Ernesto Now Just A Rainstorm

In typically calm Key West fashion, no one here is too concerned about Ernesto because it is a ways away. The government seems to have taken this storm seriously. The Key West Airport, for example, is closed. So are the state parks and the schools here. As a precaution, the Sanctuary boats have been taken out of the water, here and in Bahia Honda. (If the seas get really choppy, it's not a good idea to have boats banging around.)

The government actions here in ordering tourist evacuations closing schools, shuting down the state parks, and taking other emergency measures are driven by money. If the government didn't act it may not be eligible for certain kinds of emergency relief funds. The truth is that you can't trust tropical storms in South Florida.

However, the weather here is still nice for a summer day. So, today we'll probably bring in some orchids that could get damaged by some wind gusts. We'll probably only get some rain and maybe a few wind gusts but we're not anticipating anything serious. The heavy rain will be up near the mainland. The storm winds are only a max of 45 mph. We get 20 to 30 mph gusts on a typical windy summer day, so you can see why no one here seems real concerned. I've included a link to the Key West radar, so you can watch.