By
Associated Press/NWS/National Hurricane Center
had to clear away two gopher tortoises, four walking catfish, an
alligator and a blue indigo snake that had washed onto the active
runway during Tropical Storm Fay.
The menagerie was discovered on Wednesday.
Airport officials said the tortoises were moved to the airport's
designated gopher tortoise relocation area and the walking catfish
and snake were tossed into a nearby pond. The gator walked into a
drainage ditch.
Walking catfish use their pectoral fins to get around on land
and can breathe out of water as long as they stay moist.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Track Fay with the News 5 Storm Team
Latest National Hurricane Center Advisory
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL062008
500 AM EDT THU AUG 21 2008
...FAY REMAINS JUST OFFSHORE AS HEAVY RAINS CONTINUE...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FORT PIERCE FLORIDA
NORTHWARD TO THE SAVANNAH RIVER AT THE BORDER BETWEEN GEORGIA AND
SOUTH CAROLINA.
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
AT 500 AM EDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FAY WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 29.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.7 WEST OR ABOUT 20 MILES...
30 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF DAYTONA BEACH FLORIDA.
FAY HAS MOVED VERY LITTLE OVER THE LAST FEW HOURS. HOWEVER...A SLOW
MOTION TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST IS FORECAST TO BEGIN LATER TODAY
AND CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THIS TRACK...FAY IS
FORECAST TO MOVE SLOWLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA
TODAY...AND BE VERY NEAR THE GULF COAST OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE BY
EARLY SATURDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MPH...95 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. SLIGHT STRENGTHENING IS STILL POSSIBLE WHILE THE CENTER
OF FAY REMAINS OVER WATER THIS MORNING...BUT GRADUAL WEAKENING IS
FORECAST AFTER FAY MOVES BACK OVER THE FLORIDA PENINSULA.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 150 MILES...240 KM
FROM THE CENTER.
THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE MEASURED BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE
UNIT HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT WAS 994 MB...29.35 INCHES.
FAY IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OVER THE NEXT 36
HOURS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE FLORIDA
PENINSULA...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES. RAINFALL
ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES ARE ALSO LIKELY OVER SOUTHEASTERN
GEORGIA DURING THE SAME PERIOD. ISOLATED STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS
OF NEAR 30 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED IN FLORIDA.
STORM TIDES OF 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE
EAST COAST OF FLORIDA TO THE NORTH OF THE CENTER OF FAY.
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE TODAY OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHEASTERN
FLORIDA AND SOUTHEASTERN GEORGIA.
REPEATING THE 500 AM EDT POSITION...29.1 N...80.7 W. MOVEMENT...
STATIONARY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...60 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE...994 MB.
AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 800 AM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 1100
AM EDT.

Gulf ‘Dead Zone’ Suffocating Fish and Livelihoods















Carl - I do remember you sharing that story a while back when several of us were remembering those days. The motel we were in was just across 90 and next door to a popular club at that time. Nothing but a gray slab was left of that thing. Not even any rubble. Just an island of concrete amidst the sand.
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I have a picture of me standing in front of the Bay Town Inn that was taken in March of 2005. Had lunch at The Dock of the Bay across the street from the place and poured down a few cold beers at the Firedog Saloon later that afternoon. Hard to believe that only a few months later the whole place would be turned upside down. The shell of the Firedog survived, but it was gutted. Need to take a drive over that way soon and see how much progress they have made.
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The Firedog’s website has some pretty dramatic pictures taken right after Katrina, including some brave firemen taking away bodies tangled up in the debris.
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http://www.firedogsaloon.com/