Tropical Storm Fay has moved over the Straits of Florida and could reach hurricane strength later today as it heads into the Florida Keys. The outer bands of Fay have reached the Florida Keys and the southern tip of the Florida Peninsula. ; The AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center reports that at 11 a.m. EDT, Fay was located about 70 miles south-southeast of Key West. Sustained winds have increased to near 60 mph with higher gusts. The tropical storm-force winds extend about 115 miles out from the center of the storm. Fay is moving north-northwest over the Straits of Florida near 13 mph. The storm will intensify over the warm water in the strait and could be a hurricane by the time it passes over the Keys later this afternoon. Fay is forecast to make landfall early on the Florida mainland early Tuesday near Naples or Ft. Myers. Fay will then cross the Florida Peninsula, reaching the Jacksonville area by early Wednesday . The Severe Weather Center lists the numerous Related News Video: Latest Weather Update ; Vlog: Meteo Madness - Creeping Fay ; Blog: Weather Matrix - Blind Eye to Hurricanes? Blog: Frank Strait - Fay Has Us Nervous watches and warnings in effect in Florida. A hurricane warning is in effect for the southwestern coast of Florida from Flamingo to Anna Maria Island. A hurricane watch is in effect in the Keys from south of Ocean Reef to Key West and on the peninsula east of Flamingo to Card Sound Bridge and along the west coast from from Anna Maria to Tarpon Springs. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for the Keys south of Ocean Reef, on the east coast of the peninsula south of Cocoa Beach and on the west coast east of Flamingo. ; Motorists head out of Key West in Fiesta Key, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2008, ahead of Tropical Storm Fay. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) The Bahamian government has issued a tropical storm watch for the northwestern Bahamas. Floridians and tourists spent the weekend preparing for Fay. Gov. Charlie Crist on Saturday declared a state of emergency and put 9,000 National Guard troops on alert. The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) has been activated. The Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee is monitoring the storm and preparing to assist counties with potential protective actions and evacuations, if they become necessary. Craig Fugate, Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, is urging Floridians to be prepared for any protective actions local officials may suggest. ; "This is the time to make sure all of your emergency plans are in place and you have the supplies you need to keep your family safe." A mandatory evacuation order for visitors to the Florida Keys went into effect on Sunday morning. Associated Press reports a light, but steady stream of traffic headed north from the lower Keys on Sunday. Traffic was heavier along US-1 in the upper Keys. The Florida Highway Patrol sent in extra troopers to help along the 110-mile, mostly two-lane highway that winds through the Keys. Monroe County Sheriff Rick Roth told AP the Overseas Highway would likely remain open during and after the storm, but he urged people not to travel once Fay hits. Key West is a virtual ghost town today. Monroe County Mayor Mario Di Gennaro says about 25,000 tourists had evacuated. However, many locals are staying to ride out the storm. Key West International Airport closed this morning after the last plane left for Fort Lauderdale with 19 people aboard. The storm could impact tourism across the state. Walt Disney World spokeswoman Jacquee Polak tells AccuWeather.com officials at the Orlando park are monitoring Fay before deciding on any operational changes. Four to 8 inches of rain is forecast in Florida, along with a strong storm surge and tides of 3 to 6 feet above normal in areas of an onshore flow. There will be the potential for tornado development as the winds interact with the mainland. The storm is being closely watched by commodities traders. Expert Senior Meteorologist and AccuWeather.com agriculture expert Dale Mohler says Fay should cause minimal damage on Florida citrus crops. "Fay will produce 20- to 40-mph winds with higher gusts, but that is the strength of winds that develop in typical Florida thunderstorms." Mohler adds that the winds from Fay will last longer than thunderstorm winds; however, "The young fruit on the trees are smaller and have stronger stems than more mature fruit. As a result, the winds will knock down much less fruit than a storm later in the year." Energy traders have also been monitoring Fay. The forecast track will take Fay into the eastern Gulf of Mexico, which will not pose a major threat to oil and natural gas operations in the Gulf. The threat has helped to send oil prices higher in Monday morning trading on world markets. Shell Oil reported on Sunday that approximately 200 personnel were evacuated after approximately 160 offshore personnel were evacuated on Saturday, primarily from Shell's East operations area. However, the company website reports "there remains no impact to Shell operated production at this time." The South Regional News story reports the rain will spread across the Southeast later in the week, helping to ease the long-standing drought conditions in Georgia and the Carolinas. http://www.accuweather.com/news-top-hea ... 8-18_10:30
Here is the FAQ's from Disney on their Tropical weather policy. Tropical Weather Policy From June 1 to November 30, 2008, in the event a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area or for the guest's place of residence within 7 days before the scheduled arrival date, the guest may call in advance to reschedule or cancel their Walt Disney Travel Company Magic Your Way vacation package without any cancellation or change fees imposed by Disney. This temporary policy also applies to most Walt Disney World® Resort room-only reservations booked directly with Disney, as well as reservations at Disney's Vero Beach Resort or Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort in the event a hurricane warning is issued for those destinations. When does this temporary policy become effective? The temporary policy is effective in the event a hurricane warning is issued no more than seven (7) days before your scheduled arrival date by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area or for your place of residence. It is also effective in the event a hurricane warning is issued for the Vero Beach area or Hilton Head Island area for guests traveling to those destinations. What can I do if a hurricane warning is issued? If a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area or for your place of residence no more than seven (7) days before your scheduled arrival date, you may call in advance to reschedule or cancel your Walt Disney Travel Company Magic Your Way vacation package and most room only reservations (booked directly with Disney) without any cancellation or change fees imposed by Disney. This policy also applies to Disney's Vero Beach Resort or Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort in the event a hurricane warning is issued for those destinations. Will I be responsible for any cancellation or change fees or other amounts? If you have products and services provided by third party suppliers included in your vacation, such as airlines, hotels, car rental agencies or vacation insurance companies, you will continue to be responsible for any non-refundable payments, as well as cancellation or change fees assessed by those suppliers. The policy does not apply to certain special events or dining experiences. What if I prefer to reschedule my vacation to a different date because of a hurricane warning? Will I be able to get my same accommodations? If you are scheduled to arrive within seven (7) days of the hurricane warning, you may call us in advance to reschedule without Disney imposed change fee. All amounts you paid to Disney for rooms, park tickets, Disney dining plans and other Disney products and services will be applied toward your new reservation. Any discounts or free offers applicable to your original vacation will not apply to the rescheduled vacation. We cannot guarantee availability of similar accommodations for the new travel dates. The policy does not apply to certain special events and dining experiences. I received a special offer when I booked my vacation. If I reschedule will I get the same special offer? All amounts you paid to Disney for rooms, park tickets, Disney dining plans and other Disney products and services will be applied toward your new reservation. Any discounts or free offers applicable to your original vacation will not apply to the rescheduled vacation. The policy does not apply to certain special events and dining experiences. If I want to cancel or reschedule my vacation, what should I do with my airline tickets? If you booked your air travel through the Walt Disney Travel Company and you want to reschedule, we will attempt to re-book your air travel. But remember, you will be responsible for any cancellation or change fees imposed by the airline. If you did not book your air travel through the Walt Disney Travel Company, you should contact the airline. I did not book my package through the Walt Disney Travel Company. Does this policy apply to my package too? No, you should contact your travel agent or tour operator directly for information relating to the cancellation and change policies that apply to your package.
http://www.vacationdreamstravel.com/wor ... 08/18/fay/ Florida-Based Disney Destinations Tropical Weather Update Monday, August 18, 2008 Walt Disney World Resort The Walt Disney World® Resort continues to monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Fay. Recent forecasts indicate that there likely will be rain and wind conditions that may affect operations as early as Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 19, 2008. At this time, the Walt Disney World Resort will be open and operating as usual. Additionally, to ensure our Guests have opportunities to enjoy our Parks and Downtown Disney® Area offerings, we will open early as follows: All four Theme Parks will open at 8:00 a.m. on Aug. 19 DisneyQuest® Indoor Interactive Theme Park will open at 9:00 a.m. on Aug. 19 AMC Theatres will open at 10:00 a.m. on Aug. 19 We will announce additional changes to our operations if the storm’s direction and intensity make it necessary to do so. Disney Cruise Line The Disney Cruise Line® continues to monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Fay. At this time, there are no changes to the operations or itineraries. The Aug. 21, 2008, sailing of the Disney Wonder® will sail as scheduled from Port Canaveral. The safety and security of our Guests is always our top priority. If necessary, our Captains are always prepared to alter the ships’ course or itinerary to navigate away from inclement weather. ©Disney Latest Update: As of 8:00pm EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Fay was located slightly north of Key West moving North near 9mph with winds at 60mph. Current path projections show Tropical Storm Fay moving directly over Disney World sometime in the very early hours of Wednesday morning.
I'm down here at Saratoga Springs with the Hamettes and we're ready. I spoke with Realfam this morning he and his family are also at SSR. We all have plenty of water and food. I'm sure Disney is a safe place to be in a storm. I'll keep folks updated and post some pictures soon.
As promised. Thought I would post one of our first stops on Sunday Picture my DD 9 just took, view is from our patio at SSR looking east 10:00 AM EDT Tuesday Aug 19, 2008
We met up with the Realfam clan earlier this afternoon at the High Rocks pool ; at SSR then the Hamettes and I headed out to Flippers for another awesome pizza dinner. Best pizza I've found so far in Orlando. A few more pictures. Disney left a voice mail in our room saying that all operations are normal. Parks will be open tomorrow, Wednesday. Apparetnly the worst is yet to come. No thunder or lighting yet. So far the weather has not had a dramatic affect on our plans. No worse than summer storms we get back in Ontario. Here's a few more images taken by my DD9 Sky at Saratoga Springs at 15:30 EDT Looking north from SSR check in 20:30 EDT Driving back to the room looking west 20:35 EDT
Looks like the storm by passed Orlando and hit the Atlantic coast of Florida. We recieve rain and the winds we not too strong. Off to Universal this morning. Looking east from our patio at SSR 2 6:30 EDT Wed Aug 20
Florida-Based Disney Destinations Tropical Weather Update Wednesday, August 20, 2008 Disney Cruise Line The Disney Cruise Line® continues to monitor Tropical Storm Fay very closely. Tropical Storm Fay has stalled along the eastern coast of Florida near our homeport of Port Canaveral, and its path is uncertain at this point. For this reason, Port Canaveral has been closed by the Port Authority and the Aug. 21, 2008 sailing of the Disney Wonder® will set sail on its 3-night itinerary from Port Everglades, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Other than the departure port change, we do not anticipate any additional changes in the upcoming Disney Wonder itinerary. Transportation will be provided for Guests with transfers and those arriving by private vehicle at Port Canaveral. It is important that departing Guests park at our terminal in Port Canaveral as the ship is scheduled to return there on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008. The Disney Magic® is currently on a 15-night Panama Canal voyage and is scheduled to return to Port Canaveral on Monday, Sept. 1, 2008. The safety and security of our Guests and Crew Members are always our top priority, and we monitor the weather very closely. If necessary, our Captains are always prepared to alter the ships' courses or itineraries to navigate away from inclement weather. Walt Disney World Resort The Walt Disney World® Resort safely withstood the wind and rain associated with Tropical Storm Fay. We have returned to normal operations in all areas.
Glad to hear that everyone weathered the storm ok. ; We were up north this past week and kept hearing the reports on the radio so I was wondering how everyone was making out. ;D
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/p ... 3464.story Just as Tropical Storm Fay gave Walt Disney World and the rest of Central Florida a taste of severe weather last week, StormStruck, a new mini-attraction based on hurricanes, blew into Epcot. StormStruck: A Tale of Two Homes is presented by the nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH), a coalition formed by insurance companies and others involved in hurricane preparedness and response. The attraction, set inside Epcot's Innoventions East pavilion, lets visitors experience a bit of what hurricanes can do. After viewing an introductory video featuring The Weather Channel broadcaster Jim Cantore, visitors enter a small theater where they view a wide-screen, 3-D computer-animated video showing a major hurricane hitting several houses in a suburban neighborhood. Then visitors can take a quiz on hurricane safety tips, followed by a second video. The experience also includes what the attendant describes as "surprises." The grand opening, set for noon Tuesday, will be attended by R. David Paulison, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency; Bill Read, director of the National Hurricane Center; and representatives of FLASH participant companies, Disney and Walt Disney Imagineering.
Glad to hear that the storm wasn't as bad as first predicted. ; Hope you still have a good time at WDW Ham Ham. ; Oh and thanks for posting that photo of the sundae. ; I just ate lunch, but I could sure have used that as dessert.
We're back home in Mississauga. Despite the rain we had a great time in Orlando. Met up with Realfam and his clan. We stayed at SSR & OKW. W We can celled Disney Vero Beach due to the fact that the beach is gone. Had a peek at a Studio at AKV thanks to Realfam and his girls! The Hamettes enjoyed the pool ; hopping at AKL. I plan to have a trip report up sometime after next week. I'm off to Montreal to move my mother to Guelph to live with my sister
