Fay Day

That's the name the talking heads have given the day today. Ingenious, don't you think? Here's Fay's projected track as of 2 PM ET.




I have too much to do today to write much, but here's what the NHC advisory says:

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHWESTERN COAST OF FLORIDA FROM FLAMINGO TO ANNA MARIA ISLAND*. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT ALONG THE FLORIDA EAST COAST FROM COCOA BEACH SOUTHWARD AND ALONG THE FLORIDA WEST COAST EAST OF FLAMINGO INCLUDING LAKE OKEECHOBEE.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS FROM OCEAN REEF TO KEY WEST...INCLUDING THE DRY TORTUGAS AND FLORIDA BAY. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA MAINLAND EAST OF FLAMINGO TO CARD SOUND BRIDGE...AND ALONG THE FLORIDA WEST COAST NORTH OF ANNA MARIA ISLAND TO TARPON SPRINGS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT ALONG THE FLORIDA EAST COAST NORTH OF COCOA BEACH TO FERNANDINA BEACH.

* I live less than five miles east of Anna Maria Island.

In short: The entire state of Florida is under some kind of watch or warning due to Fay.

It's starting to get cloudy here, but we haven't seen any rain yet. The Keys are getting pounded right now and Cuba is taking a beating from the re-strengthening outer bands.

The boys are trying to patch my leaky roof and we're putting up my shutters today. I probably won't need them, but I'd much rather sit through a mild storm in a boarded-up house than sit through a raging storm with my windows uncovered. I've done both, believe me, you don't want to be watching branches hitting your windows and wishing you'd boarded up when it's too late to do anything.

The NHC discussion from 11 AM ET today says that the storm is "in a moderate southwesterly shear environment and upper-level winds will likely remain less than ideal for the next 24-28 hours." Good news. Still, they expect the storm to be a category one hurricane when it makes landfall somewhere in Florida.

Stay tuned. The fun's just beginning.