As the Pensacola News Journal reports corporations don’t like it when they lose over a billion dollars:

Real estate developer St. Joe Co. is seeking unspecified damages against M-I SWACO for a decline in the value of its 577,000 Panhandle acres and in its developments. At its worst point during the massive Gulf oil spill, the company said it lost about $1.4 billion in stock value.

…St. Joe filed a similar action against Halliburton on Aug. 4 and the company has said it plans to sue others involved in the BP well.

St. Joe Companies is the biggest land owner in the Panhandle. They bought up pine forests for use as pulp for their paper products, and discovered that their land along the beach was worth big bucks when they put tacky “communities” on it. They will be suing everyone involved with the Well from Hell.

David Hammer of The Times-Picayune filed a report, BP manager, boss both ignored warnings before Deepwater Horizon blew, from the hearing in Houston.

This is an assignment for Joseph Heller. The testimony in these hearings could be part of Catch 22. A BP executive testifies that he doesn’t know the chain of command for this well‽ It is costing the corporation billions of dollars, and Wells doesn’t know the names of the people in charge when the well blew up‽

If someone is planning a play or movie based on the tragedy, some of the testimony will provide the comic relief.

Position: 16.0N 47.9W [10 PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [275°] near 20 mph [32 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 50 mph [ 85 kph].
Wind Gusts: 65 mph [105 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 85 miles [140 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1002 mb ↓.

Currently about 1015 miles [1635 km] East of the Leeward Islands.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for French Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy.

While conditions are good for strengthening, Earl seems content to just move East away from the dry air to the North.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 28.1N 60.6W [10 PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: North-Northwest [355°] near 10 mph [16 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 135 mph [215 kph].
Wind Gusts: 160 mph [255 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 205 miles [335 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 60 miles [ 95 km].
Minimum central pressure: 942 mb.

Currently about 385 miles [ 615 km] Southeast of Bermuda.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Bermuda.

The storm spun up overnight into a very small category 4 storm, the first major hurricane of the season. Bermuda is already experiencing the swells generated by the storm and the US coast will start seeing high surf and rip tides this weekend.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Bad Choice

zzz…zzz…zzz…

[Editor: This is not a gargoyle with a fear of heights, not a clog in my neighbor’s gutter, but a kitten who has selected the wrong place to nap with a thunderstorm approaching.

The Friday Ark is in dry dock this week.