All quiet on the Marco front

By Ed Bania (Contact)

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Tropical Storm Ernesto was proving to be a non-event Tuesday night. The storm was moving to the northwest with winds of 10 to 15 mph around midnight. The forecast for Wednesday had the winds shifting southwest at 20-25 mph with steady rain.

Isolated thunderstorms are forecast for Thursday.

"Nothing going on but the rain," Cpl. Jake Nachtrab, shift supervisor for the Marco Island Police Department said at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. "I haven’t heard of anything major."

It was also quiet at the Marco Island Fire-Rescue Department.

"Nothing is going on since I have been here," Munier Gattas, firefighter/EMT of the Marco Island Fire-Rescue Department said Tuesday night. "It’s been pretty quiet."

The city never announced a voluntary or mandatory evacuation of the island on Tuesday. It did issue a CodeRED alesrt at 3:35 p.m. with a prediction of winds from 45 to 70 mph and rain from 5 to 10 inches. Less than 1 inch fell Tuesday night.

For CodeRED warnings directed to your cell phone or other phones, go to www.cityofmarcoisland.com and click on CodeRED and follow the instructions.