Prospero

So either we'll get slammed, or wait twiddling our thumbs with nothing. I wonder what will become?? I would prefer thumb twiddling while watching storms try to become something, kind of like Elsa. Yet that does get tiresome. Better than scanning the News channels for anything interesting though.

I've been catching up on work that was kind of pushed aside as it approached us. Now we survived, had our "climax", smoked a cigarette and got back to daily life. Sad to say. Elsa was fun and exciting, but anti-climatic for sure here in the center of the cone. But will take that over and over compared to having absolutely nothing or being totally destroyed. First time I have have been back since early yesterday morning...

High tide is around 10:00 am on Clearwater Beach. Water is coming in on the beach, so there is some surge. Doesn't look too bad though. https://beachresortcondos.com/clearwater-beach-live-webcam.html

Just woke up and checked out the backyard. A few small branches and twigs came down, but pretty mild all in all. Anna Maria Island had a gust to 72 mph at 3:00 am.

Seems like Elsa is a little behind schedule and the onshore wind will be at high tide. 3-5 is about right based on the history around here. It doesn't take much, and there is wind.

Looked best at highest pressure, when a hurricane looked horrible. Been a weird one. As far as here, the Fat Lady has not sung yet, but I'm looking forward to sleep in a couple hours or so with power...

Definitely looks better for us. The strongest winds are a couple hours away, but driving sideways rains are not an issue right now. We are good on rain lately, don't need a few inches. Looks like drier air and clear skies for morning!

Rain has not been too bad here yet. That is nice so far, being outside feeling and listening to the wind is amazing. Not even strong yet but the distinctive sound, the palms swaying wildly, even the giant Live Oaks twisting and dancing due to some "invisible" force is incredible. Wind is one of the most impressive forces on Earth.

Power back on, for now. Appears I was the first to report it for this outage with two blocks out. When I went to the Duke energy outage map, we were first of three areas. Lucky! The trucks were ready and fixed whatever happened, "wind related". It was too early for us. "No way! It hasn't even started yet!!" it's not too bad right now, I was outside almost the whole time...

Power is off!! Hope I will be back...

I hope so. Maybe it is me that will help deflect it if it does, the most excited storm fanatic in Florida. My profile name is "Prospero", the magician who created the Hurricane in the Tempest. But I assure you 100% I did not put any magic into making this a storm. I just watched it play out since day one. I am putting a little magic into having Elsa skip us some pain and misery while being entertainment. Has anybody else figured out that Elsa is somewhat based on Prospero? Elsa is the nickname of Elizabeth. John Dee who Prospero was based on was Elizabeth's astrologer and Dee is known to produce a storm that helped England win a battle with Spain. There is more too. I know, CRAZY talk! LOL

I've been outside enjoying the stiff breeze. It feels so good, so many storms we feel that. It's an awesome experience, watching the clouds fly by with a warm tropical wind from a storm. Yet, it is starting rain and might not stop for a bit. I do see a break in the radar a little while out and will go back out. My yard should be secure as far as flying projectiles that can break windows (mine and my neighbors). All the weak trees are already gone by other storms. South, East, and North is open street and only risks are flying debris from other people's yards. My backyard on the West side is where our tropical oasis is with Palms, 2 old Live Oaks, a small pond, and all of our plants and "stuff." That is our risk factor. I have everything over 3ft put away, and we are protected quite a bit from the wind. But even just now when still standing in the backyard thinking that exact thought, a branch fell when the wind was not even strong. UGH In for a ride, excited, scared, but on my birthday I could not have planned a more invigorating party. Hope no major cost to anyone and not even one life harmed.

Welcome to Pinellas County, FL! Enjoy your stay! The best to place to be (or NOT to be) for Elsa. If the power is on tomorrow, we have great food and fun down here! Come visit Gulfport, not too far and BayNews9 is already here because our cool little town floods in every storm. Not a good thing, but we are kind if used to it.

Looks like a direct hit or just offshore. I heard BayNews9 in the background and they appeared to downplay it. Hope they are right. But no matter what, will be one to remember for sure. 2020 - Ends with Eta in Tampa Bay. 2021 - Begins with Elsa in Tampa Bay. What other populated area ended a year and began one with the same letter? "E" is one for Tampa Bay.

Today is my birthday, 61 years old. I've been in hurricanes, blizzards, ice storms, hail storms, dust storms, everything but a tornado (even though close). I've loved storms since my first taste of a hurricane in 1967 (I think) in Charleston SC. Always wanted to grow up and be a met, but started being an IT/computer guy in '78 soon as I left high school. Tonight might be my most intense night ever, yet have thought that many times and storms do fizzle out. Hopefully Elsa fizzles out and we'll still have some fun.

I'm the "Chicken Little" in my circle of family and friends, but tonight the "Sky might be falling!"

Few of us here in Tampa Bay who post. Count on live video, reports, and photos. Wish us luck, and we'll wish to give good reports. Hate to even say it right now, but in Elsa's words, "Let the storm rage on!"

Our front yard cam: http://007computer.com/camera-1.html It is on 49th Street S. a few blocks from Boca Ciega Bay in Gulfport, FL. I see my backyard Bird Cam is down right now, but will bring it up. Not sure why it went down at the moment. I do have a cam on Clearwater Beach on Surfside Condos for my client: https://beachresortcondos.com/clearwater-beach-live-webcam.html The beach cam will be the one to see when it gets light tomorrow morning if it is still online to see any surge.

Just had our second wave of rain. Another 41 mph gust but lasted a full moment. In spite of my initial "potted plant" placement this morning, a few short annuals I thought were way too heavy to fall off a small block wall came down. Oops. Now I am out doing more prep outside. My wife went through Andrew where their second story condo was impossible to get out of in the morning due to gravel and landscaping rocks building a drift in front of the outside door. The condo building was destroyed and they moved to Orlando to start a new life. Yea, we are in for a white-knuckle ride for tonight. Power is almost definite to go out. I didn't put up plywood on the windows (what a pain in the butt), hoping that was not a huge error. Maybe watching a few of these storm forums where most people say, "Elsa is dead," or "What a waste of time watching" has some risk! I'm home now for the night. Will be online as long as power is on.

I love a good storm, but a little concerned. Hermine, Irma, and Eta took out any weak trees in and next to our yard so what we have left (two very large strong Live Oaks) should hold up pretty well. Yet still a lot of their old branches will fall and some of them can be heavy indeed. The power grid is much better since Irma as Duke rebuilt much of it, but still expecting power to go out. I just hope its not weeks for it to come back on like with Irma.

41 mph gust here in Gulfport just now with a little rain blob coming through.

My wife and I just rolled in our SunSetter canopy. We haven't done that since Hurricane Eta last November. I'll take down bird feeders later today, but moving vulnerable potted plants to more secure areas now. Wind chines have to go down.

Looks like the LLC is here this morning.

000 WTNT35 KNHC 052351 TCPAT5 BULLETIN Tropical Storm Elsa Intermediate Advisory Number 22A NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL052021 800 PM EDT Mon Jul 05 2021 ...ELSA PASSING JUST EAST OF HAVANA CUBA WITH HEAVY RAINS... ...EXPECTED TO MOVE NEAR THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS ON TUESDAY... SUMMARY OF 800 PM EDT...0000 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...22.9N 81.9W ABOUT 30 MI...50 KM E OF HAVANA CUBA ABOUT 115 MI...185 KM S OF KEY WEST FLORIDA MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...50 MPH...85 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...NW OR 325 DEGREES AT 13 MPH...20 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1008 MB...29.77 INCHES DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK ---------------------- At 800 PM EDT (0000 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Elsa was located by radars from Key West, Florida, and Havana, Cuba, near latitude 22.9 North, longitude 81.9 West. Elsa is moving toward the northwest near 13 mph (20 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue tonight, followed by a turn toward the north-northwest on Tuesday, and a turn toward the north on Tuesday night. A north-northeastward motion is expected on Wednesday. On the forecast track, Elsa should emerge off the coast western Cuba during the next hour or so, move into the Florida Straits this evening, and pass near the Florida Keys early Tuesday. Elsa is then forecast to move near or over portions of the west coast of Florida by late Tuesday and continuing into Wednesday. Data from the NOAA Doppler weather radar in Key West indicate that maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts over water. Some restrengthening is forecast after Elsa moves over the Straits of Florida tonight and over the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday. An Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft is en route to investigate Elsa once the storm moves back over water. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles (110 km), mainly north through northeast of the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1008 mb (29.77 inches).

41 mph gust at Surfside Condos on Clearwater Beach. But that's not uncommon during thunderstorm season.