Tropical Storm ELSA

[jleonard]

We only got about 1 1/2 inch of rain and not much wind, maybe 30 mph here in New Port Richey. The center is past us now. I think we got spared.

 

[ranger58sb]

We had rain, off and on... but I didn't notice much in the way of wind. I slept through it, anyway. Thunderstorm and more rain now.

-Chris

 

[BandB]

Fortunately, it appears we've lucked out and Elsa is going to hit as only a tropical storm. While it can still cause some damage, it should be minimal and we need to be very careful to distinguish from hurricanes or yet we replay the story of Chicken Little. Looks like worst storm surge will be in the range of 4-6'. I'm glad to be wrong and for us to have a storm for once that does not hit with more force than originally forecast.

 

[Seevee]

WOW, did we luck out! This storm was minuscule compared to the forecast.

I WAY over prepared, however, no regrets. I really thought the surge would have been a lot worse but wasn't. High tide was about an hour ago and the water barely splashing over the dock a bit.

Between me and my Admiral, we got up to check about 5 or 6 times throughout the night and occasionally winds gusting to perhaps 45 or 50, but overall, much lighter than expected.

No damage that I could see, and usually we get parts of other folks docks, toys and kids that float down to us. Nothing.

The photo was taken about 1 hr past high tide and I would have expected that dock box to be underwater, but minimal.

Hard to get perspective, but the boat is 6 feet at the closest to the dock and about 15 feet from the mangroves on the other side. There are nine lines holding the boat in place and it just floated there thru the whole event. Now I have to retrieve all those lines and anchors.... grrrr. But, better safe than sorry.

 

[OldDan1943]

I am sure the local Miami media was greatly disappointed when Elsa shifted west and they did not have the opportunity to use all the traditional 'catch phrases' associated with a direct or near miss hurricane.

 

[friz]

Elsa was a "nothing burger". Lots of blessed, continuous rain and a few thunderstorms. Wind was light. Rained from about 0300 Wednesday until 2000. Lake came maybe 10' up the bank. Tropical storms are good.

 

[Group9]

A couple of years back one would be happy to be right on the forecast track line.

If you were on the track line, the storm would always find a way to weave or dodge off the line, but NOAA is getting better. It seems the track forecasts are spot on. Their intensity forecast abilities are much less accurate. Hopefully this one just falls apart.

I remember the jokes from years back. "We are directly in the path to be hit five days from now, so we're good!"

But, these days, it's no joke to be in the direct path five days out, you know it's a pretty good chance it's going to at least wing you.

 

[rgano]

I still don't mind being on the predicted track at five days out because it always moves off us, almost always curing eastward. What I do not want to be is off to the east of the track at just about anytime. Being on the line at less than three days gets us a bit nervy.