Tropical storm Debby has all the earmarks of a trickster. She formed in the Gulf of Mexico last week, the first time since record keeping of storms began in 1851 that there have been four named storms in June.
Initially, the National Hurricane Center predicted that she would strike somewhere along the Louisiana or Texas coast. There was apparently a system to the northwest of the storm that the meteorologists believed would sweep Debby up, propelling her toward those states. But Debby had a few tricks up her sleeve. She decided to linger in the gulf and stopped moving at all. A stationary storm often strengthens and usually drives meteorologists nuts as they try to figure out where the storm will go.
While Debby was stationary, powerful bands of rain have been pummeling the state. At one point on Sunday (June 24), Florida was invisible on the radar, covered with bands of green, yellow and red. Tropical storm force winds extend 230 miles from Debby’s center, so many parts of the state are already under flood watches – and tornado warnings.
As of this morning, June 25, Debby’s predicted path had done a 180. She’s now headed for Florida’s west coast, somewhere near Tampa, and is expected to cross the state and exit into the Atlantic. In her slow, tortuous journey, she’s expected to dump about 20 inches of rain. Parts of the state are already flooded, 35,000 homes and businesses are without power, and two dozen tornadoes have touched down in various counties and done some damage. So, the governor has declared a state of emergency, which means all state agencies can immediately provide help to any county governments that request it.
Our back yard, though, loves the two inches of rain our area got yesterday.
And our daughter took a photo of a guy windsurfing on the lake at her dog park in Orlando.
Accuweather meteorologists are concerned that Debby could re-intensify once she hits the Atlantic, and then strike the east coast of Florida. Now that would be the ultimate trickster ploy. In the meantime, we’re enjoying the fact that our drought is definitely over.
Yesterday (Wednesday) I was unable to be on the computer for any length of time due to symptoms, Planetary Empaths: I had the worst headache I have had in thirtyone years, all day long. It was simply awful. I had headaches when we ived in GA, but left them there when we moved to FL. except when connetced to planetary events. Yesterday my head hurt so badly I feared I might be on the edge of a stroke and took my BP and vitals pretty much off and on all day. Tylenol did nothing to relieve the pain. It was concentrated on the right side of my head, temporal and crown region. I never had migraines. This headache was accompanied by severe dizziness and nausea and I was stumbling. Haven’t had any indication about HongKong, but definitely am KNOWING something pretty devastating is brewing and upsetting the balance of the planet. Today, Thursday, the headache began again when I woke up but now I just feel queasy and dizzy and very much out of sorts. Something is certainly imminent, guys. Wish we could tell exactly when, what, and where. Right side of me with symptoms always means to the east of my location. Left side of me with symptoms always means to the west of me. My eyes are hurting and watering a lot. This is also new, but may be relative to the fires in CO although I experienced burning sensations in my throat and eyes as they began and no longer have them since the fires erupted in earnest. Generally once the event manifests, my symptoms decrease. They are not decreasing, so whatever it is hasn’t happened yet.
True. Even though there is so very much rain and so many roads are flooded and closed, the heat is almost intolerable. Forecasters are predicting temps (real, not heat index) in the high 90s over this next weekend after the rain moves on across. Surely hope Debby doesn’t do one of those turn-around trips these things on occasion have been known to do. A few years ago, the same hurricane looped back and forth across the FL peninsula several times before it finally moved on out into the eastern Atlantic. What a mess that was! People evacuated to places we were told would be safe, and those places would get hit, then move to another place, and it would be hit. It was one heckava ride.
I am not at all surprised at these weather patterns. I felt that there would be a lot and many affecting more along the east coast.
When Debby took a turn NE even my husband raised an eyebrow at me!
I’ve been having terrible fatigue and headaches this week, I thought it was Fibro related but am now wondering if any other P. Empaths are feeling anything. I’ve been dizzy too. I keep feeling an earthquake or something. I am also concerned with The Hong Kong area.
Glad that you are ok Trish and Rob!
Nancy A just sent me an email asking if I’d heard from any of the other planetaries.. she’s feeling strange, too. Hong Kong? Maybe someone else will have a comment about that.
well, at the precise moment i clicked onto your page just now, your text message came in on my phone – don’t know what’s been up with the net at our house except for thunder storms every day for several days -and the net went down – so glad storm is by passing you all but for the good drenching all the plants needed – today cooler temps and a fantastic breeze – truly a beautiful day –
really sad to have one state inundated with water and another burning to a crisp as cj mentions –
Spread the water wealth around! Glad you’ve got internet again, Gypsy. Really hot and very windy here today.
As most folks here on the blog know, we live on the NE coast of FL, on the beach. Usually at low tide, there is about three-fourths of a mile of dry sand before the surf line. The past couple of days at low tide, there has been NO dry sand. High tides are covering the dunes. Our downtown seawall is breached and the historic downtown district is flooded; stupid kids were behind trucks with enormous tires being pulled on their surfboards through the deep water covering the main street there…..until the cops got them. We needed rain, but this much this fast is more than our FL towns can handle, as demonstrated. I wish some of this deluge could somehow go to Colorado, which is burning itself away with unprecedented wildfires. About these tropical systems, though, the “experts” predicted a “mild” season with few named storms. The season begins June 1. We had two named storms in May, before the season even started, and usually the worst is in late August and September, yet here we are in June and have four named storms. Climate change, anybody?????
I’ve been watching Debby’s path anxiously, since my sister lives in a mobile home 36 miles from the west coast. She’s fine, except for the massive amounts of rain that have fallen. Glad to hear you are all right, too. Now I can just watch and be amazed at the strange path Debby has taken.
The west coast of florida has really been hit with rain. Tampa received record amounts of rainfall. Your sister is in sarasota, right?
I hadn’t heard about Debby, that’s a lot of rain and flooding. It’s strange because in England and Wales June has been a washout. It should be dry, sunny and warm but it has been constant rain with flooding in some parts, lots of flood warnings. In places up to a months rain in a few hours. The rivers can’t take it (especially as building has been carried out on flood plains).
Hope you stay safe, at least you have some happy plants!
Climate change?
Could be but nature often corrects itself. Before the deluge in England much of the east half of the country had water restrictions because of drought – no hosepipe use etc. Needless to say these have now been lifted!
Glad you are safe and sound. Your plants do look happy, albeit drenched. We experienced a pretty good shake the other night. In fact I heard a very loud crack – like a gun or explosion and then we really rocked and rolled for about 20 seconds. The trembler was about six miles from us and was a 4.2. I can’t remember the last time my house moved like that – it’s been years.
Stay dry!
And stay steady!
I don[t feel this storm is being any threat to us. But it’s certainly a Smeagol in disguise and has created misery for a lot of people.