Thursday, August 25, 2005

Katrina and the Waves

With a nod to the 80's one-hit wonder group, Tropical Storm Katrina developed over the past 48 hours and is heading toward the East Florida coast. The "waves" will be coming too, along with associated storm surge. It's perched in the Atlantic Ocean just off shore from Fort Lauderdale and will probably make landfall tonight as a weak Category One hurricane (after last year, weak is good)! Within 24 hours the storm will cross the state and exit "stage left" near Fort Myers. Most likely it will turn northerly in the Gulf of Mexico and hit the panhandle before all is said and done. Guess it's time to "batten down the hatches", whatever that means! Could be worse though, Tokyo is about to get hit with another typhoon today. Count your blessings!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just when i thought the tropical storms were over...Katrina is making an appearance. Mr Moon, you be safe.

moonius said...

Actually we had four major hurricanes last summer between August 13 and September 30 (Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne). We are right in the midst of the rainy season!

Anonymous said...

Good afternoon, Moon. While I know you know the meaning of “batten down the hatches,” here’s a little light information just for fun…
The phrase is nautical in origin - probably 18th century. A batten is a narrow strip of wood; these were used to hold down sheets of canvas to cover hatchways in foul weather. During a storm, they “battened down the hatches.”
Enough of that. I’m glad the storm isn’t headed your way, and I’ll pray that its impact is minimal. In the meantime, enjoy the breeze and the surf! Wish I could be there to enjoy them too!

moonius said...

baby blues, thanks for that information, I figured it meant something like that. Well, this storm won't be a direct hit on Tampa Bay but it will travel just south of us and then will turn northerly in the Gulf of Mexico and brush the West side of St. Petersburg as it makes its way toward the panhandle. Because it's such a slow moving system, there is widespread concern about flooding and wind damage. At least it should cool things off by a degree or two!

moonius said...

Meighan..our sunny state got hammered pretty good Thursday night, especially around Fort Lauderdale. Now Katrina's waiting out in the Gulf gaining speed from the warm water (the water has been almost 90 degrees)! Be glad you're safe and sound in WV, I know hurricanes are not your favorite part of Florida. Tampa Bay has been blessed so far.