Bad News: Michael Jumps To Cat. 4

Hurricane Michael slurping up heat from the bath water of the Gulf of Mexico made the jump from Cat. 1 to 4 in less than 24 hours and is expected to batter the Florida panhandle when it makes landfall later today. Landfall as Cat. 4 hasn't happened in that region since Opal in '95. Storm surges, crazy wind, rain and the accompanying tornadoes will likely remake that region and with the size and strength trash southern Georgia, as well. It is forecast to take off and speed through the region and be swept offshore by the powerful cold front that is wrecking havoc on the plains right now. That forward speed will help, but many inches or even feet of rain is going to fall, especially in the Carolina's where the water has barely receded from Hurricane Flo. The track and speed will play into how much rain we get here, from less than 1" to several, with then, ensuing flooding. The rapidly warming planet is going to move the heat and storms like this, is how that happens.

Recently interviewed the mayor of Tangier

Made a couple of things quite clear

It was erosion washing his tiny island away

But sea level hadn't changed from back in the day

And, like his hero Donny Jonny the Chump

Global warming was just a big liberal dump

Mr. Conservative also thought taxpayers should buy

A big seawall so his island won't die

But, how could the idiot miss the connection

That it's from sea level rise he seeks protection

Cuz, duh, the erosion is from the sea level rise

His disconnect seemed to me quite a surprise

But then, he's trapped by the denial of his kind

Where fake fox news has shrunken his mind

Soon your life of raping the bay is gonna go

And, the crabs you been catching want you to know

They will be living on you soon flooded home

Sea level rise giving them more room to roam

Heads up dude, science is right, you are wrong

With rising seas, Tangier will not last for long.

Pretty shaky day on the shaky planet but while there have been quite a few quakes above magnitude 5, none get near 6. No real surprise locations, mostly Pacific plate boundaries... and Oklahoma. Volcano updated list comes out tonight.
Clouds will block sky viewing for most of the eastern half of the country tonight and tomorrow but by Friday the front and hurricane will be off the coast and the waxing crescent moon will be above and left of Jupiter and hanging with Saturn by Sunday night. The weekend will feel like fall and lovely for day time activities or nighttime sky viewing. Hunker down and survive the storm but get out and wander before it gets here, Today On Earth.