150 mph. They have nowhere to hide.

 

[Gonz]

Their PM (I think) told them today "to pray"

 

[catocom]

Man this thing seems to be moving due west along the Jamaica coast.
There's no telling where this thing is going.

 

[Sharky]

Dear Ivan

From a sailing BB:

Dear Ivan:

Hey, how's it going out there near Barbados?

Listen, lots of us here in South Florida have been talking about
your scheduled visit.

Now, please don't take this the wrong way. We like spectacular forces of
nature as well as the next guy. We realize that Florida and hurricanes
go together like country music and drunken driving. We don't want to
mess with tradition.

And we know you hurricanes recharge the aquifers, provide an
exhilarating break in the stifling heat of late summer, and give
neighbors a chance to bond. The economic boost you give to Home Depot
alone is enough to make up for whatever inconvenience is to be expected.

So normally you would be as welcome as a gang of Harley riders during
Bike Week.

But may I say that this year the timing of your tentatively scheduled
arrival seems less than ideal.

You know that visitors start to wear out their welcome after a few days.
And too many visitors in a row can also wear down a host and hostess.
That, I'm sorry to say, is pretty much the position we Floridians find
ourselves in just now.

Your cousin Charley blew through a few weeks ago and, to be blunt, he
was less than mannerly. He zoomed in like a hyperactive toddler, leaving
the proverbial path of destruction, except that it was no proverb. And
then he was gone without so much as a see-ya-later.

Charley was a leave-wet-towels-on-the-floor, never-pick-up-a-tab kind of
guest. He inspired some grumbling, and picking up after him has been a
real chore. You should have seen Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, Arcadia
and Wauchula.

At least Charley didn't stay long. But just when we were starting to get
things almost back to normal, Frances sauntered in.

I don't mean to be crass, but she was HUGE. When she hung around the
state, she hung around the state, you know what I mean?

And you know how some guests just don't leave? That's Frances. Even when
we were looking at our watches and yawning and singing "The Party's
Over" she just stayed and stayed.

Some of us who hadn't really rolled out the red carpet for Charley
decided to prepare a lot more for Frances, and maybe we just tired
ourselves out. And then she stalled and arrived late, which is always
irritating.

She wasn't as wild as Charley, I'll admit. Those rumors about Frances
possibly becoming a Category 5 turned out to be overblown hype. But she
just sort of oozed through. I went to bed Sunday night and woke up
thinking she'd be long gone at last, but she was still here Monday
morning!

So a lot of us here are thinking that enough is enough for one year.
Actually, the experience of almost back-to-back hurricanes has some
people talking about canceling hurricane season entirely.

Don't worry. Floridians won't go that far. But we may consider moving
hurricane season to a nicer time of year. I know hurricanes like it hot,
but doing without air conditioning would be a lot nicer in November, or
maybe March, so as not to interfere with football season.

I mean, did you see where Frances actually caused the postponement of a
[University of Florida] Gator football game? People will put up with a lot, but let's be
reasonable here.

Some are saying we should limit the number of hurricanes allowed into
Florida in one year. There might be some debate about whether the limit
should be one or two, but there is wide agreement that three is too
many.

So, Ivan, here's the point: Florida's famous hospitality is pretty much
tapped out just now. Our enthusiasm for big winds and rains, and for TV
reporters gushing forth with excited descriptions of it all, has bogged
down like a riding lawnmower in the swamp that used to be my back yard.

As I said, it is nothing personal, Ivan, but what would you say to
making alternate travel plans?
In other words.. go FUCK OFF!!!

Very truly yours,

Mercenary 7

Well said, Merc.

 

[Gonz]

 

[Sharky]

Incredible color satellite visual image from NASA's Looking at Earth web page.

Jamaica is visible in the upper left-hand corner of the photo.

It's 800 x 1046 pixels, be forewarned if you are on dial-up. Probably worth the wait, however.

 

[Sharky]

A strengthening Ivan is battering Jamaica

11:18 P.M. ET Fri.,Sep.10,2004

Tim Ballisty, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel

Hurricane Ivan is even a more powerful and deadly Category 4 (nearly Category 5) hurricane tonight as winds are now sustained at 155 mph. This is just one mph away from Category 5 status.

After weakening a bit early on Friday the hurricane has really gone through a tremendous deepening phase. Ivan's well-defined eye is currently just over 30 miles away from Kingston, Jamaica but hurricane as a whole is already battering the island. Amateur radio reports emanating from Jamaica report that rainfall has been torrential and horizontal, the winds are unleashing their destructive power, and ocean waves have been as high as a two-story building.

Extreme damage is anticipated, especially over the southern half of the island. The torrential rains that are ongoing will cause a great deal of flooding and mountain mudslides island-wide. Storm surge will be moderate but high waves will continue to batter the southern coast.

After Jamaica, Ivan will then set course for the Cayman Islands on Saturday. Hurricane warnings are in effect for both Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. By the end of the weekend, Ivan is forecast to cross over western Cuba (a hurricane watch is in effect for the whole island) and then take aim on Florida, still as a major hurricane, Monday and Tuesday.

The future path of Ivan is by no means set so keep it tuned to The Weather Channel for the latest updates.

 

[Gonz]

I'd like to propose a new law, effective only where a state of emergency has been declared...Vigilante Justice is no longer forbade, it is encouraged.

By Horace Helps
KINGSTON, Jamaica (Reuters) - Powerful Hurricane Ivan roared into Jamaica with huge waves, drenching rains and deadly winds on Friday and sporadic shooting erupted in the near-deserted streets of the capital as looters went on the prowl.

Large trees and poles crashed down in Kingston, some hitting houses. Ravines running through the city quickly overflowed and flooded streets.

Large waves pounded the coast around St. Thomas in the southeast of the island and a storm surge tore away at least two houses, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency said. Elsewhere, the surge washed away roads.

"It's extremely windy. The whole island is without electricity," said Joseph Robinson, 45, from the British Caribbean territory of Turks and Caicos, as he took shelter in the lobby of a Kingston hotel. "It's going beyond manageable."

"It is clear that the severity of this hurricane will have extremely serious effects, as predicted," said Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson as he declared a state of emergency.

Half a million Jamaicans, over one-sixth of the population were urged to evacuate low-lying areas as Ivan approached. But many held out, vowing to protect their homes from looters.

As fierce winds lashed Kingston, robbers held up emergency workers at gunpoint. A doctor was shot and taken to hospital.

Ivan has killed at least 27 people, most of them on the devastated spice island of Grenada, which officials said remained without power or water and under a dusk-to-dawn curfew after widespread looting.

Security forces from Grenada and other Caribbean countries secured buildings in the capital, St. George's, while residents on foot or in cars with smashed windshields searched for scarce water, food and gasoline.

If they are killed on contact they will not reproduce & spread their despicable ideals to yet another generaltion of scumbags.

 

[Sharky]

Half a million Jamaicans, over one-sixth of the population were urged to evacuate low-lying areas as Ivan approached. But many held out, vowing to protect their homes from looters.

As fierce winds lashed Kingston, robbers held up emergency workers at gunpoint. A doctor was shot and taken to hospital.

Nice.




Well, this may be my last visit to OTC for a few days.

As of this evening it looks like Ivan is going to slam into the Gulf Coast somewhere between New Orleans and Apalachicola.

The Panama City area is already boarding up, and evacuating the beaches.
Low-lying areas around the bays will be evacuated next.

My route home from work is along one of the evac routes, so I will probably stay home tomorrow night to avoid being caught in the exodus on Wednesday morning.

The Compound is battened down and lashed together, ready for self-sufficiency mode. The elderly folks in our neighborhood who don't want to ride it out alone will all be taken in by those of us who are equipped with generators and water supplies.

I guess we will wait and see what happens.

Yee-ha!

 

[chcr]

Nice.




Well, this may be my last visit to OTC for a few days.

As of this evening it looks like Ivan is going to slam into the Gulf Coast somewhere between New Orleans and Apalachicola.

The Panama City area is already boarding up, and evacuating the beaches.
Low-lying areas around the bays will be evacuated next.

My route home from work is along one of the evac routes, so I will probably stay home tomorrow night to avoid being caught in the exodus on Wednesday morning.

The Compound is battened down and lashed together, ready for self-sufficiency mode. The elderly folks in our neighborhood who don't want to ride it out alone will all be taken in by those of us who are equipped with generators and water supplies.

I guess we will wait and see what happens.

Yee-ha!

Good luck dood. Keep your head down.

 

[Mare]

Im here and all is well, had gotten some ply wood ready and stocked up again...was sweatin this one..looked extremely bad for Englewood, but Thank God it headed away.....

 

[PT]

Keep safe Sharky, be sure and let us know you're alright as soon as you can

 

[MrBishop]

Keep your head down, but don't kiss your ass goodbye yet, Sharky! Everything'll be jsut dandy...and its good to hear that neighbours are helping neighbours D:

Welcome back Mare...if only for a little bit... give us a shout back when Ivan the Terrible lets go and moves on!

 

[HomeLAN]

Hold on to your shorts, Sharky! That's one hell of a wind. We'll see you when you dry out.

 

[MrBishop]

Ivan's going to play a little bit of havok on Oil prices for the next few days...gas up now before the prices shoot up!

Oil shipments from Venezuela and Trinidad were stopped already...delayed.

It looks like Ivan's going to hit a few oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, so they've been evacuated.

That's 1.35million barrels of oil per day plus 2.7 billion cubic feet per day (cfd) of natural gas production...all in one spot. The Gulf of Mexico accounts for roughly one-quarter of all U.S. crude oil and natural gas production.

Looks like an energy disaster waiting to happen

 

[Gonz]

Keep your head down.

This is not great advice when one is dealing with flooding


Let's all say our goodbyes to a noble & educational city. New Orleans RIP.

 

[catocom]

Well I just got back from the store a bit ago, and filled my big van up with
gas @$1.67/gl . I'm anticipating it won't be this low again any time soon.
It also looks like even another storm behind this one already.

 

[chcr]

This is not great advice when one is dealing with flooding


Let's all say our goodbyes to a noble & educational city. New Orleans RIP.

Heck, I was thinking about debris, not flooding. Surely Sharky has sense enough to keep his head above water.

Nawlins has survived worse.

 

[Gonz]

A category 5 or a strong 4, direct hit....nah, she hasn't. I'm assuming a direct hit as Ivan is now, or stronger. I've noticed that the press is getting in on the act too.

The worst-case scenario for New Orleans — a direct strike by a full-strength Hurricane Ivan — could submerge much of this historic city treetop-deep in a stew of sewage, industrial chemicals and fire ants, and the inundation could last for weeks, experts say.

If the storm were strong enough, Ivan could drive water over the tops of the levees that protect the city from the Mississippi River and vast Lake Pontchartrain. And with the city sitting in a saucer-shaped depression that dips as much as 9 feet below sea level, there would be nowhere for all that water to drain.

Even in the best of times, New Orleans depends on a network of canals and huge pumps to keep water from accumulating inside the basin.

 

[unclehobart]

New Orleans isn't going to get it quite as bad as Mobile. Do we know anyone in Mobile?