Isaac 2.0

After last night's post, I feel like I should update on the non-event that Isaac has been for us so far.

This morning, they started issuing mandatory evacuations for the low-lying areas (like the beach we went to yesterday) due to potential storm surge. Over the course of the day, Isaac has apparently decided that he either really likes us or really likes the Republicans or maybe he just doesn't like New Orleans but whatever the case, this is what he's doing now:

He hasn't even developed into the hurricane that he was supposed to be by this point and there's nary an organized eyewall to be found. Jim Cantore's moved on - he was in Tampa for a while but I think now he's on the way to New Orleans.

Here he is again. In a much better-looking suit than that shirt in the pic I posted yesterday. 

This Wednesday, August 29, marks the 7th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's second landfall, the one that caused so much destruction in New Orleans. It's within the realm of possibility that Isaac could arrive in NOLA on that anniversary - a kindof sick and twisted anniversary present for the city that lost so much in 2005. Of course, it was also at one point within the realm of possibility that we were going to be riding out a category 1 storm here in the Bonita Springs area. So not the case. We haven't even reached tropical storm force winds here and that was all but certain to happen by now according to models this time last night.

Oddly, more rain has fallen at my house today - in the drought-stricken Midwest - than at our location in Florida. I apologize to all the farmers whose fields I have been near this summer: maybe it was me keeping the rain away. I leave = flash floods. I arrive in the path of a tropical storm and the hurricane-that-almost-was isn't after all. At least not here. Perhaps I should apologize to New Orleans as well.

Instead of hunkering down this evening, we're still well-lit and air-conditioned and unless something changes drastically, I expect that will continue. Tomorrow's still supposed to be a wash - literally - and all sorts of stuff will be closed (including the activities at our resort). I have been assured that the SuperTarget and its resident Starbucks will be open, however. We've even (GASP!!) turned off The Weather Channel for now. (However, in the interest of maintaining the spousal unit's Weather Nerd status, he's been going out to watch the weather all afternoon and is still plugged into all sorts of weather sites and blogs - never fear, he still knows what's up.)

And this is what we did earlier:

They were supposed to have a Hurricane Social in the clubhouse here where they would serve Hurricanes. By the time we got there, it was downgraded to a Tropical Storm Social and the drink was called a Tropical Storm. I have no idea if it contains all the same alcoholic goodness that a real Hurricane does but I can tell you this one was YUMMY and came in its own souvenir (plastic) glass. 

We bought the kids a cartload of game tokens and locked left them in the game room while we drank with the other crazy people who are staying here. We are much younger than most of them. And less rude; one lady tried to start an insurrection after finding out she was being charged for her Tropical Storm.

No idea yet what tomorrow might bring. But then, it really is never quite what I expect.

Weather geeks on vacation

Several months ago, the spousal unit (in his infinite realism) chose to speak the following words OUT LOUD: "You do realize we're going to be in Florida during hurricane season?"

He was referring to our summer vacation - something the very-soon-to-be-7yo would probably refer to as his Birthday Trip if he thought about it. He had the good fortune to ask if we could go to Florida for his birthday at exactly the right time - when we were actively trying to decide when and to where we wanted to vacation this year. (He does not inherit his sense of timing from his father. He is lucky in more than one way.)

Turned out we could swing a trip to Florida that coincided with what will be the now-6yo's 7th birthday. The child loved this though it did have the less desirable side effect of making him think that he can now ask for a trip to his destination of choice for each birthday (we spent #5 in Texas) - he decided that the Great Barrier Reef would be good for next year. I told him when dad wins the lottery, we'll talk. 

So backing up to the comment that should never have been spoken out loud: YES. I did know that. Most of my friends know that the hubby and I are weather geeky. To a bit of an extreme.

 When an hour-and-a-half drive is enlivened by the ability to watch a thunderstorm develop both in front of us and on the radar on our iPhones, I think we just have to call it: we're nerds.

In addition to an awareness of hurricane season, I am also aware of the lesser-known concept that we don't speak of these things OUT LOUD. Unless you want to curse yourself. (Think about it: how many times have you said something like: "Hey! I've hit every green light today!" only to hit only red lights after that??)

See? Hahahahahahahaha . . . . . 

So it probably shouldn't come as a huge surprise that my Florida vacation at the height of hurricane season is coinciding with a visit from what is currently known as Tropical Storm Isaac. Isaac will probably become Hurricane Isaac in the next 24 - 36 hours. A couple of days ago, he looked like this:

He was wobbling gently through the Caribbean, headed to beat the crap out of Haiti. 

Much of our conversation over the last ten days has been consumed by Isaac as we watched him from his birth off the coast of Africa (as Invest 94L) and his inexorable trek west. Computers ran models and forecast Isaac's future location and ultimately most of them agreed that Isaac wanted to visit Florida. Like me.

Now it looks like this is where Isaac is headed:

We are between the little dot for Fort Myers and the little dot for Naples, alongside that cute little hurricane symbol marked 8/27/12 8AM.

None of that stopped us and we came on down here anyway; right now I'm sitting in a hotel room watching (what else?) The Weather Channel (and really, who doesn't love Jim Cantore??) which is telling me that I am in the ACTION area. I'm apparently supposed to be buying out the grocery store and preparing for 3 days without power. I brought two battery-operated flashlights with me but I'm secretly hoping the hotel has a generator. I'm planning to go to SuperTarget tomorrow to buy some food. I spent today at the beach and in the pool and I now have a sunburn.

I couldn't help myself. Just a link about him wasn't enough. I give you Jim Cantore.

Last night, we thought perhaps we should get to the beach before Isaac did. We did.

The clouds in the distance are from the far outer bands of Isaac. They fell apart. 

Today, we woke to overcast skies and the prospect of rain. A hurricane warning was issued for our area so we decided to go to the beach. We figured with the look of the sky and the radar, we might get an hour or two at the beach this morning and then it would rain. Instead, we lucked out and had almost 3 hours at the beach followed by several more in the pool. The kids were having so much fun they forgot to ask for lunch, a meal that we ate like Jerry Seinfeld's parents at 5PM.

We've tossed around the idea of evacuating (there are no mandatory evacuations in effect down here - at most, we'll get a category 1 hurricane, something they don't evacuate for here) and while we could escape upstate to Orlando, it's a 3.5 hour drive that would undoubtedly be *through* Isaac as bands whip across the Florida peninsula. The entire southern part of the state is in the high risk area for tornadoes and we've decided our best option is to stay put.

So in the words of the 12yo from dinner tonight: Bring it on, Isaac - gimme your best shot.