The entire west coast of Florida was on high alert because of the projected path being right up the west coast. But Fay took a sharp north turn over Cuba, and then an early right hook, taking it away from Florida’s west coast. I’m glad, partly because I just planted 4 young trees in the front yard and wasn’t looking forward to having them thrashed.
Surfers will be disappointed that Fay didn’t come into the Gulf, but there will likely be more storms between now and November.
Fay still has the potential of more flooding, tornadoes, and wind damage to mobile homes, so tonights news will be filled with storm stories. That’s Florida.
The National Hurricane center is indicating that conditions are very favorable for Fay to develop into a stronger storm, unlike last summer when high winds in the upper atmoshphere literally ripped storms apart before they could turn into a hurricane.
This is from the 5am Aug 16 discussion;
…AND DESPITE THE INTERACTION WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN…THE
STORM HAS A RELATIVE WELL-ORGANIZED APPEARANCE IN SATELLITE
IMAGERY.
That is pretty significant, I think, that the mountains of Haiti and the Dominican Republic have not broken up this still relatively weak storm.
However, they also recognize the uncertainties in 4 or 5 day forecast track, which everyone is focusing on because it’s all over the news. The hurricane center points out the differences in the hurricane track forecasting computer models:
THE GFDL AND HWRF TRACKS HEAD UP THE WESTERN
PORTION OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA IN A FEW DAYS…WHILE THE GFS AND
UKMET ARE FARTHER WEST OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. IN THE
SHORTER TERM…THE MODELS ALSO DO NOT AGREE ON WHETHER THE CENTER
OF FAY WILL PASS OVER OR JUST SOUTH OF SOUTHEASTERN CUBA BEFORE
TURNING NORTHWESTWARD. THESE DIFFERING SOLUTIONS AGAIN HIGHLIGHT
THE PITFALLS OF FOCUSING TOO MUCH ON THE EXACT OFFICIAL FORECAST
TRACK…ESPECIALLY AT THE LONGER RANGES.
Also, the forecast of storm strength is very much uncertain:
INTENSITY FORECASTING IS ALWAYS DIFFICULT…BUT IN THIS CASE IS MADE
EVEN MORE COMPLICATED BY THE LIKELY INTERACTIONS WITH LAND DURING
THE NEXT FEW DAYS. ATMOSPHERIC AND OCEAN CONDITIONS ALONG THE
FORECAST TRACK APPEAR RATHER CONDUCIVE FOR STRENGTHENING…SO THE
MORE TIME FAY SPENDS OVER WATER…THE STRONGER IT IS LIKELY TO
BECOME…AND VICE VERSA.
The news is all abuzz with tropical storm Fay. The computer models have it zeroed in on the west coast and the track is looking rather like Charlie’s in 2004. But as we all know, the 5 day forecast for ANYTHING is notoriously inaccurate. A lot can happen between Friday and Monday.
Will I be grabbing some extra bottled water this weekend? And some batteries and food that doesn’t need refridgeration? Yea, probably so. Nothing worse than running around at the last minute and finding nothing but empty shelves.
The Ponce Inlet Lighthouse was completed in 1887 after 3 years of construction. The lighthouse museum here at Lighthouse Point Park has done an incredible job of restoring and maintaining this historic structure and many of the original buildings at the lighthouse station. This really is a “must see” if you are in the Daytona Beach area. Climbing the stairs to the top of this 175 foot structure is great fun and I promise you the view is fabulous. I have a great slide show of my visit to Ponce Inlet’s Lighthouse Point Park and my climb up to the top. Be sure to check it out, and while you’re there, check out all my photos of the beautiful beaches of Ponce Inlet.
How many beaches on the southwest coast of Florida appear today as they did 500 years ago? Not very many. But Caspersen Beach is one of those rare places. Just take a look at the photo above. The beach is lined with cabbage palms (Florida’s state tree). Native grasses and sea grapes join the palms to create one of the few truly natural beaches in this part of Florida.
The beach is very dark at night, and very quiet. This attracts plenty of egg-laying sea turtles and other wildlife. After sunset this beach is nearly deserted, and you can often enjoy complete solitude by taking a long walk up the beach.
There is an old road bed that runs parallel to the beach under the palms. It is nearly desintegrated now, but you can see bits and pieces of it here and there.
Caspersen Beach Park is located just south of downtown Venice, at the southern terminus of Harbor Drive. There is no fee to enter or to park your vehicle. The southern end of Harbor Drive is quite scenic. The dunes block the view of the Gulf in most places, but are themselves a wonder to behold.
I’ve managed to live in Florida for 48 years without having seen a coyote, and I’ve spent more than my share of time out in the wilds. But I just came across a story on Naplesnews.com about a rash of Coyote/ domestic animal attacks in Lee and Collier Counties (that’s the Fort Myers / Naples area). What caught my attention was surveillance video of a coyote hunting and killing a woman’s cat in the Naples area.
I guess what struck me as interesting, even more than the coyote and the unlucky cat, is the sophisticated video surveillance that this lady had set up around her mobile home. Is that amazing or what? I wonder if she’s had trouble with crime in her neighborhood. That’s some serious bucks to spend on cameras and such. Pretty handy though. I could have used that type of surveillance around my house on a few occasions in the recent past. Good for her.
Snorkeling in Sebastian Inlet is quite popular, despite (or perhaps because of) the strong tidal currents. On a recent trip to the fabulous Sebastian Inlet State Park, I saw a dozen or so snorkelers climb down the rocks to the water, put on their gear, and hop in the water with their dive flag (to warn boaters away).
The incoming tidal current was very strong and carried the snorkelers along the rocks on the north side of the inlet, and under the bridge. The underwater visibility was fairly good, and I’m sure there were plenty of fish and other marine life for them to enjoy.
I always warn against swimming in inlets and passes, but with the right knowledge, experience, and gear, it can be a lot of fun, and reasonably safe. Not for the inexperienced.
Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida is a great place to spend the day. It’s great for kids and adults. If you are visiting the Sarasota / Bradenton area, Mote is a MUST SEE if you like marine life. Exploring Mote Marine Lab is one of the best ways to get to know the beautiful marine life of Florida. Rather than try to describe it further, I’ll just let the video below do it for me. (Note: I did not film this video).
Siesta Key Beach had signs posted today (August 1, 2008) warning bathers not to go into the water because of high levels of fecal coliform bacteria. In laymans terms, it means that a lot of poop is in the water. Why now?
Well, dogs and cats poop on the lawn, then it rains and washes the germs into the waterways and into the Gulf. Poorly maintained septic systems also contribute. There have been heavy rains lately, resulting in increased runoff from the land. Apparently there is no way to measure how much each “poop factor” contributes, but we can measure the resulting bacteria level increase in the Gulf.
This happened not too long ago, when there were large amounts of red drift algae on the area beaches. It was speculated that increased bird activity (resulting in more bird do-do) may have caused the high levels of bacteria.
Fortunately this type of beach closing is very uncommon and usually only lasts for a day or two.
It remains to be seen whether Siesta Beach will reopen for the weekend.
Update: As of Sunday, August 3rd, 2008, Siesta Beach has re-opened the water for swimming. Bacteria levels have fallen to acceptable levels.
To be clear: The beach itself is open (you can go lay in the sun and walk the beach). But you should not go in the water until the all-clear is given.
As a side note, there have been fish kills in parts Tampa Bay along the Courtney Campbell Causewayin the last day or so. Scientists believe an algal bloom is responsible. This may have been brought on by high temperatures and cloudy weather, but is expected to dissipate soon.
See the sunrise over the Atlantic, then watch the sunset over the Gulf. You can see both easily in the same day. How’s that for a day trip?
Above is a July sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean on New Smyrna Beach. Grab a hotel on the beach and wake up for the sunrise. If you’re really lazy, just step out onto your hotel balcony and enjoy the sunrise. Then go back to bed–if you can resist running out onto the beach and going for an early morning walk.
Have a leisurely breakfast, then hop in your car and make the 3 hour drive to the Gulf Coast. Relax, you’ve got plenty of time. Stop for lunch in a small town in the middle of the state, or drive non-stop to the Gulf and have lunch on the beach.
Where to watch the sunset? Clearwater Beach’s Pier 60 is a good choice if you don’t mind a bit of a crowd. Otherwise I’d say head south to Sunset Beach on Treasure Island, or further south still to Pass-A-Grille Beach at the southern end of St. Pete Beach.
Above: Fishing at sunset on Sunset Beach, Treasure Island, Florida.
If you’re further south, say Palm Beach or Miami, you’ll do best to take Alligator Alley (I-75) across the state to Marco Island (Tigertail Beach) or Naples (Naples Pier) to see the sunset.
If you’re in the Florida Keys, it’s even easier. Just walk from one side of the island to the other to see the sunrise over the Atlantic and the sunset over the Gulf.
