Tropical Storm Fay May Be a Windwalker

In 6 hours from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. while over "land," Tropical Storm Fay's winds increased by 5 mph from 60 to 65 mph. Her minimum central pressure dropped precipitously by 16 mb from 1002 to 986 mb. Her forward speed has slowed from 12 mph to 8 mph. All of these are signs that Fay is strengthening. At first, I was baffled. You can hear the amazement in the voices of the reporters. How can this be? Hurricanes are suppose to weaken over land.

After looking more closely at the maps, I realized Fay is not really over land. It is over the Everglades, the river or sea of grass, and Lake Okeechobee. Fay may be what the Seminoles of old called a "windwalker." According to a native Floridian, a windwalker is a treacherous, seemingly gentle storm that "walks" across the Everglades, gathering strength, goes back into the ocean, and then slams back into land as a destructive hurricane. That is exactly what the National Hurricane Center's (NHC) models are beginning to project.

Unfortunately, Jacksonville and Northeast Florida may be the area that gets slammed. I'm praying I'm wrong. I urge all residents in the Northeast Florida and Coastal Georgia counties to stay very aware of what is happening with this storm. This is the time to make your emergency plans and get your supplies, if you have not done so already. For recommendations, go to my posting on June 1, 2007. Given the pattern of this storm, there may be very little time to act once Fay selects the stage for her final act. For direct access to NHC advisories, maps and discussions, go to http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/nhc_storms.shtml .