http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010805/ts/weather_barry_dc.html

Sunday August 5 2:00 PM ET

Tropical Storm Barry Heads Toward Florida

By Brett Graff

MIAMI (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Barry approached hurricane status on Sunday as forecasters warned residents of coastal areas in the Florida panhandle to take precautions to protect life and property.

Barry's maximum winds had increased to 70 mph by mid-day Sunday, and the storm had expanded outward to include areas within 115 miles of its center, the National Hurricane Center (news - web sites) said.

Barry was located 140 miles south of Walton County, Florida, and its center was headed toward Okaloosa County, where officials had advised some residents to evacuate even as the sun broke through clouds over most of the county.

``If they're going to evacuate, we want them to leave now before the traffic jams start,'' said John Hodgkinson, the county's emergency coordinator. ``We're getting a mass exodus from the tourists leaving.''

Barry's biggest threat was the flooding that could result from heavy rains and storm surge. Forecasters predicted rainfall of 8-10 inches and isolated tornadoes in the area on Sunday as the storm approached land.

Escambia County, lying east of Okaloosa and including the Gulf coastal city of Pensacola, began draining retention ponds designed to capture overflowing water, said Ashley Chisholm, spokeswoman for the Department of Public Safety.

In pockets of the county, rainfall could exceed predictions as it has during past storms, Chisholm said. While three shelters with capacity to hold 3,250 people have opened, the county had not yet begun ordering evacuations, she said.

In Santa Rosa County, officials were paying close attention to the hurricane's potential effects on the county's many campgrounds that are crossed by rivers and streams, said Don Chinery, a public affairs officer.

``The winds are not going to be as big a problem as the rain,'' he said.

The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning stretching from Pascagoula, Mississippi, near the Alabama border, to the Ochlockonee River, near Tallahassee. A tropical storm warning extended west to Grand Isle, Louisiana, 50 miles south of New Orleans, and east to the mouth of the Suwanee River in Florida.

``It will be hurricane right before it hits, but then it would weaken again,'' National Hurricane Center meteorologist Krissy Williams said.

A tropical storm, which has wind speeds of at least 39 mph, becomes a hurricane when winds top 74 mph.

At 11 a.m. EDT, the storm was located at latitude 28.4 north, longitude 86.4 west.

Forecasters expect the storm to make landfall sometime late Sunday or Monday near Pensacola, in the western part of the Florida panhandle. Barry could produce storm-surge flooding of 4-5 feet near and to the east of where it makes landfall, forecasters said. Parts of Florida were inundated with as much as 13 inches of rain Thursday as Barry coalesced and made its way into the Gulf.

BEACHES VIRTUALLY DESERTED

In Panama City Beach, Florida, gray skies, bigger waves and moderate rain began early Sunday, leaving the beaches virtually deserted except for a few die-hard wave watchers and surfers.

``We're still not real worried here,'' said Kevin Brackins, general manager of the beachfront Chateau Motel. ``Even if it goes to a Category 1 hurricane, we've had thunderstorms worse than that roll through.''

A Category 1 hurricane packs winds of 74-95 mph.

Upper-level winds that had kept Barry from gaining energy from the warm Gulf water weakened overnight, causing the meandering storm to pick up forward speed and wind strength, forecasters said.

But since Barry is a slow-moving storm and does not have much time to gain momentum over the Gulf, forecasters expect it to slow considerably and weaken once it skids ashore. Tropical Storm Allison made landfall in a similar fashion in June, then lingered and caused widespread flooding across southeastern Texas and Louisiana.

``We don't expect it to stick around as long as Allison, but it could bring some heavy rains,'' Williams said.

Allison and its remnants lasted 11 days and caused flooding as far north as Pennsylvania. The storm killed at least 23 people and caused $4 billion in damage in Houston alone. The worst of it came long after Allison lost its tropical storm status.

Barry is the second named system of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

The offshore havoc caused by Barry prompted several oil companies to curtail operations and evacuate thousands of workers from offshore rigs.

Exxon Mobil Corp., BP Plc., Unocal Corp. and Texaco Inc. said they had evacuated workers, and Royal Dutch/Shell and Chevron Corp. also suspended some oil and natural gas production.

-- (in@the.news), August 05, 2001

Answers

This is a job for.............

DYNO-GEL! http://www.dynomat.com/gel.shtml

Of course this can only be acheived with non-exsistent chemtrails; however, please ignore all minor details

-- KoFE (your@town.USSA), August 05, 2001.

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010806/ts/weather_barry_dc.html

Monday August 6 2:42 AM ET

Tropical Storm Hits Florida, Flooding Feared

By Brett Graff

MIAMI (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Barry made landfall on Florida's panhandle early on Monday, packing winds just short of hurricane strength and the threat of flooding.

With maximum sustained winds remaining near 70 mph, the storm moved north at 8 mph, the National Hurricane Center (news - web sites) reported at 2 a.m..

The center of the storm came ashore near the town of Destin, 60 miles west of Panama City.

``The main thing we're concerned with is the heavy rainfall,'' said meteorologist Trisha Wallace. ``We're expecting 8 to 10 inches of rain. This may cause inland flooding, because the storm is moving so slowly.''

Barry's path would take the storm north over southern Alabama during the day, she said. It remained a strong tropical storm, which has wind speeds of at least 39 mph, but it failed to gain hurricane strength of 74 mph.

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush urged people to pay close heed to evacuation warnings.

``While we have lots of science (to make predictions), this is not an exact science,'' Bush said, ``So people need to take seriously the call to be very cautious about what they do.''

In Walton County, officials called for voluntary evacuations and encouraged people in low-lying areas, mobile homes and travel trailers to take refuge at shelters, said county spokeswoman Heather Wellman.

Ian Stern, a spokesman with the U.S. Air Force's 16th Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field near Fort Walton Beach, said more than 32 C-130s and helicopters and their crews were moved to Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas as a safety precaution because of the approaching storm.

Nancy Retherford, a Red Cross disaster relief worker stationed at Fort Walton Beach, said traffic heading north seemed to get heavier late (on) Sunday.

``People are being smart. They are waiting until the evacuation recommendations are being made and they seem to be taking appropriate measures,'' she said.

Photos

Reuters Photo In nearby Franklin County, officials ordered residents to leave barrier islands accessible only by boat.

In Pensacola, officials decided to close the regional airport at 9 p.m. EDT on Sunday. Travelers scheduled to fly on Monday were advised to call the airport first to check its status, an airport spokeswoman said.

Barry could produce storm-surge flooding of 4 to 5 feet near and to the east of where it makes landfall, forecasters said. Parts of Florida were inundated with as much as 13 inches of rain on Thursday as Barry coalesced and made its way into the Gulf.

Offshore, the havoc caused by Barry prompted oil companies to curtail operations and evacuate thousands of workers from drilling rigs.

Exxon Mobil Corp, BP Plc, Unocal Corp. and Texaco Inc said they had evacuated workers, and Royal Dutch/Shell and Chevron Corp. also suspended some oil and natural gas production.

Barry is the second named system of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

-- (in@the.news), August 06, 2001.