Hurri-what, Hurri-who! :: Me vs. the Hurricane

We all know that Florida has recently been bombarded and devistated by hurricanes over the past few weeks. The latest storm, Hurricane Jeanne, was particularly ruthless as The Weather Channel was broadcasting live from the storm's center 24 hours a day. After disposing of Florida, Jeanne moved northward dropping more than a half a foot of rain in parts of New Jersey (I saw the video of HUNDREDS of Land Rovers stranded helplessly on washed away streets... hopefully the Red Cross will step up and provide aid to those in need). Today, actually earlier this morning, Hurricane Jeanne set her sights on my area. I decided the best way to meet the beast was head on! I set out for a bike ride early in the morning that would put me on a collision course with danger.

I set out at 5:25ish under the darkness of night. After 30 minutes of riding, the sky lightened and revealed the fury of the storm...

[Be advised, the following contains graphic images of the destructive forces of powerful storms and their devistating effects on small coastal communities.]

Hurricane Jeanne, 05:52am, looking towards the Northeast:
http://www.maineislandillusions.com/blog/9-29-sunrise.jpg" alt="Hurricane Jeanne... DumDumDuuuum!"
As you can see, with little regard to my own wellbeing I was able to quickly snap this shot amoungst the wirlwind of chaos. Although I did not have any scientific weather instruments with me at the time, I have experienced high powered storms in the past and I would guestimate the power of the winds to be somewhere between 3.4 and 5.7 miles per hour (that's like 3 to 5 knots for those of you who, ...like knots).

Here's another shot from the same spot, this time focusing on the nearby lake. I know it looks calm at the moment but I think that water level was abnormally high due to the low pressure tidal swells. I also concluded that this must be in the EYE of the storm!!
http://www.maineislandillusions.com/blog/9-29-lake.jpg" alt="Lake effect"

I narrowly escaped and finished my ride. Oddly enough, not once did I spot a reporter or Weather Channel news crew documenting this historic meteorological event. Proof that only the strong can subject themselves to adverse conditions such as these.

All sarcasm aside, relief efforts in Florida and other areas are a serious matter for those who exerienced the storm in full-force. Donations and links to how you can help aid the relief efforts can be found at http://www.floridadisasters.org/donations.php

Safe & sound,
- John