345 
WTNT64 KNHC 091859
TCUAT4

Hurricane Milton Tropical Cyclone Update
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL       AL142024
300 PM EDT Wed Oct 09 2024

...MULTIPLE TORNADO WARNINGS IN EFFECT ACROSS FLORIDA PENINSULA...
...TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS MOVING ONSHORE THE WEST COAST OF 
FLORIDA...

Tropical-storm-force winds are now moving onshore the west coast of 
Florida. There are also multiple tornado warnings in effect across 
the Florida peninsula.

If a tornado warning is issued for your area, be ready to shelter 
quickly, preferably away from windows and in an interior room not 
prone to flooding.

The next update will be at 400 PM EDT (2000 UTC).

SUMMARY OF 300 PM EDT...1900 UTC...INFORMATION
-----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...26.6N 83.7W
ABOUT 110 MI...180 KM W OF FT. MYERS FLORIDA
ABOUT 120 MI...195 KM SW OF TAMPA FLORIDA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...130 MPH...215 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...NE OR 35 DEGREES AT 16 MPH...26 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...948 MB...27.99 INCHES

Getting nasty out there. 

 

32 minutes ago, swamprat said:

Getting nasty out there. 

 

Does the slight south movement help or hurt you?  Or no real difference?

 

Tampa Bay Area has dodged the worst of it. Still will get a lot of rain, but should be spared the worst of the surge.

9 minutes ago, TheDeuce said:

Tampa Bay Area has dodged the worst of it. Still will get a lot of rain, but should be spared the worst of the surge.

The problem is the wind and rain. We are getting some pretty mean gusts right now. I don't know what the sustained winds are at the moment, but it sounds like a jet going overhead constantly. Things are hitting the house. Think of the worst rain storm you've ever been in and then imagine it lasting for the last 5 hours with no letup.

Meanwhile where I my home is, the power is out, the lake in the park has overflowed, and there is water backing up in the streets. This is 52 feet above sea level, so this is not storm surge. That is how much rain we are getting in a short period of time.

And the eye it is still off the coast. 

 

 

 

I lost access to my cameras at my home an hour or so ago. Some people who elected to stay, texted me with the information I relayed above. 

For some reason, we still have power her at my sister's place. TECO is not reporting that many outages at this time. Duke Energy and Florida Power are reporting more outages south of the storm. 

 

It's made landfall at Siesta Key. Now the fun really starts. 

I moved Mrs. S into our bedroom here. This is really no interior room in this house, but the noise is less in our bedroom with the storm shutters up. The fireplace and skylights in the family room make the whole thing sound much worse. My fear is loss of power. Mrs. S is on 2 liters of oxygen all the time now. I have a portable concentrator and a tank, though. If we loose power, I will have to put her on the portable until it goes dead, then put her on the tank while I charge the concentrator in the truck. We don't have a generator, I'm afraid. 

FWIW, I am not in the family room. I am in the formal dinning room. 

Mother Nature remains undefeated and never fails to impress.

I left my anemometer at my old place, which happens to be next to my sister's house. I looked and would have to hack into the new owner's WIFI to read it, if he left it up. Oh well. 

We are still getting high wind gusts, but the constant jet engine roar is not as bad now, or I am getting used to it. However, there are less things hitting the house and storm shutters. Not out of the woods, yet.

Heard a report that the top just got ripped off of Tropicana Field. 

If that report was true, that is terrible because Tropicana Field is a shelter and base camp for relief workers.