Well, 4 am, rain's started. Wind's picking up. Tallahassee gov't weather site is noting the amount of times a cat 4 has made landfall in this area since we've started tracking this sort of thing is a big fat
Zero. We're making history lads and lasses.
E: Gods know how much longer we'll have power, heh. Actually have a generator, but it won't be being used for internet, to say the least. Estimates look like tropical storm force winds start sustaining for my area in about three or four hours and leaving around two o'clock tomorrow morning, with the wind enfuckening happening somewhere in between.
... definitely kinda' wish I had noticed this thing coming earlier than I did, and that there was more warning it was going to be, y'know, historically ass-kicking. Probably would have just convinced folks to get up and leave town for a day or two
E2: House pictures get. Forgot to do that yesterday, but the rain's let up enough that with the sun coming up it was doable. Incidentally, any of y'all in the path of the hellstorm might want to get pictures of your pre-storm building or whatever conditions. Can be significant help with insurance/assistance claims afterwards.
E3: TV weather guy had words of comfort for remaining panama city residents: "Tornadoes, well, on the bright side with this storm if there's any tornadoes you won't be able to tell."
Because the rain and non-tornado winds will be too loud to tell the difference.
... incidentally, I'm now seeing occasional mention of worry this motherfucker will breach cat 5 in the next few hours. The coast is going to be hyperfucked today. Dunno how much less the rest of us will be