well ... NO SURPRISE ... 6 pm Eastern on Sunday and Maria is already a genuine hurricane. They were saying - Maria will not but a hurricane until Monday morning. But here we go.

Have to say - Boy these storms gather force fast ... these days. Incredible.

If this thing stays on-track, the Virgin Islands and the south coast of Puerto Rico are really going to get whacked.

Given that Mom would bug in to batten down the hatches, I would bug in. I don't know what I would do differently.

Jeanette Isabelle

Maria looks to be taking a slight turn north. PR will take a big hit on this path, but Florida may not take a second hit. We'll see.

Jeanette - I agree with Russ.
It's possible that Florida will be spared a direct hit. But too early to tell. So you might be OK. Someone will get some rain, but maybe states north of Florida. Maria will be a major hurricane starting today - Monday.

Will probably be Cat 3 or Cat 4 by Wed night. But its strength is unknown after the pass over Puerto Rico.

Russ has succeeded in "converting me" to the WUNDERGROUND site. Their photos (satellite) and predicted tracks for Maria are excellent today.
There is a big difference between the European model and the GFS model. GFS has the storm swinging north into the ocean. But the European model says that it could swing closer to the (east) coast of Florida. At this stage there are a lot of unknowns - especially for the European model. The scatter in the possible predicted paths is enormous - for the 20-day forecast.

As far as Florida, South Carolina and Georgia are concerned - this is a "wait and see" event. But as far as the Virgin Islands, the Leeward Islands and the Antilles are concerned ... this new storm is a disaster. Shipments of plywood from Puerto Rico have already been cancelled. A lot of people on the islands don't even have wood to shutter their windows.

Maria was just upgraded to a Cat.5 hurricane. Watch out Puerto Rico...

A CAT5 storm now! Certainly this bears watching. I'm fortunate not to have to worry about such things in South Dakota; hopefully Maria will slip by populated areas.

Phaedrus - yes exactly.
Yesterday they said - maybe Maria will be a Cat 1 on Monday, maybe by Wed it will be Cat 3 / Cat 4. But already on Monday night it is Cat 5.

The folks in Florida - better not take the plywood off their windows yet.

"Maria was just upgraded to a Cat.5 hurricane. Watch out Puerto Rico... "

Very true. The whole island will be drenched by rain. But there are some places that are really going through ruin and destruction. Domenica and the US Virgin Islands - are going to get hit with the full fury of Hurricane Maria. Likewise ... the SE coast of Puerto Rico.

I have been watching the Weather Chanel. At current projections, Maria will pass us to the east.

My concern is not really about the hurricane. Instead, it's about my mental health during a hurricane.

As may know, I was in a psychiatric hospital in 2005. My health is degrading to pre-hospitalization status. Maybe what I need to face the storms and everything else is to go back so I will be ready.

Jeanette Isabelle

Jeanette - I think that you will be fine. Read Psalms, God is in control. Florida might get some rain, the real problem is for the Caribbean Islands.