Gulf Watchers Block Party - Weather Edition

by Lorinda Pike for Gulf Watchers Group

Community

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Friday, Aug. 26, 2011 Friday, Aug. 26, 2011 at 3:37:58pm PDT

This is strange. It is nearly September here on the Gulf Coast and we haven't had a hurricane yet. Not even a little Category 1...

:::::pounds frantically on the nearest slab of wood:::::

Which the folks is Texas would really appreciate right about now... a little hurricane, I mean.

But the folks from the Carolinas to New Brunswick are doing hurricane prep. And right after an earthquake. (But earthquakes aren't weather...Inconvenient at times, but not weather.)

And it's still full-tilt-boogie summer here too... 97 this afternoon; high 90s every day in the ten-day forecast. I'd appreciate a little weather just to cool things off, but August is often rather dry.

So, if you are in the path of Miss Irene, please be safe. Storm surge and flooding is not to be trifled with. Take any evacuation order to heart - if they say go, then go. Right then. Don't wait, because the only thing worse than riding out a bad storm at home when you should have evacuated is waiting until too late and riding out a bad storm in your car...on a bridge...over water...

If it's safe to stay put, lay in supplies and enjoy. After Katrina we didn't have power for about ten days. Neighbors started hanging out on their porches again, there was no traffic on my street (the large downed tree took care of that...) and I could see the Milky Way at night. I had forgotten how much light pollution there is.

Even though just getting coffee made in the morning was an effort in ingenuity, the time after Katrina had some bright spots. Not many, but some. One was making our own music. No volts, so it was unplugged.