madshutterbug | Been Waiting a Week (Reply)

I've been trying for a week to transcribe these hand-written notes.

Quotes from TV Fox 35 coverage of the storm.
"This is a bad storm that is not getting weaker fast."

Related to one of their remote cameras, mounted on their tower:
"Our tower... if you are driving past us it would be on the south side if you're going west."
And so it would be on the north side if you're heading east?

12:00
Home barometer reading 29.38" tied with reading during Frances.

12:43
I am expecting we will eventually lose our power again. This storm is beginning to weaken (i.e. it is now a Cat One vs. A Cat Two). The track is going to be very near to us as it trends north. The ‘line' shown on Fox took the ‘center' offshore near Crystal River — to cross some open water and back near Cedar Key — but the eastern edge of the cone crosses us.

13:50; 29.30" falling

14:00; No power.

15:00; 29.20" falling

15:30; 29.16" falling

16:20; 29.06" falling

17:20; 28.98" falling (I'm such a geek!)

17:45; 28.95" falling, storm at 28.8 N 83.1 W, approximately 30 miles south of Cedar Key (check the Longitude co-ords).
Very heavy winds, with stronger gusts. Listening for ‘freight train' and could be hard to hear over all the rest. I don't need to go out to the NOAA web site looking for this storm — I know where it is. Looking out the windows watching trees, it looks like the windows are misted with condensation — but that is how thick the rainfall is currently. Ruthann's rain guage, an old bellows reservoir from an anesthesia machine (a three liter volume) is a bit over ½ full. At daybreak no rainwater filled it at all.

Radio estimates winds of 40 - 60 mph at Cedar Key. Since we are not far from Cedar Key, I expect they are close to the same here. Since we are still north of the center, winds are from north and east. In Cedar Key this means water is being pushed out to the Gulf. This will change when the storm moves north and winds shift to the south and west.

I can still see to write without supplemental light. It is early twilight, and that fluctuates slightly with winds moving the trees. It amuses me a bit, that my pre-storm anxiety levels gave way to an absolute calm attentiveness to the furor without. How so very similar to emergencies at work!

18:00; 28.92"
So far, I am wining my no-brainer bet with myself, that barometric pressure would fall until the center of the storm passed over us. *Insert: Homer Simpson DOH here*

This storm is following close to the same track as Frances, from crossing the Bahamas to landfall on the Florida coast near/north of Fort Pierce, then across the peninsula turning north just to the east of Tampa. From there, though, remaining close to us and the Gulf coastline.

The flourescent lamp battery lanterns cause the radio to sound a rising-pitch cyclic "siren" sound. Incandescent bulb lanterns do not duplicate this effect. Interesting. The things we notice while Mother Nature is caressing us none to softly.

Oh — time to turn "off" the heat pump. *G*

18:15; 28.92" holding
I just went and claimed more paper from the home office. Fleas. We ran the vacuum cleaner before losing power, which did help, but maybe Mamma Munch ran in for a a bit to hide from the storm Deep-Woods Off® discouraged them. It is something to note — moist/wet conditions caused a bloom. Dogs and cats not happy about treatments but they will get more to come.

News announcement: Customers with no power
FPL - 700
Clay - 10,000
CFEC - 473
GRU - 12,400 of 80,000
Curfew in Alachua County and Gainesville from 22:00 to 06:00

18:30; 28.92 holding

19:00; 28.90"

19:30; 28.88"

19:45 — radio announced Clay is down to 8,600 or as high as 12,000, depending on reports.
Winds remain high, with lulls, but no still air. Munch wanted outside earlier and I went with her, then brought her back in. Ruthie let her out after dinner of grilled cheese and cream of mushroom soup.

I am currently being aided in my note-making by the white-face kitten I refer to as Four of Four. He required a small touch of politeness lesson when he nibbled on my finger, chasing the pencil. Munch is back inside after checking on the Border Collie Brothers I expect they are hungry. They will wait, won't starve, until the winds die down a bit.

20:00; the storm is 35 miles south-east of Cedar Key, moving at 12 mph. A tornado watch is in effect until midnight. In 1886 Texas experienced four hurricanes in one season; but did they experience them within six weeks of each other?

20:30; 28.86"

Thus ends the handwritten record.