EcoloClean Industries (ECCI)

[texasboston]

Latest news:
What the models say
The latest (00Z or 06Z) model runs from last night and early this morning don't show much change from yesterday's runs. All the models show Dean moving through the Caribbean, passing very near Jamaica and the Cayman Islands on Sunday or Monday, then into the western Caribbean. None of the models show Dean moving northwards into Florida, and I don't see any feature in the steering currents that could potentially lead to a northern excursion by Dean into Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, or the East Coast of Florida. Landfall in the Yucatan are the preferred solutions, followed by an emergence into the Gulf of Mexico, with a second landfall near the Mexico/Texas border. I'd be surprised to see Dean make a turn northwards in the Gulf of Mexico towards Louisiana or points further east, as there are no strong troughs of low pressure coming across the U.S. until late next week.

The GFDL and HWRF models have been mysteriously weakening Dean and keeping the storm weak during its passage over the Lesser Antilles Islands, and through the eastern Caribbean. These models have not been correct, and a continued slow strengthening of the storm as indicated by the SHIPS intensity model seems in order. Dry air will continue to slow the intensification process down until the storm gets in the central Caribbean, at which time Dean should be able to reach Category 3 or 4 status. Once in the western Caribbean, where the ocean heat content is near the record levels observed during 2005 (Figure 1), Dean could reach Category 5 status.