Florida Peninsula - Long and narrow (except for the Panhandle)
Distances
Key West (south) to Pensacola (north west) 524 miles
Key West (south) to Jacksonville (north east) 397 miles
Key West (south) to SRQ (west on Gulf of Mexico) 376 miles
Key West to Havana, Cuba, 105 miles.
Comparison
Traditional longest distance in the U.K. (Land's End to John o' Groats) 847 miles
Projected route of (now) Hurricane Hermine
The storm is very wide - maybe as much as 125 miles from west to east.
So, because we are NOT in the eye of the storm, but we ARE in the range of the storm, SRQ has escaped the worst. We've had on and off rain all day long, with a few amazing windy squalls.
'Tis beautiful and amazing to see the flexibility of the branches of huge trees such as "Live Oaks" as they are tossed to and fro by the winds.
We've had some local flooding, with a few evacuations in the Whittaker Bayou area -
http://wfla.com/2016/08/31/sarasota-neighborhood-evacuated-after-bayou-overflows/
In my neck of the woods there has been next to no flooding, but the ground is sodden (squelch, squelch, squelch),
There have been enough dry spells for me to walk out with Penne.
Of course Tampa has extensive flooding (If you pour out a bottle of water.on certain Tampa streets you will cause a flood).
Hermine is now headed for the Panhandle. There may yet be damage to life and limb (falling trees and mini tornadoes).
Then, if the forecasters are right, the storm will travel up the eastern seaboard, and in due course bring much needed rain to Massachusetts.
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Speaking of forecasters I forsook my vow of "T.V. abstinence" to tune into our local station (SNN) to get the latest bead on the storm.
The station's Meteorologist, (one Justin Moseley) is personable and very popular in SRQ.
But, (because the market demands it?) he has succumbed to the razzle-dazzle of those high tech graphics which show you a lot, and tell you nothing.
The weather forecast has become a matter of commodity to sell (and attract advertisers); a "ton of speculation"; and next to no information.
Weather forecasting as entertainment? BLAH!
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Meanwhile I have a question. "How is the clean up and restoration of normal life and community progressing in in Baton Rouge, LA?"
Whoops. Silly me. That was yesterday's "newsfortainment".
My cousin Dr. Allen Chrisman is in Baton Rouge with the Red Cross trying to help the people affected.
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