We are on the farthest bands of Irma...

[Rob]

and at 3:30pm we are getting some wave action! Not much to be fair, but this morning the sea was flat!

[Rob]

At about 5:45am, we had a true taste of Irma's power. With the storm moving northwest along Cuba, we caught one of the last bands.

For 15 minutes we had heavy rains and wild winds, our animals were running around the house trying to figure out what was happening. But as fast as it started, it stopped and the sky lightened up as the sun rose.

It has been calm for the last hour, but we may be getting another glance until the northern turn begins. Overall, an interesting wake up alarm this morning.

[Accompong]

At about 5:45am, we had a true taste of Irma's power. With the storm moving northwest along Cuba, we caught one of the last bands.

For 15 minutes we had heavy rains and wild winds, our animals were running around the house trying to figure out what was happening. But as fast as it started, it stopped and the sky lightened up as the sun rose.

It has been calm for the last hour, but we may be getting another glance until the northern turn begins. Overall, an interesting wake up alarm this morning.

At about 8:45am EST, we are just getting the first taste of the feeder bands from hurricane Irma that has not even made it to Key West yet. Luckily for us, the landfall seems to now be on the western side of Florida but even then,
we are expected to see CAT 1 or 2 winds and rains.

I am hobbling around the house and I KNOW what is happening. As fast as it started, it has only started and the sun will not truly rise until Monday morning.

I am shutting off the computer, power and sand-bagging my door.

Can't wait for next month in Jamaica.

Peace and Guidance

[Rob]

It's 8:29am in the countryside outside Negril. The cats have been fed and I just returned from the morning walk with the dog. He had to visit his best friend in the neighbor's yard. His best friend is a horse-like Ridgeback, who still thinks he is a small puppy. After having our daily meeting which includes at least one jump greeting, we made our way back to the house.

The sky is blue to the east, cloudy with a breeze from the west, so the sea is no doubt rough this morning.

Once inside, I cleaned the mud off from the Ridgeback greeting and plopped down to watch the Miami news.

We get four stations and I am watching them all. There is full saturation coverage, live feeds for every possible location in Southern Florida. Reporters in mandatory evacuation zones are busy interviewing tourists who are experiencing their first hurricane. Another person, in the background of a Fort Lauderdale news segment looks to be dancing around in the water doing a Facebook live for his friends.

Another interview with a person who is going to literally ride out the storm on his houseboat. He invited a homeless man to join him because it "is the right thing to do."

Meanwhile, the meteorologists are constantly telling viewers to ignore the "cone" of uncertainty because this is such a huge hurricane that the cone means nothing. Yet they keep showing the colorful cone graphics. I guess colorful graphics beat logic every time.

We are continuing to get nice cooling breezes from the west about every 3 minutes. No sign of rain. I will try to make it to the beach today and see how the sea is fairing.

[OneLoveOneBlood]

Thank you Rob for your vivid update

[halfwaytree]

Feeling sorry for the folks in Cuba. They are taking a real hit. Cuba's north coast is home to a lot of resorts that provide a lot of jobs. I hope they can get things back up and running in time for the high season.

[northerncaligurl]

We are inland, as our house is in the evacuation zone on the south east coast just south of Ft Lauderdale. Sitting in our hotel watching the local news and occasionally the live webcams on Duval Street and the Southernmost end of the US.... a surprising number of people still in Key West walking around on Duval St waiting for the storm and I would imagine believing that it is not so bad.... watching the idjits at on the Southernmost cam is astonishing as I have watch quite a few get knocked down by some astonishing large waves and storm surge as they try to take a selfie or video of the storm.... one lost his camera in the surf.

[Rob]

It's 1:53pm on the beach, and we just had about one minute and fifty three seconds of rain. Seems Irma is like the gift that keeps giving. The wave action hasn't stopped since Friday around noon, hitting its peak some time yesterday afternoon.

The beach had taken the usual storm hit, with sand being drawn back into the Caribbean and seaweed deposited in its place. Workers at many places spent time burying the seaweed before it had time to decay and produce it's wonderful aroma. This is the new standard operating procedure to promote beach accretion.

But as with most storms, the wave action from Irma turned from destructive to additive. The sand that was drawn out is being brought back at an astonishing rate!

Here is the same picture from my original post, taken two days later.



At a particular spot on the beach this morning, a tire, an 185/65R 14 was regurgitated by the sea. Conveniently for me, it was left in place.

By the time I have written this, the tire is full of sand and nearly half buried. I asked to get a picture of it before they properly disposed of it for graphical proof of how the sea works its wonders.



Heck... it looks like it still may be in decent condition. Gifts from the sea come in all shapes and sizes! From sea glass to sea tires!