Watch and wait...

We are about 1,500 miles from home, so are at the mercy of the weather forecasters and news media for information about the impact of Hurricane Harvey in our area.

When we went to bed last night, the hourly forecasts were calling for winds of 101 mph in our area.  For the record, this is about 170 miles south of where the center of the storm will make landfall.  This morning, those predictions have been revised... thankfully, downward.  The weather weasels are now calling for 62 mph as the strongest wind speed today, with about 12 hours of significant wind.

Currently, the weasels are saying...
* Storm Surge Watch
* Hurricane Watch
* Tropical Storm Warning
* Special Weather Statement (rain of 2 to 3" per hour possible)

The next 12 hours will be telling for how this all plays out, but we are breathing a bit easier this morning for the conditions in our area, and sending good vibes for those in the path north of us.

Right now, the NWS (National Weather Service) is saying winds at 30 mph and the first of the rain bands are moving in.

We'll be watching from afar.

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Just got word from the management on our island:

"The LIV swing-bridge will be tied back & closed to vehicular traffic from 7 pm this evening until 7 am tomorrow morning. They may have to close it earlier as the tides are rising. We will keep you posted as more information comes in."

The bridge to our island is a swing-bridge: it pivots out of the way to allow boat traffic to pass through on the Intracoastal Waterway.  As the water rises, at some point, the bridge will open whether you want to keep it closed or not.  They will be tying the bridge in place in the open position.  This means no vehicles will be able to come or go from the island during this 12 hour period.  As the storm surge subsides, they should be able to close it again.

This is for the protection of the bridge (only way on/off the island, other than by boat).  During Hurricane Dolly, the bridge sustained damage and was unable to close on its own.  People who did not leave before the hurricane hit could not get off the island.  The Bridge Board, no doubt, wants to avoid another situation like that.