Hi there, Dear Reader. It’s late morning here in New Hometown, Florida on Friday, July 2, 2021. Currently, the temperature is 78˚F (26˚C) under sunny skies. With humidity at 64% and the wind blowing from the southeast at 4 MPH (7 KM/H), the feels-like temperature is 77˚F. Today’s forecast calls for scattered rain showers and a high of 87˚F (31˚C). Tonight, scattered showers will continue, and the low will be 76˚F (24˚C). The Air Quality Index (AQI) is 26 or Good.
One of the many downsides of living in Florida during the summer is the constant threat from tropical storms and hurricanes that come from either the Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico. We are already one month into the Atlantic hurricane season for 2021 and are watching the progress of its fifth named storm and first hurricane: Elsa.
Per the National Hurricane Center in Miami, here is the latest public advisory on Elsa:
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WTNT35 KNHC 021222
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Hurricane Elsa Special Advisory Number 8
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL052021
830 AM AST Fri Jul 02 2021
…ELSA STRENGTHENS INTO A HURRICANE…
…HURRICANE CONDITIONS SPREADING THROUGH THE WINDWARD ISLANDS..
SUMMARY OF 830 AM AST…1230 UTC…INFORMATION
———————————————-
LOCATION…13.1N 60.1W
ABOUT 40 MI…65 KM W OF BARBADOS
ABOUT 75 MI…120 KM E OF ST. VINCENT
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…75 MPH…120 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT…WNW OR 285 DEGREES AT 28 MPH…44 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…995 MB…29.39 INCHES
WATCHES AND WARNINGS
——————–
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:
The Meteorological Service of Barbados has issued a Hurricane
Warning for Barbados, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines.
The Meteorological Service of St. Lucia has issued a Hurricane
Warning for St. Lucia.
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for…
* Barbados
* St. Lucia
* St. Vincent and the Grenadines
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…
* Martinique
* The southern coast of Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to the
border with Haiti
* Entire coast of Haiti
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for…
* Southern portion of Haiti from Port Au Prince to the southern
border with the Dominican Republic
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for…
* Grenada and its dependencies
* Saba and Sint Eustatius
* Jamaica
* Dominica
A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected
somewhere within the warning area, in this case in the next few
hours. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed
to completion.
A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are
expected somewhere within the warning area.
A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible
within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours
before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force
winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or
dangerous.
A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are
possible within the watch area.
Interests elsewhere in the Windward Islands, Leeward Islands, the
Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba
should monitor the progress of Elsa. Additional watches and
warnings will likely be required later today, including Hurricane
Warnings for portions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
The advisory from the National Hurricane Center includes this estimate of where Hurricane Elsa may go in the near future as it makes its way across the Caribbean and approaches the southeastern United States, including Florida.
DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK
———————-
At 830 AM AST (1230 UTC), the center of Hurricane Elsa was located
near latitude 13.1 North, longitude 60.1 West. Elsa is moving toward
the west-northwest near 28 mph (44 km/h), and this motion is
expected to continue during the next couple of days. On the
forecast track, Elsa will pass near or over portions of the
Windward Islands or the southern Leeward Islands this morning, move
across the eastern Caribbean Sea late today and tonight, and move
near the southern coast of Hispaniola on Saturday. By Sunday, Elsa
is forecast to move near Jamaica and portions of eastern Cuba.
Reports from Barbados indicate that maximum sustained winds have
increased to near 75 mph (120 km/h) with higher gusts. Little
change in strength is forecast during the next 48 hours.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km) from the
center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles
(220 km). Barbados recently reported sustained winds of 74 mph
(119 km/h) and a wind gust of 86 mph (138 km/h).
The estimated minimum central pressure is 995 mb (29.39 inches).
Barbados recently reported a pressure of 998 mb (29.47 inches).
On the downside of Elsa’s current forecast track – at least from my perspective – is that it looks like it will affect the Gulf Coast of Florida rather than the Atlantic side. New Hometown is inland but not too far away from the Gulf, so if Elsa manages to hold together after passing through the various islands (especially mountainous Hispaniola and Cuba), it will be in our vicinity sometime between Tuesday and Wednesday.
In other news, in a recent C-SPAN survey of 142 historians and Presidential observers, former President Donald Trump was ranked among the 10 worst Presidents in U.S. history.
According to a USA Today news story republished today in Yahoo News, James Buchanan, the 15th President of the United States, was the worst Chief Executive. A northerner (he was from Pennsylvania) who served for one lackluster term (1857-1861) who sympathized with the South’s “states’ rights” agenda and dithered during the Secession Crisis of late 1860 and early 1861 as the Civil War brewed, Buchanan definitely earned his spot as the Worst of the Worst.
Here’s what USA Today’s Susan Page writes in Historians rank Trump near the bottom of U.S. presidents as Obama rises into the top 10:
Donald Trump is ranked near the bottom of all U.S. presidents by a group of historians, getting the lowest grades for leadership of any commander in chief who has served in the White House in the past 150 years….
The findings underscore the duality of Trump’s standing, unprecedented among his fellow presidents. After his upset victory in 2016 and his defeat in 2020, historians hold him in the lowest regard of any president since soon after the Civil War. But he continues to be the face of the Republican Party and its most influential figure, and he is viewed as a potential contender for the GOP’s presidential nomination in 2024….
The historians rate Trump as the worst president in history on two of 10 qualities, “moral authority” and “administrative skills.” His strongest standing is on “public persuasion,” on which he was ranked No. 32.
Since 2000, C-SPAN has taken the survey each time there has been a change in White House administrations. The public affairs network, known for its gavel-to-gavel coverage of the House and Senate, said that in this year’s survey, it significantly increased the number of historians participating and their diversity in race, gender, age and philosophy.
In the article, which also delves into Trump’s disdain for historians’ opinions despite his claims that he is a fan of history, Page says that Barack Obama, the 44th President, moved into the top 10 Best Presidents’ list after being ranked 12th in the previous C-SPAN poll.
Per Page:
Among other modern presidents, Barack Obama has risen to No. 10, compared with No. 12 in the last C-SPAN historians’ survey, in 2017. Ronald Reagan is ranked at No. 9; Bill Clinton at No. 19; George H.W. Bush at No. 21, and George W. Bush at No. 29.
Richard Nixon, the only president forced to resign the office amid scandal, is rated No. 31
And in other news, water is wet.
Meanwhile…..
I’m still feeling under the weather thanks to the pesky summer cold that I’ve had since late last week. The virus and I are at an impasse as of late; the symptoms (mild but persistent headache, stuffy nose, and occasional coughs and/or sneezes) persist, but they are not getting worse. I don’t feel feverish, I don’t have trouble breathing – except for the stuffy nose, natch – and I have a normal appetite, so I think I have the situation somewhat stabilized.
Still, having a cold is enervating and definitely not fun. I’m taking my cold and flu medications religiously, and I am taking vitamin supplements that the Caregiver gave me the other day to boost my immune system. So, I think I’ll live, guys.
Other than that, I don’t have much to report, so I think I’ll close this up so I can publish this on WordPress. So, until next time, Dear Reader, stay safe, stay healthy, and I’ll catch you on the sunny side of things.
Sources:
8 AM (Atlantic Time) Advisory for July 2, 2021, National Hurricane Center
Historians rank Trump near the bottom of U.S. presidents as Obama rises into the top 10
A Certain Point of View, Too 
Stay safe. Hope the cold eases soon.
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The hurricane is not as an immediate threat as my cold. I think we are okay as far as Elsa goes.
The summer cold is really annoying 🤒, but this, too shall pass.
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Glad to hear it. Hope your cold clears up soon.
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The only good thing is that the thought of another Trump Presidency might motivate people to turn out to vote again the way they did in 2020, despite the numerous states that are trying to enact voter suppression legislation.
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That makes sense.
The flip side of that, of course, that Trump fans will also turn out in droves to reinstall him as President. So it’s going to be a really competitive race if that scenario occurs.
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