Pray That Hurricane Dean Lightly Touches Jamaica, It's Working!

Jamaica is starting to receive the winds of Hurricane Dean. Some are predicting a glancing blow. The satellite image looks ominous, though. Dr. Jeff Masters says:

Jamaica is already receiving high winds and heavy rain from an outer spiral band. How bad will it get? The big question is if the eyewall will move over the island.

Unfortunately for Jamaica, Dean has two eyewalls, forming concentric rings (Figure 1). The inner eyewall is 15 miles in diameter, and the outer eyewall is 37 miles in diameter. Winds of Category 3 and 4 strength are blowing in both eyewalls, as seen in the latest data from the SFMR surface winds taken by the Hurricane Hunters. So, Dean's center has to pass more than 25 miles south of Jamaica for the island to be spared the worst of the hurricane. The nation's capital, Kingston, lies on the southern portion of the island, and will be the hardest-hit major city. The tourist city of Montego Bay is on the northern part of Jamaica, and will fare much better.

A Jamaican blogger says they're already feeling it, a bit. And some Jamaican fishermen are stranded on a lower island. They're going to need a miracle (Storm Crib is the best link I've seen for local updates):

A report just came in from nationwide radio that 17
persons are stranded on the Middle Keys.(Small
low-lying Islands well 89miles south of Jamaica used
by fishermen).

Here's a link to local radio courtesy Instapundit.

Eric Berger has thoughts for Texans and this is most important:

Should that come to pass I would hope Texas and the rest of the country would do what it could to help Jamaica and Mexico, as these two nations appear set to bear the brunt of the most intense hurricane to form since 2005's Wilma.

Let's hope the hurricane rumbles through an unpopulated area.

Keep praying. It works!