Daffodil Lane

March 12, 2008

Want to Rescue a Couple of Stranded Whales? Let the Dolphin do it!

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- A dolphin swam up to two distressed whales that appeared headed for death in a beach stranding in New Zealand and guided them to safety, witnesses said Wednesday.

The actions of the bottlenose dolphin -- named Moko by residents who said it spends much of its time swimming playfully with humans at the beach -- amazed would-be rescuers and an expert who said they were evidence of the species' friendly nature.

The two pygmy sperm whales, a mother and her calf, were found stranded on Mahia Beach, about 500 kilometers (300 miles) northeast of the capital of Wellington, on Monday morning, said Conservation Department worker Malcolm Smith.

Rescuers worked for more than one hour to get the whales back into the water, only to see them strand themselves four times on a sandbar slightly out to sea. It looked likely the whales would have to be euthanized to prevent them suffering a prolonged death, Smith said.

"They kept getting disorientated and stranding again," said Smith, who was among the rescuers. "They obviously couldn't find their way back past (the sandbar) to the sea."

Along came Moko, who approached the whales and led them 200 meters (yards) along the beach and through a channel out to the open sea

"Moko just came flying through the water and pushed in between us and the whales," Juanita Symes, another rescuer, told The Associated Press. "She got them to head toward the hill, where the channel is. It was an amazing experience. The best day of my life."

Anton van Helden, a marine mammals expert at New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, said the reports of Moko's rescue were "fantastic" but believable because the dolphins have "a great capacity for altruistic activities."

Dolphins are amazing creatures. This type of action doesn't surprise me at all. What an amazing story!

Found via CNN.

Posted by Dianne at 9:24 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

September 4, 2007

Category 5 Felix makes landfall in Nicaragua

(CNN) -- Hurricane Felix made landfall with potentially disastrous rain and top wind speeds of 160 mph (260 kph) near the Nicaragua-Honduras border Tuesday morning, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Shortly before making landfall near Punta Gorda, Nicaragua, Felix regained its status as a Category 5 storm, the hurricane center said in its 8 a.m. ET update.

Felix's center was about 10 miles (15 km) north-northeast of Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, and was moving west at about 16 mph (25 km/h), the NHC advisory said.

Felix is also slamming a section of the coast of Honduras that is home to hotels and expensive vacation homes. Across the border in Nicaragua, the coastal region is sparsely populated by Miskito Indians.

Nicaragua issued a hurricane warning from Puerto Cabezas north to its border with Honduras, and a hurricane warning remains in effect in Honduras from the border west to Limon.

Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center have said both Nicaragua and Honduras could receive 5 to 8 inches of rain, with isolated amounts of up to a foot of rain possible. Felix could also bring storm surge flooding of more than 18 feet (5.5 m) above normal tide levels.

The storm's path would take it across the mountains of Honduras and into Guatemala, where the potential for landslides is high, CNN's Rob Marciano said.

This is a very fierce storm! Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Honduras. They are in a for a very rough ride!

Found via CNN and for more information on what Category 5 actually means go here.

Posted by Dianne at 10:37 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

July 31, 2007

Tropical Storm Chantal

For more information visit the National Hurricane Center Webpage or click on the picture above.

Posted by Dianne at 11:02 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Comments

Posted by: cjmr at July 31, 2007 10:29 PM

Posted by: Dianne at August 1, 2007 9:01 AM

May 30, 2007

Tropical Tropical Storm Barbara Forms In The Pacific

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (Reuters) -- Tropical Storm Barbara formed Wednesday off Mexico and was expected to head toward the resort of Acapulco in the coming days.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, said Barbara was stationary about 125 miles (200 kilometers) south of the port of Puerto Angel in the state of Oaxaca.

"Interests along the Pacific coast of southeastern Mexico and Guatemala should closely monitor the progress of Barbara," the center said.

Barbara is packing sustained winds of near 40 mph (65 kph) and should gain strength over the next four days, the hurricane center said.

Forecasters said the storm would move slightly farther away from the Mexican coast over the next two days and then turn 180 degrees and head for land.

By Monday, it was expected to be close to Acapulco, a popular vacation resort.

This season is getting off to an early start this year! This is the second tropical system to form in the Pacific and we've already had one in the Atlantic as well. Definitely something to keep an eye out for.

Find out more at the National Hurricane Center and over at CNN.

Posted by Dianne at 4:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

Whales may have slipped into ocean before dawn

BERKELEY, California (AP) -- Two lost whales seen just before sunset nearing the ocean after a two-week sojourn through inland California waterways may have slipped back into the Pacific overnight.

Rescuers launched several boats in an effort to find the mother humpback and her calf Wednesday morning but have not spotted the whales, said Bernadette Fees, deputy director of the California Department of Fish and Game.

The pair were last seen Tuesday less than 10 miles from the Golden Gate bridge after they passed under another busy bridge and entered San Francisco Bay.

The whales passed under the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge on Tuesday afternoon, the last bridge along the pair's route before reaching the Golden Gate.

If the humpbacks were able navigate south around a Marin County peninsula and a nearby island, few obstacles were left on their route past Alcatraz to the Pacific Ocean.

Still, officials feared that the whales might continue south instead of west, passing under the Bay Bridge into the long southern half of the bay.

"There are lots of places they could get themselves into trouble before they go out of the Golden Gate," McInnis said.

Hopefully they slipped out into the Pacifc, instead of heading further south in the Bay. At some point they were also given doses of antibiotics, which should help with the infections they are dealing with. Time will tell whether they're in the ocean of further down the Bay.

Found via CNN.

Posted by Dianne at 1:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

May 23, 2007

Crews bang pipes hoping to steer whales to sea

RIO VISTA, California (AP) -- Two wounded, lost whales circled near a Sacramento River bridge as boat crews banged metal pipes to try to herd them toward the open waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The whales, lost since more than a week ago, spent a second day Tuesday circling near the bridge about 70 miles from the Pacific. Both whales were apparently wounded during a run-in with a boat's propeller.

"The wounds appear to have worsened over time and their skin has changed from smooth and shiny to irregular and pitted," said Frances Guiland of the Marine Mammal Center.

Fresh water from the Sacramento River could hamper the whales' recovery, biologists said. Skin samples taken from the mother whale on Monday were sent to out-of-state labs to assess her general health and help identify her population stock.

Some crews in the more than two dozen boats blocking the humpbacks' path up the river tried herding the mother and her calf downstream by banging metal pipes beneath the water.

They hope to encourage the pair to return to salt water quickly, without upsetting the whales.

"Stressing even a healthy whale is not good. Stressing an injured whale is worse," said Brian Gorman, a spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Normally when marine animals exhibit this type of behavior it's because something is wrong, in this case they are wounded. The fresh water inhibits their natural healing process, while the salt water helps aide the process. Hopefully they'll move back out to sea soon.

Found via CNN.

Posted by Dianne at 4:37 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Comments

Posted by: Tony at May 24, 2007 7:06 AM

Posted by: Dianne at May 24, 2007 7:57 AM

Posted by: Bob at May 26, 2007 10:03 AM

May 9, 2007

And She Has A Name: Subtropical Storm ANDREA!

000
WTNT31 KNHC 091443
TCPAT1
BULLETIN
SUBTROPICAL STORM ANDREA ADVISORY NUMBER 1
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL012007
1100 AM EDT WED MAY 09 2007

...EARLY-SEASON SUBTROPICAL STORM FORMS OFF THE SOUTHEAST U.S.
COAST...

SATELLITE IMAGERY AND AIRCRAFT DATA INDICATE THAT THE LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM OFF THE SOUTHEAST U.S. COAST HAS ACQUIRED SUBTROPICAL
CHARACTERISTICS.

AT 11 AM EDT...1500 UTC...A TROPICAL STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED
ALONG THE SOUTHEAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES FROM ALTAMAHA SOUND
GEORGIA SOUTHWARD TO FLAGLER BEACH FLORIDA. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH
MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH
AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN THE NEXT 36 HOURS.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 1100 AM EDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF SUBTROPICAL STORM ANDREA WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 30.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.3 WEST OR ABOUT 140
MILES...225 KM...SOUTHEAST OF SAVANNAH GEORGIA AND ABOUT 150 MILES
...240 KM...NORTHEAST OF DAYTONA BEACH FLORIDA.

ANDREA IS MOVING GENERALLY TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 3 MPH. A CONTINUED
SLOW MOTION AND A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE SOUTHWEST ARE EXPECTED
DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ALONG THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF ANDREA
IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN OFFSHORE OF THE U.S. COAST THROUGH AT LEAST
THURSDAY MORNING.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH...75 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS.

WINDS OF 40 MPH EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES...185 KM...MAINLY TO
THE EAST OF THE CENTER.

THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 1003 MB...29.62 INCHES.

SINCE THE HEAVIEST RAINS ASSOCIATED WITH ANDREA ARE EXPECTED TO
REMAIN OFFSHORE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS... ANDREA IS NOT EXPECTED
TO PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL OVER ANY LAND AREAS THROUGH AT
LEAST THURSDAY MORNING.

REPEATING THE 1100 AM EDT POSITION...30.8 N...79.3 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST NEAR 3 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...45 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1003 MB.

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 200 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 500
PM EDT.

$$
FORECASTER KNABB

Get more info at the National Hurricane Center.

Posted by Dianne at 11:08 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

May 8, 2007

Atlantic SPECIAL TROPICAL DISTURBANCE STATEMENT

Well it's official now. The NHC has acknowledged what we are all seeing off the coast.

000 WONT41 KNHC 081346 DSAAT SPECIAL TROPICAL DISTURBANCE STATEMENT NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 950 AM EDT TUE MAY 8 2007

A NON-TROPICAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...CENTERED ABOUT 230 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA COASTS...HAS BEEN MOVING SLOWLY WESTWARD AT 5 TO 10 MPH. THIS SYSTEM IS PRODUCING GALE-FORCE WINDS AND HEAVY SURF ALONG THE COASTS OF NORTH CAROLINA...SOUTH CAROLINA...AND GEORGIA...WITH STRONGER WINDS OFFSHORE. ASSOCIATED SHOWER ACTIVITY HAS INCREASED SINCE YESTERDAY...BUT NO SIGNIFICANT STRENGTHENING OF THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED. THE LOW IS BEING MONITORED FOR SIGNS OF TROPICAL OR SUBTROPICAL CYCLONE DEVELOPMENT...AND AN AIR FORCE RESERVE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO INVESTIGATE THE SYSTEM TOMORROW MORNING...IF NECESSARY.

INTERESTS ALONG THE COAST OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES SHOULD MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICES. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS SYSTEM CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN HIGH SEAS FORECASTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...UNDER AWIPS HEADER NFDHSFAT1 AND WMO HEADER FZNT01 KWBC.

$$
FORECASTER KNABB

It's a good time I guess to start checking your hurricane response kits folks. Brian Woods over at The
Storm Track has some interesting historical pictures of other hurricanes such as Florence in 2000 that started in the same region of the Atlantic. I have a feeling that I'm going to get to spend a lot of time over at The Storm Track website this year unfortunately. I think the actual surface winds imagine is quite interesting, I don't know if this will actually become a tropical storm, but it sure is acting like one.

Read more over at NHC Hurricane Awareness week and NHC Advisory.

Posted by Jamison at 11:41 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Comments

Posted by: mums at May 8, 2007 4:54 PM

May 7, 2007

Am I imagining this?

Is that really spiral storm system in the Atlantic in May? Can someone please explain to me how this is happening? Did I mention it was May?

Posted by Jamison at 8:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

December 26, 2006

Insurer to limit policies in Maryland

Allstate Corp., one of Maryland's largest insurers, will stop writing homeowners' policies in coastal areas of the state, citing warnings by scientists that a warmer Atlantic Ocean will lead to more strong hurricanes hitting the Northeast.

The company will no longer offer new property insurance beginning in February in all or part of 11 counties mostly along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Existing customers won't be affected; a spokeswoman said Allstate intends to renew those policies even in coastal areas. It will continue to write new policies in Baltimore and Baltimore County.

......
Allstate's move will affect residents in Calvert, Dorchester, Somerset, St. Mary's, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester counties and parts of Anne Arundel, Charles, Prince George's and Queen Anne's.

If other insurers follow suit this is going to be extremely bad for this area. You can't buy a home with a mortgage if you can't get insurance on it. As we've seen from our neighbors to the south that once the big boys move out of the insurance business in an area, it gets filled by much more dishonest and expensive replacements that slowly drain an area of the vitality. In places like Florida they have the tourist industry is able to prop up the drain on the local economy, but further North without that kind of offset, it's not clear to me how we will be able to keep the drain on our economy from happening. Definitely speaks to the need that once we get some real representation in the Governor's mansion and that we need to need to join West Coast and the other Northeastern states in restriction CO2 growth in our state and our country. I fear the people of District 31 are going to regret the lack of serious legislators in Annapolis during the next few years as things get worse.

[via America Blog]

Read more over at Baltimore Sun.

Posted by Jamison at 9:00 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Comments

Posted by: Ted at December 26, 2006 4:52 PM

Posted by: Jamison at December 27, 2006 9:30 AM

Tsunami aims at Philippines after quake

I appears on the Anniversary of the last years massive Tsunami we have had another event near Taiwan about an hour ago. The PTWC has issued a 3 foot Tsunami surge warning for certain areas of the Philippines. The USGS puts the earthquake that caused the event at a 7.1 currently. Unfortunately yet again this event is happening in the middle of the night in the Pacific Ocean. So information available is speculative at best. Let's hope that it's weaker than we think currently and everyone is safe along the coast lines. Oh yeah and good morning everyone.

Read more over at Yahoo News.

Posted by Jamison at 8:36 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

November 27, 2006

They Look Like Swimming Orchids

The weird and wonderful creatures living by methane vents in the southwest Pacific have been photographed for the first time.

The deep-sea communities live around methane seeps off New Zealand’s eastern coast, up to 1 kilometre beneath the sea surface. The team of 21 researchers from the US and New Zealand, who spent two weeks exploring the area, have just returned to shore.

“It's the first time cold seeps have been viewed and sampled in the southwest Pacific, and will greatly contribute to our knowledge of these intriguing ecosystems,” says Amy Baco-Taylor from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the US.

Cold seeps are areas of the seabed where methane or hydrogen sulphide gas escape from stores deep underneath. Like hydrothermal vents, the gases support unique life forms that can convert the energy-rich chemicals into living matter in the absence of any sunlight.

This is fascinating! The creatures above look like some sort of swimming orchid to me! And these are but a few of the new species they found!

It's amazing what lurks in the depths of the sea that we have never encountered. It always makes me think of the many things we've probably killed off without ever knowing of their existence, or what secrets they held, all because of our disregard for our planet. The mind reels.

Found via New Scientist.

Posted by Dianne at 9:38 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Comments

Posted by: Jamie at November 28, 2006 1:23 PM

Posted by: Dianne at November 28, 2006 2:08 PM

Posted by: Jamie at November 28, 2006 3:35 PM

Posted by: Dianne at November 28, 2006 3:41 PM

Posted by: Jamie at November 28, 2006 4:12 PM

Posted by: Dianne at November 28, 2006 4:21 PM

October 28, 2006

I Want To Be Here...

Now! :O)

Posted by Dianne at 7:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

October 24, 2006

Manatee finds way To Memphis, As In Tennessee, As In 725 Miles Inland!

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (AP) -- An adventurous manatee strayed far from its usual coastal habitat to make an appearance on a Mississippi River tributary near downtown Memphis on Monday.

The distance on the curvy river from near its delta in Louisiana to Memphis is more than 725 miles, according to Army Corps of Engineers charts.

"I got a call about 3 p.m. about either a hippo or a manatee in the water," said Andy Tweed, an officer with the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency. Officers from the agency and zoologists from the Memphis Zoo confirmed the sighting and observed the animal from boats.

The endangered species generally prefers warm coastal waters ranging from Alabama to South Carolina, although there were sightings this August along the East Coast up to Rhode Island.

In winter months, they usually stay in coastal waters off Florida, often congregating near the warm-water discharges of power plants.

"If he did swim from Florida, he's doing really well," Tweed said, estimating its size between eight and 10 feet, and its weight up to 1,000 pounds.

Well he's a little lost! I hope he makes it through this ok and they figure out a way to get him (or her) back to their native waters and not locked up in some aquarium somewhere!

Found via CNN News.

Posted by Dianne at 9:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

September 30, 2006

Canada could see edge of Isaac

MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- Isaac strengthened into the fifth hurricane of the Atlantic season Saturday, and its winds could reach Canada early next week, forecasters said.

At 5 p.m. ET, Isaac had top sustained winds near 80 mph, above the 74 mph threshold to become a hurricane, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The storm was expected to strengthen in the next day.

Isaac should stay east of Bermuda, but Nova Scotia and Newfoundland could feel the outer edges of the storm by Monday or Tuesday, forecasters said.

The ninth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season was centered about 315 miles east of Bermuda and moving northwest near 10 mph. A turn to the north-northwest was expected by Sunday.

Hurricane-force winds extend 40 miles from the center, while tropical storm force winds of at least 39 mph extended up to 125 miles from Isaac's center.

Canada? When was the last time you saw a hurricane reach Canada? But no! Global warming isn't real, it's all in our heads!

Found via CNN and check out more about the storms path at the NHC.

Posted by Dianne at 11:43 PM

September 27, 2006

Tropical Depression Nine

Posted by Dianne at 5:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

Agency blocked hurricane report

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration has blocked release of a report that suggests global warming is contributing to the frequency and strength of hurricanes, the journal Nature reported Tuesday.

The possibility that warming conditions may cause storms to become stronger has generated debate among climate and weather experts, particularly in the wake of the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

In the new case, Nature said weather experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration part of the Commerce Department in February set up a seven-member panel to prepare a consensus report on the views of agency scientists about global warming and hurricanes.

According to Nature, a draft of the statement said that warming may be having an effect.

In May, when the report was expected to be released, panel chair Ants Leetmaa received an e-mail from a Commerce official saying the report needed to be made less technical and was not to be released, Nature reported.

This isn't surprising, but disappointing none the less. Global warming is real. The temperature spikes we are seeing now are unprecedented. Yes we have had natural temperature spikes throughout history, but they have never been this massive and all the pseudoscience in the world can not change those simple facts. These shifts cause changes in weather patterns, especially in terms of more massive and more destructive storms of all types, including hurricanes. We've been very lucky this year that we've had a relatively quiet hurricane season, but the Pacific has not been so lucky. The fact that the Bush administration likes to hide things that don't fit into their overly narrow and completely Neanderthalic world view is an abomination against our nation and clearly illustrates that he doesn't care about the people he's supposed to represent.

Found via Yahoo! News.

Posted by Dianne at 7:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

September 25, 2006

Dolphin May Get a Prosthetic Tail

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — The news from Indian River Lagoon was too familiar: another dolphin gravely injured because of human action.

But marine scientist Steve McCulloch immediately saw this rescue was unique. The baby bottlenose dolphin lost her tail, but perhaps her life could be saved.

McCulloch, director of dolphin and whale research at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, decided to channel his anger into a solution.

The solution for the dolphin — dubbed Winter — may be a prosthetic tail. If the logistics can be worked out, Winter's prosthesis would be the first for a dolphin who lost its tail and the key joint that allows it to move in powerful up-and-down strokes.

“There's never been a dolphin like her,'' said Dana Zucker, chief operating officer of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, which is now Winter's home.

A dolphin in Japan has a prosthesis, the first in the world, to replace a missing part of its tail.

Winter was a frail, dehydrated 3-month-old when she came to the animal rescue center in December. A fisherman found her tangled in the buoy line of a crab trap in Indian River Lagoon near Cape Canaveral. The line tightened around her tail as she tried to swim away, strangling the blood supply to her tail flukes.

“It looked like paper,'' Zucker said of Winter's tail. “Bit by bit over the weeks it just fell off.''

Winter was left with a rounded stump.

A team of more than 150 volunteers and veterinarians spent months nursing Winter back to health. Zucker and her family cuddled with Winter and fed her a special mix of infant formula and pureed fish in the aquarium's rescue pool.

Winter learned how to swim without her tail, amazing her handlers with a combination of moves that resemble an alligator's undulations and a shark's side-to-side tail swipes. She uses her flippers, normally employed for steering and braking, to get moving.

Many dolphins are injured every year due to negligent fishing nets. The amazing part about this story is the fact that the small dolphin, even though losing her tail, was able to persevere and learn to swim anyway! Sure she's not the fastest dolphin on the block and never will be, but she gets it done! And if they can figure out how to do a prosthesis tail on her it will be interesting to see how that will affect her swimming too.

Thanks to Jamison for the heads up on this article! Read more at LiveScience.com.

Posted by Dianne at 3:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

September 23, 2006

Traveling In Style

One week ago today we left the beach. Around this time I was taking pictures of the Bodie Island Lighthouse. It's amazing how fast time passes!

Posted by Dianne at 10:13 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Comments

Posted by: Gina at September 23, 2006 4:20 PM

Posted by: Dianne at September 23, 2006 5:02 PM

September 18, 2006

General Ocean and Nature Shots

Other than the fact that I needed to clean my lens in some of these pictures I got some great nature/ocean shots while we were on Hatteras Island!

Click on the extended entry below to see more.

Posted by Dianne at 1:32 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Comments

Posted by: Jamie at September 18, 2006 6:24 PM

Posted by: Dianne at September 19, 2006 8:49 AM

September 14, 2006

Rainbow

Posted by Dianne at 3:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

September 12, 2006

Kite Surfing

Posted by Dianne at 4:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

September 11, 2006

Beautiful Waves

Posted by Dianne at 9:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

Surf Chicks

Posted by Dianne at 9:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

September 6, 2006

She's Starting To Hook!

She's starting to look like she is going to hook back out to sea! Blow harder people! ;o)



Let's hope it continues this trend! And while we're at it hook away from Bermuda too! Let's just miss land all together! Hope, pray and wish! Mama needs a vacation! ;o)

Find out more over at the NHC.

Posted by Dianne at 9:51 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

September 5, 2006

It Has A Name!

We now have Tropical Storm Florence!



The end of the path is beginning to turn a bit toward going back out to sea. Let's hope that trend continues!

Find out more at the NHC.

Posted by Dianne at 11:34 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Comments

Posted by: Jamison at September 5, 2006 11:42 AM

Posted by: Dianne at September 5, 2006 11:45 AM

Posted by: reno at September 5, 2006 12:10 PM

Posted by: Jamison at September 5, 2006 1:14 PM

Posted by: reno at September 5, 2006 3:20 PM

Tropical Depression #6: In Which The Entire East Coast Needs To Start Blowing!

OK, so you never know this far out where these things are actually going to go, but I want this bugger to blow back out to sea like Debbie did! So start blowing folks...Let's send this one packing! Oh and a little prayer wouldn't hurt either!

See the little X on the map? Well that's Cape Hatteras Island, roughly anyway...And that my dear readers is where we are supposed to go for vacation starting on Sunday. We've rented a lovely house on the beach with a pool and by golly I want my beach time!! So Ms. Tropical Depression you just curve your happy self back out to sea!

Keep track of the storm over at the National Hurricane Center or CNN.

Posted by Dianne at 8:51 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Comments

Posted by: mums at September 5, 2006 5:52 PM

August 29, 2006

Tropical Storm Ernesto

Well it looks like Ernesto is going to stay in the Tropical Storm realm and become a tropical depression sometime on Friday once it moves on land with just rain and such. We might get a some rain (which we desperately need), but that's about it.

Read more over at the NHC or check out the satellite view here.

Posted by Dianne at 9:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

August 28, 2006

More on Ernesto

It looks like if Ernesto did hit here, if they have their forecasting right, it would be a Category 1 storm:

Of course Isabelle was just a Tropical Storm by the time she reached us back in 2003, but like I said we'll see what this brings.

Check out the actual radar here and check the Trop Fcst Pts box to see the storms expected path and what level of hurricane they think it will be at each stage.

Posted by Dianne at 1:09 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Comments

Posted by: katherine at August 28, 2006 4:23 PM

Posted by: Jamison at August 28, 2006 4:30 PM

Posted by: Dianne at August 28, 2006 4:46 PM

Posted by: cjmr at August 28, 2006 7:20 PM

Ernesto

It looks like we may get a visit from Ernesto toward the weekend:



It looks like it may skim the Outer Banks too! Let's hope it dies down, but you just never know with the water as hot as it is!

Read more over at the NHC.

Posted by Dianne at 11:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

August 26, 2006

Jamaica, Caymans issue hurricane watch for Ernesto

Still not looking good! I checked the water temperatures in the Gulf and they are definitely not reassuring. Last I heard the New Orleans levees could withstand a Category 3 storm in their current state. But I'm not sure about that one at this point.

We've got a Low Front traveling across the Midwest right now, but in a week who knows what we will have. If you live somewhere between Texas and Florida you should check your disaster kits now before the rush. Review you disaster plans and plan your evacuation routes. It's time to start preparing for the worst, remember given the average response time of FEMA, you need to be able to survive on your own for 2 weeks so plan accordingly.

Read more over at CNN.

Posted by Jamison at 11:34 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

August 25, 2006

Tropical Depression Number 5

If you're asking yourself why is oil up a dollar this morning, well you only need to look at the track of Tropical Depression Number 5. If you're the praying type, it's time to start now.



Read more over at the NHC.

Posted by Jamison at 9:59 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Comments

Posted by: Kathy at August 25, 2006 8:27 PM

Posted by: Veronica at August 26, 2006 1:26 AM

August 23, 2006

Debby

It looks like Debby is going to turn and go back out to sea and not come visit here in Maryland thank the Heavens! I'm so not in the mood to sit here for 7 days without power again like we did after Isabelle in September of 2003! We'll keep any eye on her, because you never know what a few days may bring, but I most definitely like the new projected path. We're a few years overdue for a storm to blow through though.

Posted by Dianne at 3:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

August 21, 2006

Tropical Depression FOUR

And so it begins! Right now it looks like it may be headed toward us, but who knows which way it will end up going.

Find out more at the National Hurricane Center.

Posted by Dianne at 5:45 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Comments

Posted by: cjmr at August 22, 2006 2:12 PM

August 1, 2006

And We Have Chris!

000
WTNT33 KNHC 011429
TCPAT3
BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM CHRIS ADVISORY NUMBER 3
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL032006
1100 AM AST TUE AUG 01 2006

...CHRIS APPROACHING THE NORTHERNMOST LEEWARD ISLANDS...HAS NOT
STRENGTHENED...

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF
ANTIGUA...BARBUDA...ANGUILLA...ST. KITTS...NEVIS...SABA...ST.
EUSTATIUS...ST. BARTHELEMY...ST. MARTIN...AND ST. MAARTEN. A
TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PUERTO RICO AND THE U.S.
VIRGIN ISLANDS...AND FOR THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS. A TROPICAL
STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE
WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.

Look out Florida...It looks like he's headed your way!

Read more at the National Hurricane Center.

Posted by Dianne at 1:30 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Comments

Posted by: Jamison at August 2, 2006 9:32 AM

July 22, 2006

Energy from the Sea

When I was a boy the image above captured my attention. The science was so straight forward that even a pre-teen could understand. Using temperature variations between the bottom of the ocean and the top of the ocean, you could generate electricity. No magic really and this was even before I knew about thermocouples which actually can literally generate electricity based off of temperature differences. The technology is called Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC). It's a fascinating way to generate nearly unlimited sums of electricity with the only cost being maintenance of the faculity and the price of its construction.

As a young engineer it seemed so straight forward that it seemed in a few short years that electrical generation would be a concern of the past. But as I learned in my youth, technology that's sitting on the shelves, never comes off the shelves because of corrupt corporate entities and even when that isn't working against you new ideas are seldom attempted because people are extremely risk adverse when it comes to new technology. They'll spend billions on something that fails regularly, but ask them to spend a couple of million on something that changes the nature of the world and they start hyperventilating and faint.

I grew up without the realization that we had just grown too stagnate to make forward progress anymore. That's why I had so much trouble believing Al Gore's thought that there could ever be a tipping point reached in the global warming debate. We've had for as long as I've been alive the technology sitting on the shelves to solve every single major issue facing the world today. There is no a single one that there isn't a technological solution for and that we couldn't fix in a matter of a decade. But we've become a nation of people without vision or the willpower to solve our own problems. We've been over come by lazy thinking and radical right wing hate ideology that tells us we should just accept the failures of our nation and consider them inevitable parts of life. It's a laughable joke that such foolishness has become the norm in the once great nation of the United States. The boy that saw these designs decades ago and grasped the implications of what they offered is in complete dismay.

Read more over at Technology Review, Wikipedia, and National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Posted by Jamison at 1:48 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Comments

Posted by: Royal at July 23, 2006 9:29 AM

Posted by: Jamison at July 23, 2006 2:45 PM

July 18, 2006

And We Have Beryl

000
WTNT62 KNHC 182056
TCUAT2
TROPICAL STORM BERYL TROPICAL CYCLONE UPDATE
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL022006
455 PM EDT TUE JUL 18 2006
...RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT DATA INDICATES THAT TROPICAL DEPRESSION
TWO HAS REACHED TROPICAL STORM STATUS...

SHORTLY BEFORE 445 PM CDT...RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATED
FLIGHT-LEVEL WINDS OF 46-47 KT IN THE SOUTHEASTERN QUADRANT...ALONG
WITH A CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 1007 MB...OR 29.74 INCHES. MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS IN CYCLOEN ARE NOW ESTIMATED TO BE AT LEAST 40 MPH
IN THE EASTERN SEMICIRCLE...AND THE SYSTEM IS BEING DESIGNATED
TROPICAL STORM BERYL. THIS NEW STORM STATUS WILL BE REFLECTED IN
NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER GRAPHICS PRODUCTS AND ALSO IN THE NEXT
INTERMEDIATE PUBLIC ADVISORY ISSUED AT 8 PM EDT.

$$
FORECASTER STEWART

Read more on the National Hurricane Center's Advisory Page.

Posted by Dianne at 5:06 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Comments

Posted by: cjmr at July 19, 2006 8:42 PM

Indonesia tsunami death toll rises to 341

PANGANDARAN, Indonesia - Tearful parents searched for missing children as soldiers pulled corpse after corpse from the debris of homes flattened by the second tsunami to hit Indonesia in two years. At least 341 people died, officials said, with another 229 missing.

Bodies covered in white sheets piled up at makeshift morgues or laid under the blazing sun on a beach popular with local and foreign tourists.

"I don't mind losing any of my property, but please God, return my son," said a villager who gave the name Basril, as he and his wife searched though mounds of rubble at the once idyllic Pangandaran resort.

The magnitude 7.7 undersea quake Monday triggered the 6-foot-high wall of water that crashed into a 110-mile stretch of beach on southern Java island, which was unaffected by the devastating 2004 Asian tsunami.

Though local authorities failed to issue warnings — with one scientist saying they'd realized the quake's power too late — a few people said they'd recognized the danger when they saw the sea recede, and fled to high ground.

A black wave shot ashore half an hour later, sending boats, cars and motorbikes crashing into resorts and fishing villages, and flooding areas 300 meters (yards) inland, witnesses said.

The death toll rose to at least 341, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie said Tuesday, with another 229 others missing and feared dead.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people affected by this disaster. It's very heartbreaking.

Found via Yahoo! News.

Posted by Dianne at 3:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

June 12, 2006

Water Temperatures

I found a map that allows you to click on the area you are interested in and see what the current ocean water temperatures are. Water temperature plays a big role in the strength of hurricanes. The current temperature in Pensacola is 84.4 F. It doesn't sound like it's that hot, but that's really warm for this time of year! That's not good!

Check it out here.

Posted by Dianne at 11:41 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

It Looks Like We Will Have Hurricane Alberto Very Soon!

Watch out Florida! Alberto is strengthening!

Posted by Dianne at 11:24 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Comments

Posted by: Kathy at June 12, 2006 12:22 PM

New shark discovered in US waters

A new type of hammerhead shark has been discovered in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, marine scientists say.

The shark resembles a common species called the scalloped hammerhead but has not yet been classified or named.

US researchers say the animal appears to be rare, breeding only in waters off the South Carolina coast.

They believe the shark is at risk of extinction and conservation efforts are needed to protect females when they are raising their pups.

The shark was discovered by a biology professor at the University of South Carolina.

Dr Joe Quattro became curious about a common coastal shark called the scalloped hammerhead shark while studying coastal fish.

Genetic studies revealed that there was a second "cryptic" species - that is, "genetically distinct" from the scalloped hammerhead.

The shark appears to breed only in waters off South Carolina, although adults swim into waters off Florida and North Carolina.

"If South Carolina's waters are the primary nursery grounds for the cryptic species and females gather here to reproduce, these areas should be conservation priorities," said Dr Quattro.

"Management plans are needed to ensure that these sharks are not adversely impacted so that we can learn more."

Scientists plan to tag the shark so they can understand more about its range.

Ali Hood, director of conservation at the Shark Trust in the UK, said with only 454 recorded species of shark in the wild, it was exciting to discover another one.

"It shows how small areas of coastline are significant to certain species and it is so important to consider shark conservation on an area by area basis," she said.

It's amazing what lies in the deep undiscovered! Perhaps Megalodon is out there somewhere, though this guy was found in the coastal waters off the coast of South Carolina, so not exactly the deep, deep water, but still! A very interesting find in terms of biodiversity. Not that I'd like to come face to face, with the shark, but interesting none the less!

Found via BBC News.

Posted by Dianne at 9:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments

June 11, 2006

Tropical Storm Alberto

000
WTNT31 KNHC 111433
TCPAT1
BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO ADVISORY NUMBER 6
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL012006
1000 AM CDT SUN JUN 11 2006

...DEPRESSION BECOMES FIRST NAMED STORM OF THE 2006 SEASON...

INTERESTS IN THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS
OF THIS SYSTEM.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT
INDICATE THAT TROPICAL DEPRESSION ONE HAS STRENGTHENED INTO A
TROPICAL STORM.

AT 1000 AM CDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 88.1 WEST OR ABOUT 400
MILES...645 KM...WEST OF KEY WEST FLORIDA AND ABOUT 445 MILES...715
KM...SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF APALACHICOLA FLORIDA.

ALBERTO IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH...15 KM/HR...AND
A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH...75 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. SOME SLIGHT STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM
TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER.

THE AIR FORCE AIRCRAFT RECENTLY REPORTED A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE
OF 1004 MB...29.65 INCHES.

ALBERTO IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS
OF 10 TO 20 INCHES OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF CUBA...WITH ISOLATED
TOTALS OF 30 INCHES OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THESE RAINS COULD
PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES. RAINFALL
AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS AND
THE FLORIDA PENINSULA THROUGH MONDAY.

REPEATING THE 1000 AM CDT POSITION...23.9 N...88.1 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...45 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1004 MB.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT
400 PM CDT.

FORECASTER PASCH

Look our Floridians...It's headed your way!

Posted by Dianne at 10:57 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Comments

Posted by: mums at June 11, 2006 1:48 PM

June 10, 2006

Tropical Depression 1

And we have the first tropical depression:

000
WTNT31 KNHC 101246
TCPAT1
BULLETIN
TROPICAL DEPRESSION ONE SPECIAL ADVISORY NUMBER 1
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL012006
800 AM CDT SAT JUN 10 2006

...FIRST TROPICAL DEPRESSION OF THE 2006 SEASON FORMS IN THE
NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA...

TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS ARE RECOMMENDED FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF
PINAR DEL RIO AND ISLE OF YOUTH.

INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO SHOULD MONITOR
THE PROGRESS OF THIS SYSTEM.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 800 AM CDT...1300Z...THE BROAD CENTER OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION ONE
WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 21.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.3 WEST OR ABOUT
50 MILES... 80 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF CABO SAN ANTONIO ON THE
WESTERN TIP OF CUBA.

THE DEPRESSION IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH...19
KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE
NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS MOTION SHOULD BRING THE CENTER OF THE
DEPRESSION THROUGH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF
OF MEXICO TODAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 35 MPH...55 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...
AND THE DEPRESSION COULD BECOME A TROPICAL STORM LATER TODAY. AN
AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS SCHEDULED TO
INVESTIGATE THE DEPRESSION THIS AFTERNOON.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1003 MB...29.62 INCHES.

STORM TIDES OF 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS ARE POSSIBLE ON
THE SOUTHERN COASTS OF WESTERN CUBA AND THE ISLE OF YOUTH.

AT THIS TIME...THE MAIN THREAT FROM THE DEPRESSION IS HEAVY
RAINFALL. THE DEPRESSION IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL
ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 20 INCHES OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF CUBA...
WITH ISOLATED TOTALS OF 30 INCHES OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THIS
COULD CAUSE DEVASTATING FLASH FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES. RAINFALL
TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE CAYMAN ISLANDS...WITH
3 TO 5 INCHES OVER THE NORTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE YUCATAN
PENINSULA. THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINFALL OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE
POSSIBLE OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS...WESTERN FLORIDA...AND THE FLORIDA
PANHANDLE FROM SUNDAY INTO MONDAY.

REPEATING THE 800 AM CDT POSITION...21.1 N...85.3 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...35
MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1003 MB.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT
1000 AM CDT.

FORECASTER BEVEN

Right now they are thinking it will remain as a tropical depression, but keep an eye out folks...You never know what these things are going to do!

Posted by Dianne at 9:57 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Comments

Posted by: Royal at June 11, 2006 9:20 AM

June 9, 2006

And So It Begins

It looks like we may have a storm forming in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean:

530 PM EDT FRI JUN 09 2006

FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...

SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATE THAT PRESSURES ARE FALLING IN THE
NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA AND A CIRCULATION HAS FORMED BETWEEN
HONDURAS AND WESTERN CUBA. HOWEVER...SATELLITE IMAGES INDICATE THAT
THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY REMAINS POORLY ORGANIZED AT THIS TIME.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE BECOMING MORE FAVORABLE FOR
DEVELOPMENT AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION COULD FORM AT ANY TIME. THIS
SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SLOWLY NORTHWARD...BRINGING ADDITIONAL
HEAVY RAINS PRIMARILY TO THE CAYMAN ISLANDS AND PORTIONS OF CUBA
DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. AN AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT IS
SCHEDULED TO INVESTIGATE THIS SYSTEM TOMORROW AFTERNOON...IF
NECESSARY. ALL INTERESTS IN THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE
SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF
THIS SYSTEM.

And so begins the 2006 Hurricane season. Buckle in folks...It's going to be a wild ride!

Posted by Dianne at 7:28 PM

June 1, 2006

Hurricane Season Is Upon Us!

That's right dear chickadees, today is the first day of the 2006 Hurricane season! If you're somewhat coastal like we here at Daffodil Lane, or even fully coastal, then grab your bottled water and stock up on your non perishables. Also make sure you have batteries, flashlights, a radio, and some sort of grill or camp stove that is ready to go! Don't just sit back and have a "we'll see what happens this year" attitude...BE PREPARED!! When the storm is headed toward you is not the time to start thinking about getting your ducks in a row...THEY SHOULD ALREADY BE LINED UP!! It's going to be an active season to say the least so get ready now!

For more information check out the National Hurricane Center for up to date information on whatever systems pop up.

Also check out the current water temperatures up and down the Atlantic seaboard. These will most definitely play into any storms that develop. In short, the warmer the water the bigger the storm...Katrina anyone?

And I can NOT stress enough...HAVE THOSE DISASTER KITS READY TO GO!!! Several sites have very good lists of what to include your own kit including NOAA and the The American Red Cross. The state of Massachusetts even has a wonderful page set up with all kinds of links about what to do in terms of a hurricane, including what to do before and after the storm. In short you HAVE to be prepared! You are on your own. The government couldn't give a rats rear end what happens to you as evidenced by what happened and is still happening in Louisiana and Mississippi. BE PREPARED!!

Buckle up folks! It's going to be a wild ride!

Posted by Dianne at 8:50 AM