IVAN'S a bastard & a big one at that
 

Ivan just turned up the heat. He's now a CAT 5 hurricane. Loss of life is certain.

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/FLOAT/WV/20.jpg

Ivan the Terrible has earned is name -- the devastation on Grenada was unbelievable -prison got destroyed so all the prisoners take advantage? Nice use of a national tragedy.

I've been to most of the islands it's aiming for, Jamaica, the Caymans -- this is going to kill their season if they can even recover from it.

It's hard....you don't wish anything bad on someone else but Florida has had enough. Send this one west... :mad:

The eye skirted around Jamaica (a little something for them). Now it's predicted to go through the central Gulf and impact between Louisianna and Tallahassee. Damn cones! Don't really tell you anything until it happens.

Just saw on the news right now it's headed straight for Grand Cayman -- which is only a few feet above sea level...

It looks like it's going to miss most of South Florida and the Keys though -- Hopefully Cuba will be lucky too.

I think it's going to hit the Gulf of Mexico.

My grandparents just flew up here to Montreal from Florida to come stay with me because they're getting sick and tired of all these hurricanes.

So this is the 3rd one this year in that area???

4th if you count Bonnie - but that was kinda weak--

Man this son of a bitch is gonna flood us again. I'm in NC and the last one made it rain extensively in our area to the point of 22 inches of rain in some areas (and we're in the fuckin mountains!!). Our local forecaster says the ground is so saturated from the last hurricane that this one could cause really dangerous flooding. Time to break out the umbrellas I suppose!

-Lasereth

They say that it is going to turn slightly to the right---let's hope so, because if it doesn't it's straight line coarse will send it right on the tip of Texas...and we are only 56 miles from the gulf....

there are only three ways out of the Rio Grange valley---two roads lead north and one due west to Laredo. Storms coming on shore from the gulf usually cut right across
both of the northern routes...the one going west is two lane and very low..

hell, everything is low down here...the high spot is on the overpass...

Man, I had thought WE got a lot of rain from Frances..Lasereth...I saw the pictures of the flooding around Asheville, and that area had it a lot worse than we did!!

We leave Friday for our vacation in NC (Murphy area) I hope this one doesnt do the same thing again

I've got a dumb question..I know we (the US) help out areas with supplies and stuff when a natural disater like this happens...if it hits Cuba as badly as Grenada will we help them as well?

I feel sorry for the people who live around the area...boring Washington isn't so bad after all...

Whether they are a friend or not, I think we have a moral obligation to help them. If they get hit even 1/2 as hard as Grenada did, they're screwed, people have so little there to begin with, a hurrican of that magnitude would take it out completely.

meaning less post. Is this third impact? <----ignore if you dont understand reference.


In all seriousness how serious is this hurricane?

What are the implications if this is still a Cat 5 and hits New Orleans? I remember hearing a report on NPR that New Orleans is particularly vulnerable because most of it is actually below sea level, and it would be very difficult to evacuate enough of the city to save everyone. :-/

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh...l/102033.shtml
The last report, issued at 11:00pm Saturday, says, that it's heading for the Gulf of Mexico, but where it will make landfall, they haven't a freakin' clue...

I have a relative who goes to medical school in Grenada. He says the campus is destroyed and is coming home on Monday, having to go through Barbados, Trinidad, and Miami to get to his New Jersey home. Terrible, indeed.

The question is not whether the United States will offer aid (which it surely will), but whether the Cuban government accepts it, or lets pride stand in the way of the welfare of its people.

All I know about the southern states that get hit by hurricanes is what I see on the Weather Channel. Still, Hubby and I were just talking last night about how sad it is that this season has seemed to really be throwing them at those states left and right. I can only hope that Ivan is as far down the alphabet the storms go this year. A few days ago we were shocked to see that a storm was moving inland and was acutually going to survive strong enough to cause weather disturbances in Detroit! (We're across state on Lake Michigan). I couldn't believe a hurricane could be coheisive (sp) enough to last that long over land.

My heart and prayers go out to all of you affected by these distructive storms.

Ali

just past Jamaica...sure is big
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/g...5.1610.1km.jpg

Found this article
Aid to Cuba
Hurricane Ivan renews debate over U.S. aid to Cuba

BY DOREEN HEMLOCK
South Florida Sun-Sentinel


FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - (KRT) - The advance of Hurricane Ivan toward Cuba reopened debate over a months-old policy limiting the aid that Cuban-Americans can send and the trips they can make to the communist-led island.

A group appealed Saturday to President George W. Bush to waive the restrictions on humanitarian grounds, so Cuban-Americans can help Cuba rebuild in the wake of more than $1 billion in damages from Hurricane Charley and soon, additional damages from Ivan.

"There are no words to describe the fear and empathy our community feels for so many family members now bracing for this killer storm," said the open letter to Bush requesting a moratorium on the latest travel curbs and a lifting on restrictions on aid sent.

"We emphasize that this is not a political move. We are faced with a situation where politics must be placed aside and humanity be prioritized," said the letter, signed by Alvaro Fernandez and Silvia Wilhelm of the Miami-based Cuban American Commission for Family Rights, Inc.

But backers of strong measures against Fidel Castro's regime rejected the appeal, arguing that relief aid from the United States likely wouldn't reach the needy anyway.

Anti-Castro activist Ninoska Perez Castellon recalled how Cuba's government diverted some relief supplies sent from Miami after Hurricane Lili in 1996 to Dominican Republic, because it didn't like messages on the packages, such as "Love conquers all." And after Charley this year, Havana rejected a U.S. government offer of $50,000 in aid.

"If lifting the restrictions would help, I'd be for it," said Perez Castellon. "But we've seen from previous hurricanes, the only aid Fidel wants is what he can control."

Added Dennis Hays, former vice president of the Cuban American National Foundation: "The Cuban government has made it clear that it's not interested in humanitarian assistance."

The Bush administration this summer adopted new U.S. Treasury Department rules that limit Cuban-Americans to one visit to the island every three years and restricts the type of goods they can send. For example, clothing and soap can no longer be sent.

The rules also narrow the definition of family only to spouses, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren and siblings, so that Cuban-Americans no longer can visit or send packages to such relatives as cousins or aunts.

Treasury officials say the measures aim to restrict cash and aid to Cuba and can hasten the transition to democracy. But the measures have incensed many recent arrivals from Cuba, who still have strong ties with the island.

<hr>
It will be interesting to see where that goes...

Splck - where did you get that picture? It's awesome!

I read today that cuba is boarding up but a lot of the towns don't have stores in them that have wood for this. That struck me as odd, but then I realized that they are very different from us and castro doesn't let the people enjoy life. It could be really ugly in cuba. I hope not.

There was a news crew there today, they showed one family putting their belongings up on higher ground - -it consisted of two chairs and an old black and white tv set. The buildings there are old and crumbling, some are more 100 years old... tehy won't withstand 150 mile an hour winds... Ugly, I'd say is gonna be an understatement....

From CNN:

Friday, Cuban President Fidel Castro went on national television and warned residents to prepare for the storm.

"Whatever the hurricane does, we will all work together," he said.

Castro added, "From beforehand, I am saying we will not accept any help from those who have applied economic measures against our country. Save the hypocrisy of offering aid to Cuba."

The United States has imposed sanctions against Cuba since 1963 in a bid to isolate Castro.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/09/1...van/index.html

I can understand Castro's hatred for other countries and the double standard it might set in accepting money from certain countries, but DAMN Castro. Your people are going to need some cash and supplies. Maybe the US could slip him some cash under the table.:) What other countries can and will help them?

I would think the only country that Castro hates is the USA because of its policy towards them. I would imagine there would be many countries that, if offered help, they would accept. People in the US might not hear very much about the aid, but it would come in.

We may know a little more about who is going to have to deal with Ivan in a couple of hours now. I honestly don't know who to cross my fingers for since this is obviously going to be about as bad as Hurricane Camille. Good luck and if you're in any of the projected paths then I would make haste and get the heck out.

Overseas we often hear about how destructive these huricanes are to the local population in Florida (and other parts of the Carribean).

A rather depressing recurring theme is how many people lose practically everything, due to the fact that they do not have any insurance.

Is this common? I assume insurance is more expensive in hurricane areas but is it really so expensive so as to warrant people not availing of it? What kind of state aid is possible for these people? Or is it just plain "stupidity" that some just don't take our insurance (though I hate to use that term)?

Mr Mephisto

here in the midwest a lot of people did not have flood insurance back in 93 when the "great flood" hit- it was wild, whole towns on the river flood plains that had not been hit ever were destroyed- totaly wiped out- and most found that their insurance did not cover floods- hurricane insurance is damned expensive from what I have heard- but you gota figure on at least one big motha of a storm every 5 years or so, maybe more- any floridians want to clue us in on how hard the mega corp insurance companies fuck you down there?

I read in an article that people in those areas have gotten used to the relatively weak hurricanes that come every 2 years or so. There haven't been very many large and/or damaging hurricanes hitting Florida for about 30 years. There's been some, but they're relatively infrequent (Andrew in 1992 only hit South Florida, although it did hit HARD). There hasn't been a 1-2 punch like Charley & Frances since the 1960's. So at least for many in Florida, the inclination is to skip the insurance, not build a house capable of withstanding Category 4 hurricane-force winds, and hope the government gives them "emergency aid" if something does happen. :(

Who knows, it may even be cheaper than paying outrageously high premiums for hurricane insurance? :confused:

I know it is more expensive but it's not all about the expense. Aunt C who lives 8 mi from the east coast of Florida got hit by the last hurricane. Her mobile home was ripped open like a sardine can and filled with water. Everything is water damaged and warped. She had the maximum insurance available but apparently there's a law in Florida that limits the amount of insurance she can purchase. She'll only get something in the $20's for the home even though it and most of her belongings are a total loss.

She had taken a few items with her where she holed up during the last storm so at least those are not lost but that's all she has now. She and Granny took off and drove up to Indy when they heard about Ivan on it's way. Thankfully they may not get hit by it except by rain. Sad situation. This Aunt C will be receiving as much help as possible from the family. She had a stroke 2 years ago which has left her with siezures a couple times a week. Her hubby died last year, and now she has no home. I've already mentioned to the family that we can all contribute as much as we can in a month or so once she's been able to take stock of her situation. She is currently living with one of her brothers so has a place to stay for now.

New! 24/7 Emergency Info on XM Radio: Channel 247

http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthr...32#post1409132

The governor of Louisiana has already declared a state of emergency just in cas New Orleans takes a direct hit.

Her in Shreveport, La (in the northern part of the state) we are filling up with evacuees from the South. Every single last hotel room in the city is booked and from some people I have talked to who made the drive today, traffic on the interstates out of NOLA is horrendous.

On a positive note, though, Bourbon street sure could use a good scrubbing - I'm not sure even a hurricane can remove that smell.

AL is also in state of emergency... but my university still hasn't canceled classes. :(

I thought this was a cool pic. It's from the space station.

Here's a larger version of the same pic.
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ima...9/ivan_iss.jpg

That pic kicks ass.

New background, aww yeah!

Destruction aside, I think hurricanes are absolutely stunning.

They really should just name them after females, something about hurricanes capture the raw beauty that only females have.

Remember guys look past the destruction, hurricanes have been here since the dawn of time. Just look at it though...wow

going to nasville - i'll be flying into that this friday

It looks like I am sitting right where it is projected to come ashore. We are planning on riding it out at home. I have not been through a hurricane before so wish me luck. So far all we have is a little wind and some light rain. Don't think that will last very much longer. If you don't hear from me for awhile you will know why.