Florida in trouble due to lack of tropical activity

[boca]

Because their hasn't been a tropical depression or storm that came across South Florida the Lake O level hasn't responded to what we should have seen by now.The normal lake level is 15ft, its currently 10ft. We are going into are dry season now until the end of May. At the beginning of the rainy season the lake was at an all time low of 8.91 ft. Unless we can get a tropical system out of the western Caribbean we will have water restriction of phase 4 or worse. They talked about Lake O on channel 10 last night and fci made a point and I know he was joking that well only be able to shower once or twice a week. I hope it doesn't come down to that point. I am -removed- a depression or storm up here now.

[Cookiely]

Take a look at this picture of Lake Lanier. The article is two pages.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... ?track=rss

[Derek Ortt]

where can I find info on phase 4 or worse... I am having trouble finding info about anything greater than phase 3

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

Don't worry Boca I am doing a WHOLE TON of wish-casting
here!!!! Enough hopefully to energize ex94L and send that
baby up!!!!

[JonathanBelles]

I dont wishcast, but the rule of averages says we will likely get a lot of rain at some point. When in drought, forecast it out, for now anyway.

[boca]

where can I find info on phase 4 or worse... I am having trouble finding info about anything greater than phase 3

Derek its not phase 4 now but if it doesn't rain eventually it might be phase 4. I think phase 4 is no watering at all.

[Derek Ortt]

I also saw that they had the BRILLIANT idea of lowering the Lake level as they ASSUMED that we would have hurricanes.

This is largely a man made problem. The Lake level NEVER should be touched. if people don't want a tidal surge, how about NOT BUILDING NEAR THE LAKE... THE MOST SURGE PRONE PART OF SFLA!!!

[boca]

I also saw that they had the BRILLIANT idea of lowering the Lake level as they ASSUMED that we would have hurricanes.

This is largely a man made problem. The Lake level NEVER should be touched. if people don't want a tidal surge, how about NOT BUILDING NEAR THE LAKE... THE MOST SURGE PRONE PART OF SFLA!!!

Agreed Derek that was quite brilliant on their part.

[Sanibel]

Our wetlands in the backyard never flooded this year. I've never seen that.

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

la ninas are dry. So it will be a dry winter
and spring, next spring's fire season might
be very bad.

[hurricanetrack]

I also saw that they had the BRILLIANT idea of lowering the Lake level as they ASSUMED that we would have hurricanes.

This is largely a man made problem. The Lake level NEVER should be touched. if people don't want a tidal surge, how about NOT BUILDING NEAR THE LAKE... THE MOST SURGE PRONE PART OF SFLA!!!

Ah- this is interesting indeed. It would be great to know the EXACT process by which they determined that they should lower the lake level. When was that decision made and what was the reason for making it? There had to be data to suggest to someone that FL could be hit by enough tropical cyclone activity to warrant lowering the lake level. Surely they did not go about this process without talking to someone at NOAA...but then again, I know nothing about this. However, learning how this came to pass would be quite revealing.

Let's look at it another way too- what if there were no seasonal forecasts from anyone at all. No CSU, no TSR, no NOAA and no Accuweather pre-season forecasts. Do you think the lake would have still been lowered?

[hurricanetrack]

The ultimate of ironies in weather may come about in 2008:

"Florida hoping for hurricanes!"

Extreme yes, but perhaps that is what will be needed to pull FL and the Southeast out of this drought.

[boca]

People in Texas forgive me for saying this but we need Allison to sit up top of Lake Okeechobee for 3 days.

[Derek Ortt]

nah... we just need better management. The Lake level would be close to normal had it not been lowered

[fci]

Because their hasn't been a tropical depression or storm that came across South Florida the Lake O level hasn't responded to what we should have seen by now.The normal lake level is 15ft, its currently 10ft. We are going into are dry season now until the end of May. At the beginning of the rainy season the lake was at an all time low of 8.91 ft. Unless we can get a tropical system out of the western Caribbean we will have water restriction of phase 4 or worse. They talked about Lake O on channel 10 last night and fci made a point and I know he was joking that well only be able to shower once or twice a week. I hope it doesn't come down to that point. I am -removed- a depression or storm up here now.

I never made that joke.
I don't find anything funny about a drought or mismanagement of the lake level.
My lawn looks horrible and I don't enjoy "sharing flushes" (something we were asked to do when I lived in Northern California)

[gatorcane]

FCI you are only about 20 minutes north of Boca Raton. Here in Boca, everything is green and lush. We have seen so much rain I am sick of it. My lawn is growing so much I can't even keep up with it. Only until this past week has the rain stopped some. But then again, seems like Southern Palm Beach County always sees alot more rain than the rest of the county for some reason.

[fci]

FCI you are only about 20 minutes north of Boca Raton. Here in Boca, everything is green and lush. We have seen so much rain I am sick of it. My lawn is growing so much I can't even keep up with it. Only until this past week has the rain stopped some. But then again, seems like Southern Palm Beach County always sees alot more rain than the rest of the county for some reason.

My grass was a wreck before the recent rains and combined with a mud clogged, lake-supplied, irrigation system; it has some bad spots.

Yes, I want a TS Allison type system to park over Lake O and bring it up to the top.

[cpdaman]

i've got to say it has rained a-plenty in south palm b county (not sure if the rest of the state had an umbrella) but compared to the poor folks in hot lanta we are doing just fine.

we shall se wether we have a dry la nina "winter" or not.

they lowered the lake assuming their would be a hurricane last year. who made that decision, they should be fired.

lastly we are not out of the woods for storms in S. FL give it 3 more weeks.

[TampaFl]

la ninas are dry. So it will be a dry winter
and spring, next spring's fire season might
be very bad.

Last year NWS said we were in a El Nino & it was supposed to be a "cool & wet" winter, turned out we were warm & extremly dry over most of the state with the wet weather from New Orleans west to Texas. So maybe this winter we will be "cool & wet" since a La Nina is predicted. (though I know that will not happen).

[anniecros]

Heh. Phase 3 unless you own a golf course, then you are allotted several million gallons a day.

Anyway, here in Broward, we have had a wonderful rainy season - and it is still raining up until the front came through last night. Cutting grass twice a week. Haven't had the hoses out since June. My brother in JAX was flooded out two weeks ago.

I think this will be a cooler winter than last year. We ran the AC in January one day last year.