September 10 thru 12, 2017


News and Views


SEPTEMBER 12 STORM UPDATE:

MY INTERNET HAS BEEN DOWN FOR THREE DAYS, SO NO NEWS COLLECTED AFTER THE 9TH. I WILL HAVE A GO AT IT AGAIN TOMORROW, THE 13TH.

WE HAD AN EMERGENCY WARNING OF FLASH FLOODING IN AREAS NEAR THE RIVER WHICH ARE NEWLY THREATENED TODAY (THE 9TH) AS THE STORM SURGE HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE HIGHER THAN EXPECTED. I WAS TOLD THAT SINCE IT IS A TIDAL RIVER, THE ST. JOHNS DOESN’T FLOOD, BUT THAT’S CLEARLY NOT TRUE.

THE CENTER OF THE STORM WAS IN JACKSONVILLE TODAY, AND THANKFULLY IS VERY MUCH WEAKENED. IT HAS BEEN RAINING, AND THE WIND BLEW AGAINST THE WINDOWS ALL NIGHT. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF DEBRIS AND PROBLEMATIC FLOODING IN RIVERSIDE AND DOWNTOWN BESIDE THE WATER. I’VE SEEN NO REPORT OF SEVERE DAMAGE, BUT IN RIVERSIDE THE RIVER LITERALLY HAD WAVES ON IT DUE TO THE TIDE AND THE WIND.

THERE ARE TWO PIECES OF HAPPY NEWS: LAST NIGHT’S NEWS FOOTAGE SHOWED A SIZABLE CATFISH WHICH MADE ITS’ WAY, PROBABLY THROUGH THE STORM DRAINS, ONTO ONE OF THE DOWNTOWN STREETS AND WAS HAPPILY SWIMMING ABOUT. VERY CUTE! BUT THE BEST NEWS IS THAT I JUST NOW SAW, IN BETWEEN ROW AFTER ROW OF GRAY CLOUDS, A SMALL BUT DEFINITE PIECE OF CLEAR BLUE SKY. IF THE PAST PATTERN WITH THESE STORMS HOLDS, TOMORROW WILL HAVE A BRILLIANTLY BLUE SKY AND SUNSHINE.