Ernesto Arrives: It's Raining

Ernesto has arrived in South Florida, but since it didn't have time to strengthen to hurricane force after leaving Cuba, it's simply a "rain event" like Alberto was.

No reports of deaths have emerged from Cuba, though the province of Guantánamo received over eight inches of rain during Ernesto's visit. Perhaps the most notable feature of this hurricane strike in Cuba was Castro's absence from the airwaves before, during and after the storm. His brother, Raúl, did not make public statements and as yet has not began surveying the damage in front of television cameras as was Fidel's custom.

From Hispaniola: The death toll in Haiti remains at two. The south end of the country suffered wind and flood damage where over 200 homes were damaged and several banana fields were completely destroyed. The Dominican Republic reported damage to over 400 homes, but no fatalities and no serious structural damage.

For our part, we're expecting rain, some wind gusts and not much else. Still, I'm happy to have been prepared for the worst even though this storm turned out to be a best-case scenario.

For more info on Ernesto and the latest tracking maps, visit the National Hurricane Center.