GORDON REACHED hurricane strength Saturday afternoon while plowing through the Gulf of Mexico with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and gusts up to 90 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Gordon previously had been classified as a tropical storm.
       Authorities called for a voluntary evacuation along parts of Floridas western coastline and urged residents to make preparations for Gordons arrival, as forecasters said the hurricane could make landfall somewhere between Tampa and Tallahassee.
       Rains from Gordon already have caused death and mayhem in Guatemala, where 19 people were killed and more than 50 hurt over the past two days. Hundreds of people in the Central American country have fled their homes for fear of landslides or flooding.

-- cpr (buytexas@swbell.net), September 16, 2000

Answers

Honey you got it backward, it is headed over florida! Oh Bot mine.

-- ET (bneville@zebra.net), September 16, 2000.

LOL! I knew that one would get you, "mr. fearless"!

Bwaaaaaahaaaaaahaaaaahaaaahaaaa!!!!

-- (warning@warning.warning), September 16, 2000.

NEWS! Exclusive! NR breaks the the scandal:

CPR and Gary North are secret lovers. CPR be da bitch!

-- (AceReporter@National.Enquirer), September 16, 2000.

Let us hope this son( of a shoemaker) didn't chase harm in thought to these people.

-- ET (bneville@zebra.net), September 16, 2000.

Not me Twits: SOURCE: http://www.msnbc.com/news/458419.asp

GORDON REACHED hurricane strength Saturday afternoon while plowing through the Gulf of Mexico with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and gusts up to 90 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Gordon previously had been classified as a tropical storm.
       Authorities called for a voluntary evacuation along parts of Floridas western coastline and urged residents to make preparations for Gordons arrival, as forecasters said the hurricane could make landfall somewhere between Tampa and Tallahassee.

-- cpr (buytexas@swbell.net), September 17, 2000.

Hit 105 here today.

This IS the weather channel right?

-- Carlos (riffraff@cybertime.net), September 17, 2000.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/hurricane000917.html

Cane Is Able

Gordon Storms Toward Florida

Sept. 17  Hurricane Gordon is gaining strength and steaming toward Florida.

Gordon was expected to strike land between Fort Myers and the Panhandle sometime late today. But its unpredictability and direction changes left forecasters urging all coastal areas from Florida to Alabama to closely monitor its progress.

A 210-mile stretch of the western Florida coast, including Tampa Bay, is under a hurricane watch. The watch extends from Bonita Beach, south of Fort Myers, to the Panhandle.

The storm had battered Cuba with up to 10 inches of rain before reaching hurricane strength with 75 mph winds Saturday.

Florida Governor Jeb Bush has activated emergency response teams. Counties along the coast are recommending voluntary evacuation for residents in barrier islands and coastal or low-lying areas. Shelters opened on Saturday night.

Eric Blake, a meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center, said it was difficult to know where Gordon would land. Its really hard to say because its moving north-northeast, he said.

If the storm does take a more right track it will reach the coast sooner  if the track is more to the north, itll take a little longer for the center to reach the shore.

On Friday, the storm caused street flooding in Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula resort city of Cancun.

Voluntary Evacuations

John Fisher of Hillsboro County emergency operations said officials were suggesting a voluntary evacuation of people with special needs, such as the elderly. A lot of people are concerned, he said. Of course were getting a little bit of rain down here but we expect a lot more through the night and into tomorrow.

Under the hurricane watch, Florida residents in the region are advised to check emergency supplies, board up windows, and anchor trailers and boats. If hurricane conditions are expected within 24 hours, a hurricane warning will be issued and areas subject to storm surge or tides will be advised to evacuate.

Working at Ace Hardware in Tampa, Luke Bradshaw said people were stocking up on the usual emergency supplies: sandbags, flashlights and candles, and tape and caulking.

Most people, it seems like theyve gotten pretty used to it, he said. They just act as normal, go through the routine of getting their stuff prepared for the house.

Across the state on the Atlantic Coast, NASA considered moving the space shuttle Discovery off its seaside launch pad at Cape Canaveral and into its hangar. Discovery is scheduled to blast off Oct. 5 on a space station construction mission.

Florence Breezes by Bermuda

Out in the Atlantic, meanwhile, tropical storm-force winds struck Bermuda as Hurricane Florence passed to the north of the island nation.

The storm dealt the island only a glancing blow, and there was no damage or flooding, said James Buxton, a meteorologist with the Bermuda Weather Service.

Still, the fierce 60 mph winds shook the capitol city of Hamilton and battered the boats in the towns harbor.

Saturday afternoon, Florence was parallel with mid-Atlantic states, but remained hundreds of miles out to sea.

It still packed hurricane-force wind of up to 80 mph near its center, but it remained far from land.

Forecasters said there was a modest possibility it would eventually strike Newfoundland, Canada, Sunday afternoon. Rip currents associated with Florence were blamed for at least three surf deaths Tuesday in North Carolina.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

-- (in@the.news), September 17, 2000.

Sincerely hoping for the best for the folks in Florida.

Wind isn't the worst enemy; it's water. The wind comes and goes in a matter of hours. With Floyd here, the water stayed for weeks, and we're still feeling the effects. Yesterday (16th) was the one-year anniversary, and for many people in eastern NC, it'll be another 5 to 7 years before things are back to "normal". For some, it will never get back to normal.

Let's hope "Gordon" dies a quick death. Fast dissipation after landfall.

-- Chicken Little (nomore@floods.net), September 17, 2000.