Hello, Dolly...

It's deja vu all over again.  (Yogi Berra quote)

South Padre Island was shown on the Today Show's weather segment today - Tropical Storm Dolly made landfall well south of the US border, just north of Tampico, Mexico.  Winds and rain, but not the hurricane force of either that is so destructive.

Those of us who live in that area remember a different Dolly... Hurricane Dolly made a direct hit on South Padre Island and Port Isabel in 2008.  LOTS of damage.

Joan asked, "I thought they didn't 'recycle' hurricane names?"

That is only if the hurricane is considered "devastating."  I guess that is a matter of "whose ox is being gored."  Hurricane Dolly in 2008 came in as a Category 1, but ramped up to a strong Category 2 while it sat right over the area for 24 hours.  Winds of 120 mph, and 22" of rain in that same time period.

Jim Cantori and other weather weasels stood on our local beach with their windbreakers flapping, videoed some of the damage, then moved on the next day.  For them and the rest of the country, the "event" was over.  For those of us who live there, the local flooding was an issue for weeks; repairing the damage to homes, condos, and businesses went on for months; some that suffered the most damage took a couple years.  Some were simply leveled, beyond repair.

Our home area received some wind, a bit of rain, and storm surge; on "the dirty side" of this tropical storm.  South Texas is experiencing a tough drought - it could use the moisture.  Nobody needs "another Dolly."

---------------------

We are spending our last morning in Friday Harbor.  After breakfast, it is time to undo the dock lines one last time.  The thunderstorms of last night have moved on; a sunny start to the day, with light wind and some local fog.

Should be a great day for our last cruise with Wild Blue.