There has been a lot of concern over the past 2 days about Hanna and Ike. I have been looking at the forecast models and it appears as if Hanna will stay off the coast of Florida by at least 100 miles (eye to land), eventually making landfall somewhere in South Carolina, * and Ike may graze the keys on its way into the gulf (*Edited 9/7/08).

For the Volusia County area, this means we will get some modest rain, medium winds (<50 MPH) and plenty of beach erosion for continued damage to our beaches. Low-lying areas should take flooding precautions. More updates will be posted if the path changes and either storm threatens the Daytona Beach area more than currently predicted.

All the news is a-buzz about Fay breaking apart. It almost looks like the eye has enlarged to neary 50 miles wide at this point. Big eyes are better than small ones (...as far as hurricanes go). So, this means the storm is moving at a slow pace and will be affecting our area for at least 2 more days. Winds at my house have never exceeded 20 MPH so far. Stay tuned.

I have been running the GFSX models again and they differ from what the mainstream media has been saying about the predicted course. Keep in mind, the DWG plot is just a guess based on variables present at the time. This is by no means inteded to alarm you, or to be used for emergency planning. Always consult the experts in this field.

Its still to early to say for sure, but if it becomes the next named storm, Fay, could potentially hit Florida. Some models have it skirting the Eastern coast of Florida and some newer models have it following a path much like Hurricane Charlie did in 2004. Stay tuned.

Time to cool off. It looks like we survived a fairly un-eventful hurricane season. The cool weather is a welcome change from the heat of the summer. I will post freeze events and things of that nature to these message boards but other than that, don't expect much activity in the message board.

Hurricane Dean is on the way. It will probably be going into the Gulf of Mexico and is unlikely to hit Florida if the current models are used. More information about the hurricane will be posted as it gets closer to Florida and the Gulf.

Now for the fun stuff

If you are interested in wagering in the office pool on the landfall...

Betting opens on August 17th at 6:00pm. (E.S.T) (GMT/ZULU - 5hrs)
All Bets must be sent by August 22nd at NOON (E.S.T) (GMT/ZULU - 5hrs)

You get only 1, one dollar pick. Nobody under 18 yrs old may participate.
Name the City and the State/Country you think will be the last official NOAA eye landfall point. Closest to the pin wins!
Send all bets to HurricaneBet@Gmail.com
The message header's sent time/date will be used as your official submission time.

The Point System is as follows...

• 75 Points for THE CLOSEST pick for the landfall location. (Enters Finals)

• 50 Points for SECOND (Next) Closest Pick to the landfall location. (Enters Finals)

• 1 Point for each hour that passes from the time of your bet until the last official eye landfall happens as estimated by NOAA.

The winner will be decided by who has the most points of the top 2 finalists (Winner takes All)
Ties will be broken by a coin flip.

Shortly after betting closes I will send out the list of all the bets and times they were sent. If multiple people pick the same city, the time of the bet will be the deciding factor as seen in the point system. If you win, it will be your own responsibilty to collect your dollar from all the loosers.

Have fun... and all kidding and gamesmenship aside, think about the folks affected by the storm and remember that someday it could happen here.

Don't be afraid to send money or supplies to the Red Cross, Salvation Army or any other organization that helps with relief efforts to our fellow Earthlings.

Question: How do you know it is after lunchtime in Daytona?
Answer: Look at the sky

It appears that the afternoon storms are back. Be prepared for heavy rain, lightning and strong winds anytime after 12:00 noon. This is seasonal weather we used to get most of the Summer in the past but due to various weather patterns, we have been gone without.

Is this a look at the crystal ball for the hurricane future? Nobody can be sure. The Bermuda high (Pressure System) is a little further to the North this year so Florida is more exposed to the wrath of hurricanes.

Also Note: I have recently changed the Java Animation on the main page. It now shows the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean more than the floater did. This is also using a newer "Rainbow" infrared image enhancement system that makes spotting strong storms much easier.

To fix contact with Trancek