The long wait

Hurricane Dennis is coming right up into Escambia Bay. We've had power blinks all morning. (Guess my hope of squeezing one more WoW raid is 100% out!). We're feeling some gusts and its storming steadily. I'm watching video of Pensacola Beach--wow, the Boardwalk is underwater! Waves are crashing over the fishing pier!

We're supposed to start feeling hurricane force winds at noon and the storm makes landfall at 4:00. It's still roaring in as a Category 4.

Update

Weather guy misspoke, confusing EDT and CDT: Hurricane force winds at 11:00 AM (45 minutes); landfall at 2:00.

Reasons NOT to watch 24 hour coverage: I didn't know that they were thinking it might strengthen to a Cat 5. They are happy that it's going to be a Cat 4. I never thought I'd hear relief that the winds were "only" 140 miles.

Lessons learned from Hurricane Ivan:

1) Savor that last hot shower
2) Go into the hurricane with clean laundry unless you want to be out in the yard with a tub and washboard. You may not have power for a long, long time.
3) A wearable flashlight is a wonderful thing. You will inevitably not be able to find it when you're trying to make your way to the bathroom in the dark of night.
4) You can make do with very little when given no choice

Lasted longer than I would have guessed

Lost power at 1:40 (a few minutes ago. Cable modem and wireless router is on UPS power for a little while longer. Trees are swaying, but we've still go a little while before landfall. Luckily, this storm is more compact than Ivan.