HURRICANE SEASON 2008

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                                      Texas-La. coast begin to feel tropical storm






By JUAN A. LOZANO,
Associated Press Writer
Aug. 5, 2008
 
GALVESTON, Texas - The winds were beginning to pick up and the surfs were rising in Galveston early Tuesday as Tropical Storm Edouard closed in on the Texas Gulf Coast.
 
Meanwhile, rain bands and tropical storm force winds were spreading across coastal Louisiana, according to the National Hurricane Center.

But despite concerns the storm would pour cold water on Galveston's vacation season, some tourists seemed willing to stay and ride out the storm.

Beth Bronson said Monday she's determined not to have her trip ruined.

"We spend money to come here with our families. It's an inexpensive place to stay," said Bronson, 49, who was vacationing from Allen. "If they were to say evacuate, then yeah we would do it. But otherwise no."

Tropical Storm Edouard was expected to come ashore midday Tuesday anywhere from western Louisiana to Port O'Connor, Texas. But tourism officials in Galveston said many vacationers were planning to stay, hoping the area isn't hit as hard as South Padre Island was by Hurricane Dolly on July 23.

Still, officials in Texas and Louisiana were busy Monday preparing just in case Edouard intensified. It could reach near-hurricane strength as it churns in the warm Gulf of Mexico waters before making landfall.

Officials in both Texas and Louisiana on Monday prepared for Edouard's arrival.

A tropical storm warning was in effect from Grand Isle, La., westward to Sargent in Texas. A hurricane watch was in effect from west of Intracoastal City, La. to Sargent. The tropical storm warning and hurricane watch were discontinued for areas south of Sargent early Tuesday.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry issued a disaster declaration for 17 Texas counties that could be in Edouard's path. The state activated a number of emergency teams, including calling up 1,200 Texas National Guard troops and six UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.

In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a statewide emergency. Cameron Parish told up to 3,000 residents to evacuate low-lying coastal areas prone to flooding. Vermilion Parish, also in western Louisiana, advised people in mobile homes or FEMA trailers along the coast to leave.

The hurricane center predicted Edouard's center could make landfall just east of Galveston, across the Bolivar Peninsula. No evacuations were ordered in Galveston but local officials in the storm-seasoned town were urging caution.

"We're used to this," Sherry Mallia said as her Galveston bridal registry and gift shop was being boarded up with plywood on Monday.

About 50 miles northwest, Houston officials asked residents to safely store large, heavy items outside their homes to prevent flying debris.

Galveston officials were hoping Edouard wouldn't derail its successful tourist season. They said many visitors were staying and riding out Edouard.

Hotel occupancy rates and sales tax figures this summer are 10 to 15 percent higher than last year, the city's best for tourist-related income.

Edouard was not forecast to bring the 100-mph winds to Galveston that punished another tourist hotspot in Texas, South Padre Island, when Hurricane Dolly tore off roofs and knocked down signs last month.

Since Dolly, South Padre has regained electric power but its four biggest full-service hotels remain closed as well as the convention center in the community about 260 miles down the coast from Galveston.

The Texas coast counts on tourism this time of year. About 50 million visitors to the Texas coast spent about $15 billion in 2006.

"This is not the time of year for anyone along the Texas coast to be interrupted by these storms," said Dan Quandt, executive director of the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau.

At 5 a.m. EDT Tuesday, Edouard's maximum sustained winds had strengthened to near 65 mph, with higher gusts. The storm's center was located about 50 miles southeast of Port Arthur, Texas, and 85 miles east of Galveston.

The storm was moving toward the west-northwest near 12 mph and forecasters said the storm could intensify and approach hurricane strength by time it reached the coast.

Edouard also forced oil and gas companies in the Gulf to evacuate workers from 23 production platforms and six rigs, according to the U.S. Minerals Management Service. The service said there are 717 manned platforms and 125 operating rigs in the Gulf.

Shell Oil Co. said Monday it evacuated 43 workers from Gulf operations but expected no effect on production. Apache Corp. evacuated about 110 workers from the Gulf, shutting about 7,800 barrels per day of oil output.

Marathon Oil Corp. temporarily shut down a refinery that processes about 76,000 barrels of crude per day in Texas City, about 10 miles north of Galveston.

The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port temporarily suspended the offloading of tankers in the Gulf but said customers weren't affected because of pipeline deliveries.

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Associated Press Writers John Porretto and Ana Ley in Houston, Regina L. Burns and Jamie Stengle in Dallas, Christopher Sherman in McAllen and Mary Foster in New Orleans contributed to this report.

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                                       Edouard hits Texas coast with strong wind, rain






By JUAN A. LOZANO,
Associated Press Writer
21 minutes ago
AUG. 5, 2008
 
GALVESTON, Texas - Tropical Storm Edouard hit the Texas Gulf coast east of Galveston on Tuesday with strong winds and heavy rain, but did little more than soak the travelers who came to relax on the tourist town's beaches.
 
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said the storm made landfall over a stretch of coast east of Galveston and west of the Louisiana border, between the small coastal town of High Island and Sabine Pass. Though forecasters had feared it could become a hurricane, its sustained winds only reached 65 mph, short of hurricane strength at 74 mph.

The storm is expected to weaken later in the day as it moves west-northwest over Texas.

Strong winds and horizontal rain were hitting the Bolivar Peninsula, a thin strip of land northeast of Galveston that separates Galveston Bay from the Gulf of Mexico. The area is dotted with beach houses and patches of trees.

Some homes and businesses in the small peninsula town of Crystal Beach were boarded up early Tuesday and some street lights were out, but there were no apparent signs of serious damage.

In Galveston, a few surfers were in the water and some people were riding bikes alongside the beach as the heavy rains approached.

"We are just out here enjoying it, trying to feel that good breeze that's coming in," said Robert Lemon, 45, of Sweeny, who said he was hoping the storm passed quickly so he could do some fishing.

The storm hit at the height of tourist season in Galveston, but tourism officials said many vacationers had planned to stay in hopes that the area would not be hit as hard as South Padre Island was by Hurricane Dolly on July 23.

Galveston, scene of a 1900 hurricane that killed about 8,000 people, did not order any evacuations ahead of Edouard.

Still, officials in Texas and Louisiana had prepared in advance in case Edouard grew into a hurricane.

Both states mobilized emergency teams, including 1,200 Texas National Guard troops. Texas Gov. Rick Perry issued a disaster declaration for 17 Texas counties and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a statewide emergency.

Edouard skirted the Louisiana coast, making for a blustery day in New Orleans but otherwise causing no problems in the hurricane-weary city. The storm raised tides along the coast, pushing water into bayous and some low-lying yards in the Terrebonne Parish communities of Dulac and Chauvin. Terrebonne emergency preparedness director Jerry Richard said only minor damage was reported and no homes were flooded.

In Cameron Parish, bordering Texas, emergency management officials reported some power lines down and minor damage as squall lines passed through. Residents of low-lying areas south of the Intracoastal Waterway in Cameron were ordered to evacuate Monday. It was unclear how soon they would be allowed to return.

Hurricane Audrey killed about 500 people when it struck Cameron in 1957. Since then, parish officials are quick to order evacuations when tropical weather threatens.

Edouard did not bring the 100-mph winds that punished the Texas tourist hotspot of South Padre Island when Hurricane Dolly tore off roofs and knocked down signs last month.

Since Dolly, South Padre has regained electric power but its four biggest full-service hotels remain closed as well as the convention center in the community about 260 miles down the coast from Galveston.

The Texas coast counts on tourism this time of year. About 50 million visitors to the Texas coast spent about $15 billion in 2006.

Edouard did force oil and gas companies in the Gulf to evacuate workers from 23 production platforms and six rigs, according to the U.S. Minerals Management Service. The service said there are 717 manned platforms and 125 operating rigs in the Gulf.

Marathon Oil Corp. temporarily shut down a refinery that processes about 76,000 barrels of crude per day in Texas City, about 10 miles north of Galveston.

The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port temporarily suspended the offloading of tankers in the Gulf but said customers weren't affected because of pipeline deliveries.

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                                       Edouard hits Texas coast, then starts to weaken






By JUAN A. LOZANO,
Associated Press Writer
9 minutes ago
August 5, 2008
 
GALVESTON, Texas - Tropical Storm Edouard hit the Texas Gulf coast east of Galveston on Tuesday with strong winds and heavy rain, but did little more than soak the travelers who came to relax on the tourist town's beaches.
 
The storm's center made landfall east of Galveston and west of the Louisiana border, between the small coastal town of High Island and Sabine Pass, and was weakening as it headed inland.

Though forecasters had feared it could become a hurricane and both Texas and Louisiana had made emergency preparations, winds never reached hurricane strength of 74 mph. No major damage was reported.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said the storm was expected to drop in strength by early Wednesday to a tropical depression, meaning top sustained winds of less than 39 mph. At 2 p.m. EDT, the storm's center was about 35 miles east of Houston and heading slowly west-northwest toward central Texas. Wind speeds had dropped from near 65 mph when it hit land to about 50 mph.

In Galveston, a few surfers were in the water and some people were riding bikes at the beach as the rains approached.

"We are just out here enjoying it, trying to feel that good breeze that's coming in," said Robert Lemon, 45, of Sweeny, who said he was hoping the storm passed quickly so he could do some fishing.

On Bolivar Peninsula, a thin strip of land northeast of Galveston that separates Galveston Bay from the Gulf of Mexico, emergency workers were ready but had little to do. A few sat at the Gilchrist fire station amid emergency supplies, bottled water and air mattresses. But none of the 700 or so residents had called for help.

"We've fared this pretty well, thank God. We've had a lot worse," said April Rosenthal, the town's emergency medical administrator.

Edouard skirted the Louisiana coast on its way to Texas, raising tides and pushing water into bayous and yards. Residents of low-lying areas south of the Intracoastal Waterway in Cameron were ordered to evacuate Monday but were expected to be able to return later Tuesday. Parish officials have been quick to order evacuations ahead of storms since Hurricane Audrey in 1957 killed about 500 people in Cameron.

CenterPoint Energy, which serves 2 million customers, said very few customers were without electricity.

"This is just like any other thunderstorm," said Leticia Lowe, a spokeswoman for the company.

Houston's two major airports, Hobby and Bush International, were operating Tuesday morning, though flights were delayed anywhere from 30 minutes to five hours.

The storm hit at the height of tourist season in Galveston, but Edouard did not bring the 100-mph winds that punished the Texas tourist hotspot of South Padre Island when Hurricane Dolly tore off roofs and knocked down signs last month July 23.

The Texas coast counts on tourism this time of year. About 50 million visitors to the Texas coast spent about $15 billion in 2006.

Since Dolly, South Padre has regained electric power but its four biggest full-service hotels remain closed as well as the convention center in the community about 260 miles down the coast from Galveston.

Edouard cut production about 6 percent from the Gulf's normal daily oil output, the U.S. Mineral Management Service said. Natural gas production was cut by about 12 percent.

Oil and gas companies evacuated 154 of the 717 manned platforms and nine of the 125 exploratory rigs in the Gulf.

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Associated Press Writers John Porretto and Ana Ley in Houston, Regina L. Burns and Jamie Stengle in Dallas, Christopher Sherman in McAllen and Mary Foster in New Orleans contributed to this report.

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                                       Texas beach towns get back to normal after storm






By JUAN A. LOZANO,
Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 41 minutes ago
Aug. 5, 2008
 
GALVESTON, Texas - Surfers and joggers hit the beach Tuesday after Tropical Storm Edouard brushed past and caused little damage, while inland farmers hoped the storm's remnants would help ease drought conditions.
 
"Galveston is open for business, and we certainly welcome the tourists back to the island," said City Manager Steve LeBlanc, whose island city of about 60,000 typically doubles in population during the peak tourist months.

Forecasters had feared Edouard could become a hurricane, and both Texas and Louisiana prepared for an emergency.

But when it made landfall east of Galveston and west of the Louisiana border, between the small coastal town of High Island and Sabine Pass, winds gusted as high as 65 mph, 9 mph below hurricane strength. The storm then weakened to a tropical depression as it moved past Houston Tuesday afternoon.

"Texas is grateful that this storm did not escalate to hurricane strength before making landfall on our shores," said Gov. Rick Perry.

Inland Texas prepared for several inches of rain that could help ease drought conditions. On Tuesday night the storm's remnants were expected to continue moving northwest from Houston and sustained winds had dropped below 35 mph.

Ranchers and farmers in central and southeastern Texas along Interstate 10 would welcome the relief, said John Nielsen-Gammon, the state's climatologist at Texas A&M University.

Parts of those areas remain in exceptional drought, according to last week's U.S. Drought Monitor map. Some ranchers are finding it difficult to feed their livestock.

The rain "will help in the short term at least," Nielsen-Gammon said. "You'll see some green-up. Ideally, if you get enough rain you can sustain a good bit of growth and maybe get some hay out of it."

Jim McAdams, a fourth-generation rancher and past president of the National Cattleman's Beef Association, wasn't at home Tuesday to see if rain from Edouard was falling on his ranch just southeast of San Antonio.

He got an inch or so from Hurricane Dolly a couple of weeks ago, which greened up his pastures pretty well. It's been a tough year, he said.

"Overall it's just one of those years everybody's just hanging on living from one rain to the next," he said.

Galveston and surrounding areas certainly were grateful they dodged the fate of another Texas tourist hotspot, South Padre Island, hit by the 100-mph winds of Dolly last month.

Earlier forecasts had the center of the storm passing over Galveston, but the only noticeable damage after the storm was to a tree on the city's golf course.

A few hours later, surfers were hitting the waves and beaches were filled with joggers and people walking their dogs as they would on any other summer day during tourist season.

Houston homebuilder Rodney Graham, who like a lot of vacationers stayed through the storm with his family, watched his 10-year-old daughter Haley ride a wave on her surfboard.

"I grew up in Houston," he said. "A tropical storm that has 45-mile-per-hour winds is just a rainstorm."

Edouard skirted the Louisiana coast on its way to Texas, raising tides and pushing water into bayous and yards. Residents of low-lying areas south of the Intracoastal Waterway in Cameron were ordered to evacuate Monday but were expected to be able to return later Tuesday.

CenterPoint Energy said 13,000 customers in eastern Harris County and Chambers County were still without electricity. Entergy Texas has more than 16,700 customers in southeast Texas without power.

Houston's two major airports, Hobby and Bush International, operated on Tuesday with some flight delays. The U.S. Coast Guard said the Houston ship channel had been reopened to ship traffic with some restrictions and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway was open to barge traffic.

Edouard cut production about 6 percent from the Gulf's normal daily oil output, the U.S. Mineral Management Service said. Natural gas production was cut by about 12 percent.

Oil and gas companies evacuated 154 of the 717 manned platforms and nine of the 125 exploratory rigs in the Gulf.

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Associated Press Writers Betsy Blaney in Lubbock, John Porretto and Ana Ley in Houston, Regina L. Burns and Jamie Stengle in Dallas, Christopher Sherman in McAllen and Mary Foster in New Orleans contributed to this report.

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                               Tropical Storm Fay drenches Haiti, Dominican Republic





     
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Fay was dumping heavy rain Saturday morning on Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with some places expected to receive up to 12 inches, the National Hurricane Center said.


Tropical Storm Fay, over Haiti on Saturday morning, is heading for Cuba at 14 mph.

 "These rains could produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides," forecasters said.

At 8 a.m. ET, Fay was west-northwest of Port au Prince, Haiti, and about 170 miles east-southeast of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, site of the U.S. detention center for terror suspects.

The storm, the sixth of the 2008 Atlantic season, formed Friday over the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean Sea.

Fay had maximum sustained winds near 45 mph with higher gusts. Tropical storm-force winds extended outward up to 105 miles.

Forecasters said Fay was moving west near 14 mph. The storm was expected to turn toward the west-northwest later Saturday, then head northwest by Sunday night.

"On this track, the center of Fay will move across Haiti this morning, and will be moving near the southern coast of eastern and central Cuba tonight and Sunday," the center said.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for the entire coast of Haiti, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the southeastern Bahamas and the Cuban provinces of Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba and Granma.

The Dominican Republic has discontinued all tropical storm warnings for its coast, forecasters said.

A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area within the next 24 hours.

A tropical storm watch covered the Cuban provinces of Holguin and Las Tunas and the central Bahamas. Tropical storm conditions are also possible in the provinces of central Cuba within the next 36 hours.

The hurricane center's advisory said residents of western Cuba, Jamaica, the Florida Keys and the southern Florida Peninsula should monitor Fay's movements.

Various computer models put the storm's long-range track "up the western portion of the Florida Peninsula in a few days," while others place it farther west over the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the center said.


Fay is expected to dump 4 to 8 inches of rain over Hispaniola, the island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic; eastern and central Cuba; Jamaica; and the northern Cayman Islands with isolated amounts of up to 12 inches possible, the center said.

Tides of 1 to 2 feet above normal levels can be expected in the warning area.

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                                    Forecasters: Floridians should prepare for hurricane
 





MIAMI - Florida's governor declared an emergency for the state Saturday due to the threat of Tropical Storm Fay, which forecasters say could bring hurricane-force winds to the Florida Keys as soon as Monday.
 
Fay could hit as a Category 1 or 2 hurricane, with winds perhaps reaching more than 100 mph, forecasters said, stressing that it was too early to tell how intense the storm would become.

In anticipation, Gov. Charlie Crist declared the emergency to help protect communities from the storm, which "threatens the state of Florida with a major disaster," the executive order said.

Flooding from Fay killed two people and left two children missing in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, authorities said Saturday. Forecasters said the storm could reach hurricane strength when it approaches central Cuba on Sunday, and the government there issued a hurricane watch for several provinces.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami reported that as of 2 p.m. EDT, the storm's center was about 50 miles southeast of Guantanamo, Cuba. It had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. To become a hurricane, sustained winds must be at least 74 mph.

Florida officials said an emergency declaration is a normal procedure. At the same time, state officials in Tallahassee opened the emergency operations center, said Blair Heusdens, a spokeswoman for the state's Division of Emergency Management.

"We like to have the executive order in place before the storm," Heusdens said. "That way we can have our resources ready."

The city of Key West also planned to open its emergency operation center Saturday.

Meteorologist Christopher Juckins said Florida residents should be prepared for a hurricane. A Category 1 has winds from 74-95 mph and a Category 2 has winds from 96-110 mph.

"The official track brings it off the west coast of Florida Tuesday and Wednesday, however, the track is always uncertain and the entire peninsula of Florida needs to pay attention to the storm," said Juckins of the Hurricane Center.

Juckins said if the storm veers to the east, it could pass over the Miami area early Tuesday.

However, if it tracks farther west and remains over the Gulf of Mexico, it would hit landfall farther north and later in the week.

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                                       Tropical storm leaves 4 dead in Haiti, DR





By EVENS SANON,
Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 17 minutes ago
Aug. 16, 2008
 
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Flooding from Tropical Storm Fay killed four people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and authorities warned Saturday that the storm could reach hurricane strength as it barrels toward Cuba.
 
Florida's Gov. Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency and said Fay threatened the state with a "major disaster." Forecasters said Fay could bring hurricane-force winds to the Florida Keys as soon as Monday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said that on Saturday night the storm was located about 60 miles (100 kilometers) southwest of Guantanamo, Cuba. It was heading west at about 14 mph (22 kph), with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (70 kph).

A man died Saturday in Haiti while trying to cross a river in Leogane, south of Port-au-Prince, said Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste, head of Haiti's civil protection department. No further information was immediately available.

Rice fields in the Artibonite Valley, Haiti's most fertile region, were flooded, according to reports from Radio Ginen. And Fay's heavy winds destroyed banana crops in Arcahaie, north of the capital, although it is unclear how many acres were affected, Jean-Baptiste said.

Haiti has struggled to cope with a food crisis that sparked deadly riots in April.

The capital's airport reopened Saturday afternoon, but heavy rains were still expected in the south.

In neighboring Dominican Republic, a 34-year-old woman drowned when a family tried to cross a swollen river in a car, civil defense agency director Luis Luna Paulino said. The bodies of her missing 13-year-old niece and 5-year-old nephew were found Saturday afternoon, but her husband swam to safety.

A tropical storm warning has been issued for the Cayman Islands, and a tropical storm watch remains in effect for the Bahamas and Jamaica.

Cuba's government said hurricane watches were in effect for the provinces of Villa Clara, Cinefuegos, Matanzas, Camaguey, Ciego de Avila and Sancti Spiritus. Fay's path was expected to take it over the southern coast of the eastern Cuba late Saturday or Sunday and over the island's west near Havana on Sunday night or Monday.

Officials in Cuba's eastern province of Santiago met to discuss ordering tourists to evacuate low-lying coastal hotels and camp sites, the Communist Party newspaper Granma reported on its Web site. They also advised farmers to move cattle and other animals to higher ground.

There were no official details on how many tourists had been evacuated, but a receptionist at the Melia Santiago hotel, located in Cuba's second-largest city, said it was preparing to receive a "small number" of tourists evacuated from coastal areas. She said she was not authorized to be identified by name in the foreign media.

Forecasters said Fay could hit the U.S. as a Category 1 or 2 hurricane, with winds perhaps reaching more than 100 mph (160 kph).

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                                            Tropical storm winds, rain buffet Cuba






By Jeff Franks
36 minutes ago
Aug. 16, 2008

HAVANA (Reuters) - Gusty winds and blowing rain buffeted eastern Cuba on Saturday as Tropical Storm Fay neared the island after killing at least five people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
 
 
Cuban officials ordered evacuations from flood-prone areas of coastal provinces where Fay was expected to come ashore on Sunday before crossing the Caribbean nation and heading toward Florida as a likely hurricane.

As of 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT), Fay had top winds of 45 miles per hour (72 km per hour) and was located 60 miles southwest of Guantanamo, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Florida said.

Weather reports showed the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay was getting rain and winds gusting up to 45 mph (72 kph).

Fay was cruising west at 14 mph (22 kph) across very warm waters -- 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 C), said an official at Cuba's Meteorological Institute -- and therefore was likely to strengthen before crossing the island.

It was possible Fay would clip the communist island twice, once in the southeast near Guantanamo Bay, and again in the center as it begins a turn to the northwest and eventually the north.

The U.S. hurricane center did not expect Fay to become a hurricane, which has top sustained winds of at least 74 mph (118 kph), until it passed through Cuba, but hurricane watches were posted for a large stretch of the island's central provinces.

Cuban forecasters predicted rains of up to 8 inches from the storm.

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FIVE DEAD



Heavy rains from the storm killed at least five people on the island of Hispaniola, shared by the Dominican Republic, a major tourist magnet, and impoverished Haiti.

A 34-year-old Dominican woman died and two nephews, aged 13 and 5, were missing after their truck was engulfed by flood waters raging through a gully 86 miles east of Santo Domingo, the Caribbean country's emergency operations center said.

Four people died in Haiti, at least three of them drowning in rain-swollen rivers, said Alta Jean-Baptiste, head of the country's civil protection office.

The hurricane center said Fay, after emerging from Cuba on Monday, was likely to brush the Florida Keys and hit the west coast of Florida as a hurricane on Tuesday.

The state government of Florida declared an emergency to free up federal funds to deal with the approaching storm and the authorities in the low-lying Florida Keys said they expected to order tourists to evacuate on Sunday morning.

The state's most densely populated areas around Miami and Fort Lauderdale, in the southeast, were not out of the line of fire should the storm steer more to the east than expected.

Areas of the Gulf of Mexico where around a quarter of U.S. oil and 15 percent of U.S. natural gas are produced did not appear to be at immediate risk.

But long-range storm forecasts are prone to error, especially when it comes to intensities, and Shell Oil Co said it was pulling 200 workers from offshore operations in the eastern Gulf of Mexico ahead of the storm.

In addition to the hurricane alert in Cuba, tropical storm warnings and watches were in effect for parts of Haiti, the central Bahamas, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica.



(Additional reporting

by Michael Christie in Miami,
Erwin Seba in Houston,
Manuel Jimenez in Santo Domingo and
Joseph Guyler Delva in Port-au-Prince;

Editing by Eric Beech)

[Jana Chand-Medlock]

Forecasters: Floridians should prepare for hurricane

By BRIAN SKOLOFF, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 49 minutes ago
 


KEY WEST, Fla. - Residents and tourists in the Florida Keys prepared Saturday for Tropical Storm Fay, which forecasters said could strengthen to a hurricane and begin battering the island chain as soon as Monday.


 
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency because Fay "threatens the state of Florida with a major disaster," he wrote in an executive order.

Forecasters predicted Saturday evening that the sixth named storm of the 2008 season would make landfall somewhere along western coast of Florida on Tuesday as a hurricane, said Corey Walton, a hurricane support meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Officials in the Keys' Monroe County said they would likely order an evacuation of all visitors on Sunday morning. A decision on whether to require all residents to evacuate was to come, county spokeswoman Becky Herrin said.

Keys emergency officials often take the precaution of ordering early evacuations when a storm threatens, because traffic can back up for miles on the single highway to Florida's mainland.

Besides the threat of damage from high winds, most of the islands sit at sea level and could be flooded by Fay's storm surge. Flooding from the storm on Saturday killed four people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

At 11 p.m. EDT, Fay's center was located about 100 miles north-northeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and moving west at 14 miles per hour. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.

State officials in Tallahassee opened their emergency operations center, said Blair Heusdens, a spokeswoman for the state's Division of Emergency Management.

"We like to have the executive order in place before the storm," Heusdens said. "That way we can have our resources ready."

Tourists and locals still packed downtown Key West on Saturday, seemingly unfazed by the approaching storm.

Todd Hitchins, 36, of Big Pine Key, about 30 miles east of Key West, said he planned to stock up on water and propane for his grill but wasn't too worried.

"This will be good practice," mused Hitchins, who said he's lived here during much more powerful storms. "But you've got to be prepared, be ready."

Jeff Emmett, operations manager at Fairfield Inn and Suites in Key West, said Saturday afternoon the hotel had no cancellations or early check-outs.

"Business as usual," Emmett said. "Right now, we're just keeping the guests informed."

Chris Celestina, 24, was sitting at the hotel's poolside bar while on vacation with four friends from Pennsylvania.

"We're not really worried," Celestina said as he ordered a drink. "Whatever happens, happens. If we get evacuated, that will definitely put a damper on our plans, but until we have to, we're not moving."

Some Keys residents were preparing for the aftermath.

Andrew Cardwell, 26, filled up nine 5-gallon gas cans for his employer, Pirate Scooter Rentals, early Saturday afternoon.

"As soon as the storm passes through, people are going to want to rent mopeds," Cardwell said. "We're just getting it while we can."

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                        Visitors evacuate Florida Keys as Fay nears CubaStory Highlights






NEW: As many as 25,000 could be leaving Florida Keys as Fay approaches

Fay may be near hurricane strength when it reaches central Cuba on Sunday night

Storm is expected to cross the Florida Keys on Monday night



Aug. 17, 2008

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Traffic out of the Florida Keys area picked up Sunday as officials urged the evacuation of thousands from the path of approaching Tropical Storm Fay, a Florida official said.

 
Tropical Storm Fay is expected to become a hurricane before it makes landfall in Florida.

"Sunday is the day that visitors usually leave this area," said Key West Mayor Morgan McPherson. "But there are more leaving now, a sign that the evacuation is going well."

Florida Keys visitors were asked to evacuate starting at 8 a.m. as the storm neared Cuba. Residents in mobile homes and those in low-lying areas were also asked to evacuate, McPherson said.

As many as 25,000 people could be leaving, he said.

Fay could be near hurricane strength when it reaches central Cuba on Sunday night. It is scheduled to hit the Florida Keys area Monday, according to the 11 a.m. ET advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

The storm, with maximum sustained winds of near 50 mph (80 kph) and higher gusts, was heading west-northwest about 13 mph, forecasters said. It is expected to turn northwest by late Monday.  See Fay's projected path »

The storm's center was about 75 miles (121 km) from Camaguey, Cuba, at 11 a.m., forecasters said. Fay was expected to be near the southern coast of Cuba later in the day.

The storm is expected to cross the Florida Keys on Monday night, becoming a hurricane before it reaches Florida's Gulf Coast. However, because hurricane movements are erratic, long-range forecasts can vary. The storm will become a Category 1 hurricane if its winds reach 74 mph.

Residents of western Cuba, Florida and the Florida Keys should monitor Fay's progress, the NHC said. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist pre-emptively declared a state of emergency Saturday and told reporters he had partially activated the state emergency management office. He urged Floridians to ready themselves.

Shell Oil said Saturday it was evacuating 360 people from the Gulf of Mexico as Fay approached.  See the flooding Fay left in the Dominican Republic »

A hurricane watch was in effect for Cuba from the province of La Habana eastward to Sancti Spiritus. iReport.com: Are you there? Share photos, video

A hurricane watch also was posted for the Florida Keys from south of Ocean Reef to Key West, including the Dry Tortugas, Florida Bay and along the Florida mainland from Card Sound bridge westward to Bonita Beach, the NHC said.

A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area in 36 hours.

The Cuban government issued a tropical storm warning for most of Cuba from La Habana province eastward to Guantanamo and also for Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected within 24 hours.


A tropical storm watch remained in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, meaning tropical storm conditions are possible within 36 hours.

A tropical storm watch was also posted for the southeast coast of Florida, from Ocean Reef northward to Jupiter Inlet, and for Lake Okeechobee, the NHC said.

[Bianca]

                                   Visitors urged to leave Florida Keys ahead of Fay






By BRIAN SKOLOFF,
Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 29 minutes ago

Aug. 17, 2008
 
KEY WEST, Fla. - Florida Keys officials closed schools, opened shelters and urged visitors to leave as Tropical Storm Fay threatened to strengthen into a hurricane Sunday, but residents and some tourists seemed in no hurry to evacuate.
 
Traffic leaving Key West and the Lower Keys on Sunday afternoon was light but steady as the sky darkened with storm clouds and the National Weather Service issued watches and warnings.

"We've seen worse than this in Omaha," said Diego Sainz, who was visiting from Nebraska with his wife and friends. They had intended to leave Sunday but couldn't get a flight out.

Authorities said traffic was heavier in the Upper Keys, where the 110-mile, mostly two-lane highway that runs through the island chain meets the mainland. The Florida Highway Patrol sent in extra troopers to assist and tolls were suspended on parts of the northbound turnpike.

Fay could start pelting parts of the Keys and South Florida late Monday or early Tuesday as a strong tropical storm or minimal hurricane. Aside from wind damage, most of the islands sit at sea level and could face some limited flooding from Fay's storm surge.

Officials in the Keys and elsewhere planned to open shelters and encouraged or ordered people who live in low-lying areas and on boats to evacuate. Schools in the Keys will be closed Monday and Tuesday.

Keys officials earlier Sunday had issued a mandatory evacuation order for visitors and asked those who had not yet arrived to postpone their trips. Officials said hotels and businesses won't be forced to remove visitors, but they should use common sense.

Fay, the sixth storm of the 2008 Atlantic season, was slowing down Sunday night and moving erratically, but forecasters still expected it to strengthen slowly to a hurricane. Fay has already killed at least five people after battering Haiti and the Dominican Republic with weekend torrential rains and floods.

At 8 p.m. EDT, the storm's center was located about 265 miles south-southeast of Key West. The storm was moving west-northwest about 10 mph. Maximum sustained winds were 50 mph.

Forecasters expected the storm to begin moving more to the northwest later Sunday night. Current models show the storm moving up the western coast of Florida, although forecasters still didn't know exactly where it would make landfall.

Some Key West businesses began putting up hurricane shutters Sunday, but tourists and residents still strolled lazily through town, where the weather alternated from sunny to occasional downpours with light wind gusts.

Sainz and friend Ron Norgard, also of Omaha, sat outside the La Concha Hotel in Key West on rocking chairs, smoking cigarettes and waiting for their wives to return from shopping.

Sainz joked he was going to charge Florida Gov. Charlie Crist for the extra money his wife was spending because they couldn't leave.

"Somebody's gotta pay," he quipped.

Crist declared a state of emergency Saturday as an emergency operations center opened in Tallahassee. He urged Floridians "to remain calm, remain vigilant" and said 9,000 Florida National Guard troops were available, but only 500 were on active duty Sunday.

Maria Perez, 50, of Key West, prayed at a town shrine known as The Grotto, where an etching on a stone reads, "As long as the Grotto stands, Key West will never again experience the full brunt of a hurricane." It was built in 1922 by nuns outside a Roman Catholic church, three years after a catastrophic storm. So far, the 86-year-old invocation has worked.

"I pray not to have the storm," Perez said. "I am not afraid."

A hurricane watch was in effect for most of the Keys and along Florida's west coast to Tarpon Springs. A tropical storm watch was also in effect for the southeast coast of Florida from Ocean Reef north to Jupiter Inlet.

Forecasters said rainfall totals of 4 to 6 inches with maximum amounts of 10 inches were possible for the Florida Keys and South Florida.

In the Tampa Bay area, residents bought plywood, water, extra batteries, generators, and candles. Home Depot Manager Tony Quillen said his Pinellas Park store sold out of water by 9 a.m., two hours after opening, but he expected another supply in the afternoon.

"People are playing in their head, considering what happened the last time," Quillen said, referring to hurricanes including Charley in 2004, a Category 4 storm.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain was briefed on the storm by emergency officials after flying into Orlando for campaign events. A Monday fundraiser in Miami was canceled as a precaution.

Officials with Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays were watching the storm to see if they'll have to postpone a three-game homestand. The team plays in a dome that also serves as a command center for St. Petersburg.

Key West was last seriously affected by a hurricane in 2005, when Category 3 Wilma sped past. The town escaped widespread wind damage, but a storm surge flooded hundreds of homes and some businesses. The deadliest storm to hit the island was a Category 4 hurricane in 1919 that killed up to 900 people, many of them offshore on ships that sank.

The Category 5 Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 passed over the middle Keys, killing more than 400 people, more than half of them World War I veterans living in rehabilitation camps.

[Bianca]

                                  Tropical Storm Fay moves in on Florida Keys







By BRIAN SKOLOFF,
Associated Press Writer
7 minutes ago
Aug. 18, 2008
 
KEY WEST, Fla. - Key West awoke to almost empty streets and light rain Monday ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fay, while public works crews cleared sidewalks of newspaper stands that could become projectiles in high winds.

 
All tourists were urged to evacuate but many bars and restaurants remained open, even if crowds were considerably thinner than typical for this time of year.

Not many seemed very worried about the approaching storm, which wasn't expected to pack much of a punch compared to previous ones.

"But it's a good opportunity to practice like it was the big one," Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi said Sunday night.

Traffic leaving Key West and the Lower Keys Sunday night and Monday morning remained light but steady.

A hurricane watch was in effect for most of the Keys and along Florida's west coast to Tarpon Springs.

Early Monday, a tropical storm warning was issued for Florida's east coast from Jupiter Inlet southward and along Florida's west coast from Bonita Beach southward, including Lake Okeechobee.

A tropical storm warning remained in effect for the Florida Keys from Ocean Reef to Key West. A hurricane watch was in effect for most of the Keys and along Florida's west coast to Tarpon Springs. A tropical storm watch was in effect for from north of Jupiter Inlet to Sebastian Inlet.

Authorities said traffic was heavier in the Upper Keys, where the 110-mile, mostly two-lane highway that runs through the island chain meets the mainland. The Florida Highway Patrol sent in extra troopers to help and tolls were suspended on parts of the northbound turnpike.

Fay could start pelting parts of the Keys and South Florida late Monday or early Tuesday as a strong tropical storm or minimal hurricane. Aside from wind damage, most of the islands sit at sea level and could face some limited flooding from Fay's storm surge.

Officials in the Keys and elsewhere opened shelters and encouraged or ordered people who live in low-lying areas and on boats to evacuate. Schools in the Keys were to be closed Monday and Tuesday.

Keys officials Sunday had issued a mandatory evacuation order for visitors and asked those who had not yet arrived to postpone their trips. Officials said hotels and businesses won't be forced to remove visitors, but they should use common sense.

Fay, the sixth named storm of the 2008 Atlantic season, was expected to approach hurricane strength after crossing Cuba and begin approaching the Keys. Fay has already killed at least five people after battering Haiti and the Dominican Republic with weekend torrential rains and floods.

At 5 a.m. EDT Monday, the storm's center was located over central Cuba and about 155 miles south-southeast of Key West and was moving toward the north-northwest near 12 mph. Maximum sustained wind speeds were near 50 mph. Forecasters expected the storm to begin moving to the north soon.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain was briefed Sunday on the storm by emergency officials after flying into Orlando for campaign events. A Monday fundraiser in Miami was canceled as a precaution.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency Saturday as an emergency operations center opened in Tallahassee. He said 9,000 Florida National Guard troops were available, but only 500 were on active duty Sunday.

Maria Perez, 50, of Key West, prayed at a town shrine known as The Grotto, where an etching on a stone reads, "As long as the Grotto stands, Key West will never again experience the full brunt of a hurricane." It was built in 1922 by nuns outside a Roman Catholic church, three years after a catastrophic storm. So far, the 86-year-old invocation has worked.

"I pray not to have the storm," Perez said. "I am not afraid."

Key West was last seriously affected by a hurricane in 2005, when Category 3 Wilma sped past. The town escaped widespread wind damage, but a storm surge flooded hundreds of homes and some businesses. The deadliest storm to hit the island was a Category 4 hurricane in 1919 that killed up to 900 people, many of them offshore on ships that sank.

___

Associated Press writers Christine Armario in Tampa and Lisa Orkin Emmanuel in Miami contributed to this report.

[Kristina]

Are you in the path of the hurricane, Bianca?
Take cover if you are!

[Bianca]

Thanks for asking, Kristina.

Cleasterwood is on the East Coast (around Cape Canaveral, I think) and I'm on the Gulf in Tampa
Bay, St. Petersburg, to be exact.

We don't know yet where it will head after the Keys.  But it is only a "Tropical Storm", so we
are not too worried.  Still, we have stocked up on essentials and the usual routing 'stuff'.

After 20 years, we don't panic much, anymore.

Thanks for your concern, dear.  It is greatly appreciated.

Blessings,
b