(no subject)
We heard about this storm only on Wednesday. Some tropical mess off the coast was how it was described. I looked at doppler radar and saw only a mish-mash of clouds. Nothing very impressive, I thought.
By Friday the darn thing had a name. Beryl. A tropical depression working on trying or organize itself into a tropical storm was how the weather people talked. They are so quick to panic in the early part of the hurricane season, I told myself. We have gone nearly six months without any threats and we have forgotten how quickly these things fizzle out or head north to the Carolinas. Really. Why are we even bothering to talk about this?
We talked storm talk on Saturday. People at the restaurant were concerned but not really worried. We thought it had scared tourists away for the holiday weekend. We all reasoned that this was so silly. This thing called Beryl was going to be nothing more than a big blowy storm. A summer Nor'easter. That's all it will be. Why ruin a good three day weekend?
Today the storm named Beryl pulled itself together. Like any great Southern lady or gentleman going to a party, it made sure its bands were well defined and that an eye could be seen from outer space. The winds have increased to 65 miles per hour and the millibars have dropped dramatically. Crossing the ocean and headed directly for JAX Beach, Neptune Beach and St. Augustine, it has changed from a tropical storm to what the weatherman has called an extremely strong, dangerous tropical storm bordering on becoming a hurricane.
How the hell did this happen? I mean, it is the wrong time of the year for this. Beryl is almost three months way too early. This time of the year all this crap goes to Mexico and Central America. The Gulf Coast maybe. But not us. It is as if our disdain for this storm pissed it off, encouraging it to become a mini monster.
The Mayor of JAX had declared a state of emergency. The cities of JAX Beach, Palm Valley, Ponte Vedra and probably St Augustine are not that far behind in doing the same. They are telling us to stay home, hoard some water and get the candles out. We are to brace ourselves for what may be the start of a long hurricane season.
The bitch of it is, I don't even know if Beryl is a girl's or a guy's name. It would come in handy only when I want to cuss the damn thing as it arrives and my electric goes off. Just saying...
By Friday the darn thing had a name. Beryl. A tropical depression working on trying or organize itself into a tropical storm was how the weather people talked. They are so quick to panic in the early part of the hurricane season, I told myself. We have gone nearly six months without any threats and we have forgotten how quickly these things fizzle out or head north to the Carolinas. Really. Why are we even bothering to talk about this?
We talked storm talk on Saturday. People at the restaurant were concerned but not really worried. We thought it had scared tourists away for the holiday weekend. We all reasoned that this was so silly. This thing called Beryl was going to be nothing more than a big blowy storm. A summer Nor'easter. That's all it will be. Why ruin a good three day weekend?
Today the storm named Beryl pulled itself together. Like any great Southern lady or gentleman going to a party, it made sure its bands were well defined and that an eye could be seen from outer space. The winds have increased to 65 miles per hour and the millibars have dropped dramatically. Crossing the ocean and headed directly for JAX Beach, Neptune Beach and St. Augustine, it has changed from a tropical storm to what the weatherman has called an extremely strong, dangerous tropical storm bordering on becoming a hurricane.
How the hell did this happen? I mean, it is the wrong time of the year for this. Beryl is almost three months way too early. This time of the year all this crap goes to Mexico and Central America. The Gulf Coast maybe. But not us. It is as if our disdain for this storm pissed it off, encouraging it to become a mini monster.
The Mayor of JAX had declared a state of emergency. The cities of JAX Beach, Palm Valley, Ponte Vedra and probably St Augustine are not that far behind in doing the same. They are telling us to stay home, hoard some water and get the candles out. We are to brace ourselves for what may be the start of a long hurricane season.
The bitch of it is, I don't even know if Beryl is a girl's or a guy's name. It would come in handy only when I want to cuss the damn thing as it arrives and my electric goes off. Just saying...