Tropical Storm Musings

I did not get to post this morning as is my routine, as I hit the snooze button a little too much. It's not that I'm totally lazy, it's just hard to get out of bed with the sound of rain, ...yes, rain pattering on the window panes. Plus, I was exhausted from my clam farm experience the day before. That's another post, but let's just say it was a tropical stormy adventure spent mostly underwater, in one foot visibility, and we did not climb out of the water and back into the boat until 8:40 pm. Details will follow in the next few days.

Today, our nerdy teacher training was cut short and actually cancelled for tomorrow as TS Alberto has his sights on our coast. There is moderate wind at this time and rains are light, but welcome. I took a before shot of the pond and am hoping for a great change in the water level before Alberto is through with us.

After this post, I'll head outside to secure a few things, fill my plastic barrel with water, and enjoy the messiness. Mrs. FC is on the job managing the storm shelters for the county, so those who have to evacuate are in good hands. I probably won't see much of her for the next few days.

So where is all this happening?
If you find Cedar Key on a map, and run your finger east along highway 24 until you get to Otter Creek, you will find yourself at US-19, which runs north and south. At this time there is a mandatory evacuation for areas west of US-19. We are west of US-19. That evacuation is mainly targeted at trailers and folks in low lying areas (most of this area is low). We are in a solid house on higher ground and are staying put. The island community of Cedar Key will actually close at sunset tonight with no access allowed after that time.

This storm is more of a flooding threat than anything else. Coastal flooding can be extensive due to our curved shoreline and very, very shallow seabottom. Inland flooding will be a factor of people who have built in low areas and now must deal with that decision. The good news for our local coastline is that almost all of it is state or federally protected wildlands which will absorb the surge just as all of Florida's coast used to do, ...before overdevelopment screwed up the system.

Lucky me!
The "New Mail" window just popped up and I clicked on it. It's a message from the local Emergency Operations Center. The CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) director wants us to call in for assignments.

Gotta go.