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Position: 16.6N 61.5W [10:00PM CDT 0300UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [285°] near 20 mph [31 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 55 mph [ 90 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 35 miles [ 55 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1010 mb.

Currently about 265 miles [ 430 km] East-Southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Saba and Sint Eustatius; Sint Maarten; St. Martin and St. Barthelemy; U.S. Virgin Islands; Puerto Rico, including Vieques and Culebra; the Dominican Republic from Cabo Caucedo northward to Samana.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the south coast of the Dominican Republic from the Haiti border eastward to Cabo Caucedoo, and for the north coast from Samana westward to the Haiti border; the entire coast of Haiti.

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: 23.8N 84.3W [10:00PM CDT 0300UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [300°] near 9 mph [15 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph [ 55 kph].
Wind Gusts: 50 mph [ 80 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1012 mb.

Currently about 530 miles [ 855 km] South-Southeast of Mobile, Alabama.

Fred devolved to a wave but is expected to reform over the Gulf later. All watches and warnings have been discontinued.

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: 15.5N 53.8W [10:00PM CDT 0300UTC].
Movement: West [280°] near 21 mph [33 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph [ 55 kph].
Wind Gusts: 45 mph [ 70 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1010 mb.

Currently about 540 miles [ 870 km] East of the Leeward Islands.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from Antigua and Barbuda; Anguilla; St. Kitts and Nevis; Montserrat; Saba and Sint Eustatius; Sint Maarten; St. Martin and St. Barthelemy.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for British Virgin Islands; U.S. Virgin Islands; Puerto Rico, including Vieques and Culebra.

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: 22.7N 80.6W [10:00PM CDT 0300UTC].
Movement: West [280°] near 12 mph [19 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph [ 55 kph].
Wind Gusts: 50 mph [ 80 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1013 mb.

Currently about 150 miles [ 245 km] South-Southeast of Key West, Florida.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the Florida Keys west of Seven Mile Bridge to the Dry Tortugas.

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.]

Yes, it’s Friday the 13^th again. The 13^th falls on a Friday more than any other day of the week, so get over it. It’s only valid in in English and Portuguese speaking countries, so go visit a Spanish-speaking neighborhood for the day.

If you want to blame someone, it’s the calendar of Pope Gregory XIII that created this imbalance. [He obviously didn’t have a problem with the number on any day.]

Position: 21.5N 75.6W [10:00PM CDT 0300UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [295°] near 9 mph [15 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph [ 55 kph].
Wind Gusts: 50 mph [ 80 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1013 mb ↑.

Currently about 450 miles [ 720 km] East-Southeast of Key West, Florida.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the Cuban provinces of Ciego de Avila, Camaguey, Las Tunas, Holguin, and Granma; the Florida Keys west of Ocean Reef to the Dry Tortugas; the southwest coast of Florida from Bonita Beach south and east to Ocean Reef including Florida Bay.

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: 19.5N 72.2W [10:00PM CDT 0300UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [300°] near 15 mph [24 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph [ 55 kph].
Wind Gusts: 50 mph [ 80 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1009 mb.

Currently about 130 miles [ 205 km] South-Southeast of Great Inagua Island.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Haiti from the northern border with the Dominican Republic to Gonaive; Turks and Caicos Islands; the Southeastern Bahamas; and the Cuban provinces of Ciego de Avila, Camaguey, Las Tunas, Holguin, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantanamo.

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: 17.4N 66.8W [10:00PM CDT 0300UTC].
Movement: West [270°] near 17 mph [28 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 50 mph [ 80 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 45 miles [ 75 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1009 mb.

Currently about 45 miles [ 70 km] South-Southwest of Ponce, Puerto Rico.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Puerto Rico, including Culebra and Vieques; U.S. Virgin Islands; and the Dominican Republic on the south coast from Punta Palenque eastward and on the north coast from Cabo Frances Viejo eastward.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the Dominican Republic on the north coast from Cabo Frances Viejo to the Dominican Republic/Haiti border; Haiti from the northern border with the Dominican Republic to Gonaive; Turks and Caicos Islands; and the Southeastern Bahamas.

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: 15.1N 60.8W [10:00PM CDT 0300UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [295°] near 16 mph [26 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph [ 55 kph].
Wind Gusts: 45 mph [ 70 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1010 mb.

Currently about 40 miles [ 65 km] East-Southeast of Dominica.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Puerto Rico, including Culebra and Vieques; U.S. Virgin Islands; and the Dominican Republic on the south coast from Punta Palenque eastward and on the north coast from Cabo Frances Viejo eastward.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Martinique and Guadeloupe; Dominica; Saba and St. Eustatius; the Dominican Republic on the north coast from Cabo Frances Viejo to the Dominican Republic/Haiti border; and Haiti from the northern border with the Dominican Republic to Gonaive.

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.]

New Daily Record in Florida:

A record-breaking 23,903 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Florida on Friday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
…
On Saturday, Florida recorded 13,747 hospitalizations related to Covid-19, with at least 2,753 patients in intensive care units statewide, accounting for 43 percent of the intensive care units beds available in the state.

ABC (US) notes that Florida reports over 134,000 new COVID-19 cases in past week.

From Crooks & Liars: St. Louis Taxi Company Rejects Masked Or Vaccinated Passengers – “It’s definitely not right to wish someone gets COVID, but…if anyone deserves it Charlie Bullington of Yo Transportation Services certainly fits the bill.” If you need a taxi in St. Louis avoid the Pepto pink ones.

In Florida they are starting to refuse “elective procedures” because they have no room or personnel to support them. If you need joint replacement, a hernia fixed, or cataract surgery, you have to hobble along, suck it up, and try to avoid running into walls until the wave breaks and the hospital system recovers. Hospitals make the bulk of their money on elective procedures. Many Covid patients have little or no insurance, and it’s worse with the new wave of younger patients. In the initial wave the older patients tended to have Medicare at a minimum.

In response to concern over the worsening Covid situation in Florida and his blocking others from taking reasonable public health measures, ungovernor DeMentis says the real problem is people seeking amnesty crossing the southern border.

News Flash for DeMentis: Florida has borders with Alabama, Georgia, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean. Florida has no border crossings anywhere in the state. The nearest foreign country is 90 miles across the Florida Strait and if you try to block Cubans from coming to Florida you won’t win a Republican primary or general election.

Deflection won’t work when a significant number of the new cases are children. Nikki Fried and Charley Crist are no doubt printing “child murderer” signs for their campaigns. He’s going to be compared to Nero. Grandparents don’t like people who endanger their grandchildren.

Ron, if you don’t want to do your job and protect the people of Florida, just quit. You can’t hide the mess you’ve made of the pandemic response.

Florida is so screwed with DeMentis in charge:

Over at Comrade Misfit’s place she has maps of Florida’s situation. DeMentis isn’t going to do anything and has issued executive orders to prevent school boards and other local officials from acting to protect people while they try to get them vaccinated. He has even blocked businesses from requiring proof of vaccination. He must want people to die.

The hospitals and doctors are calling him out over his total lack of concern, but he ignores them.

The situations reminds me of the the drowning man joke. Instead of a rowboat, motorboat, and helicopter we were sent three vaccines, but the “faithful” won’t use them.

The Trumpkins are missing the reality that they are killing their own voters.

Update: Over at Elroon’s place the Titanic cartoon nails my neighbors.

A funny Tik-tok video on NPR that explains, in visual terms, what the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are doing.

Here’s a cartoon from xkcd.com kind of explaining what your body does after you get the shot.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave money to BioNTech for the creation of a vaccine, but not as much as multiple other donors. The small technology firm in Mainz, Germany was working on cancer vaccines before the Covid-19 pandemic exploded.

I have COPD and hate masks. That said and in spite of being fully vaccinated, I’ve never trusted local people enough to stop wearing a mask. In the last five years I’ve been hospitalized with pneumonia and later flatten for a week with the flu. The flu shot for the year I caught it didn’t cover that variety of the disease. I have current vaccinations for all of the respiratory diseases that are available. I know what it’s like to struggle to breathe and have had doctors suggest sticking cameras into my lungs. Now I have to worry about some MAGA/Trump worshiper giving me a breakthrough case of Covid on his way to the morgue. Damn it all to Hell – we were beating this thing and then these morons let hucksters (who were vaccinated for the most part) convince them that it was a liberal plot.

With almost 21.7K cases today, Florida’s incompetent ungovernor is using the power of his office to block as many measures that have been found helpful that he can think of because he wants to run for reelection next year and the Presidency in 2024 as a Trump clone. School districts in Florida are bared from imposing mask mandates, saying that only parents can mandate masks for their children. He is blocking local governments from doing anything helpful to relieve pressure on our hospital system.

A glance at the COVID-19 Tracker on ABC (US) News shows you that Florida is the destination for sunburn and the Delta variant. If you die here on vacation you won’t be added to Florida’s numbers. You have be a citizen to vote or be recognized by the state health department.

I keep hearing people saying that the vaccines arrived too quickly. Here’s a chart showing that people have been working on messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines for 5 decades:

In China in 2002 there was an outbreak of a Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused by a corona virus. It was labeled SARS-CoV. While more deadly than the Covid-19 virus (SARS-COV-2) it was no where near as contagious and disappeared by 2004. Medical authorities began working on vaccines. Because of the threats by disease to the military, in 2010 the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) funded mRNA research at Moderna.

When China made public the genome sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Moderna and BioNTech were ready to plug it into their individual mRNA carriers and create their Covid-19 vaccinations. Because the mRNA vaccines don’t require the extended production times of traditional virus manufacture, Moderna & Pfizer/BioNTech were able to begin trials very rapidly. After completing the three trails and presenting the data for review at various national health agencies their vaccines were given Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). During the approval process both began manufacturing their vaccines to be ready to ship as soon as they received approval. Traditionally companies don’t begin manufacturing until after they receive approval, and they apply for full permits which take much longer than EUAs.

The gullible fools in Florida who believe their individual “freedom” to make bad decisions is more important that other people should move away from society and die without bothering or infecting people who want the vaccine but can’t get it because of their age or medical condition. You have to surrender some perceived “rights” to enjoy the benefits of society. You can’t have it both ways.