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SAY
HELLO TO FRANCES -
SEP 03, 2004
Update:
17:45 hrs. Frances has been downgraded to Category 3 and has slowed down
further, to a meager 8 mph. However, its deformed eye is still over land in
the eastern Bahamas. It is expected to gain shape and strength as it meets
the Gulf stream when enters the Atlantic between the islands and Florida's
east coast.
Winds
speeds have picked up in the Orlando area, but are still well below storm
grade. Orange county has declared a voluntary evacuation of the low
lying areas and has ordered a curfew from 9pm tomorrow to 5am the day after.
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We
in Central Florida have been making quite a few new friends! First Charley,
and now Frances ... I must say, these are very exciting times!!
If
you recall, my previous post centered around my own personal experience with
hurricane Charley. It was scary. But when it had passed, I was thrilled
about having witnessed the worst hurricane in Central Florida in the last
forty odd years. Little did I (or anyone else) know, that Charley would have
to be stripped off all the records it set, in the same season and with in the next
twenty odd days! All adjectives used to describe Charley would have to be
"upgraded" to superlatives and used again for Frances.
There
are many different ways of saying this. I will pick the simplest. Charley
was big. Frances in much bigger. Charley was bad. Frances is much worse.
Ultimately, the wind speeds experienced in my area might turn out to be
exactly the same as Charley, but there is one BIG difference. Charley was
inland Florida for about six hours. Frances will cover the same distance in
24 hours. Charley was outside my window for thirty odd minutes. Frances will
hang around for six hours! And that, might be a cause for concern. Only time
will tell.
The
eye should make landfall southeast of Orlando at 8pm on Saturday and cross
right over the Orlando area sometime in the evening on Sunday. (This detail
has changed twice since I started writing this post. I am sure this will
change soon.)
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I
was supposed to leave Orlando and fly to Baltimore and then drive to West
Virginia for a rafting trip on the New River. My flight was scheduled to
leave MCO at 730pm today, but the airport will close as early as noon. Looks
like I will have to look for all the excitement right here. There will be 18 to
20 inches of rain, so I am not sure if rafting can be ruled out either.
:)
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Clicked
this picture the day after Charley. This cloud canopy isn't even the actual
hurricane. Its just a depression in the hurricane's wake. It was just past noon when I
clicked this picture. Of course, you really can't tell that by the lighting.
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