They're pulling down these stories as quickly as possible, so just for the record ...
/I'd meant to record last night's press coverage promising total disaster for Miami, but the articles had all been erased by the time I want back to capture them. So here's one from today's coverage:
AP: "Hurricane Irma Pummels Florida; This One Scares Me"
MIAMI (AP) — A monster Hurricane Irma roared into Florida with 130 mph winds Sunday for what could be a sustained assault on nearly the entire Sunshine State, submerging streets, knocking out power to millions and snapping construction cranes over the Miami skyline.
The 400-mile-wide (640-kilometer-wide) storm blew ashore in the morning in the mostly cleared-out Florida Keys and then began a slow march up the state’s west coast. Forecasters said it could hit the heavily populated Tampa-St. Petersburg area by Monday morning.
“Pray, pray for everybody in Florida,” Gov. Rick Scott said on “Fox News Sunday” as some 116,000 people statewide waited it out in shelters.
And for objective reporting, here's Mike Finkbeiner, commenting on EOS's blog (note that "negative" figures are heights below normal, mean high water)
North eye wall on top on Naples and Mike Bettis TWC now.
He is reporting gusts 44mph, sustained at 25mph. That would be true.
The open sky eye will be over him in 30 minutes. Sunny conditions, calm winds coming.
Hope he reports a pleasant afternoon in Naples.
Jim Cantore TWC in Fort Meyers reporting no winds.
Mike Bettis is in the north side eye wall. Reporting gusts to 57/now 50 mph and no damage. Blue sky about to open over him.
I am beginning to wonder if the 6 million people under mandatory evacuation have a class action suit for their expenses and compensation for unnecessary displacement.
3:32 pm – Key West about to break out into post-storm clearing. Blue skies. Winds 34 knots (1 knot = 1.1 miles per hour.)
3:35pm – Key Biscayne near Miami. Winds 43 knots gusting to 57. Surge 4 ft and falling. This seems to be the worst yet.
3:37 pm – Mike Bettis TWC – Naples gusts to 60 (he says, his body says different) NOAA says winds at 24 knots at 3:24 pm. He says live radar is real time.. Radar says he is entering the eye. Visually, winds are dying.
ANONYMOUS
The helmets they’ve been wearing are a nice touch. Stand by for the “worst which is about to come.”
3:40 pm -Mike Bettis TWC Naples- Wind dying and turning. Radar shows a double eyewall – storm seems to be falling apart.
3:42 pm TWC report that National Weather Service NWS says “surge immenent.” NOAA tide station: Surge rises from minus 4.5 to minus 4 ft.
3:43 pm TWC Dr Navarro in studio asks for hand wind gauge reading – MB: Reading gust of 60. Dr N: Any lighting? MB: No. Palms vertical. No flying debris. Dr N: Drier air has worked its way into core now. Likely to see falling winds.
3:50pm Mike Bettis-TWC-Naples “Maybe the saving grace is the angle of approach. Otherwise the surge would be 20 ft.”
3:52pm ditto -No tree damage. “The great thing about palms is they really take the wind.” (Not a broken branch or flying leaves in sight.)
3:55pm Dr Navarro TWC – “The surge will arrive in 2 hours.” “We are estimating a 15 ft surge in Naples.”
3:57pm Mike Bettis TWC “Power Companies estimate 10 million to be without power.”
4:08 pm Earthimage radar observation. No SW quadrant to radar. Eye disappearing.
4:09 pm Dr Navarro TWC “Naples is 15 minutes from blue skyes.”
Official Weather at Naples Airport:
http://w1.weather.gov/data/obhistory/KAPF.html
9/10/17 1:53pm wind-NE 49 Gusts 71
2:52pm readings N/A4:27pm Dr. Navarro TWC “Sustained winds 95 mph at Naples Airport.”
4:38pm ditto “We are within 15 minutes of seeing a change.” “The eyewall is wandering about.”
4:41pm Dr. Brian Norcross TWC “I don’t know that you are going to get the eyewall.”
NOAA Naples Tide Station data for storm surge:
09/10/2017 15:54:00 EDT -4.71
09/10/2017 16:00:00 EDT -4.76
09/10/2017 16:12:00 EDT -4.09
09/10/2017 16:18:00 EDT -2.70
09/10/2017 16:24:00 EDT -1.81
09/10/2017 16:30:00 EDT -0.99
09/10/2017 16:36:00 EDT -0.30
5:03pm Mike Bettis in Naples – Sunshine and thumbs up signal.
5:26pm Steph. Abrams on the S. side of the Manatee River on the south side of Tampa Bay: to Mike Bettis “There is no back side of the eyewall.” (EI-She is at low tide now with a surge of minus 3.5 ft. Actual tide at Mean Low minus 2 ft.) SA: “I am afraid about water coming over the seawall.” (Power is on at both locations.)
EI: I am only doing this for the entertainment value now. Florida Class Action Attorneys- Call me.
