posted on June 10, 2006 11:35:21 AM
A large low pressure system in the Carribean developed into a tropical depression this morning. It is expected to intensify over the warm waters of the gulf and become a named tropical storm, possibly as early as this afternoon. At this stage, the track is highly uncertain. One model shows landfall as Texas, another shows South Florida. The others show everything in between. The track shown on the map can be expected to change every few hours until the models reach consensus. Those of you along the gulf coast need to watch this carefully for the next day or so.
If Murphy's law is correct, everything East of the San Andreas Fault will slide into the Atlantic
posted on June 10, 2006 12:51:14 PM
Tom...That's the reason I emphasized that this was a very uncertain track at this stage of the game. The person who composed the graphic decided to have a little fun and shows the storm coming ashore on the West Coast and exiting into the Atlantic at JAX, after passing through your living room. Even if it hits Alabama or Mississippi, the long drought and extreme wildland fire danger Florida has had for the last 2 months will end by Tuesday. This thing has a tremendous amount of moisture attached to it. Cuba will get up to 20 inches of rain at the higher elevations. South Florida is already getting precipitation from the outer bands of it.
If Murphy's law is correct, everything East of the San Andreas Fault will slide into the Atlantic
posted on June 10, 2006 06:44:02 PM
This system is not expected to reach hurricane status. It's too early in the season and the water isn't hot enough yet, plus there is enough wind shear to keep it from getting too violent. It will reach tropical storm status, but the wind won't be that severe. The biggest danger is the amount of water it's going to dump on Florida, and the flooding and isolated tornadoes that go along with it.
If Murphy's law is correct, everything East of the San Andreas Fault will slide into the Atlantic
posted on June 10, 2006 07:17:29 PM
I just moved to St Augustine, just so. of Jax so need to watch. Better than Miami tho. Ralphie and I need to keep a look out
posted on June 11, 2006 02:32:31 AM
Anything less than a cat 3 is welcome news right now.
I for one vote for any form of moisture that will water my lawn. The front yard is now beach sand!
And Sparkz, speaking of news, I found some interesting theories here that you might enjoy reading.
posted on June 11, 2006 09:50:40 AM
If you look at that little dent just above the area it's expected to make land fall - that's where I am right now If you look at where it's expected to come out in the Atlantic - that's where I be Tuesdays
posted on June 11, 2006 11:35:02 AM
TD-One has now been upgraded to tropical storm Alberto, which is the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. Interestingly enough, it's current movement is presently west-northwest which would take it to Louisiana or Texas, but it is expected to shift to the Northeast this afternoon and head toward Florida. Ltray and Ladyjewells, I can see where many in Florida would welcome a weak tropical storm right about now. Florida is in an extreme drought and the fire danger has been a daily Red Flag alert for the past 2 months. It wouldn't take much for a series of wildfires to cause more destruction in Florida than Hurricane Wilma did last year. The other spot is West Texas and Oklahoma. The extreme high pressure and heat wave there is affecting the weather patterns in other parts of the country. I would imagine landfall around the Texas / N.E. Mexico border and a good soaking all the way up to Kansas would be seen as a good thing by many in that part of the country. Here's what the NHC has to say about Ltray having to water her lawn this week:
<< ALBERTO IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS
OF 10 TO 20 INCHES OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF CUBA...WITH ISOLATED
TOTALS OF 30 INCHES OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THESE RAINS COULD
PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES. RAINFALL
AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS AND
THE FLORIDA PENINSULA THROUGH MONDAY. >>
If Murphy's law is correct, everything East of the San Andreas Fault will slide into the Atlantic
posted on June 11, 2006 01:47:23 PM
It is like the middle of the night out right now with black clouds all around. Lots of thunder so the rain can't be far away. only 4:45PM in the afternoon. Put your rain coat on, Ralphie.
posted on June 11, 2006 02:01:05 PM
Poor ole Senor Wussie has a great deal of emotional difficulty with T&L STORMS -- he either sits in the middle of the kitchen floor and...SHAKES, or he tries to crawl into my LAP and...SHAKES!
Oh well, as he constantly reminds me: "Hey! I'm a LOVER, not a FIGHTER!"
posted on June 11, 2006 03:42:30 PM
Tom get Senor Wussie a pair of noise reducing headphones for storm time. Like he would keep them on. LOL
**************
I married my wife for her looks...but not the
ones she's been giving me lately!
posted on June 11, 2006 03:49:34 PM
Get some doggie shampoo and a brush and drag his butt out in the yard and give him a bath like he's never had before
If Murphy's law is correct, everything East of the San Andreas Fault will slide into the Atlantic
posted on June 11, 2006 06:27:44 PM
QUOTE: sparkz Get some doggie shampoo and a brush and drag his butt out in the yard and give him a bath like he's never had before.
Actually that is good advice for anyone who has been through a hurricane with a dog overdue for a bath. a wet stinky dog smells much better if they've had a bath prior to the hurricane hitting.
posted on June 11, 2006 07:05:33 PM"Get some doggie shampoo and a brush and drag his butt out in the yard and give him a bath like he's never had before..."
Oh yeah, Sparky...how's about I let you try and get ole lard-butt to do sumptin he donna wanna do!
First he quivers...and then he hits you with those...EYES!
I usually end up saying: "The hell with it!" and I apologize to him for stressing him...then I beg his forgiveness...then I increase his weekly allowance by 1-2 bones...then I give him the keys to the car...
posted on June 11, 2006 07:20:04 PM
Tom...He wouldn't per chance be a distant relative of my Rottweiler, would he? I know exactly what you're talking about. Been there, done that, and have the T-shirt to prove it.
If Murphy's law is correct, everything East of the San Andreas Fault will slide into the Atlantic
posted on June 12, 2006 08:05:06 AM
The 11AM advisory says winds are now 70 mph with gusts of 85 mph. Hurricane warnings are up in the Gulf of Mexico from Longboat Key to the Ochlockonee River. Here the scoop http://weather.sun-sentinel.com/tropical/at200601.public.htmlp
posted on June 12, 2006 08:54:09 AM
I just read the latest advisory. Looks like a lot of jaws dropped at the NHC in Miami over this. Less than 12 hours ago, there was speculation Alberto could fizzle because it was so disorganized, then, during the night the circulation center abruptly reformed 70 or 80 miles from where it had been and intensified. This one is still up in the air. Here's a cut from the NHC. Also, pay particular attention to the newest track. It's looking better for Ralphie, but the folks in Georgia need to start watching this a little closer.
<<THE STORM HAS BEEN INTERACTING WITH THE WARM GULF OF MEXICO
LOOP CURRENT...WHICH HAS LIKELY BEEN A CONTRIBUTOR TO THE
INTENSIFICATION. AS ALBERTO CONTINUES NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD IT WILL
BE DEPARTING THE LOOP CURRENT AND ENCOUNTERING A REGION OF LOWER
OCEANIC HEAT CONTENT. STRONG SOUTHWESTERLY SHEAR WILL ALSO
CONTINUE TO IMPACT THE TROPICAL CYCLONE. THESE ENVIRONMENTAL
FACTORS WOULD APPEAR TO MITIGATE AGAINST SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL
STRENGTHENING. NONETHELESS....GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTIES IN
PREDICTING INTENSITY CHANGE WE MUST NOW ALLOW FOR THE DISTINCT
POSSIBILITY THAT ALBERTO COULD BECOME A HURRICANE. THEREFORE A
HURRICANE WARNING IS NECESSARY FOR A PORTION OF THE NORTHEAST GULF
COAST.>>
If Murphy's law is correct, everything East of the San Andreas Fault will slide into the Atlantic
posted on June 12, 2006 11:29:14 AM
POSTED: 1:45 pm EDT June 12, 2006
UPDATED: 2:19 pm EDT June 12, 2006
Forecasters issued a hurricane warning for part of Florida's Gulf Coast on Monday as Tropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season, quickly and unexpectedly gained strength.
Officials warned that some areas could see a storm surge of up to 10 feet. Rain was already falling and two tornados were reported, although no injuries or damage were reported, the National Weather Service said.
"We're talking about powerful forces of nature," Gov. Jeb Bush said. "People need to take this very seriously."
Bush signed a declaration of emergency that allows him to call up the National Guard and put in place laws against price gouging.
Meteorologists initially thought Alberto wouldn't reach hurricane strength, but at 11 a.m., the storm's sustained wind had jumped to 70 mph, up from 50 mph just three hours earlier, the National Hurricane Center said. The minimum wind speed for a hurricane is 74 mph.
"This potentially could be a hurricane, it has a potential wide impact for a lot of people in our state," Bush told the emergency response team monitoring the storm in Tallahassee.
The hurricane warning, extending about 200 miles from Longboat Key near Sarasota to the Ochlockonee River south of Tallahassee, meant Alberto was expected to produce hurricane conditions within the next 24 hours.
The hurricane center predicted coastal storm surges of 8 feet to 10 feet, with flooding possible along an extensive section of the Gulf Coast. Four to 10 inches of rain were expected on the peninsula through Tuesday.
At 11 a.m., the storm was centered about 190 miles south-southwest of Apalachicola and was moving north-northeast at about 7 mph.
Alberto's core wasn't expected to reach Florida until Tuesday, but with tropical storm-force wind stretching 230 miles from the center, powerful gusts may be felt long before it makes landfall.
Workers at a marina in St. Petersburg said they planned to work through the night securing more than 600 boats against the wind and waves
posted on June 12, 2006 12:17:12 PM
It's hard to imagine that this storm, churning over very warm gulf water, will not squeeze out the extra 4 mph to put it into the big leagues, if it's not there already. Even though the center is a little less than 24 hours from landfall, tropical storm force winds extend 230 miles out from the center and are already impacting the west coast of Florida. Along with the hurricane, comes the probability of electrical and telephone outages that can last several days. Now would be a good time for sellers in Florida to assess the impact on their businesses and possibily start notifying customers of near term delays in communications and shipping. No need to invite negs from idiots who don't watch the news and who are unaware of what's going on down there.
If Murphy's law is correct, everything East of the San Andreas Fault will slide into the Atlantic
posted on June 12, 2006 12:26:34 PM
<<Bush signed a declaration of emergency that allows him to call up the National Guard and put in place laws against price gouging.>>
Does this mean that oil company executives will be shot on sight?
If Murphy's law is correct, everything East of the San Andreas Fault will slide into the Atlantic
posted on June 12, 2006 12:45:27 PMGOV. WHATS-HIS-FACE DECLARES SOE:
Just in from RJD NEWS...
"Declaring his decision to harness value-added action-items, Gov. Liddle-Bro has decided to transform leading-edge convergence.
While benchmark granular networks and redefined seamless technologies continue to cause iterate user-centric vortals, without optimizing distributed bandwidth, Jebbie-pooh looks to
reinvent cross-media portals, but has promised to aggregate real-time relationships."
posted on June 12, 2006 01:27:15 PM
Tom or Ralph e wrote "Gov. Liddle-Bro"
Now I just think that is so cute! It is good to see the family is doing well -- he-he-he
Seriously , I have personally met and spoke with Zeb. He is smarter than his bro(but not as cute)
Zeb is the smart one .
The Kennedys (Joseph and Rose) always said baby pod Edward AKA as Ted was the smartest one in their family . Well reflecting on it - maybe he is -LOOK at what he has got away with and still in office
enuff politics, hope Florida gets rain but not a deluge
posted on June 12, 2006 09:01:57 PM
TOM, Ralphie, Ladyjewels and Niel35...Here is the latest local hurricane statement from NWS in JAX. Also, it looks like it's rather dry and calm now, but local doppler shows a tremendous amount of moisture just west of you that will be arriving later tonight. BE CAREFUL!!!
HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT...AMENDED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
1100 PM EDT MON JUN 12 2006
...AMENDED WINDS SECTION....
...ALBERTO STILL A STRONG TROPICAL STORM OVER THE NORTHEAST GULF OF
MEXICO...
...NEW INFORMATION...
ALL WATCHES AND WARNINGS REMAIN THE UNCHANGED FROM THE PREVIOUS
STATEMENT.
...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY RESIDENTS IN THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA...ALACHUA...BAKER...
BRADFORD...CLAY...COLUMBIA...DUVAL...FLAGLER...GILCHRIST...
HAMILTON...MARION...NASSAU...PUTNAM...ST JOHNS...SUWANNEE AND
UNION.
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY RESIDENTS IN THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...APPLING...ATKINSON...
BACON...BRANTLEY...CAMDEN...CHARLTON...CLINCH...COFFEE..ECHOLS...
GLYNN...JEFF DAVIS...PIERCE...WARE AND WAYNE.
...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FLAGLER BEACH FLORIDA
NORTHWARD TO THE SAVANNAH RIVER...
...INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR ALL COUNTIES
OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA UNTIL 4 AM WEDNESDAY...
...TORNADO WATCH 473 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALACHUA...FLAGLER...
GILCHRIST...MARION AND PUTNAM COUNTIES UNTIL 8 AM EDT...
...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 1100 PM EDT THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 28.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.6 WEST OR ABOUT 95 MILES SOUTH-
SOUTHEAST OF APALACHICOLA FLORIDA AND ABOUT 105 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST
OF CEDAR KEY FLORIDA.
ALBERTO IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 10 MPH AND THIS GENERAL
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 70 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WHILE
SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE POSSIBLE PRIOR TO LANDFALL...
ALBERTO STILL HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A HURRICANE BEFORE REACHING
THE FLORIDA GULF COAST TUESDAY MORNING.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 160 MILES TO THE
NORTHEAST AND SOUTHEAST OF THE CENTER. SURFACE OBSERVATIONS...
DOPPLER RADAR DATA... AND REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE
BEGINNING TO SPREAD ONSHORE THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA FROM VENICE
NORTHWARD TO APALACHEE BAY.
...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
RESIDENTS ACROSS NORTHEAST FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA SHOULD
CLOSELY MONITOR THE LATEST ADVISORIES FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER. THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK WOULD PLACE MOST OF THE I-75
CORRIDOR IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST GEORGIA ON
THE STRONGER SIDE OF THE STORM...BUT THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY
ABOUT THE PATH OF ALBERTO. PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OF LOCAL
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS.
...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE...
SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 30 TO 35 KNOTS OVER
THE ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS. SURF CONDITIONS WILL BUILD AND AN
INCREASED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY. STORM
TIDES OF TIDES OF 3 TO 5 FEET ARE LIKELY EARLY TUESDAY. THIS IS
AROUND ONE TO ONE AND A HALF FOOT ABOVE ASTRONOMICAL TIDE LEVELS WITH
NO SIGNIFICANT COASTAL FLOODING OR BEACH EROSION EXPECTED AT THIS
TIME.
...WINDS...
WEST OF INTERSTATE 75 INCLUDING THE LAKE CITY...LIVE OAK...OCALA AND
GAINESVILLE AREAS...AS THE STRONGER RAINBANDS MOVE OVER THE
REGION...SUSTAINED WINDS MAY INCREASE TO 40 TO 50 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL
GUSTS TO 60 MPH POSSIBLE THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING. WINDS WILL DECREASE
BY EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING.
EAST OF INTERSTATE 75 INCLUDING THE JACKSONVILLE METRO AREA...
BRUNSWICK...WAYCROSS...ST. AUGUSTINE AND PALM COAST...AS THE
STRONGER RAINBANDS MOVE OVER THE REGION...SUSTAINED WINDS MAY
INCREASE TO 30 TO 40 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 50 MPH THROUGH
TUESDAY EVENING. WINDS WILL DECREASE BY EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING.
...INLAND FLOODING...
AROUND TWO TO THREE INCHES OF RAIN HAVE FALLEN OVER PORTIONS OF
FLAGLER COUNTY...ST. JOHNS COUNTY AND THE SUWANNEE VALLEY SINCE
YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. ELSEWHERE IN NORTH FLORIDA ABOUT ONE HALF TO ONE
AND A HALF INCHES OF RAIN HAVE FALLEN OVER HE SAME PERIOD. STORM
TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF FOUR TO EIGHT INCHES...WITH ISOLATED HIGHER
AMOUNTS...ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH TUESDAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN
FLORIDA AND SOUTHEASTERN GEORGIA. INTERESTS IN AREAS WHICH EXPERIENCE
POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION SHOULD
FLOODING OCCUR.
...TORNADOES...
A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA
THROUGH 8 AM. THE THREAT FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL INCREASE
ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA TONIGHT AND SPREAD INTO
SOUTHEAST GEORGIA ON TUESDAY. A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT TORNADOES
ARE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA. REMEMBER TORNADOES CAN AND
DO FORM WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING DURING TROPICAL STORMS...REMAIN
ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
...MARINE...
WINDS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO TROPICAL
STORM INTENSITY...WITH HIGHER GUSTS...LATE TONIGHT CONTINUE INTO
TUESDAY NIGHT. MARINERS ARE ADVISED TO SEEK SAFE HARBOR OR PREPARE
FOR HEAVY WEATHER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
...NEXT UPDATE...
THIS NEXT TROPICAL STORM ALBERTO LOCAL STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSONVILLE WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 5 AM EDT...OR
EARLIER SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT.
$$
SANDRIK
If Murphy's law is correct, everything East of the San Andreas Fault will slide into the Atlantic
posted on June 13, 2006 06:38:13 AM
Just got this off of Yahoo. Looks like they will likely downgrade it but it will still be nasty so all you southerners take care.
CEDAR KEY, Fla. - Windows were boarded up and the streets on this island in the Gulf of Mexico were desolate as the first tropical storm of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season started moving over Florida early Tuesday, but forecasters said they didn't expect Alberto to strengthen into a hurricane.
National Hurricane Center director Max Mayfield said his staff would likely downgrade the hurricane warning it had issued Monday to a tropical storm warning.
"The big concern now is going to be shifting to the rainfall and the tornado threat as it moves along the southeastern (U.S.) coast line," Mayfield said Tuesday.
Florida's gulf coast between Tampa and the Panhandle could see a storm surge of 7 to 9 feet from Alberto, and more than 20,000 people, particularly in low-lying areas, were ordered to evacuate. But early reports indicated that the storm surge was not likely to be as serious as initially feared.
"The good news is it's not going to be as high as the forecast," Mayfield said. "The fact that winds are not terribly strong is helping."
At 8 a.m. EDT, Alberto was centered about 50 miles east-southeast of Apalachicola and 75 miles west-northwest of Cedar Key, and was moving northeast at about 9 mph toward an expected landfall in the area around midday, the hurricane center said. Its top sustained winds were at 65 mph; the threshold for a hurricane is 74 mph.
A large part of the storm was already over Florida, and its outer rain bands stretched into southeastern Georgia, where forecasters warned of a threat of tornadoes. A flood watch was issued for noon Tuesday for 18 southeastern South Carolina counties and rain totals exceeding five inches were possible in the area.
The top wind gust hit 60 mph early Tuesday in Tampa, and about 4 to 6 inches of much-needed rain had fallen in areas that had been dry, said Charles Paxton, a meteorologist at the
National Weather Service in Ruskin. There were reports of limited power outages, minor damage and fallen trees in the Tampa Bay area.
St. Petersburg resident Mary Finn stayed home from work because she wasn't how hard the storm would hit Tampa Bay.
"It was a normal night. I slept through everything," Finn said, topping off her gas tank at a gas station shortly after dawn.
Forecasters said Tuesday that the storm's chances of growing were "evaporating," because dry air was being sucked into its center. Storms need abundant supplies of warm, moist air to fuel their growth.
"There are no signs that Alberto is strengthening right now, so that's good news," said James Franklin, a senior hurricane specialist.
A hurricane warning was still posted for the gulf coast between Longboat Key and the Ochlockonee River, and a tropical storm warning was extended from Flagler Beach, Fla., northward to South Santee River, S.C.
The tropical depression that produced Alberto formed Saturday, nine days after the June 1 start of the hurricane season. The storm's winds accelerated with startling speed Monday from 50 mph to 70 mph in just three hours. The minimum for a named storm is 39 mph.
Evacuation orders were posted for people in mobile homes or low-lying areas in at least five coastal counties stretching more than 100 miles. Those ordered evacuated included about 21,000 residents of Citrus, Levy and Taylor counties.
Gov.
Jeb Bush also signed a declaration of emergency allowing him to call up the National Guard and put laws against price gouging in place.
Forecasters said the storm could bring 4 to 10 inches of rain to central Florida and southeastern Georgia. Rain started falling Monday and at least two tornadoes had formed, though there were no reports of any injuries or damage.
In Florida, homeowners gassed up their vehicles and stocked up on chain saws, plywood and other emergency supplies. Workers at a marina in St. Petersburg said they planned to work through the night securing more than 600 boats.
"This is a little earlier than I expected," said marina manager Walter Miller. "But we've had a bad couple of years, so it's not entirely unexpected."
Alberto also prevented the crew of space shuttle Discovery from flying Monday to the
Kennedy Space Center from Houston for several days of dress rehearsals for their expected launch in July.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ramped up its emergency operations center Monday for the kind of disaster relief effort that won it praise for responding faster than the government last year after Hurricane Katrina.
On Monday, Alberto drenched western Cuba after a weekend of heavy rains prompted evacuations, caused some dilapidated buildings to collapse and flooded low-lying areas in Havana. There were no reports of other major damage or injuries.
Scientists say the 2006 season could produce as many as 16 named storms, six of them major hurricanes. Last year's hurricane season was the most destructive on record and the busiest in 154 years of storm tracking, with a record 28 named storms and a record 15 hurricanes.
___
Associated Press Writers Phil Davis in Tampa, Fla., Michelle Spitzer in Miami, Andrea Rodriguez in Havana, Cuba, and Jennifer Kay in Miami contributed to this report.
___
On the Net:
National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. - Albert Einstein
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. - Albert Einstein