Tropical Storm Becomes Hurricane Off Fla

[Constant]

Tropical Storm Becomes Hurricane Off Fla.

By TRAVIS REED, Associated Press

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. - Tropical Storm Ophelia strengthened into a hurricane as it stalled 70 miles off the northeast Florida coast Thursday, churning waves that caused beach erosion and drenching Kennedy Space Center.

Thursday evening, Ophelia had top sustained winds of 75 mph, just over the threshold to be classified as a hurricane, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said.

But forecasters said it was still unclear where Ophelia was headed.

If it hits Florida, it would become the third hurricane to strike the state this year and the seventh in the last 13 months.

Downpours from earlier storms had caused flooding in Flagler County, raising anxiety levels about the effect of more rain. Authorities shut down a mile-long stretch of beachfront road in Flagler Beach so transportation workers could shore it up with sand and boulders.

"The storm is eating up our dunes," said Carl Laundrie, communications manager for Flagler County.

Two shelters in Flagler County were being readied as a precaution. In neighboring Volusia County, 12 people had already moved into the county's three shelters.

"In reaction to Katrina, we wanted to be extremely proactive," said Dave Byron, spokesman for Volusia County. Volusia County schools were closed Thursday.

Ophelia is the 15th named storm of the season. At 5 p.m. EDT, it remained nearly stationary. Forecasters predict it should turn out into the Atlantic over the next few days, but that wasn't a certainty.

Storm warnings or watches were posted for Florida's east coast from Sebastian Inlet to Fernandina Beach.

Officials at NASA were also keeping an eye on Ophelia. Last summer, the space agency's launch and landing site took the brunt of three hurricanes, which punched big holes into the massive building where shuttles are attached to their booster rockets and fuel tanks.

Ophelia was the seventh hurricane of the Atlantic season, which began June 1 and ends Nov. 30. Hurricanes Nate and Maria were churning elsewhere in the Atlantic, but neither was considered a threat to the United States.

The season's peak typically occurs from the end of August through mid-September.

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[Fiosh]

"What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?"

Matt 8: 27

I love that.

[hmh]

I think the storm should be renamed to "Oi Vey." It's just sitting out off of the Cape, and sitting, and sitting, and sitting,...

And yet if it does move, it may do a complete U-Turn and hit Florida anyway. Go fig...

[Giaour]

North East Florida here.

No gambling, no prostitution, alcohol free county, bible believing church going christian community.

I wonder if God will send a hurricane to destroy us.

(sarcasm)

[Guest yod]

NO

there are lots of jewish people there (sarcasm)

...it will go to South Carolina or fizzle in florida

I'm in Miami.

Blue skies!

[Christ's Free Servant]

North East Florida here.

No gambling, no prostitution, alcohol free county, bible believing church going christian community.

I wonder if God will send a hurricane to destroy us.

(sarcasm)

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In the OT when God sent judgment on the children of Israel it was because they forsook their first love and they followed after other gods. The south (where I live in SC) is a highly "religious" area of the country, but there are a lot of "religious" people who are Christians in name only and who are following after the gods of the world and the Lord wants them back for himself, so FL & SC are not out of the woods just because we are not N.O. There is a big, huge movement among the churches here (not all) for churches built upon marketing techniques and entertainment and where the word "repent" is not mentioned for fear we might scare people away and God wants to bring people to repentance and to their knees and the hardest ones to get to their needs are those who feel they are religious because they live in the Bible belt and because they don't do any really bad stuff and they are members at a local church. Jesus said that if anyone wanted to come after him he had to deny himself and take up his cross for whoever would save his life would lose it but whoever loses his life for Christ's sake will find it. People turn to the Lord when they are in crisis. It is a proven fact that most people come to the Lord out of a crisis situation in their lives. So, if we are going to have a lot of people saved before the Lord returns, there have to be crisis to get people to their knees so they will call on God and seek his face. I expect more areas in the USA to be hit with something this year and next and on into the tribulation and the return of Christ.

[Guest Zayit]

This is the season of Teshuvah, coming up to the Day of atonement. How much has America repented? Look at that parade on monday. I think that is why it is sitting, HE is waiting to see.

I don't know if you remember this or not, those who already don't believe G-d sends hurricanes won't and I don't know how you all feel about CBN, but there was a hurricane a couple years back that was heading straight towards Virginia Beach. AND Pat Robertson asked all the viewers to pray and the partners and those on the show prayed and that hurricane did some strange manuvers, but missed them totally. Anyone remember that?

Katrina hit 1 week before the countdown of 40 days to Yom Kippur.

[Guest Zayit]

Katrina hit 1 week before the countdown of 40 days to Yom Kippur.

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