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Hanna’s southerly winds blew water out of the creeks and for a few hours Saturday afternoon, it exposed much more of shoreline than we usually see. Here, the remainders of an old dock can be seen, between the kayak dock and the bridge.

Sunday September 7, 2008

8:18a: The highest winds recorded yesterday at the Oriental Weather Station were 52mph. Dave Cox says his boat’s wind gauge at Oriental Harbor Marina read 66mph. But, as tropical storms go, Hanna was mild and brief. See photos from Hanna’s visit – click here.

A chance of rain, but basically a mostly sunny day ahead in the Oriental NC weather forecast.

Hanna is still a tropical storm, this morning blowing by Maine. Hurricane Ike is back at Category 4 strength (135mph), on a course to Cuba and then into the Gulf. Louisiana or even Texas could be in Ike’s ultimate path.

There is a show opening today at the Circle 10 Gallery – reception 2 – 4pm.

Saturday September 6, 2008

5:12p: Hanna has passed. The village is calm. Storm Hanna is entering New Jersey, experiencing her first toll highways. How fast is Hanna moving? Here’s how fast. Hanna blew over Goldsboro this morning (BBQ at Wilbers). Now in New Jersey at Exit 4 (bagel and lox), Sunday morning Hanna is in Maine (lobster), and Monday morning in Newfoundland (she washes it all down with a bottle of dark rum).

One can only imagine the anxiety felt by Louisiana residents watching Hurricane Ike’s projected path. Ike now seems very unlikely to come our way, with the 5p update showing an even more southerly track through Cuba and into the Gulf.

Josephine has dissipated, and right now there are no likely new storms in the coming few days. The next names on tap for 2008 storms? We have Kyle, Laura, Marco and Nana.

Nana?

4:10p: This has turned out to simply be a beautiful day. RiverCam tells that story better than words. A small chance of showers, but the Oriental NC forecast looks OK for the next couple days. After today’s high winds, Sunday will be a calm day to go boating.

Oh yeah. Power is back around town… you can pick your favorite restaurant and safely assume they will be open.

10:52a: The 11am Tropical Storm Hanna update is now online. Hanna’s eye is now at the North Carolina / Virginia border. The weather radar seems to indicate that the worst of Hanna has past.

Hurricane Ike’s path has trended even farther south (and away). Ike now is forecast to run through Cuba, and it sure looks like New Orleans could be in Ike’s path.

Josephine has been downgraded to a tropical depression, and is no longer a cause for concern. The National Hurricane Center says Josephine is kaput, over, buh-bye. They are no longer tracking Josephine.

10:47a: The power situation is quite variable. Some locations are restored, but still many residents around Oriental have been without power since about 7am. ( TownDock.net’s computers, weather station and cams have been kept up by a combination of generator and battery backup. TownDock’s Engineering Dept is proud, however some staffers complain the generator will not also run the toaster ). There is visible tree damage around town, but by no means extreme. Still, it is enough to cause power to be down at many homes and businesses. The Bean, Oriental Harbor Deli, M & M’s Cafe, Village Hardware and the Provision Company are open with power. No power at West Marine, but Doug has the doors open for biz anyway. Town & Country Grocery and Brantley’s are not open at this writing – waiting for power.

9:46a: Power is back at many locations around the village. The wind is more southwest right now. Check the weather radar – you can see we are on the backside of Hanna. There has been almost no rain since sunrise, and just a half inch overnight.

8:22a: Police Chief Jeff Casassa tells us power is off all over the village. It does appear power is still on across the bridge. The Bean is just opening (under generator power) – a caffeine deprived crowd is watching as the first coffee is served. Walking on Hodges Street, winds are very strong but there is little or no rain.

We had some problems under severe load (fancy talk for lotsa people reading) with the TownDock server between 7:45a and 8a, but we are pleased to report that additional squirrels have been hired and all is well now.

7:33a: Winds above 50mph now being measured – check the Live Wind Gauge.

7:22a: Hmmmm… it IS getting breezy. Gusts 30 to 40 now common. And the power just went out in Oriental (TownDock.net is now operating its equipment via generator and battery backup).

6:37a: Good morning. We are in the midst of Hanna. As expected the winds are southerly – so no flooding at this hour. The highest winds recorded thus far at The Oriental Weather Station (from TownDock.net’s home next to the Duck Pond) were 46mph at 6:16am. At this writing gusts in the 30mph range seem frequent. Nothing too bad. Folks west of the eye (like in Raleigh) may see more extreme conditions than we will here in Oriental. We have had just a half inch of rain since midnight – reports from the Goldsboro area indicate they have had 2 to 3 inches.

Tropical Storm Hanna track is just as forecast. You can keep track of the winds on the Live Wind Gauge and rain amounts are reported as part of the Oriental NC weather forecast. The Weather Radar is interesting to watch.

You can watch the storm on:
• HarborCam
• RiverCam
• MarkerCam

Tropical storms (like Hanna) are one thing, but powerful hurricanes are a very different beast… read today’s Dock Quote.

Meanwhile, about that Ike fellow. Hurricane Ike’s projected track keeps pushing south (and away from us). The latest projections look like Ike might do a Havana to New Orleans run.

Friday September 5, 2008

11:08p: Just hints of Hanna so far… the wind has been picking up in the past hour, but still just about 20mph at this writing. The 11pm update shows Hanna tracking as forecast, with high winds remaining at 70mph. We expect tropical storm conditions sometime during the night and early morning hours. The latest Tropical Storm Hanna Public Advisory says we we should look out for 3 to 7 inches of rain.

Hurricane Ike continues west, and the projected path has ebbed further south. If this path holds true in coming days Ike will not be visiting anywhere near us – indeed it looks like it could end up threatening first the Florida Keys and then the Gulf states.

While you wait for the storm, enjoy some more photos of people preparing for Hanna… shutters, lines, knots and waves.

5:10p: At 5pm Hanna is some 240 miles south of Wilmington, NC – Hanna is moving north at 20mph, a speed that is expected to increase. Maximum sustained winds are 70mph. Tropical Storm Hanna’s projected track has moved slightly east, but still is expected to pass well to our west.

The weather this afternoon has been the classic tropical storm mix. Some heavy rain with wind, then 30 minutes later sunny and still. The air is veryyy humid. The highest winds so far were mid morning at 27mph. Later tonight should be a bit breezier.

The 5pm update on Hurricane Ike still has the southern tip of Florida in the projected track. Ike is looking more like a storm that wants to visit Duval Street rather than Hodges Street. We’ll get over the slight.

11:07a: Every now and then we humans need a reminder of who is in charge around here. Mom Nature is starting to do just that at this hour – heavy rains coming down on Oriental as the first bands of Hanna are appearing. The 11am Hanna update remains consistent – Tropical Storm Hanna has 65 mph winds, and is expected to dump 4-6 inches of rain.

Meanwhile Ike’s path continues to ebb south – now Ike is projected to skirt the southern Florida coast and head into the Gulf. Welcome news in Oriental NC perhaps, but Ike is still a ways away – and that path has plenty of time to change.

8:00a: Hanna’s 8am update is pretty much the same as earlier today – read below. Around the county, Pamlico Community College will close at noon today. Effective at 4pm today the college is making available the Johnson Building as a public shelter for those seeking refuge from Tropical Storm Hanna.

6:08a: Hanna is a biggg storm… not the most powerful, but a storm that will effect a very large area. Already this morning we are getting hints of Hanna’s arrival. The winds have been picking up all night… blowing in the teens to near 20 at this writing.

The 5am update on Hanna is encouraging. It remains a strong tropical storm, not quite a Category 1 hurricane. Hanna has begun the turn north, and the forecast track has moved west. Hanna would make landfall near Mrytle Beach, SC, and the center would move north passing near Goldsboro, NC. This would mean southerly winds for Oriental as Hanna passes – and flooding less likely despite heavy rain. We would be getting plenty of wind however – Hanna is a strong tropical storm. The storm still could be upgraded to a hurricane prior to landfall. The Tropical Storm Hanna Public Advisory says Hanna could produce 4 to 6 inches of rain as she passes.

Thursday found more folks around town preparing for Hanna. We found boats, ducks… and even cheers.

Hurricane Ike’s projected path has gone further south, now appearing to threaten south Florida. Ike is too far away to conclude that we will not be visited, but the track has been moving away from us in the last day.

Thursday September 4, 2008

5:02p: The 5pm update shows Tropical Storm Hanna’s track a bit farther west – projected to make landfall near Wilmington NC at aprox 2am Saturday morning. That would be when the eye makes landfall – the storm will be felt hours earlier. We can expect to feel the effects of Hanna in the Oriental area starting late Friday night and all night through Saturday.

The HURRICANE WATCH is now in effect from north of Edisto Beach SC to Currituck Beach Light…including the Pamlico Sound. Hanna’s maximum winds are 65 mph, and she is forecast to drop some 2-3 inches of rain over eastern North Carolina Saturday.

If the most western track continues, the threat of flooding is decreased for Oriental. The track will create south winds, which push water OUT of the river and up the sound. We could actually have a lot of rain and see water levels drop at the same time. But that is all IF the track stays west.

Hurricane Ike’s projected track is more southerly, making Miami more nervous, and thus just a bit (this far out, a tiny bit) more calm at TownDock Headquarters in Oriental.

10:57a: Hanna continues on a northwest track, and has weakened slightly. Hanna is still a tropical storm (not a hurricane), however is expected to become Hurricane Hanna before landfall.

A HURRICANE WATCH is now in effect for Edisto Beach SC north to Okracoke Inlet NC. More in the Tropical Storm Hanna Public Advisory.

Behind Hanna, Hurricane Ike’s forecast path is starting to make us nervous. And looking at that path, folks in Florida must be getting really nervous. Hanna might turn out to be a dress rehearsal for Ike.

While you are preparing for the storm – today’s Dock Quote has the secret of life.

6:38a: Hanna is still technically a tropical storm, but with 70mph winds and some strengthening expected, she will likely get upgraded to hurricane status sometime today.

Assuming anything close to the current projected track proves correct – we are going to get a hurricane. The time to get prepared is now – we talked with several ‘hurricane veterans’ about preparing for Hanna. This story also includes an image from the height of Hurricane Isabel.

While Hanna has our attention, Hurricane Ike is causing some anxiety. Now a category 4 storm with 145mph winds, Ike’s projected path is starting to curve our way.

Wednesday September 3, 2008

11:32p: The projected track of Tropical Storm Hanna has moved a tiny bit east – the current projection would have it going right over New Bern. For this track to happen Hanna must turn Friday night… any small change in that actual turn and the forecast track could be off significantly. The safe assumption right now is to assume that Saturday (perhaps as soon as late Friday night / early Saturday) we will be getting a visit from Hanna.

Ike was upgraded to a hurricane earlier today. It now is a Category 4 storm with 135mph winds. So far Ike’s path stays south of us, but the computer models are not yet in agreement.

5:10p: Uh Oh. The track of Tropical Storm Hanna had remained very consistent for the past couple days – but the 5pm update today has it projected to go very close to our little town. The new track takes the storm more east, coming onshore on the NC coast and passing just a bit to our west. As long as the storm stays west of us, the wind tide is actually likely to produce reduced water levels. However, if the track were to move further east, so that Hanna passes east of Oriental, then the northern winds could create serious flooding.

The Forecaster’s Discussion states that Hanna will likely reach Hurricane Strength (75 mph winds) before landfall.

Meanwhile, Ike has been upgraded to a hurricane – Ike’s forecast track take it on a twisty route through the Caribbean. Tropical Storm Josephine is still far away in the Atlantic, with projections for the storm to weaken.

The Farmer’s Market scheduled for Saturday will skip this week due to Hanna’s visit.

Tuesday September 2, 2008

11:30am: Mom Nature is keeping us busy. Hanna has been downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm, but is expected to regain hurricane strength before hitting the east coast. Tropical Storm Ike continues west, and welcome to newly named Tropical Storm Josephine.

Meanwhile, it is about as beautiful as day as can be in Oriental. Take a look at HarborCam and RiverCam.

6:50am: Our town is seen best at a walking or slow bicycling speed. To help visitors see the sights, the Oriental History Museum has just published it’s second “self guided” walking tour of Oriental. Join TownDock.net on a walk around town – click here.

There is another storm. No, not Ike (that was yesterday’s new storm). This is Tropical Depression 10 – which will be named Josephine as the storm strengthens. While these storms are now distant, and both have initial projected tracks that keep them south, both are in a position that could easily turn to our spot on the east coast.

Meanwhile Hurricane Hanna is forecast to land at the South Carolina coast sometime Friday or Saturday. This would make Hanna just a rain event for Oriental. But these storms don’t always follow where they are supposed to go…..

More perfect weather today through Thursday in the Oriental NC weather forecast.