2:00 pm update. We’ve seen some winds here at about 35 mph with gusts up to 55mph. The rain comes and goes with the rain bands. The electricity continues to pop in and out, but nothing that lasts more than a moment.

In the picture you can see the wind whipping the rain over the roof of the house on the street behind us. It looks like surf as if sheets up the east side then curls over the peak.

Our rainfall here is now just over 3 inches, a long ways from the predicted 10 to 20. I’m not complaining though, but I did think it a good idea to delay the irrigation this morning.

My brother-in-law across town lost power this morning and as far as we know is still out. My in-laws a couple miles away are currently ok. It’s been kinda interesting watching the weather radar and anticipating when the next squall is going to arrive.

I do know that proximity to the storm is important to the amount of weather one sees. We have a friend living where we used to in south Ocala and they are experiencing somewhat stronger weather than we are. The winds at The Villages, about 25 miles south of us and 17 miles south of our friends, are currently blowing at 32 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.

I know that’s a little spooky for some folks, but while it can cause some tree and power line damage, or some structural damage in weaker housing like mobiles, it’s generally not that significant. Usually the sounds of those winds cause more angst than actual damage. I took some sound recordings of the noise the wind makes (485 KB mp3) as it whips around our home and uploaded a brief mp3 file. I know, I know, but I’m just a bit bored here so I keep looking for things to do.

I keep a watch out doors with camera in hand just to see if there will be any events to photograph. I did miss the limb falling in the empty lot behind us this morning. It’s about 15-20 feet long and about 2 inches at the base. It's barely visible in the picture above just to the left of the large tree. Other than small bits of foliage and leaves, that’s all the tree damage I’ve seen here so far.

I’ve learned that one way to allay fear is to educate ones self. While I don’t claim to be any thing close to an expert, I’ve taught myself a fair amount about the weather and, like in any other area, knowledge is power.

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