Fay / Cuba / Bahamas / Florida (obs / preps / reports)

[Recurve]

Monroe County (Florida Keys) public schools still planning first day on Monday. Officials met today and did not decide to cancel classes Monday. However, they will meet again tomorrow to look at the situation again.
From interview with school superintendent Sat. afternoon.

Monroe County EOC will likely head tourists out tomorrow, but I haven't confirmed that -- see the TV news report above.

[AdamFirst]

Gas stations are busier here on the Treasure Coast, but at the Publix I work at, nobody is really paying attention to it. Very few (to no) supply shoppers.

I do work at an odd location, however.

[Canelaw99]

here in Homestead today we had lots of people stocking up on water. Was nice to see them paying attention.

[AdamFirst]

Heh, I used to live down in Homestead. Homestead natives know what to do, rather than all the transplants we have here in PSL.

[physicx07]

Was looking at NHC floater IR loop, overlayed winds. I see a station in SE Cuba (Guantanamo?) reporting winds 30kts sustained and gusts 39. The station is not under any convection or anything like that either.

[Extremeweatherguy]

Far NW outer band from Fay can already be seen on Miami radar...

http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?rid= ... 1&loop=yes

[Sihara]

Gas stations are busier here on the Treasure Coast, but at the Publix I work at, nobody is really paying attention to it. Very few (to no) supply shoppers.

I do work at an odd location, however.

I did go to Publix here in St. Pete. It was crowded and a Publix employee told me it was even more crowded earlier in the day. But, although water was flying off the shelf, she said people were buying perishables. ???

I haven't seen any lines at gas stations, but we've already filled our tanks just in case.

[AdamFirst]

I work at a Publix on South Hutchinson Island, the same place Frances and Jeanne landfell 4 years ago.

So I assume if there is a storm out there they're not going to stay on the islands

[Ed Mahmoud]

Looks like rain could be a serious problem for Jamaica, just looking at satellite. Do we have any Jamaican S2K-ers?

[JonathanBelles]

The Current track is 13mi from me, 14 mi from clearwater, 3 mi from Tampa, 16mi from Fort DeSoto, 6mi from Sarasota, 9 miles from St. Pete, and 15mi from Key West

[weatherSnoop]

With the track so close, cars are full, cupboards full. Just waiting to get the word that more is needed. Cannot store ice for 3 days (no room). The google shot showing it moving right up I 275 puts it 3 blocks from my house in TPA. I am as prepared as I can be, though if the worst comes, I know it will not be enough.

[sittingduck]

Tank is full, Ice in the freezer, batteries galore, lots of canned food, plenty of water, now I just wait...I feel better because I am prepared but this is stressful. The waiting and watching is almost as bad as the storm. Will put up the shutters tomorrow afternoon if we are still in the path - I hate when the house becomes a cave.

[JonathanBelles]

Ill be starting hourly obs here starting monday evening at 11pm.

[HURAKAN]

Hello Fay.

[Sihara]

Tank is full, Ice in the freezer, batteries galore, lots of canned food, plenty of water, now I just wait...I feel better because I am prepared but this is stressful. The waiting and watching is almost as bad as the storm. Will put up the shutters tomorrow afternoon if we are still in the path - I hate when the house becomes a cave.

Yeah, I hate that. Back in '04, we closed our shutters for Jeanne due to proximity of unstable trees (now gone), and the place was so dark and gloomy. We still have to get the ice, but already have the canned food, water, storm kit, important papers, meds etc etc. I'm very close to I-275 - and it looks as if Tampa Bay's still near the middle of the cone. Will the storm come by us and how strong will it be - all we can do is wait, yes it is stressful.

[RL3AO]

Anyone here speak Spanish?

http://www3.diariolibre.com/noticias_det.php?id=29095

[sittingduck]

Venice High School weather station

http://www.sarasota.k12.fl.us/vhs/weather/

Also has a camera at the site - but not sure how often it refreshes

[sittingduck]

Anyone here speak Spanish?

http://www3.diariolibre.com/noticias_det.php?id=29095

Don't speak Spanish but ran it through google translator

Santo Domingo .- At least 23 people died and an undetermined number of wounded is the balance of an accident between two buses transport, one full of tourists, in the community Heredia, near the dam in La Romana.

The authorities of Public Health, the ambulances of former senator by Higüey, Amable Aristy Castro and went to the scene to rescue the wounded. The accident occurred shortly before 9:00 am.

Reports indicate the place of the fact that there are scattered bodies without heads, arms, human viscera and other members. Several of the dead were Italian tourists.

Several injured were trapped in the rubble of buses. The shipments were wounded to hospitals in La Romana and Higuey. Also seriously injured were transferred by helicopter to the Hospital Dario Contrera, in the municipality Santo Domingo East.

The director of Metropolitan Transportation Authority (AMET), Brigadier General Miguel Rodriguez Mahfoud, described the accident as "terrible".

"So far we have not quite confirmed dead twenty more or less," he said in a call to the Government programme of Tomorrow.

He explained that a bus of SIPROCHOLA that was headed for San Pedro de Macoris from Higüey collided with another that would Bavaro, full of tourists.

He said that at present there is a huge operation to rescue the wounded.

He explained that the transit route is interrupted and the scene of the accident dozens of people are agglomerations in the area.

[Recurve]

Hurricane watch posted for Florida Keys -- 5 a.m. NHC forecast.

Tourists to be evacuated (told to leave) on Sunday morning at 8 a.m.

[dizzyfish]

I checked the models this morning for the rainfall potential and if I read them correctly we are looking at the potential of 15". Geez!!!!