I knew the sky was getting dark here in Naples, but when I tried to call my Mom in her retirement home in East Naples a while ago, I was a little alarmed that she wasn't in her room. I called the front desk and found out all the residents are huddling in the center of the ground floor as three (count 'em -- three) tornadoes have just been spotted ON THE GROUND in eastern Naples/ Collier County and are moving their way -- plus towards Naples itself.
What next? Locusts?

I pray you and your Mom remain safe.

The weather is just absolutely bizzare - no other way to describe it! It is hard to imagine the fear that many young and old (not to mention those inbetween) must feel in anticipation of such an event. I hope everything is well.

The weather prompting the tornado warning has moved out into the Gulf and the warning is now cancelled. But Weather Underground shows that the sherrif's department recorded "significant damage" in an area out near the Everglades.

Patrick, how is the wildlife handling all this hubbub?

My MIL lives in Naples!
I'm off to give a call.

We've been under a tornado watch almost constantly since Frances. Scares the bejesus out of my cats that National Weather Center buzz noise alert.

Has anyone noticed that Accuweather.com's meteorologists have Jeanne slamming into Florida around Saturday morning? Also, another one of the models have it hitting Florida.

tornadoes also touched down this afternoon in areas of Cape Coral, Pine Island and Sanibel. These areas are still reeling from Charlie. It has such a surreal feeling to it.

Hoping Judy from Cape Coral checks in here. I don't believe anyone was hurt. More roofs taken off though. LMF

Locusts/cicadas were earlier this year. Hope everyone was fine after the drill.

RDU airport was hit with a 'microburst' Friday afternoon. About a dozen private planes flipped over. Windows blown out of terminal A. Debris like broken glass and insulation all over the ground.

I think I'll plan something for Dec. 1 to celebrate the end of hurricane season. However, with my luck, I'll have to endure an ice storm.

Ironically, we have the most decent and beautiful weather that I can remember for months on end in Illinois/ Michigan. One of my girlfriends who moved to Englewood,FL is back up here again, but will be heading back down soon.

Very seriously, take those tornado warnings to heart and take shelter, even if it is on very short notice and you are terribly inconvenienced. I've been in two and they are no joke. Don't stay in a car or try to outdrive it, that is not a good idea. Particularly because you don't have basements, plan where you might go and VERY QUICKLY. Inner small rooms, with no windows and sometimes in the bath tub and huddle fast.

I sure hope that these terrible weather conditions leave the South and the East alone for awhile so they can start to recoup. It does seem the sequences have been so hard on so many people and Florida especially needs time for more help to get into the worse hit areas with some faster relief and supplies.

A couple of weeks ago, OO posted a link to intellicast.com, and instructed us to go to the "radar loop" because that shows pending weather. Her husband used it to prepare for wind conditions at his hotel...But I'm wondering about this. I just checked the loop, which shows times at the top, and it showed 1400 hours to 1545 hours, yet it's only noon...any thoughts on how to use this site properly? It looks very helpful otherwise.

I just answered my own question. The site uses Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and you have to subtract 4 hours to get EST. Check it out for any spot in the US.

Patrick, Hope you're Mom made it through the Tornado scare OK.
Lots of people down there must be suffering from nervous exhastion. We are still sending you all continuing calm thoughts... and hoping you stay safe.

Um, re Locusts, I think they are concentrated in Northern Africa, I read about 3 weeks ago that the swarms there were so thick and huge that they could be seen by satellite cameras.
What is the world coming to, or is it just that we are entering a part of the cycle that we haven't seen before?

Hi Patrick! I hope all stays calm for your mom and everyone else over there. We are just getting wind and rain here on the East coast.
Funny, a Floridian yesterday said to us, while we stood and watched the men cut up the tree that fell on his house, "What next, Locust?" and it does seem like it..although if we had cicadas already, maybe frogs next ?
I have those all over the patio every evening.
I am off to the airport, hoping that this weather does not mess up flying too much.
Take care while I am away- I will worry about my FloridaFodorFriends!