Hurrican Frances

[dems4me]

Midday Update: Frances Heads for Bahamas
12:30 PM EDT, August 31, 2004
By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Justin Consor

Extremely dangerous Hurricane Frances is likely to slam a good portion of the Bahamas on its way toward the U.S.

At 11 AM EDT on Tuesday, Frances was located near 20.0N 64.0W, or about 175 miles northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. This position is about 1100 miles east-southeast of Miami.

A hurricane warning has been issued for the southeast Bahamas, and a hurricane watch has been issued for the central Bahamas.

Tropical storm warnings remain in effect for the Puerto Rico, the British Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Thomas and St. John. A tropical storm watch is in effect for much of the north coast of the Dominican Republic.

Frances was moving west at 15 mph. Frances will pass north of the Leeward and Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. As such, these islands will remain on the weaker southern side of the hurricane. Nonetheless, Frances is a fairly large storm, with tropical storm force winds extending out up to 150 miles to the south of its center.

A WeatherBug live sensor in Hato Rey on the north coast of Puerto Rico had received over a quarter-inch of rain on Tuesday through 12:30 PM EDT. Wind gusts there had reached 25 mph. Observations from airports in San Juan, Puerto Rico and on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands showed steady winds of 15 to 20 mph with gusts of 25 to 30 mph.

WeatherBug live cameras in Carolina and Caguas in interior northeast Puerto Rico showed rain falling midday Tuesday.

Reports from a hurricane hunter plane indicate that Frances is now a Category Four hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 135 mph. Upper level conditions are favorable for some additional strengthening over the next few days.

Official forecasts have Frances gradually curving to the northwest, putting the hurricane near the northern Bahamas by Friday with maximum winds near 145 mph.

Frances is likely to make landfall in the U.S. over the weekend anywhere from Florida to the Carolinas. Landfall could occur as early as late Friday if Frances tracks into south Florida, while it would occur later if Frances tracks further north.

Continue to monitor WeatherBug for the latest satellite loops, positions and forecasts for all of these tropical systems.

If you are affected by any of these storms, send your pictures as quickly as possible using the Your Photos link so we can pass the story on to other WeatherBug users.

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I want to ask a favor from the forum members. I am without a TV, with a radio that only gets 1 station on it, so I feel a little disconnected from the world other than having (limited) Internet access.

I have family that lives just outside of Jacksonville, Florida, and I want to be able to keep up on what this Hurricane is doing.

So, if you hear or see anything relevant to this storm, could you please post it here. I’d really really really appreciate it.

I heard this morning that the projected path has changed and will be hitting right between Florida and Georgia - if that helps any.

 

[DoWhat]

I heard this morning that the projected path has changed and will be hitting right between Florida and Georgia - if that helps any.

You are such a big helper.

 

[dems4me]

You are such a big helper.

Thank you DoWhat!! - I think that's the nicest thing that I've heard you say

 

[mAlice]

Thank you DoWhat!! - I think that's the nicest thing that I've heard you say

 

[Ponytail]

:blahblah;

My brother lives in Daytona, and he is packing up as we speak. They had to start packing while in the middle of cleaning up from the last storm, but they're skipping town.

HTH.

 

[meme]

My brother lives in Daytona, and he is packing up as we speak. They had to start packing while in the middle of cleaning up from the last storm, but they're skipping town.

HTH.

Ponytail, did you brother tell you what direction they are going? I live 20 - 30 minutes North of Daytona Beach.

 

[Ken King]

Ponytail, did you brother tell you what direction they are going? I live 20 - 30 minutes North of Daytona Beach.

East. Just to get it over with.

 

[meme]

East. Just to get it over with.

Hmmm....I think I'll pass on going East.

 

[Ken King]

Looks as if they have adjusted the path as of 5PM. A little north of Melbourne and closer to Cocoa Beach. Projected landfall now around 2PM on the 4th, winds sustained at 132MPH gusting to 178MPH. Columbus, GA by 2PM on the 6th.

I'm sure it will change more over the next 36 hours.

 

[Kizzy]

Ken,

What website are you looking at? You have posted some really good information on this storm thus far. My dad said my grandmother is already planning on evacuating as we speak and neither my dad or my grandmother think she will have a home to come home to. She lives in a trailer

 

[dems4me]

Ken,

What website are you looking at? You have posted some really good information on this storm thus far. My dad said my grandmother is already planning on evacuating as we speak and neither my dad or my grandmother think she will have a home to come home to. She lives in a trailer

Can't she roll it somewhere else or does that cost too much? :shrug:

 

[Kizzy]

Can't she roll it somewhere else or does that cost too much? :shrug:

That possibility never came up.

It has insurance on it, not much else she can do, if they tow hers than I'm sure everyone else would want theirs towed out too and yes, that cost a lot, a whole lot.

 

[dems4me]

That possibility never came up.

It has insurance on it, not much else she can do, if they tow hers than I'm sure everyone else would want theirs towed out too and yes, that cost a lot, a whole lot.

Sorry wasn't trying to be funny I just should have thought more about it before I offered that suggestion.
You are correct.

 

[Sharon]

Hey IM4

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Residents and tourists in cars, trucks and campers clogged highways along the state's Atlantic coast on Thursday, fleeing inland as mighty Hurricane Frances threatened Florida with its second battering in three weeks.

About 2.5 million residents were told to clear out — the biggest evacuation request in state history — ahead of what could be the most powerful storm to hit Florida in a decade.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,131221,00.html

 

[Ken King]

Ken,

What website are you looking at? You have posted some really good information on this storm thus far. My dad said my grandmother is already planning on evacuating as we speak and neither my dad or my grandmother think she will have a home to come home to. She lives in a trailer

I use http://hurricane.terrapin.com/ . Great site with a lot of information.

The projected track has shifted and it now looks as if Frances will cut across Florida and go back over the Gulf for a while prior to moving farther north. It looks like it will miss my Mom's place in Georgia by a great distance now. I was getting ready to head down to board her house up and ride it out with her but looks like I won't have to now.

 

[Ehesef]

My brother just said that I-95 N is a parking lot, hope everyone you guys know have already started to get out...

 

[Kizzy]

I just got off the phone with my father. My aunt, cousin and her 3 kids are in S.C. now on the highway and plan on driving straight to my dad's house. My grandmother is staying with her sister in the basement of the church. My father is furious about that. My uncle and my cousin's husband have to stay in Florida, they work in the Law Enforcement field.

 

[Ken King]

I just got off the phone with my father. My aunt, cousin and her 3 kids are in S.C. now on the highway and plan on driving straight to my dad's house. My grandmother is staying with her sister in the basement of the church. My father is furious about that. My uncle and my cousin's husband have to stay in Florida, they work in the Law Enforcement field.

Florida is a fairly large state, if you narrow it down to cities it might help to know what kind of storm they will get in their location.

 

[Kizzy]

Mims

 

[Ken King]

Mims

That is about 70 miles north of the projected impact site as of 5PM today. Impact should be at 2PM on the 4th with probably about 12 to 18 hours of strong winds prior to impact. It looks like they are really going to feel it. They are in my prayers.